Interactions between lean management and the psychosocial work environment in a hospital setting - a multi-method...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology
• Sociology of Work

Background:

• Lean management is increasingly adopted in healthcare to address resource limitations.
• Previous research on Lean's effect on the psychosocial work environment yields contradictory findings.
• This study investigates Lean's impact on the psychosocial work environment, considering implementation details and context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the relationship between Lean implementation and the psychosocial work environment in healthcare settings.
• To evaluate how different Lean implementation strategies affect employee well-being and work conditions.
• To identify factors influencing the success or failure of Lean in improving the work environment.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was used, combining qualitative analysis of Lean implementation with quantitative data.
• The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) was administered twice (T1 and T2) to measure changes in the psychosocial work environment.
• Linear regression analysis compared predicted changes with actual survey data.

Main Results:

• Ward-I demonstrated significant improvements in job control and social support due to well-organized Lean implementation with employee participation.
• The Emergency Department (ED) experienced a decline in the psychosocial work environment, linked to deteriorating Lean activities and waning management interest.
• Ward-II showed improvements similar to Ward-I, despite a partial Lean implementation where employees questioned its necessity.

Conclusions:

• Effective Lean implementation, characterized by employee involvement, can positively impact the psychosocial work environment.
• Deterioration of Lean practices post-implementation can negatively affect the work environment.
• A multi-method approach is valuable for studying the complex interactions between Lean and the psychosocial work environment.