Encouraging Employees to Be More Active: Taking “Steps” Toward Personal Goals

Abstract

The present study examines the effectiveness of a low‐cost organizational wellness program focused on integration of physical activity into employee work routines using core principles of goal‐setting theory. Participants were 223 employees (167 women and 56 men) of a small private southwestern university. The program consisted of participants selecting an overall step goal for a 7‐ or 15‐week period (henceforth referred to as a session) from a set of predetermined goals. They used pedometers to track their weekly progress on steps taken toward that overall goal and reported those steps to the program coordinator. Participants who selected a higher goal (more steps per session) achieved more steps on average during the session. Lack of baseline data and the small number of male participants limit the generalizability of the results. This research contributes to the nascent literature on the incorporation of basic physical activity into the daily routine of employees and the promotion of organizational health.