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Evaluating the performance of employee assistance programs (EAP): a checklist developed from a large sample of public agencies

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Abstract

Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which is designed to facilitate employee well-being by managing their personal work-related issues, plays an important role in human resource management. Yet, the development of EAP has encountered difficulties in the recent decades and one of the key reasons is the lack of a valid instrument to assess its effectiveness. The aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument for organizations to evaluate their EAP performance. Drawing on the IPOO (input-process-output-outcome) performance evaluation model, we generate the scale dimensions and items through a multi-method data collection approach, including literature review, panel discussion and a series of qualitative interviews with program practitioners. Then, by surveying EAP practitioners from 135 government units in Taiwan, we confirmed the reliability, content and predictive validity of the instrument which consists of 27 items. There are five dimensions in the instrument, namely resource allocation, management support, plan making, program introduction, and service provision. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed at the end.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Accounting, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi, Taiwan

    Yen-chen Hsu

  2. Department of Business Administration, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

    Ching-wen Wang

  3. Department of Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, CYT Building, CUHK, Shatin, District, Hong Kong

    Jun-bang Lan

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  1. Yen-chen Hsu
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  2. Ching-wen Wang
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Correspondence to Jun-bang Lan.

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Hsu, Yc., Wang, Cw. & Lan, Jb. Evaluating the performance of employee assistance programs (EAP): a checklist developed from a large sample of public agencies. Asia Pac J Manag 37, 935–955 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-019-09659-z

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