Abstract
Structured, well-being interventions are under-researched in non-Western workplaces. This study 13 evaluates The Good Life training program—a participatory, multi-component training intervention—14 on employee well-being, engagement and stress in South Africa. Employing an exploratory, quasi-15 experimental, explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, we collected quantitative data from 57 16 South African participants across three delivery formats (online, two full-day classroom, four half-17 day classroom) at pre-training and three months post-training using five validated scales (PSS-4, 18 UWES-3, SWLS, FS, WEMWBS-14). No concurrent control group was retained due to attrition and 19 contamination; thus, causal inferences are cautious. Qualitative data were gathered via semi-20 structured interviews with a purposive subsample of 15 participants to elucidate mechanisms of 21 change. Two full-day workshops led to significant improvements in overall well-being and work 22 engagement, whereas the online format produced a significant boost in well-being only. The half-day 23 format showed no statistically significant changes. Qualitative findings highlighted immersive peer 24 interaction, structured reflection and managerial support as core drivers of impact. Immersive, HR-25 facilitated training shows promise for enhancing well-being and engagement in South African 26 workplaces. Future research should employ randomized controlled designs, larger samples and 27 objective measures (e.g. absenteeism, physiological indicators) to substantiate and extend these 28 preliminary findings.