Workplace restructurings in intervention studies – a challenge for design, analysis and interpretation

Abstract

Background: Interventions in occupational health often target worksites rather than individuals. The objective of this paper is to describe the (lack of) stability in units of analysis in occupational health and safety intervention projects directed toward worksites.

Can a Flexibility/Support Initiative Reduce Turnover Intentions and Exits? Results from the Work, Family, and Health Network

“…This study (and other evaluations of planned changes) must carefully attend to such unplanned changes in the environment (Biron, Gatrell, and Cooper 2010;Hasson et al 2012;Olsen et al 2008). What we show is that: (1) STAR has direct effects, reducing both turnover intentions over a 12-month period and actual turnover over a three-year period; (2) being in the early survey group (and therefore learning about the merger after baseline) increases turnover intentions, and (3) the STAR intervention moderates these deleterious effects, with greater effects for different subgroups: employees but not managers, and those with low tenure in the early survey group.…”

Working time arrangements and social consequences – What do we know?

“…Turn-over of staff, change of management or project leaders, merges, downsizing and closing of organisations are common experiences, often making it hard to draw firm conclusions (Olsen, Albertsen, Nielsen, Poulsen, & Brunnberg, 2007). A thorough evaluation of the implementation process by the use of qualitative as well as quantitative measures is of great value for the interpretation of findings.…”

The effect of the work environment and performance-based self-esteem on cognitive stress symptoms among Danish knowledge workers

“…As part of the effort-reward-imbalance model, rewards have for a long time been identified as an important dimension in the psychosocial work environment [11], and may not be less important in this context. At the same time, high speed of organizational change [2] and increased global competition [12] may lead to diminished predictability at work [2,8]. Thirdly, in a context of unclear goals, control, autonomy or influence at work may not any longer, as presupposed by the job-demand-control model [7], only be beneficial for the employee, but may under certain circumstances even lead to increased stress [8,13].…”