Abstract:
The occupational health industry is concerned with the health and safety of employees. Employee Wellness is a growing area within this industry that focuses on keeping employees healthy. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classes employee wellness programs as one of most cost effective options for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and for mental health. Employee health checks are a service which is a further division of employee wellness programs. The purpose of this study is to understand how business models of companies in the employee wellness market specifically offering employee health checks capture and deliver value. The findings are of benefit to a start-up company entering the Swedish market in this area. To investigate this area, a qualitative approach and multiple case study methodology was used. A total of nine cases are characterised and explored. This includes three Swedish companies in order to establish the Swedish competitive environment and five international companies to identify significant areas of difference within their business models. In order to present an analysis of the business models, the Business Model Canvas is used as a framework. This research discusses the areas of difference within the business models and presents opportunities for a start-up employee wellness company based in Sweden. The outcomes of this research are also applicable to international companies looking to enter the employee wellness market. The findings of this research demonstrate that partnerships, key activities and target customers are all business model components with significant variation among the international business models. Partnerships appear to very important in the delivery of health check services, and different types of partnerships are utilised in different ways by each company. Key activities can either be outsourced or used as a way of maintaining control over processes. The study also reveals different customer segments that can be targeted in this market. These areas therefore give rise to opportunities for this start-up company within the Swedish market. The opportunities are analysed against a criteria framework to assess for feasibility.