Title: Good but Avoided: Manager Perceptions and the Underuse of Employee Assistance Programs in China
Speaker: Dorra YAHIAOUI(Kedge Business School)
Time: 10:00 (Monday), June 8, 2026
Venue: Room1007, Mingde Business Building
Language: English
ABSTRACT：
This study identifies the driving and restraining forces influencing the implementation of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) across various types of firms in China. Drawing from institutional theory, we conducted 37 in-depth interviews with managers from both multinational companies (MNCs)and domestic firms operating in China. Our findings show that, a group of companies in China is placing increasing emphasis on employee physical and mental well-being, aligning with the national "Healthy China 2030" initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Within this group, foreign MNCs exhibit greater proactiveness and experience in offering EAPs than their domestic counterparts. Another group of companies in China remain largely unfamiliar with the concept of EAP. Our findings further identify most common EAP services offered to Chinese employees, the key challenges linked to low usage rate of EAP in China, and potential solutions for overcoming resistances and improving EAP utilization.
SHORT BIOGRAPHY：
Prof. Dorra YAHIAOUI is Senior Professor in HRM and Organizational Behavior;Director of The Research Centre of Excellence in International Business at Kedge Business School. She is also head of the research group Human Resource Management at EuroMed Research Business Institute.
She holds a PhD in Management from the University of Lyon III (France), certified and an alumna of the International Teachers Program from London Business School, certified MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) from The Myers Briggs Company France and Women in Education Leadership from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Her research interests include: cross-countries comparison of managerial practices, innovation process within MNCs, headquarter-subsidiaries relationship, internationalization strategy and Management in Middle East, African and Asian countries. She is also associate Editor for the International Journal of Human Resource Management and Editorial Review Board member at Human Resource Management (Wiley) and International journal of Organizational Analysis.