Research Colloquium with Jennifer Hynes
On Wednesday, November 23rd, between 11:00 and 12:30, the first Research Colloquium of the Fall Semester 2022/23 will take place.
Our Guest, Jennifer Hynes from Berlin International University of Applied Sciences will present her recent research project. The title of the presentation is "An exploration of perceived drivers of engagement and disengagement in workplace wellbeing programmes in the Republic of Ireland from a Resource Utilisation Theory perspective". Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss.
The Research Colloquium will take place on campus at Salzufer 6, 10587 Berlin in Studio 3.
Students across all disciplines are invited to participate in an interdisciplinary exchange. Be inspired and get to know new perspectives!
About the talk
This paper examines the drivers of engagement in an employee well-being program from the employee perspective. We utilised a mixed methods approach to collect data over two stages. We found that organisation size and the likelihood of offering 1) a wellbeing initiative, 2) having no formal health and wellbeing policy or strategy, and 3) having no full or part-time resource working in health and wellbeing was statistically significant. We also found that larger organisations are more likely to offer a variety of well-being initiatives.
The importance of communication, design and perceptions about organisational support for engagement in well-being initiatives emerged. Personal interest in content, an ability to improve one's life, and being easy to access and realistic were critical design components. Both stage one and two underlined the importance of social connections. Moreover, the need for both a supportive physical and psychosocial environment was evident.
This study provides useful insights for organisations to build resources in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 and 8. It identifies factors which can increase engagement in programmes, which have been shown to deal with and prevent illness by increasing life expectancy, improving access to healthcare professionals, improving living standards and creating decent jobs.
About Jennifer Hynes
Jennifer Hynes earned a PhD in Organisational Psychology/Behaviour from Trinity College Dublin, for which she was awarded a studentship. In her PhD thesis, she investigated workaholism from a transdisciplinary multilevel perspective. Jenny also holds a Master of Education, a Master of International Economics, a Bachelor of Business Studies, and a Cambridge Certificate in teaching English to non-native speakers (CELTA).
Her research interests lie in the area of workplace well-being, which entails motivation, stress, burnout, work engagement and effective ways to promote positive work psychology. She has presented at several conferences and workshops on the topic and has developed workplace well-being programmes for companies. More broadly, Jenny enjoys an array of topics within workplace psychology, sociology, and economics.
Jennifer Hynes designs her courses with enjoyment and employability in mind. Prior to joining Berlin International University of Applied Sciences, she worked as a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin and the Marino Institute of Education.