Framing a strategic, stakeholder and contextual view of employee assistance programmes: a systematic review and an integrated conceptual model

Scholars across disciplines (e.g., medicine and health, human resource management, organizational behaviour) have paid increasing attention to employee assistance programmes (EAPs) over the past 40 years. Our study systematically reviewed 327 EAP studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 1980 to December 2021. We provided both descriptive and thematic analyses of this body of literature. We revealed that existing research has not paid sufficient attention to the role of multiple stakeholders, the importance of context and the strategic nature of EAPs, all of which are critical to EAP effectiveness. To fill these gaps, we develop an integrated conceptual model for EAP research that highlights the stakeholder perspective, strategic human resource management and contextual approach. We argue that EAPs cannot yield desirable outcomes without three forms of ‘strategic fit’: the internal fit between EAPs and a bundle of HR strategies; the organizational fit between EAPs and business strategies; and the environmental fit between EAPs and the environmental contexts. We suggest that employees and other diverse stakeholders should proactively engage in the EAP process to achieve mutual gains.