A strategy for preventive psychosocial action in work settings.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Organizational Behavior
• Action Research Methodology

Background:

• Psychosocial problems in the workplace are prevalent and impact employee well-being and organizational functioning.
• Traditional interventions often focus on individual cases, neglecting systemic organizational factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel action research strategy for addressing workplace psychosocial issues.
• To outline a participatory approach that utilizes organizational networks and common arenas for problem-solving.

Main Methods:

• The strategy employs broad participation, involving both workers and management in discussions.
• It utilizes networks of supporting organizational units and a common arena, typically a work conference.
• Interventions are iterative, allowing for the testing and reporting of different solutions between sessions.

Main Results:

• The approach fosters a shared understanding of causal relationships and remedies through collaborative discussion.
• It minimizes reliance on external expertise, focusing on internal organizational capacity and conference design skills.
• The organization itself serves as the primary unit of intervention, differing from individual-focused clinical approaches.

Conclusions:

• This action research strategy offers a framework for effectively addressing psychosocial problems at the organizational level.
• Broad participation and a structured, iterative process are key to successful implementation and sustainable solutions.
• The model empowers organizations to manage their psychosocial environment through internal collaboration and expertise.