Designing services for employees' wellbeing: principles for an improved employee experience

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2021.997

Keywords:

Design Principles, Design Thinking, Employee Experience, Employees Wellbeing, Service Design

Abstract

This research proposes a set of design principles that designers and managers responsible for the design of organizational support services could adopt to improve employees' wellbeing. Through a qualitative study, based on semi-structured interviews, we carried out a cross-context analysis of wellbeing initiatives developed in three organizations. Adopting the perspective of science-based design, we drew seven design principles. We emphasize the importance of including these principles in the process of designing services oriented to employees' wellbeing in organizational contexts using the Design Thinking approach, as well as their application in broader contexts where services may play a crucial role.

Author Biographies

Matteo Vignoli, University of Bologna, Bologna

Department of Management

Fabiola Bertolotti, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Associate Professor at the Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering. 

Member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Organizational Behavior, European Management Journal

References

Anderson, L., Ostrom, A. L., Corus, C., Fisk, R. P., Gallan, A. S., Giraldo, M., Williams, J. D. (2013). “Transformative service research: An agenda for the future”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 66 No. 8, pp. 1203–1210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2012.08.013

Anderson, L., and Ostrom, A.L. (2015),”Transformative service research advancing our knowledge about service and wellbeing”, Journal of Service Research, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 243-249.

Arthur, J. B., and Boyles, T. (2007), "Validating the human resource system structure: A levels-based strategic HRM approach", Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 17 N°1, pp. 77-92.

Ashkanasy, N. M., Ayoko, O. B., and Jehn, K. A. (2014), "Understanding the physical environment of work and employee behavior: An affective events perspective", Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 35 No. 8, pp. 1169-1184.

Augé, M. (1992), 995 Non-Places: An Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity.

Baden-Fuller, C. (2008), "Editorial", Long Range Planning, Vol. 41 No. 1, pp. 1-2.

Blaschke, M., Riss, U., Haki, K., and Aier, S. (2019), “Design principles for digital value co-creation networks: a service-dominant logic perspective”, Electronic Markets, 29(3), 443-472.

Blomkvist, J., Holmlid, S., and Segelström, F. (2010), "Service design research: yesterday, today and tomorrow", In: This is Service Design Thinking: Basics - Tools - Cases/[ed] Stickdorn, M and Schneider, J, Amsterdam: BIS Publishers, 2010, 1, pp. 308-315

Burns, C., Cottam, H., Vanstone, C., and Winhall, J. (2006), "RED" paper 02: Transformation design.

Chase, R.B. (2004), "It's time to get to first principles in service design", Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2/3, pp. 126-128. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520410528545

Clavarino, C. (2015), "Promote Effective Welfare Business Policies: Global Challenge, Opportunity for Italy, Corporate Welfare. Flexible Benefits and everything companies need to know. In addition to the 2016 Stability Law: Some Tips", Special Workbook #3, Gruppo24Ore, VI.

Daalhuizen, J., and Timmer, R. (2019), "A Framework for Capturing the Ever-evolving Practice of Design to Drive Organizational Learning", International Journal of Design, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 16.

Danna, K., and Griffin, R. W. (1999), "Health and wellbeing in the workplace: A review and synthesis of the literature", Journal of Management, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 357-384.

Desmet, P. M. A., Pohlmeyer, A. E., and Forlizzi, J. (2013), "Special Issue Editorial: Design for Subjective Well-Being", International Journal of Design, Vol. 7 No. 3, p. 3.

Desmet, P. M. A., and Pohlmeyer, A. E. (2013), "An Introduction to Design for Subjective Well-Being", International Journal of Design, Vol. 7 No. 3, p. 15.

Dodge, R., Daly, A. P., Huyton, J., and Sanders, L. D. (2012), "The challenge of defining wellbeing", International Journal of Wellbeing, Vol 2 No. 3.

Grant, A. M., Christianson, M. K., and Price, R. H. (2007), "Happiness, health, or relationships? Managerial practices and employee wellbeing tradeoffs", The Academy of Management Perspectives, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 51-63.

Grawitch, M. J., Gottschalk, M., and Munz, D. C. (2006), "The path to a healthy workplace: A critical review linking healthy workplace practices, employee wellbeing, and organizational improvements", Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, Vol. 58 No. 3, p. 129.

Heracleous, L. and DeVoge, S. (1998), "Bridging the Gap of Relevance: Strategic Management and Organisational Development", Long Range Planning, Vol. 31 No. 5, pp. 742-754.

Karwan, K. R., and Markland, R. E. (2006), “Integrating service design principles and information technology to improve delivery and productivity in public sector operations: The case of the South Carolina DMV”, Journal of operations management, 24(4), 347-362.

Kleinsmann, M., Valkenburg, R., and Sluijs, J. (2017), "Capturing the Value of Design Thinking in Different Innovation Practices", International Journal of Design, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 25-40.

