The “perceived” relationship between smoking and productivity at a selected organisation: the smoker’s perspective

Abstract

Smoking is a pervasive and harmful practice that involves inhaling the smoke of burning tobacco, a habit maintained primarily by the highly addictive chemical nicotine. As of 2026, it remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide, claiming over eight million lives annually through conditions such as lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of the present study was to answer the research question: “What is the 'perceived' relationship between smoking and productivity at a selected organization: The smoker’s perspective?” Seven participants took part in the study. The participants were drawn from employees working for an online Casino Support organization based in Cape Town using convenience sampling due to the nature of the working environment. The study design was qualitative in nature. An interview guide was developed for use in the study.