This month, IoH Youth Council member, Marlyn Brunke AIH, reviews ‘Creating Healthy Organizations’ by Graham Lowe.
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In ‘Creating Healthy Organizations: Taking Action to Improve Employee Well-Being,’ Graham Lowe makes a compelling case that employee well-being should be recognised as a central driver of organisational performance, resilience, and sustainability. Drawing from evidence-based research and practice, Lowe has developed a comprehensive framework that integrates health, engagement, leadership, and corporate responsibility for long-term success.
In today’s volatile and uncertain business environment, Lowe observes that organisations depend on the full commitment, energy, and creativity of their employees. Yet, stress, burnout, and disengagement undermine this need.
He argues that supporting employees’ health, development and sense of purpose, which he coins as human sustainability, is essential for building resilient businesses. He emphasises that corporate wellness programmes will remain ineffective unless they are embedded into a company’s culture, leadership, and overall strategy.
Lowe presents a core model for healthy organisations, founded on three pillars: positive culture, inclusive leadership, and vibrant workplaces. It recognises that well-being and performance are interconnected and that there is a need for psychological health to be strategically embedded into organisational policies, plans and metrics. Its benefits go beyond employees to include customers, communities, and shareholders. Lowe suggests that organisations which embrace this approach strengthen employees’ capabilities, foster innovation, and build trust with shareholders.
He extends the argument by linking employee experience with organisational performance. Just as customer experience has become a competitive differentiator, so too must employee experience be intentionally designed. By involving employees in shaping a vision for the workplace, companies may improve engagement, retention, and skill development. Lowe successfully stresses that employees’ perceptions of workplace health serve as a leading indicator of organisational success.
Lowe also examines cultural and leadership dimensions of healthy organisations. He contrasts the outcomes of toxic cultures, which diminish trust and commitment, with people-centred cultures, which foster trust, inclusivity and collaboration. Leadership should be shared and inclusive, with every employee empowered to contribute. Training in resilience and psychological capital, coupled with transformational leadership practices, enables organisations to build collective capacity for change, argues Lowe.
He states that wellness initiatives must prioritise improving employees’ lives rather than simply controlling costs, and that they evolve with employees’ needs. Integrating social and environmental sustainability goals into the strategy may inspire employees.
Finally, Lowe emphasises the role of evidence and measurement by using surveys, people metrics, and corporate reporting to monitor progress and ensure that well-being remains central to strategic performance management.
Lowe concludes by reinforcing that creating healthy organisations is an ongoing journey. He urges leaders and employees alike to view change as a shared responsibility and commitment, beginning with small, meaningful steps and evolving through continuous learning.
This revised edition of Creating Healthy Organizations makes a valuable contribution and combines conceptual clarity with practical guidance, offering leaders, professionals, and practitioners a holistic roadmap for embedding well-being into organisational systems. Its strengths lie in the emphasis on culture and leadership, while relying on evidence-based approaches.
This review and rating is the opinion of the reviewer.
5 stars = Exceptional not to be missed | 4.5 stars = Essential read | 4 stars =Very good | 3 stars = Good | 2 stars = Poor | 1 star = Very poor
Suitability:This is a valuable resource for those committed to transforming workplaces into environments where people and organisations can thrive.
This book fits into the Self-care and Leadership pillars under the IoH’s Five Pillars of Learning, an approach to continuing professional development based on the five core areas of hospitality management.
Record your CPD Hours: This book forms part of a member’s CPD hours. You can log your CPD hours here.
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