Health-Related Assistance Programs, Leadership Support, and Organizational Performance: Evidence From the U.S. Federal Agencies

Abstract

This study examines the impact of health-related assistance programs as a type of work–life balance policies on the organizational performance of U.S. federal agencies. Drawing on the Social Exchange Theory and using the Federal Employees Viewpoints Survey (FEVS) from 2011–2015, this study had anticipated that the two types of health-related assistance programs, namely, the Employees Assistance Program and wellness program, have a significant positive relationship with organizational performance in the U.S. federal agencies and that this relationship varies in the cases of feminine organizations (redistributive agencies) compared with masculine organizations (distributive, regulatory, and constituent agencies). The study also expected that leadership support has a significant positive moderating effect. The results show that only employee assistance programs have a significant positive impact on organizational performance and that leadership support has a significant positive moderation effect on the relationship between organizational performance and wellness programs in all U.S. federal agencies.