Understanding how organizations communicate to create a culture of health

Purpose Creating a culture of health within an organization benefits the organization (e.g. lower healthcare costs) and its employees (e.g. improved health behaviors). This study aimed to identify communication and other strategies utilized by organizations to develop and maintain a culture of health, viewed through the lens of the extended ecological model, Schein’s model of organizational culture and diffusion of innovation. Design/methodology/approach Nineteen representatives from organizations recognized for their success in creating a culture of health participated in online, qualitative, in-depth interviews exploring communication and other strategies. Themes related to the goals of this study were determined through a constructivist grounded theory analysis of the data. Findings All the organizations use various strategies to create a culture of health by encouraging participation in organizational initiatives and adoption and maintenance of healthful behaviors, including using multiple communication strategies, establishing health-promoting policies and norms and creating a built environment supporting health. Originality/value Results are representative of organizations that have demonstrated, through the comprehensive AchieveWELL process, success in creating a culture of health. This unique cohort of organizations with established and exceptional well-being approaches offers learning opportunities for other organizations. Additionally, results are distinctive in the exploration of not just how culture of health communication strategies are utilized to increase participation in specific programs but also how communication is applied to support a holistic approach to organizational health.