The Key to Employee Health. Health Literacy of Leaders as a Basis for Health-Promoting Leadership in Consulting Companies

Table of Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Relevance of health-promoting leadership

1.2 Research objective

1.3 Research gap

2 Review of current thinking

2.1 Definition of relevant health terms

2.1.1 Definition of health

2.1.2 Definition of health literacy

2.1.3 Definition of health-promoting leadership

2.2 Leadership challenges

2.2.1 Coping with increasing stress

2.2.2 Developing healthy self-leadership

2.2.3 Caring about health despite distant leadership

2.3 Correlation between health literacy and health-promoting leadership

2.4 Development of hypotheses

2.5 Modelling the research framework

3 Research methodology

3.1 Justification of the research direction

3.2 Description of the survey instrument

3.2.1 Choices based on the research onion model

3.2.2 Research design

3.2.3 Details of the questionnaire

3.2.4 Measurements and calculations

3.2.5 Sampling method

3.3 Method of evaluation

3.4 Quality criteria of empirical research

4 Results and recommendations

4.1 Presentation of the people data

4.2 Presentation of the dataset

4.3 Descriptive statistics

4.4 Inferential statistics

4.4.1 Statistical analysis

4.4.2 Effects between age, gender, and leadership responsibility

4.4.3 Testing of the hypotheses

4.4.4 Conclusion of the hypotheses testing

4.5 Recommendation for action

5 Discussion

5.1 Major contributions of this dissertation

5.1.1 Key findings

5.1.2 Robustness of the results

5.1.3 Innovativeness of the results

5.1.4 Contribution to the practice

5.2 Limitations

5.3 Possibilities for future research directions

6 Conclusion

Objectives and Topics

This dissertation aims to evaluate the self-assessed Health Literacy (HL) of leaders and employees within the consulting industry to determine if they possess the necessary skills to implement Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL). By examining correlations between HL and individual characteristics such as gender, age, leadership responsibility, and talent, the research seeks to provide evidence-based recommendations for fostering a healthier organizational culture and reducing costs associated with worker absenteeism.

• Investigation of Health Literacy (HL) among consultants and its relation to Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL).
• Analysis of sociodemographic and professional factors influencing individual health literacy levels.
• Application of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) within a professional consulting context.
• Development of actionable recommendations for leaders and organizations to improve employee well-being.
• Exploration of the role of leadership in mitigating stress and fostering a healthy corporate environment.

Excerpt from the Book

Chapter Summary

1 Introduction: outlines the current relevance of Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL) in the context of increasing workplace stress and the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing the research objective and the specific gap regarding the consultancy industry.

2 Review of current thinking: defines the conceptual foundations of health, health literacy, and health-promoting leadership, while discussing external leadership challenges and developing the theoretical research framework.

3 Research methodology: details the quantitative research approach, the use of the adapted HLS-EU-Q47 questionnaire, and the statistical methods employed to analyze data from 208 consultants.

4 Results and recommendations: presents the descriptive and inferential statistical findings of the survey, tests the four formulated hypotheses, and derives practical recommendations for implementing health-promoting measures.

5 Discussion: interprets the primary study findings, assesses the overall robustness of the research, highlights the innovativeness of the work, and outlines inherent limitations and opportunities for future studies.

6 Conclusion: summarizes the importance of HPL for organizational well-being and emphasizes the need for tailored health literacy development, particularly targeting identified potential within young employee groups.

Keywords

Health-Promoting Leadership, HPL, Health Literacy, HL, Consultancy Industry, Mental Health, Employee Well-being, Quantitative Research, Leadership Challenges, Distant Leadership, Corporate Health Management, Occupational Health, Stress Management, Self-Leadership, Workplace Health Promotion

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this dissertation?

The dissertation explores the relationship between Health Literacy (HL) and Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL) specifically within consulting companies, investigating whether employees and leaders possess the skills to manage health-related information effectively.

What are the primary themes discussed?

The main themes include health-promoting leadership, the impact of virtual work on employee well-being, the role of self-leadership in managing stress, and the quantitative assessment of health literacy across different levels of management.

What is the main research objective?

The objective is to determine the self-assessed HL of consultants and leaders and to analyze how individual characteristics like gender, age, and leadership responsibility influence these health-related skills.

Which research methodology was utilized?

The study utilized a quantitative research design, specifically a cross-sectional study using an online, self-completed questionnaire based on the European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU-Q47) administered to 208 participants.

What topics are covered in the main section?

The main section covers the theoretical definitions of health and leadership, specific challenges in virtual work environments induced by COVID-19, and a detailed statistical analysis of the health literacy competencies found in the surveyed consulting sample.

Which keywords define this work?

Key terms include Health-Promoting Leadership (HPL), Health Literacy (HL), consulting industry, workplace health, mental health, and employee well-being.

Why was the consulting industry selected for this study?

The consulting industry was chosen for the author's professional interest and for its unique environment often characterized by high workloads, strong stress levels, and flexible, digital working arrangements, making it an ideal setting to study health literacy.

What were the main findings regarding gender and leadership responsibility?

The study found that young women without leadership responsibilities possessed a significantly higher health literacy index compared to the rest of the sample, which highlights a potential talent group for future health-promotion initiatives.