Exploring Environment-Intervention Fit: A Study of a Work Environment Intervention Program for the Care Sector

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Psychosocial Work Environment
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Targeting occupational health and safety interventions requires understanding sector-specific needs.
• The Danish residential and home care sector faces unique psychosocial work environment challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the environment-intervention fit of a Danish psychosocial work environment intervention program.
• To assess the program's compatibility with the residential and home care sector's context.

Main Methods:

• Focus group interviews with employees.
• Interviews with managers.
• Questionnaire survey distributed to managers across 115 workplaces.

Main Results:

• Interventions increased the likelihood of employees experiencing "good" work days, enabling them to make a difference for clients.
• The program demonstrated cultural relevance and good fit with the immediate work environment.
• Interventions aligned well with the broader organizational context and societal/economic changes.
• Some workplaces struggled with universal employee involvement and adapting interventions to work structures.

Conclusions:

• Flexibility and diverse strategies for employee engagement are crucial for intervention success in the care sector.
• The focus on employees' perception of a "good" work day offers a valuable approach for intervention research in other sectors.