Hartpury University Repository

Williams, Jane

Jackson, R.

Phillips, Catherine

Wills, Alison

English

The effect of the A-frame on forelimb kinematics in experienced and inexperienced agility dogs

Coldrey, Matt

The intervention was designed using a behaviour change 
approach, drawing upon the COM-B (Capability, 
Opportunity and Motivation equals’ behaviour) model. 
Workplace needs were analysed, focusing on the three 
areas of business need, workplace environment and 
employee need. These needs were then analysed, and 
using a policy approach, workplaces designed long-term 
action plans to shift the sedentary behaviours identified 
via the needs analysis, through a range of bespoke 
measures.  
The approach targeted the employees’ capability, 
opportunity and motivation, this approach sought to offer 
a holistic approach to shifting behaviours. Capability was 
targeted through the education of employees, showing 
them that they could increase their physical activity levels 
at work by doing simple and achievable activities that 
were both modelled. Activities were also drawn from the 
participants themselves during the training. By providing 
staff with simple and achievable activities to do and by 
providing them with the option stand up whilst they 
worked by installing sit-down/stand-up desks, staff were 
given the opportunity to increase their physical activity 
levels, whilst not taking up their valuable time. The 
employees’ motivation was targeted by educating them 
on the impact on their work performance, physical 
health, and mental wellbeing.  
Workplace Physical Activity: 
A Behaviour Change 
Approach 
Environmental 
Scan 
Employee Needs 
Analysis 
Physical 
Environment 
Cultural 
Environment 
Opportunity 
(Physical) 
Capability 
(Physical) 
Opportunity 
(Social) 
Motivation 
(Automatic) 
Capability 
(Psychological) 
Motivation 
(Reflective) 
Restrictions 
Modelling 
Education 
Coercion 
Training 
Persuasion 
Enablement 
Incentivisation 
Environmental 
Restructuring 
Business Needs 
Analysis 
Desired 
Outcomes 
(Effectiveness) 
Nature of 
Business 
(Practicality) 
Availability of 
Resources 
(Affordability) 
Likelihood of 
Positive 
Response 
(Acceptability) 
Who is Most in 
Need 
(Equity) 
Identified Risks 
(Side Effects) 
Intervention 
Design 
Business Needs 
Desired Outcomes 
 Reduced absence 
 Increased 
productivity 
 Reducing staff 
turnover 
 Team cohesion and 
morale 
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
Nature of Business 
 Sector 
 Single/multi-site 
 Urban/rural site 
 Working hours 
  
  
   
   
  
  
Availability of Resource 
 Budget for project 
 Staffing availability 
 Marketing 
 Digital space 
(website) 
  
  
  
   
  
Likelihood of Positive 
Response 
 Relevant to the 
business aims 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Who is Most at Need 
 Specific target groups 
 Demographic of staff 
  
Potential Risks 
  
  
   
Environmental Scan 
Physical Opportunities 
 Locality of staff 
 Onsite facilities 
 Local facilities 
 Layout of workplace 
 Cycle parking 
 Car parking 
   
  
  
Physical Capability 
 Onsite showering/ 
changing facilities 
 Stairs/lift access 
 Cycle-to-work 
scheme 
 Business mileage for 
cycling 
  
Social Opportunities 
 Current initiatives 
 Social structures (i.e. 
groups) 
 Previous successes 
 Motivation of staff 
  
  
Workplace Culture 
 Sedentary or active 
culture 
 Is wellbeing a focus? 
 Health or reward 
focused? (Unhealthy 
snacks etc.) 
  
1. Does your employer have, or are you aware of, a physical 
activity policy? 
 Yes 
 No 
2. Does your employer supply information on the benefits of 
physical activity? 
 Yes 
 No 
 Don’t know 
3. Do you take your legal entitlement of breaks? 
 Always 
 Often 
 Rarely 
 Never 
 I do not know what my legal entitlement is 
4. Are you encouraged to take regular breaks? 
 Always 
 Often 
 Rarely 
 Never 
5. How often is physical activity actively encouraged within your 
workplace? 
 Always 
 Often 
 Rarely 
 Never 
6. How often are physical activity opportunities from the local 
area actively promoted to you? 
 Always 
 Often 
 Rarely 
 Never 
  
7. Does your employer actively promote active ways of getting to 
and from work, and travelling between meetings? 
  Yes 
  No 
  Sometimes 
  Don’t know 
8. Are there regular opportunities to be physically active through 
your employer? 
  Yes 
  No 
  Sometimes 
  Don’t know 
9. What stops you being physically active/what are the barriers? 
  
  
10.What additional support would you like your employer to 
provide to help you to become more physically active? 
 A pool of bikes 
 Waterproof gear/umbrella  
 Info on local walking and cycling routes 
 Showering facilities 
 Free/reduced gym memberships/leisure passes 
 Active meetings 
 Cycle-to-work scheme 
 Business mileage for cycling 
 Onsite physical activity sessions 
 Offsite parking with walking/cycle route to work 
 Information on opportunities outside of work 
 Other (please specify) 
  
Restrictions  
Look to place restrictions on how sedentary employees are 
allowed to be. Take care not to restrict employees against their 
wishes as this can lead to disengagement, demotivation and/or 
resentment. 
Examples: 
• Moving essential facilities, such as toilets and kitchens, 
further away from working areas. 
• Create a rule that means the lifts can only be used when 
necessary (i.e. if an employee is injured or disabled, or has 
to transport heavy or cumbersome items). 
• Place a limit onsite parking to those who need to use spaces 
close to the worksite. 
• Place a limit the length of meetings with no breaks. 
• Place a limit on the amount of time employees are allowed 
to sit down continuously. 
 
