An evaluation of the effectiveness of employee health and wellness programmes in the transport sector companies in Namibia
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Date
2023
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
The absence of robust health and wellness strategies in the transport sector continues to
negatively impact economic growth in Namibia. Henceforth, this study evaluated the
effectiveness of employee health and wellness programmes in five transport and logistics
companies based in Windhoek and Walvis Bay. The study adopted a mixed exploratory
sequential design entailing five (5) focus group discussions and a survey questionnaire (n=
122). Purposive and multistage sampling methods were adopted to select sample
representatives, respectively. Qualitative data were analyzed through an open coding
system, while quantitative data were analyzed through a Multivariance Analysis of
Variance (MANOVA) test calculated in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The
findings indicate that most companies do implement health and wellness programmes but
these programmes were not effectively implementing due to lack of financial and human
resources, strategic information, standard operational procedures, guiding protocols,
psychosocial support systems as well as non-adherence to national health and wellness
policies. Multivariate test results were associated with high blood pressure (� =.037),
obesity (� =.049), and musculoskeletal issues (� =.049) with lack of knowledge and
awareness of health/wellness programs. Multiple physical and mental health problems were
the most prevalent conditions amongst vulnerable transport workers such as long distance
truck drivers. Notwithstanding, transport workers in general experienced significant risks
of infection, illness, and loss of lives, reduced business operations, loss of income,
emotional stress, stigma and discrimination, exhaustion and fatigue, limited access to
proper and effective health services especially due to emerging diseases such as COVID 19 and other health conditions. As such sustainable strategies such as flexible working
schedules, affordable medical aid cover, exercise facilities, as well as health education and
regular employee wellness screening programmes were recommended. The study also
recommended for health and wellness policy framework in the transport sector and
strengthening of collaborations in the design and implementation of effective health and
wellness programmes. The study was however limited to the transport sector and human
resource managers, operations officers, supervisors to operational staff such as truck
drivers, general transport workers and executive managers; hence the results cannot be
generalized to other sectors or the entire transport sector. Further studies may therefore,
include other transport companies from other regions with varying volumes of transport
and logistics operations to establish correlation in the implementation of aforementioned
programmes as well as expand respondents to include other management cadres.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master in business administration- Entrepreneurship
Keywords
Health and wellness programmes, Transport sector, Logistics, Truck-drivers