Identifying and managing psychosocial risks during organizational restructuring: it's what you do and how you do it
Mathiesen, G. Ellen ; Brønnick, Kolbjørn ; Arntzen, Knut Jørgen ; Vestly Bergh, Linn Iren
2017
100
Part A
December
20-29
psychosocial risks ; work environment ; work organization ; structural change ; health impact assessment ; enterprise restructuring
Psychosocial risks
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2016.12.007
English
Bibliogr.
"Over the past years, employees have experienced substantial organizational restructuring implicating changes in the design, organization and management of work. Many of these changes have a possible negative impact on engagement, well-being and health. The current study describes how a large oil and gas industry organization, based on research and best practice principles, developed and integrated a method for managing psychosocial risks during change. Furthermore, this study explored the effects of implementing the method on psychosocial factors and health. Two business areas from the organization were included, one going through major restructuring and the other not undergoing major changes. Psychosocial factors and health were measured each year from 2012 to 2015, when the restructuring took place. We hypothesized that the psychosocial work environment as well as health scores would significantly deteriorate during the first period of the reorganization process for the unit going through reorganization as compared with the unit without changes, but thereafter improve after the implementation of the psychosocial risk management methodology. We found general support for the hypotheses, indicating that the implementation of the risk management methodology had beneficial effects on the psychosocial work environment and health. This study also addresses strengths and lessons learned that can be useful for organizations and the research community."
Digital
The ETUI is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the ETUI.