Kleinschmidt, S., Burkhard, B., Hess, M., Peters, C., and Leimeister, J. M. (2016), “Towards design principles for aligning human-centered service systems and corresponding business models”, In: International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), Dublin, Ireland.

Legner, C. and Vogel, T., "Design Principles for B2B Services - An Evaluation of Two Alternative Service Designs," IEEE International Conference on Services Computing (SCC 2007), Salt Lake City, UT, 2007, pp. 372-379, doi: 10.1109/SCC.2007.50.

Li, X., Frenkel, S. J., and Sanders, K. (2011), "Strategic HRM as process: How HR system and organizational climate strength influence Chinese employee attitudes", The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 22 N°. 9, pp. 1825-1842.

Mager, B. (2011), "Special Issue Editorial: Designing for Services", International Journal of Design, Vol. 5 No. 2, p. 3.

Nieuwenhuis, M., Knight, C., Postmes, T., and Haslam, S. A. (2014), "The relative benefits of green versus lean office space: Three field experiments", Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, Vol. 20 No. 3, p. 199.

Ollier-Malaterre, A. 2010. "Contributions of work-life and resilience initiatives to the individual/organization relationship", Human Relations, Vol. 63 N°1, pp. 41-62.

Rath, T., and Harter, J. (2010a), "Wellbeing: The five essential elements", New York: Gallup Press.

Rath, T., and Harter, J. (2010b), "The economies of wellbeing", Washington, DC: Gallup, Inc.

Romme, A. G. L. (2003), "Making a Difference: Organization as Design", Organization Science, Vol. 14 No. 5, pp. 558-573.

Romme, A. G. L. and Endenburg, G. (2006), "Construction Principles and Design Rules in the Case of Circular Design", Organization Science, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 287-297.

Sangiorgi, D. (2011), "Transformative Services and Transformation Design", International Journal of Design, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 29-40.

Sointu, E. (2005), "The rise of an ideal: tracing changing discourses of wellbeing", The Sociological Review, Vol. 53 No. 2, 255-274.

Strauss, A., and Corbin, J. (1998), "Basics of Qualitative Research. Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques", Sage Publication, Newbury Park, CA.

Stickdorn, M., Schneider, J., Andrews, K., and Lawrence, A. (2011), "This is service design thinking: Basics, tools, cases" (Vol. 1), Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Sturges, J. (2012), "Crafting a balance between work and home", Human Relations, Vol. 65 No. 12, pp. 1539-1559.

Tosi, H. L., and Pilati, M. (2011), "Managing organizational behavior: Individuals, teams, organization and management", Edward Elgar Publishing.

Trends, G. H. C. (2016), "The new organization: Different by design", Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/HumanCapital/gx-dup-global-human-capital-trends-2016.pdf

Ungureanu, P., Rietti, D., and Giustiniano, L. (2018), "How does organizational space help organizations cope with the challenges of ambidexterity and continue to innovate? A space reorganization experiment in a transitioning organization". CERN IdeaSquare Journal of Experimental Innovation, Vol. 2, N° 1, pp. 38-45. DOI: 10.23726/cij.2018.747

Ungureanu, P., and Bertolotti, F. (2020), "From Gaps to Tangles: A Relational Framework for the Future of the Theory-Practice Debate". Futures, Vol. 118. DOI: 10.1016/j.futures.2020.102532.

Ungureanu, P., Bertolotti, F., and Pilati, M. (2019), "What drives alignment between offered and perceived wellbeing initiatives in organizations? A cross-case analysis of employer-employee shared strategic intentionality", European Management Journal, Vol. 37 No. 6, pp. 742-759.

Van Aken, J. E. (2005), "Management Research as a Design Science: Articulating the Research Products of Mode 2 Knowledge Production in Management", British Journal of Management, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 19-36.

Van Aken, J. E., and Romme, G. (2009), "Reinventing the future: adding design science to the repertoire of organization and management studies", Organization Management Journal, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 5-12.

Van De Voorde, K., Paauwe, J., and Van Veldhoven, M. (2012), "Employee Well-being and the HRM–Organizational Performance Relationship: A Review of Quantitative Studies", International Journal of Management Reviews, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 391- 407.

Vignoli, M., Mattarelli, E., and Mäkinen, S. J. (2018), “Experimenting with innovation in creative spaces”. CERN IdeaSquare, Journal of Experimental Innovation, Vol. 2, N° 1, pp. 1-2.

Downloads

Published

2021-05-26

How to Cite

Vignoli, M., Di Norcia, M., & Bertolotti, F. (2021). Designing services for employees’ wellbeing: principles for an improved employee experience. CERN IdeaSquare Journal of Experimental Innovation, 5(2), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2021.997

Issue

Section

Original Articles

Categories