The Health of the Corporate Body: Illness and Organizational Dynamics

The search for ways to cut health care costs in organizations has rarely considered the direct relationship between organizational variables and health. This article hypothesizes that health and illness within a particular organization may be related to the social dynamics of the work setting. Data was gathered from a survey of a corporation with 13,000 employees who work in 16 organizations. An index of reported health symptoms was correlated with scales developed from questions related to organizational issues. Using stepwise multiple regression, 20% of the variance of the aggregate health symptoms was accounted for by three organizational scales (organization-person balance, managerial treatment, and discrimination) after controlling for demographic variables. A second analysis, which focused on the collective dynamics of the 16 organizations, supported the findings of the first analysis. This study found that issues of support, balance, change, and inequity are crucial factors in fostering a healthy work environment.