Understanding Health Promotion Settings: An Analysis Of The Commonwealth Bank Of Australia

Area of the Poland et al Framework

Evidence from research process

Diversity

– How is it different and similar to settings in other categories?

– What diversity can be expected within this setting category?

The employees of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, are privileged to have the best facilities in the vicinity, for maintaining a healthy life. The company has registered its employees to several hospitals in the area, so, that they can have direct or indirect access to them during medical emergencies (1). They are also given personal assistance regarding their health from available health professions, when needed.

 The Commonwealth Bank, unlike the other banks, also arranges medical camps to vaccinate its employees annually (2). The employee health promotion events that the Bank arranges is considered to be an appreciable event in the field of banking, by the government of Australia. Employees also have the benefit of having a health portal, which focuses solely on assisting the workers of the bank on health issues (3). The workplace environment of the Commonwealth Bank is taken as an example by many rising banks worldwide. The framework that the bank follows for giving care to its employees has attracted many related companies to work under such layouts.

Knowledge

– What assumptions are made about setting?

– How has role of setting changed over time?

The set up of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia has significantly changed in the last two decades (4).  The bank employs more than five times the workers it had two decades ago, it attracts workers because of the comfortable and healthy framwork it offers to them (5).  The economy of a bank depends on the productivity of the workers. Healthier the working environment better the productivity, these reasons are given importance by the authority of the bank. These points have made the economy of the bank one of the highest in the industry (6).

Localised determinants

– How does the setting interact with external environments?

– How does the setting interact with other settings?

– What are the physical and built environmental determinants of health in this setting?

– What are the psychosocial environmental determinants of health in this setting?

The Commonwealth Bank works on the external environment also, for ensuring a properly sterilized and sanitized exterior. Outer atmosphere is a critical determinant of the internal environment. The contaminants which are involved in several lethal diseases can enter the office premises and cause nuisance, to eliminate such chances, the company conducts pest control procedures around the terrain (7).

Physical environment for health promotion: In some places within the bank, there is access of natural air. The natural environment of the bank is not disturbed by too many constructions, this allows natural light and air around the premises (8).

 Built up environment for promotion of health: The Commonwealth Bank of Australia for the promotion of the health of its workers, has setup numerous health checkup on a regular basis to ensure the worker’s health. Smoking is restricted to certain open areas, it is not allowed inside the premises of the workplace. The washrooms and restrooms are provided with hand soaps, hand dryers and inbuilt sanitizers of toilet seats (9).

Psychosocial environment of the bank: the term refers to the cultural and climatic factors of a workplace. The bank maintains it psychosocial environment by planning recreational activities for the workers at least ones in a week so that the workers do not feel monotonous about their work. The workers are awarded with good rewards when they perform exceptionally well. They have policies, which enables the organization to sack an employee if found to be guilty for harassing fellow employee. The policy also does not allow anyone among the employee to discriminate and bully any colleague. Gender discrimination, is not allowed by the management (10).

Stakeholders

– Primary and secondary stakeholders

– Agendas, access to resources

– Functions of setting for different stakeholders

– Who is absent from this setting?

– What is the meaning of health for stakeholders?

– To what degree do stakeholders understand the determinants of health in the setting?

The primary stakeholders of the bank include all customers that they deal with officially. It also includes the employees who are working under the bank.

The secondary stakeholders are the ones have a commercial, operational, legal or ethical relationship with the bank.

Importance of health for the stakeholders of the bank: The stakeholders, including the costumers and the employee should necessarily have a proper health management. The health of the customers and the workers, can have a major impact on the economy of the bank. Higher the productivity of the workers, better the business of the company. Health of the costumers is important as well because the number of customers associated with the bank also is a deciding factor for the bank’s economy (11).

Understanding of the stakeholders of the bank about the determinants of health:  To establish an understanding of the health promoting procedures created by the management, the bank plans events for the workers to give an insight about recent settings installed for their health promotion. The customers are informed about the programs and the amenities that are made available for ensure their health through tele-communication and e-mails. The management not only elaborates about the policies but also invites them for personal conversations if the mails are not clear to them. Such assistance ensures a high degree of understanding (12).

Power, influence and social change (sociopolitical environment)

– How are power relations formed?

– Who controls access?

– Who sets the agenda?

– Who participates in decision making?

– Who has voice?

– Who/what drives/blocks change?

– Identify stakeholders who may be supportive, resistant and neutral to proposed changes

Power relations are the kind of relations in which a person has the power of society formation over another person (13). The objective of such power in the field of banking for promotion of health is to keep a check on the decision making of a person in authority regarding the wellness of the workers by another person holding similar rank in the bank. Power relations help in evaluating the framework of the health promotion process of its employee, it makes the framework stronger as it involves the participation of a number of people.

The supreme power of the Commonwealth Bank is the Chief Executive officer and Managing Director of the bank, Mr. Ian Narev. He is the person who controls the access within the bank (14).

The decision makers for ensuring proper health in most of the banks like the Commonwealth Bank involve the personnel in the Human Resource Management committee. The committee ensures personalized care to the workers by conducting surveys on a regular basis among the workers (15).