Healthy organizational culture – healthy employees? Effectiveness of organizational culture on perceived health of German police officers
| Published date | 01 September 2017 |
| Date | 01 September 2017 |
| Author | Lara Jablonowski |
| DOI | 10.1177/1461355717716680 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Article
Healthy organizational culture –
healthy employees? Effectiveness of
organizational culture on perceived
health of German police officers
Lara Jablonowski
German Police University, Germany
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects on individual perceived health of the factors organizational culture,
working conditions, physical and mental health, and presenteeism, as moderated by lifestyle factors. A detailed
comparison was made between the uniformed police division and the criminal investigation department to explore
their perceptions of the supportiveness of their subcultures, working conditions and perceived health. Survey
responses, obtained through an online questionnaire, from 258 officers from German police forces showed
significant differences in perception. Uniformed officers evaluated their working conditions more positively
compared with officers from the criminal investigation department, resulting in a more positively rated perceived
health for the uniformed police division. Results showed that the more a police organizational culture fostered their
subcultures and health-enhancing working conditions, the higher the perceived physical and mental health. Implications
for research and practice are discussed.
Keywords
Organizational culture, physical and mental health, working conditions, presenteeism, police culture
Submitted 14 Oct 2016, Revise received 19 May 2017, accepted 01 Jun 2017
‘How are you?’ How often do you pose this question to
your colleagues and what answer are you looking for? We
use this phrase several times a day, to greet someone and to
enquire about their well-being – we are interested in not
only their physical health, but also their mental health.
Health is a word that most people use without realizing that
it may hold multivariate meanings for different people. The
World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as ‘a
state of complete physical, mental and social well-being
and ...not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’
(WHO, 1947: 13). Health is a state of being and something
more than the absence of illness, it is also a state of psy-
chological and physical well-being.
In most countries in the European Union, the age demo-
graphic of the population has changed, leading to concern
about whether this development will be accompanied by
opportunities or risks, and therefore have positive or
negative consequences. Increased life expectancy and
improved quality of life in Europe have contributed to the
highest proportion of older people in the world. At least
16%of the population in Europe is over 65 years old, a
proportion higher than in the USA and other developed
nations (Haub, 2007). As a result, by 2050 as much as
20%of Europe’s population could be over 80 years of age
(Age Concern, 2008). The ratio of the number people aged
65 years and older to the number of working age (15–64
years) will more than double by 2050 from 1 : 4 to 1 : 2 or
more (Kinsella and Phillips, 2005; Lutz, 2006).
Corresponding author:
Lara Jablonowski, Organization and Human Resource Management in
the Police, German Police University, Zum Roten Berge 18–24, 48165
Mu¨nster, Germany.
Email: Lara.Jablonowski@dhpol.de
International Journalof
Police Science & Management
2017, Vol. 19(3) 205–217
ªThe Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/1461355717716680
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