A Discourse Analysis of the Exogenous and Endogenous Drivers of Employee Well-being in South Africa

Abstract

In South Africa, people management professionals are faced with the challenge of recreating their organizations to ensure that aspects such as core values, culture, strategy, systems, processes, and people are fully integrated. However, while the focus of employee well-being initiatives has been invariably positive (insofar as they aim to improve physical, psychological, and social functioning), it cannot be assumed that employees have been positively disposed toward them. Taking this important analysis into consideration, the purpose of this article is to: (i) Explore the exogenous and endogenous drivers of employee well-being and (ii) identify how the drivers of employee well-being impact on performance in the workplace. Limited research exists on the feasibility of an overall healthy workplace and on the impact of such workplaces on organizational functioning. This study employs a qualitative content analysis of a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed accredited South African journals, professional papers, regulations, and policies. The findings reveal that first, the organizational setting (source of exogenous drivers) has a direct implication on employees’ physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences. Second, the employee setting (source of endogenous drivers) plays a role in determining the extent to which an employee will display indicators of high or low levels of health and well-being in the workplace. Thus, a model is developed which encapsulates interrelated exogenous and endogenous drivers of employee well-being which impacts on performance in the workplace.

Keywords: Employee Well-being; Exogenous; Endogenous; Workplace; South Africa

Australian Academy of Accounting and Finance Review, vol 3, issue 1, January 2017, pp 37-49