Using kaizen to improve employee well-being: Results from two organizational intervention studies

Participatory intervention approaches that are embedded in existing organizational structures may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational interventions, but concrete tools are lacking. In the present paper, we use a realist evaluation approach to explore the role of kaizen, a lean tool for participatory continuous improvement, in improving employee wellbeing in two cluster-randomized, controlled participatory intervention studies. Case 1 is from the Danish Postal Service where kaizen boards were used to implement action plans. The results of multi-group structural equation modeling showed that kaizen served as a mechanism that increased the level of awareness of and capacity to manage psychosocial issues, which in turn predicted increased job satisfaction and mental health. Case 2 is from a regional hospital in Sweden that integrated occupational health processes with a pre-existing kaizen system. Multi-group structural equation modeling revealed that, in the intervention group, kaizen work predicted better integration of organizational and employee objectives after 12 months, which in turn predicted increased job satisfaction and decreased discomfort at 24 months. The findings suggest that participatory and structured problem-solving approaches that are familiar and visual to employees can facilitate organizational interventions

How to design, implement and evaluate organizational interventions for maximum impact : the Sigtuna Principles

Research on organizational interventions needs to meet the objectives of both researchers and participating organizations. This duality means that real-world impact has to be considered throughout the research process, simultaneously addressing both scientific rigor and practical relevance. This discussion paper aims to offer a set of principles, grounded in knowledge from various disciplines that can guide researchers in designing, implementing, and evaluating organizational interventions. Inspired by Mode 2 knowledge production, the principles were developed through a transdisciplinary, participatory and iterative process where practitioners and academics were invited to develop, refine and validate the principles. The process resulted in 10 principles: 1) Ensure active engagement and participation among key stakeholders; 2) Understand the situation (starting points and objectives); 3) Align the intervention with existing organizational objectives; 4) Explicate the program logic; 5) Prioritize intervention activities based on effort-gain balance; 6) Work with existing practices, processes, and mindsets; 7) Iteratively observe, reflect, and adapt; 8) Develop organizational learning capabilities; 9) Evaluate the interaction between intervention, process, and context; and 10) Transfer knowledge beyond the specific organization. The principles suggest how the design, implementation, and evaluation of organizational interventions can be researched in a way that maximises both practical and scientific impact

Forms of participation – the development and application of a conceptual model of participation in work environment interventions

In the realm of work environment improvements, the Nordic countries have led the way in demonstrating that employee participation is a key requisite for achieving improvements. Despite this there is a lack of precision on what ‘participatory’ in a participatory work environment intervention means. In this study, we present a conceptual model for participation in work environment interventions and apply it to protocols and manuals from 8 participatory interventions to determine the form of participation used in each intervention. We suggest that the conceptual model can be applied in the design and assessment of participatory work environment interventions

How clinical supervisors develop trust in their trainees: a qualitative study.

Context Clinical supervisors oversee trainees’ performance while granting them increasing opportunities to work independently. Although the factors contributing to supervisors’ trust in their trainees to conduct clinical work have been identified, how the development of trust is shaped by these factors remains less clear. Objectives This study was designed to determine how supervisors develop and experience trust in resident (postgraduate years 2 and 3) trainees in the clinical workplace. Methods Internal medicine in-patient supervisors at two institutions were interviewed about the meaning and experience of developing trust in resident trainees. Transcribed data were coded and analysed using a phenomenographic approach. Results Forty-three supervisors participated. Supervisors characterised the meaning of trust from the perspectives of trainee competence and leadership or from their own perspective of needing to provide more or less supervision. Supervisors initially considered trust to be usually independent of prior knowledge of the resident, and then used sources of information about trust to develop their judgements of trust. Sources, which incorporated inference, included supervisors’ comparisons with a standard, direct observation of the trainee as a team leader or care provider, and stakeholder input from team members, patients and families. Barriers against and accelerators to trust formation related to the resident, supervisor, resident–supervisor relationship, context and task. Trust formation had implications for supervisors’ roles, residents’ increasingly independent provision of care, and team functioning. Conclusions From a general starting point, supervisors develop trust in residents informed by observation, inference and information gathered from the team and patients. Judgements of trust yield outcomes defined by supervisors’ changing roles, the increasingly independent provision of care by residents, and team functioning. The implications of these findings for graded resident autonomy aligned with learning needs can inform the design of training environments to enable readiness for unsupervised practice