Embedding Health and Well-Being in Value Statements of Canada’s Post-Secondary Institutions - A Mixed Methods Study

Oct 15, 2026

Many post-secondary institutions articulate organizational values that sustain strategic priorities and shape members’ conduct. Health-promoting frameworks further call for embedding health within these core values. This mixed methods study maps Canada’s post-secondary value statements, contextualizes institutional well-being, and extracts health-related thematic messages. Results show most institutions espouse values, but only a minority explicitly embed health. Qualitative findings identify three themes supporting calls for health as a core value.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Organizational values and strategic guidance

Types of organizational values

Use of mission statements and values in post-secondary institutions

Embedding Health and Well-Being in Value Statements of Canada’s Post-Secondary Institutions: A Mixed Methods Study Abhinand Thaivalappil University of Guelph Alison Burnett University of Guelph Jillian Stringer University of Guelph Anit Bhattacharyya University of Ottawa Ian Young Toronto Metropolitan University Andrew Papadopoulos University of Guelph Abstract Many post-secondary institutions contain organizational values, which describe enduring beliefs that support strategic priorities and guide members of an organization. Relatedly, the adoption of health-promoting frameworks calls on embedding health within post-secondary institutions’ core values. The study objective was to map Canada’s post-secondary values to determine how health is integrated within value statements. Mixed methods were used to map institutional values, contextualize well-being, and identify thematic messages of health-related content contained within values. Most institutions espoused values (n = 64, 71%), yet only a small proportion of these institutions espoused health within their value statements (n = 7, 11%) . Qualitative analysis revealed three thematic messages: (i) health as a descriptor for other institutional priorities,(ii) wellness broadly acknowledged or embedded within non-health values, and (iii) well-being as a core value or commitment. These novel findings suggest more institutions must embed health as a core value to demonstrate institutional commitment. Keywords: post-secondary, health, well-being, content analysis, education, organizational change Résumé De nombreux établissements postsecondaires ont des valeurs organisationnelles, quidécrivent les croyances durables soutenant les priorités stratégiques et guidant les membres d’une organisation. Dans ce contexte, l’adoption de cadres de promotion de lasanté nécessite l’intégration de la santé dans les valeurs principales des établissements postsecondaires. L’objectif de l’étude était de dresser une carte des valeurs des établissements d’enseignement postsecondaires du Canada afin de déterminer comment la santé est intégréedans les énoncés de valeurs. Des méthodes mixtes ont été utilisées pour établir les valeurs institutionnelles, contextualiser le bien-être et identifier les messages thématiques liés à lasanté dans les valeurs. La plupart des établissements ont adopté des valeurs (n = 64, 71 %), mais seule une petite proportion d’entre eux ont adopté la santé dans leurs déclarations devaleurs (n = 7, 11 %) . L’analyse qualitative a révélé trois messages thématiques : (i) la santé est utilisée pour décrire d’autres priorités institutionnelles,(ii) le bien-être est souvent reconnu ou intégré dans des valeurs qui ne sont pas liées à la santé, et (iii) le bien-être est considéré en tant que valeur ou engagement principal. Ces résultats suggèrent que davantage d’établissements doivent intégrer la santé comme valeur fondamentale pour démontrer leur engagement. Mots-clés : postsecondaire, santé, bien-être, analyse de contenu, éducation, changement organisationnel Canadian Journal of Higher Education | Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur 54:1 (2024) INTRODUCTION An organization’s mission statement, vision, and values are presented within its strategic plan—a document that outlines overall goals, priorities, and institutional frameworks for the conduct of its individual units (Rowley & Sherman, 2002) . The values contained within it are central in orienting an organization’s culture, identity, and individual-organization fit (Bourne & Jenkins, 2013), and they vary across organizations because the organizations differ in the individuals they serve, the goals they have, the scope of their operations, and the need to differentiate themselves from institutions they are in competition with (Molesworth et al. , 2011) . While the mission statement describes the core purpose, philosophies, core competencies, and sometimes values of the institution (Dav

FAQs

What was the study’s primary objective?

To map Canada’s post-secondary institutional values and determine how health is integrated within their value statements.

What methods were used to analyze the values?

Mixed methods were used to map institutional values, contextualize well-being, and identify thematic messages in health-related content contained within values.

What themes emerged from the qualitative analysis about health and well-being?

Three themes were identified: health used to describe other priorities, well-being recognized or embedded within non-health values, and well-being framed as a core value or commitment.

Oct 15, 2026

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