Explicating employees’ behaviour for an effective subscription to healthcare policy: an application of the theory of planned behaviour

Abstract

The Moroccan Forestry Department (HCEFLCD) has initiated a voluntary complementary healthcare insurance (CHI) to address the insufficient coverage provided by the mandatory public healthcare insurance called AMO (Assurance Maladie Obligatoire). However, many employees did not accept to subscribe to this category of insurance (CHI). The employees’ behaviour and decision to get involved in this complementary healthcare plan can be explained by their intention. Therefore, this study based on testing the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) through a single case study research method and the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies investigates and identifies factors that influence employees’ intention to subscribe to the CHI. Our findings show that the strongest predictors of intention to not perform the subscription behaviour to the CHI relate primarily to employees’ perception as regards the difficulty to subscribe to this plan and to the social pressure from family and colleagues. Such predictors stem from both individual and situational factors as also explained through qualitative data from interviews and archival information. This study provides also specific recommendations to help decision makers to develop strategies to ensure buy-in and improve in general the social welfare of employees.