‘Same, but different’: A mixed-methods realist evaluation of a cluster-randomized controlled participatory organizational intervention

• Published in: Human relations (New York) Vol. 73; no. 10; pp. 1339 - 1365
• Main Authors: Abildgaard, Johan Simonsen, Nielsen, Karina, Wåhlin-Jacobsen, Christian Dyrlund, Maltesen, Thomas, Christensen, Karl Bang, Holtermann, Andreas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.10.2020; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Intervention; Mixed methods research; Psychosocial factors; Psychosocial intervention; Structural equation modeling; Work environment; Workshops; collective efficacy; context; work environment; structural equation modelling; transformational leadership
• ISSN: 0018-7267; 1741-282X
• DOI: 10.1177/0018726719866896

Participatory organizational interventions are a recommended approach to improve the psychosocial work environment. As interventions of this type are shaped by employees and managers, their implementation can vary considerably, making evaluation challenging. This study contributes to our understanding of interventions by focusing on how the intervention mechanisms and the organizational context interact. In a mixed-methods design, we use multi-group structural equation modelling of pre-and post-intervention survey data (N = 204) to test multiple mediational mechanisms in three different contexts. We then analyse interviews (N = 67) and field observations of workshops to identify the role of contextual factors. The findings suggest that participatory organizational interventions do not produce one-size-fits-all results; on the contrary, intervention results are better understood as products of multiple intervention mechanisms interacting with the specific organizational contexts.