 
Modelling  
Give positive role models exposure to encourage employees to 
emulate positive behaviours. Ensure that these role models are 
relatable and realistic for a range of employees (i.e. a super 
keen marathon runner will not interest individuals who have not 
been for a run in years).  
Examples: 
• Encourage staff to blog about their physical activity journey, 
or share blogs from individuals who are relatable to 
employees. 
• Place a sitting agenda item on team meetings for staff to 
share what physical activity they are been doing. Enable 
staff to ask questions and discuss this (be careful to get a 
mixture of already actives, sporadically active and inactive 
employees). 
• Create a bring-a-buddy scheme, where employees share 
what physical activity they are doing, and invite their 
colleagues along to try. This can be done as a team-building 
activity, but ensure that you do not force employees to take 
part in activities they do not want to. 
• Invite inspirational speakers to talk to staff about their 
journey from inactive, to physically active. 
 
 
Education  
Enable employees to learn about physical activity and the way 
in which it can positively impact upon their physical and mental 
wellbeing. 
Examples: 
• Offer staff development/education that looks at educating 
staff on the benefits of being physically active on the health 
and wellbeing, as well as their work performance and 
productivity, and looks at how they can increase their 
physical activity levels. 
• Provide digital resources that inform employees via email, 
intranet sites and social media. 
• Display posters around the worksite at key areas such as by 
the kettle, next to lift doors, and on the back of toilet doors 
that encourage employees to make informed decisions 
about their own health and wellbeing. 
• Talk about the benefits of physical activity during team 
meetings, and ask employees to talk research and talk about 
the benefits. 
• Display screen savers that remind and educate employees 
on the benefits of physical activity, and how they can 
integrate it into their day. 
 
Coercion  
Using punishments to control the behaviours of employees, but 
be careful to ensure that coercion is only used if employees 
have suggested a need and/or want to be coerced into shifting 
their behaviours. Top-down coercion can lead to 
disengagement, demotivation and resentment. 
Examples: 
• Punish employees if meetings overrun by not allowing them 
to book the meeting room again for a week. 
• Punish employees who sit for over an hour without moving 
by not allowing them to use the staff car park for a day. 
• Ban employees from using toilets that are on the same floor 
as their workstation. 
Training 
Help employees to develop the key competencies that they 
need to be physically active. 
Examples: 
• Offer cycle proficiency training. 
• Provide training on suitable office based activities and 
stretches. 
• Use motivational interviewing to motivate employees to 
become more physically active as a part of your appraisal 
scheme. 
Persuasion  
Regularly communicate with staff about the positive impact that 
physical activity can have, and the negative impact that 
sedentary behaviour can have. 
Examples: 
• Remind employees of the need to be physically active 
throughout the day if you notice sedentary behaviour. 
• Integrate physical activity advice into your return-to-work 
process. 
• Identify issues that employees face that physical activity can 
help to target (i.e. productivity, mental wellbeing, 
drowsiness, high levels of minor and mental illness) and 
target these by reminding employees that physical activity 
can help to address these issues. 
Enablement 
Make it easy for employees to make positive decisions about 
their physical activity levels. Ensure that staff know that you 
encourage them to increase their physical activity levels. 
Examples: 
• Offer flexible working to allow employees to exercise before, 
and after work, and during lunch breaks. 
• Offer a reduced or free gym membership for employees. 
• Communicate local walking and cycling routes to staff to 
help them to find routes to actively travel to work. 
Incentivisation  
Create a reward scheme for employees who are already active, 
or who increase their physical activity levels.  
Examples: 
• Provide employees with a fitness tracker at a reduced price 
based on the amount of steps they take (i.e. the more steps 
they take, the cheaper the payment for the month is). 
• Offer employees cycle/walk-to-work mileage to encourage 
them to cycle/walk all or part of their journey to and from 
work. 
• Offer employees business mileage for when the ride or walk 
to meetings. 
Environmental 
Restructuring 
Create a physical environment that enables employees to be 
physically active, and removes the physical barrier to being 
physically active. 
Examples: 
• Build and onsite gym, or provide a space for employees to 
be physically active. 
• Map out local walking routes, and create a local mile that 
staff can walk before and/or after work, or during lunch 
breaks. 
• Ensure staff have access to stairs. 
• Provide showering facilities onsite for staff who cycle or run 
to work, or who want to be active during their lunch breaks. 
• Provide secure cycle parking. 
• Provide employees with a table tennis table, or pop up table 
tennis set for use during breaks. 
The collateral for behaviour change initiatives follow social 
nudge theory; a theory that has been widely used by 
governments, public bodies and businesses to influence and 
persuade the public. The collateral follows the principles of: 
• Educating the reader on why physical activity is important 
for them individually 
• Creating a status quo that mirrors the desired behaviour 
(hinting that being physically active should be the norm) 
• Increasing the availability of information (subtly raising its 
intrinsic importance to individuals) 
• Providing the reader for opportunities that are realistic to 
them 
Collateral Design 








The staff training follows a similar design, assessing the initial 
understanding of the audience in regard to the benefits of 
physical activity, and their motivations to be physically active. 
It then goes on to inform and educate based on the level of 
their understanding, challenging any preconceptions. The final 
step is to ask the audience to come up with ideas on how they 
can increase their physical activity levels. It is important to 
note that the audience should be encouraged to suggest ideas 
that are realistic and achievable to them based on their 
capability, opportunities and motivations. 
Staff Education 


Approaches to changing behaviours: Designing an intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour in the workplace using behaviour change theory.

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