Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Organisational Interventions

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Psychosocial Factors at Work in the Asia Pacific

Abstract

Within developed economies, work-related psychological stress represents a significant burden to employees, organisations, and society. In light of these substantial costs, there is a clear requirement for comprehensive stress prevention and management programs. Despite this acknowledged requirement, there is a disproportionate focus on interventions targeting individual workers, relative to interventions targeting organisational sources of stress, in the published research literature. Furthermore, published examples of organisational interventions have been predominantly conducted in Europe and the US, where labour conditions differ markedly from those within the Asia-Pacific region. This chapter will provide an overview of organisational intervention research, with a specific focus on issues relating to the development, implementation, and evaluation of organisational interventions within the Asia-Pacific region. Two case studies reflecting successful organisational intervention programs conducted in Japan and Australia will be presented. Finally, challenges associated with implementing organisational interventions will be discussed, with a specific focus on potential solutions for overcoming these challenges and directions for future research within the Asia-Pacific region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adkins, J. A., & Weiss, H. M. (2003). Program evaluation: The bottom line in organizational health. In J. C. Quick & L. E. Tetrick (Eds.), Handbook of occupational health psychology (pp. 399–416). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Aust, B., Rugulies, R., Finken, A., & Jensen, C. (2010). When workplace interventions lead to negative effects: Learning from failures. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 38, 106–119. doi:10.1177/1403494809354362.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Benach, J., Muntaner, C., Santana, V., & Chairs, F. (2007). Employment conditions and health inequalities. Final report to the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) Employment Conditions Knowledge Network (EMCONET). Geneva: WHO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs, A., & Brough, P. (in press). Challenges of intervention acceptance in complex, multifaceted organizations: The importance of local champions. In M. Karanika-Murray & C. Biron (Eds.), Derailed organizational stress and well-being interventions: Confessions of failure and solutions for success. London: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs, A., Brough, P., & Barbour, J. (2014a). Strategic alignment with organizational priorities and work engagement: A multi-wave analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 35, 301–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biggs, A., Brough, P., & Barbour, J. P. (2014b). Enhancing work-related attitudes and work engagement: A quasi-experimental study of the impact of an organizational intervention. International Journal of Stress Management, 21(1), 43–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biron, C., Gatrell, C., & Cooper, C. L. (2010). Autopsy of a failure: Evaluating process and contextual issues in an organizational-level work stress intervention. International Journal of Stress Management, 17(2), 135–158. doi:10.1037/a0018772.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bond, F. W., & Bunce, D. (2001). Job control mediates change in work-reorganization intervention for stress reduction. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 6(4), 290–302. doi:10.1037//1076-8998.6.4.290.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boss, R. W., Dunford, B. B., Boss, A. D., & McConkie, M. L. (2010). Sustainable change in the public sector: The longitudinal benefits of organizational development. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 46(4), 436–472. doi:10.1177/0021886310387087.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowling, N. A., Beehr, T. A., & Grebner, S. (2012). Combating stress in organizations. In G. P. Hodgkinson & J. K. Ford (Eds.), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 27, pp. 65–88). Chichester: Wiley. doi:10.1002/9781118311141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brough, P., O’Driscoll, M., Kalliath, T., Cooper, C. L., & Poelmans, S. (2009). Workplace psychological health: Current research and practice. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brough, P., Biggs, A., & Barbour, J. P. (2013). Healthy workplaces project: Final report. Brisbane: Griffith University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caulfield, N., Chang, D., Dollard, M. F., & Elshaug, C. (2004). A review of occupational stress interventions in Australia. International Journal of Stress Management, 11(2), 149–166. doi:10.1037/1072-5245.11.2.149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chopra, P. (2009). Mental health and the workplace: Issues for developing countries. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 3(1), 1–9. doi:10.1186/1752-4458-3-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C. L., & Cartwright, S. (1997). An intervention strategy for workplace stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 43(1), 7–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(96)00392-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dollard, M. F., Le Blanc, P. M., & Cotton, S. J. (2008). Participatory action research as work stress intervention. In K. Näswall, J. Hellgren, & M. Sverke (Eds.), The individual in the changing working life (pp. 353–379). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • EASHW. (2002). How to tackle psychosocial issues and reduce work-related stress. Luxembourg: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, N. (2001). Work and health: Management in Australia and New Zealand. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giga, S. I., Cooper, C. L., & Faragher, B. (2003a). The development of a framework for a comprehensive approach to stress management interventions at work. International Journal of Stress Management, 10(4), 280–296. doi:10.1037/1072-5245.10.4.280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giga, S. I., Noblet, A. J., Faragher, B., & Cooper, C. L. (2003b). The UK perspective: A review of research on organisational stress management interventions. Australian Psychologist, 38(2), 158–164. doi:10.1080/00050060310001707167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldenhar, L., LaMontagne, A., Katz, T., Heaney, C., & Landsbergis, P. (2001). The intervention research process in occupational health and safety: An overview from the national occupational research agenda intervention effectiveness research team. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 43(7), 616–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, J. (2013). Managing behavior in organizations (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harden, A., Peersman, G., Oliver, S., Mauthner, M., & Oakley, A. (1999). A systematic review of the effectiveness of health promotion interventions in the workplace. Occupational Medicine, 49(8), 540–548. doi:10.1093/occmed/49.8.540.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Houtman, I., Jettinghoff, K., & Cedillo, L. (2007). Raising awareness of stress at work in developing countries: A modern hazard in a traditional working environment. Geneva: World Health Organisation (WHO).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivancevich, J. M., Matteson, M. T., Freedman, S. M., & Phillips, J. S. (1990). Worksite stress management interventions. American Psychologist, 45(2), 252–261. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.45.2.252.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, S. Y., Staniford, A., Dollard, M. F., & Kompier, M. A. J. (2008). Knowledge development and content in occupational health psychology: A systematic analysis of the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, and Work and Stress, 1996–2006. In J. Houdmont & S. Leka (Eds.), Occupational health psychology: European perspectives on research, education and practice (Vol. 3, pp. 27–63). Maia: ISMAI Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karanika-Murray, M., Biron, C., & Cooper, C. L. (2012). Concluding comments: Distilling the elements of successful organizational intervention implementation. In C. Biron, M. Karanika-Murray, & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Improving organizational interventions for stress and well-being: Addressing process and context. Hove: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohler, J. M., & Munz, D. C. (2006). Combining individual and organizational stress interventions: An organizational development approach. Consulting Psychology Journal: Research and Practice, 58(1), 1–12. doi:10.1037/1065-9293.58.1.1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kompier, M. A. J., Geurts, S. A. E., Gründermann, R. W. M., Vink, P., & Smulders, P. G. W. (1998). Cases in stress prevention: The success of a participative and stepwise approach. Stress Medicine, 14, 155–168. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1700(199807)14:3<155::AID-SMI773>3.0.CO;2-C.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kompier, M. A. J., Cooper, C. L., & Geurts, S. A. E. (2000). A multiple case study approach to work stress prevention in Europe. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 9(3), 371–400. doi:10.1080/135943200417975.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kortum, E., Leka, S., & Cox, T. (2008). Understanding the perception of occupational psychosocial risk factors in developing countries: Setting priorities for action. In J. Houdmont & S. Leka (Eds.), Occupational health psychology: European perspectives on research, education and practice (Vol. 3, pp. 191–228). Nottingham: Nottingham University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotter, J. (1995). Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail. Harvard Business Review, 73(2), 59–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • LaMontagne, A. D., Keegel, T., Louie, A. M., Ostry, A., & Landsbergis, P. (2007). A systematic review of the job-stress intervention evaluation literature, 1990–2005. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 13, 268–280.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Landsbergis, P. A., & Vivona-Vaughan, E. (1995). Evaluation of an occupational stress intervention in a public agency. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16, 29–48. doi:10.1002/job.4030160106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Blanc, P. M., Hox, J. J., Schaufeli, W. B., Taris, T., & Peeters, M. (2007). ‘Take care!’ The evaluation of a team-based burnout intervention program for oncology care providers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(1), 213–227. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.92.1.213.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis, R., Yarker, J., & Donaldson-Feilder, E. (2012). The vital role of line managers in managing psychosocial risks. In C. Biron, M. Karanika-Murray, & C. Cooper (Eds.), Improving organizational interventions for stress and well-being: Addressing process and context (pp. 216–237). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • McVicar, A., Munn-Giddings, C., & Seebohm, P. (2013). Workplace stress interventions using participatory action research designs. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 6(1), 18–37. doi:10.1108/17538351311312303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Medibank Private. (2008). The cost of workplace stress in Australia. Retrieved from http://www.medibank.com.au/Client/Documents/Pdfs/The-Cost-of-Workplace-Stress.pdf

