title: Planning an organizational wellness initiative at a multi-state social service agency.
abstract: Increasingly, organizations in general, and social service organizations, specifically, are recognizing the importance of planning and evaluating organizational wellness initiatives. Yet, few participatory models for carrying out these aims exist. For this study, researchers utilized concept mapping (CM) to explicate a conceptual framework for planning, and subsequently evaluating, a wellness initiative at a multi-state social service organization. CM is a participatory approach that analyzes qualitative data via multi-dimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses. Outputs include a number of visual depictions that allow researchers to explore complex relationships among sets of the data. Results from this study indicated that participants (N=64), all of whom were employees of the agency, conceptualized organizational wellness via an eight-cluster solution, or Concept Map. Priority areas of this framework, specifically importance and feasibility, were also explored. After a brief review of pertinent literature, this article explicates the CM methodology utilized in this study, describes results, discusses lessons learned, and identifies apt areas for future research.
authors.affiliation: College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, United States. Electronic address: Justin.Miller1@uky.edu.
authors.forename: J Jay
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Spalding University, United States.
authors.forename: Erlene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grise-Owens
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Spalding University, United States.
authors.forename: Donia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Addison
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Spalding University, United States.
authors.forename: Midaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Volunteers of America Mid-States, United States.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trabue
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Spalding University, United States.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Escobar-Ratliff
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D000075082:Proof of Concept Study; D012947:Social Work / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013219:State Government
keywords: Concept mapping; Organizational wellness; Social services