The influence of organisational culture on the utilisation of the Employee Assistance Programme at Rand Water

Abstract

According to Stroh, Northcraft and Neale (2001:297-300) "an organisational culture is a system of shared values about what is important and beliefs about how things work that produce the norms and expectations of performance. Whether weak or strong, an organisation's culture has a profound influence on how work gets done. It can affect many aspects of organisational life, from who gets promoted and what decisions are made to how people dress, act and play at work. Barker (2003:141) defines EAP as services offered by employers to their employees to help them overcome problems that may negatively affect job satisfaction or productivity. EAPA-SA (2005:6) on the other hand defines EAP as a worksite- based program designed to assist work organisations in addressing productivity issues and employee clients in identifying and resolving personal concerns, including, but not limited to, health, marital, family, financial, alcohol, drug, legal, emotional, stress, or other personal issues that may affect job performance. The study was aimed at determining as to whether there is any influence of organisational culture on utilisation of the EAP in Rand Water. It was a quantitative study with a sample of 155 employees selected across all sites. The data collection method used was in the form of questionnaires. In this study, the findings suggest that the organisational culture promotes employee well being and that employees are encouraged by their managers to make use of the Employee Assistance Programme.