  • Mellor, N., Karanika-Murray, M., & Waite, E. (2012). Taking a multi-faceted, multi-level, and integrated perspective for addressing psychosocial issues at the workplace. In C. Biron, M. Karanika-Murray, & L. Cooper (Eds.), Improving organizational interventions for stress and well-being: Addressing process and context (pp. 39–58). Hove: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, L. R. (1988). Workplace interventions for stress reduction and prevention. In C. L. Cooper & R. Payne (Eds.), Causes, coping, and consequences of stress at work (pp. 301–399). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). (2013). What is occupational health psychology. Retrieved August 14, 2013, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ohp/

  • Nielsen, K., & Abildgaard, J. S. (2013). Organizational interventions: A research-based framework for the evaluation of both process and effects. Work & Stress 27(3), 278–297. Retrieved from doi:10.1080/02678373.2013.812358.

  • Nielsen, K., & Randall, R. (2009). Managers’ active support when implementing teams: The impact of employee well-being. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 1(3), 374–390. doi:10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01016.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, K., Fredslund, H., Christensen, K. B., & Albertsen, K. (2006). Success or failure? Interpreting and understanding the impact of interventions in four similar worksites. Work & Stress, 20(3), 272–287. doi:10.1080/02678370601022688.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, K., Randall, R., & Albertsen, K. (2007). Participants’ appraisals of process issues and the effects of stress management interventions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 28, 793–810. doi:10.1002/job.450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, K., Randall, R., Holten, A., & González, E. R. (2010). Conducting organizational-level occupational health interventions: What works? Work & Stress, 24(3), 234–259. doi:10.1080/02678373.2010.515393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noblet, A. J., & Lamontagne, A. D. (2009). The challenges of developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions. In S. Cartwright & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of organizational well being (pp. 467–496). Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199211913.003.0019.

    Google Scholar 

  • Randall, R., & Nielsen, K. (2010). Interventions to promote well-being at work. In S. Leka & J. Houdmont (Eds.), Occupational health psychology (pp. 88–123). Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, K. M., & Rothstein, H. R. (2008). Effects of occupational stress management intervention programs: A meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 13(1), 69–93. doi:10.1037/1076-8998.13.1.69.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rickard, G., Lenthall, S., Dollard, M. F., Opie, T., Knight, S., Dunn, S., & Brewster-Webb, D. (2012). Organisational intervention to reduce occupational stress and turnover in hospital nurses in the Northern Territory, Australia. Collegian, 19(4), 211–221.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Safe Work Australia. (2013). The incidence of accepted workers’ compensation claims for mental stress in Australia. Canberra: Safe Work Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saksvik, P. O., Nytro, K., Dahl-Jorgensen, C., & Mikkelsen, A. (2002). A process evaluation of individual and organizational occupational stress and health interventions. Work & Stress, 16(1), 37–57. doi:10.1080/02678370110118744.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sauter, S. L., Hurrell, J. J., Murphy, L. R., & Levi, L. (1998). Psychosocial and organizational factors. Part V. In J. M. Stellman (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of occupational health and safety (Vol. 2). Geneva: International Labour Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauter, S. L., Brightwell, W. S., Colligan, M. J., Hurrell, J. J., Katz, T., LeGrande, D. E.,… Tetrick, L. E. (2002). The changing organization of work and the safety and health of working people: Knowledge gaps and research directions. Cincinnati: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

    Google Scholar 

  • Tetrick, L., Quick, J., & Gilmore, P. (2012). Research in organizational interventions to improve well-being: Perspectives on organizational change and development. In C. Biron, M. Karanika-Murray, & C. Cooper (Eds.), Improving organizational interventions for stress and well-being: Addressing process and context (pp. 59–76). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsutsumi, A., Nagami, M., Yoshikawa, T., Kogi, K., & Kawakami, N. (2009). Participatory intervention for workplace improvements on mental health and job performance among blue-collar workers: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 51(5), 554–563. doi:10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181a24d28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van der Klink, J. J. L., Blonk, R. W. B., Schene, A. H., & van Dijk, F. J. H. (2001). The benefits of interventions for work-related stress. American Journal of Public Health, 91(2), 270–276.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Applied Psychology, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Road, Mount Gravatt, 4122, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Amanda Biggs

  2. Graduate School of Business, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

    Andrew Noblet & Amanda Allisey

Authors
  1. Amanda Biggs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew Noblet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amanda Allisey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amanda Biggs .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Applied Psychological Research, School of Psychology, Social Work & Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Maureen F. Dollard

  2. Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Akihito Shimazu

  3. Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

    Rusli Bin Nordin

  4. School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Paula Brough

  5. Centre for Applied Psychological Research, School of Psychology, Social Work & Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Michelle R. Tuckey

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Biggs, A., Noblet, A., Allisey, A. (2014). Organisational Interventions. In: Dollard, M., Shimazu, A., Bin Nordin, R., Brough, P., Tuckey, M. (eds) Psychosocial Factors at Work in the Asia Pacific. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8975-2_19

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation