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Workplace restructurings in intervention studies - a challenge for design, analysis and interpretation
Ole Olsen1, Karen Albertsen, Martin Lindhardt Nielsen
1National Research Centre for Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. ool@nrcwe.dk
BMC Medical Research Methodology
|June 17, 2008
Summary
Occupational health interventions targeting worksites face significant instability due to frequent organizational changes like closures and restructuring. This impacts intervention effectiveness and research design, requiring careful consideration in future studies.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Organizational Studies
- Intervention Research
Background:
- Occupational health interventions frequently target worksites.
- The stability of worksites as units of analysis in these interventions is often overlooked.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the lack of stability in units of analysis within occupational health and safety intervention projects focused on worksites.
Main Methods:
- A case study approach examined four large, Nordic intervention projects.
- Projects spanned 3-5 years, involved 3-52 worksites, and were conducted by 3-7 researchers.
Main Results:
- All four projects observed high rates of worksite changes, including closures, mergers, and restructuring.
- Ownership or administrative bases frequently shifted, and key personnel often changed.
- Reorganizations occurred multiple times within single worksites during project durations.
Conclusions:
- Major organizational changes are common in worksite interventions, not exceptions.
- These frequent changes necessitate adjustments in intervention study design, analysis, and interpretation.
- The instability may negatively affect the effectiveness of real-world occupational health interventions.
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