The influence of an Employee Assistance Programme on the organisational culture in the National Department of Human Settlements

Abstract

Organisational culture is different from the societal culture. However, both cultures share common elements which are values. Any organisation has a culture that is determined by its leadership; nature of business and its operation. However, organisational culture is influenced by its external trends, which are political; environmental; social; technological; legal and economical factors which changes from time to time. These determinants have direct and indirect impact on the organisational culture of the organisation. Organisational culture is powerful influence on organisational behavior of the employees and it has norms that dictate how members of the organisation should behave. Moreover, it has a meaning why members of the organisation should or behave the way they do. There is a greater need of the EAP to understand to organisational culture of the organisation as it has an impact on employees’ wellbeing and the productivity of the organisation. EAP professional should understand the organisational culture and its impact on the members of the organisation should be able to design appropriate interventions to help its members to cope and adapt on the organisational culture. Though organisational cultures differ from one organisation to the other, but organisational culture is essential for the successful operation of the organisation. It is also essential for both successful organisational change and change management; and improving the value of the workforce. The researcher believes that EAP is one of the labour management support system that can be used by organisations to influence the culture of the organisation through its core technologies. These can be proven through the literature review and empirical study testing the degree of the EAP influence on the organisational culture in the National Department of Human Settlements. The premise of this research is based on the exploring the relationship between the EAP and organisational culture as well as the influence of the EAP on the organisational culture in the National Department of Human Settlements. More importantly this study seeks to enquire the EAP and organisational culture and their influence on each other through the following objectives:- <ul> <li> To describe the organisational culture through the literature review;</li> <li> To describe trough he EAP through the literature review;</li> <li> To explore the culture that exists within the National Department of Human Settlements through an empirical study;</li> <li> To explore the relationship and the integration of the EAP on the organisational culture within the National Department of Human Settlements through an empirical study;</li> <li> To formulate conclusion and recommendations regarding the influence of an EAP on the organisational culture of the National Department of Human Settlements; and</li> <li> To develop a guideline to enhance organisational culture through the means of the EAP.</li> </ul> The literature study has shown that EAP has a role on the organisational culture through its core technologies such as: training and development, marketing, case management, consultation with work organisation, networking and monitoring and evaluation. It has been revealed that there is a limited literature the integration of the EAP and the organisational culture. However, through literature review there were common elements between EAP and organisational culture that revealed the relationship between these two concepts. This study has revealed that there is knowledge gap on the integration of the EAP with the organisational culture. On the other hand, it has revealed that there is extensive information regarding organisational culture including its; key features, levels, types, factors contributing towards its formation and its determinants in the organisation. The empirical findings obtained from a sample of employees from the Department of Human Settlements (supervisors, managers and employees) have revealed the core aspect of the study through the quantitative research method. The researcher had applied the quantitative approach, since observations were systematically undertaken in a standardized statistical procedure. Data were presented by means of exact figures gained from precise measurement. This methodology was to explore the degree of the utilization of the EAP in the Department, the type of organisational culture that exist in the Department, the degree of the EAP influence on the organisational culture and the position of the EAP on the organisational culture in the Department. The findings and its analysis revealed that the Department has different organisational cultures and there are dominant cultures as well as the subcultures. They also revealed the degree of the EAP utilization in the Department, the influence of the EAP on different types of organisational culture and the position of the EAP on the organisational culture in the Department. The research conclusions and recommendations served as a basis of developing the guideline to enhance organisational culture through the EAP in the National Department of Human Settlements. These guidelines seek to assist the management of the Department to promote the organisational culture that yields better organisational performance and its productivity, development and empowerment, enhance management support and the entire staff well-being in the Department. “Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator-individuality, power to think and to do…It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought.” (Ellen G. White) “Education is the great engine to personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine; that the child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.” (Nelson Mandela). Copyright