The Capstone Business Project

Research Proposal

Do the work place fitness programs motivate the employees?

Research Mentor: Ms. Anja Fladrich

Student Name: Muhammad Nadir Mir

Student Number: DYM3238

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Table of Contents

Topic No.

Description

Page No.

Introduction

Problem Statement

Hypothesis:

Significance of study:

Research Methodology

Gantt Chart

Introduction
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This study is an attempt to establish and understand the relationship between the
health and fitness programs and the motivation level of the employees in the
organisations which employee such programs.

Work place fitness or wellness programs and activities are the policies designed to
promote healthy behaviour in the workplace and support the overall health of the
employees. The workplace wellness programs can be carried out inside the
organisation as well as outside the workspace as corporate wellness expo, health
education and awareness programs and even a one-day seminar on how to handle
stress in the work place. The need of such programs has been realised in a series of
very detailed investigations carried out to why the organisations with employees who
seemed to be less stressed, obese and struggling with a fewer health issues were
performing better than the other organisations. It is also believed that the
organisations tend to hire the applicants who have a very spotless medical history as
compared to those who have been through medical complexities.

The Study under consideration will take into account how the sick leaves of one team
member effect the others in the organisation and how it may adversely effect the
motivation of the team members in particular and performance of the organisation in
general.

According many fitness experts the roots of workplace wellness began in 1970s. in the
same time period the organisation engineers were working hard to increase the
productivity and efficiency especially the employee efficiency. When devising various
well fabricated and engineered methods in the industrial and mechanical evolution to

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approach 100% efficiency they realised that the key component was still the Human
being. The worker who is struggling with his own health issues can never be
motivated to achieve the organisational goals.

From 1980s onwards the studies of the workplace environment and the health and
safety checks were introduced and immediately legislated in U.S., U.K., Australia and
various parts of the world. How ever the first focus was placed on the aspects such as
heart diseases, cholesterol, eyesight and other physical aspects. It was in the in and
around the year 2000 when the importance of the mental health, motivation and stress
factors were high lightened.

Now days, many companies are offering wellness programs based on several
different popular models. Some offer discounts or free membership at local gyms.
Others offer smoking cessation programs or nutrition coaching. Some have brought
in experts and consults or created on-site gyms for employees to use. According to the
Center for Health Affairs, by 2008 about 88 percent of large companies (those with
more than 200 employees) and about half of small companies (those with three to 199
workers) offered wellness programs.

This study highlights unique combination of variables which have not received the
much needed attention. This study will suggest managers to understand the different
ways of handling the employees wellness issues, which is necessary to every
organization. It will propose to understand the situations where organization facing
the trouble of excessive sick leaves, which also results in companys inefficiency.

Problem Statement:
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To study the effect of workplace programs on the employee motivation.

Hypothesis:
The presence of workplace wellness programs increases employees motivation

Objective of the Study:

The objective of the study is to
a- examine the underlying factors related to the wellness of employees effecting
employee motivation
b- Effect of the sick leaves on the motivation levels of the team members.
c- Establish a relationship between the employees wellness and overall
organisation productivity

Significance of study:
The significance of the study will be to
a- Improve public understanding of the importance of workplace wellness
b- Broadcast the measures taken by the government to improve workplace
wellness
c- Fulfil the requirement of the Course undertaken

Research Methodology
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This section presents an overview of the methods to be used in the study. Areas
covered include the
a)
b)
c)
d)

Research design,
Population,
Sample and Sampling techniques,
Data collection and Analysis.

Research Design:
The study will involve evaluating the role of Workplace Wellness Programs in an
organisations and the motivation level in the employees. Consequently, the research
will be designed to achieve the much needed objectives set out by the researcher

Population:
The population will include the employees of the selected organisations. The
population will include employees from the first line labour as well as the managers
and approachable decisions makers on the subject.

Sample and Sampling Techniques:

The above mentioned population shows that the census will not be a feasible
approach and will cost a lot in terms of time and financial resources. However a wellproportioned sample of the truly representative individuals will be carefully selected
to provide the intended information. The intended breakup of the sample is as follows:
30 Questionnaires in total
1- 15 first line labour workers
2- 10 management
3- 5 Fitness Management

Data Collection:
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The focus of study is on attitudes and perception of the employees and the managers
in the organisations with wellness programs and therefore they will be the source of
the primary data. However, secondary data will also be collected to augment the
studies. The initial visit to the selected institutions will therefore be to introduce the
researcher, familiarize himself with those institutions as well as seek their consent for
the study.

Data collection instrument:

The data will be collected by administering a questionnaire. The questionnaire will
use structured questions, consisting of approximately 20 questions.

Data Analysis
The data will be analysed using computerised software such as Microsoft Excel.

Gantt chart
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