Improving health promotional workplace programs : A study of HIV/AIDS workplace programs in Kenya

Abstract: Background: HIV/AIDS is believed to be one of the largest threats to the general business climates in Sub-Saharan Africa. The private sector has, in response, taken initiatives to reduce the impact of the epidemic by developing so called HIV/AIDS workplace programmes. The programs aim to create awareness regarding HIV/AIDS through the education and treatment of the disease. We want to examine the programs and discover the factors that may inhibit their implementation and progress, this, in order to improve the stability of the HIV/AIDS workplace programs. Aim: The overall aim of this thesis is to examine and investigate HIV/AIDS workplace programs, with the purpose of disclosing the primary factors that may affect their progress. Completion and results: This thesis demonstrates that the implementation and progress of HIV/AIDS workplace programs are highly affected by leadership, management, motivation and stigma. Managers, acting as role models, increase the employees’ motivation to participate in the workplace programs. In addition, their involvement helps to ensure the stability and progress of the workplace programs. The systematization of activities and allocation of resources, such as money and time, also play a significant part, regarding employee motivation. This in turn results in a higher level of employee participation. Due to tough market conditions and lack of clarity, concerning the relation between HIV/AIDS and productivity, managers often fail to invest the necessary resources needed, to ensure the stability of the HIV/AIDS workplace program. The involvement of managers and spread of information has a significant effect on stigma, decreasing the many false beliefs prevalent due to religion and culture. Based on the findings, theoretical as well as empirical, the lack of leadership and management, decrease in motivation and HIV/AIDS-related stigma are referred to as the three main obstacles which hinder the progress of HIV/AIDS workplace programs. HIV/AIDS is one of the world’s largest health problems, around 16 million children died, in 2009, due to the illness (The World Factbook 2011). 32 million individuals are infected, of which the majority live in Sub-Saharan Africa (The World Factbook 2011). Kenya is one of the most affected countries in the world. The lack of coordination of resources has resulted in a staggering limitation, only 5 percent of the Kenyan population receives sufficient aid (United States Agency International Development 2010). With the help of the workplace programs, instituted by the companies themselves, a new channel of reaching out to those in need has been opened. In this thesis, focus is laid upon HIV/AIDS workplace programs, which aim to spread information and treat HIV/AIDS. Attention has especially been given to the factors which affect the implementation and progress of the HIV/AIDS workplace programs. The found factors, especially those which affect the workplace programs negatively, are used in order to form proposals regarding how to overcome the obstacles. The proposals are based on empirical findings and theoretical framework. These are later developed further, by the authors, in order to reach congruence with the main purpose of the thesis; to examine and investigate HIV/AIDS workplace programs, with the purpose of disclosing the primary factors that may affect their progress.