Christine Ipsen

A Multi-level and Participatory Model for Prevention of Work-Related Stress in Knowledge Work

Work-related stress is an increasing problem for knowledge workers, despite employee control and influence. As a consequence, the knowledge industry has expressed the need for new knowledge and approaches regarding how to support sustainable preventive action and assure productivity and well-being. A healthy organization has its starting point in the organization, and with a salutogenic approach, focus is on how the organization and work system can be designed in order to improve productivity and working conditions for the individuals involved. Two consecutive research and development projects building on a mixed-method approach have been conducted where organizational- level interventions were implemented in 10 knowledge-intensive companies. The aim was to re-design the daily work practices by using a multi-level, participatory and salutogenic approach. Participants from multi-organizational levels were thus seen as an integrated part of the whole process, including development, design and implementation, and not merely objects exposed to the intervention. The springboard for the changes was thus the local, shared understanding of the workplace and the externalization of individual knowledge regarding problems and potential solutions. The findings suggest that it is possible to prevent work-related stress in knowledge work by adapting a multi-level, collaborative and participatory model which comprises a set of approaches, capabilities and activities that we find to be of key importance in primary interventions. These include managerial support, externalization of tacit knowledge, collective evaluations, adjustments and decisions, visualization of progress and current status, appointed facilitators and a number of defined phases and activities.

Knowledge sharing via social media in software development: a systematic literature review

Effective knowledge exchange among software developers is crucial for the competitive performance of their organizations. Today, the constant pressure on businesses to continually innovate and the increasing capability of information technologies to facilitate broader and more distributed communication are driving organizations to leverage social media tools to improve performance. These tools, which have changed the way we share knowledge, enable people to connect, communicate, and collaborate. Research on knowledge sharing via social media is still in its early phases, with a comprehensive overview of the literature yet to be completed. Thus, using a systematic literature review approach, this study aims to map the current literature on the topic in relation to software development. Furthermore, this study highlights the findings of former research and identifies gaps in the literature. The study offers several insights for researchers and practitioners and proposes a future research agenda to strengthen knowledge in the field.

Implementing Tele Presence Robots in Distance Work: Experiences and Effects on Work

As companies move toward globalization, companies use distance work to accomplish work more effectively and efficiently. A telepresence robot (TPR) is a mobile remote presence device that allows a two-way communication and interaction between a distance manager and the employees. The objective of the study was to improve the understanding of how distance workers and managers experience the use of TPR in the daily management and in which tasks the TPR is suitable to ensure employee well-being and thus performance. The data collection included three phases – before, during and after the implementation of the TPR, where we conducted 25 semi-structured individual and group interviews, on-site observations of the TPR in use and research notes. The distance manager (user) controlled the TPR from a distant site when using it in the home office. The managers were able to create a sense of proximity and via the camera feature, enable eye-contact, which the managers considered essential and beneficial for assessing the employee’s feelings and well-being. The majority of the users had a positive experience regarding the TPR basic functionalities´ utilization. In all three cases the participants, both managers and employees, agreed that the TPR is most useful in planned project meetings. On the other hand, the lack of trust, problems with the technology, privacy issues and intrusive emotions affected the use of the TPR in a negative way in some cases. The TPR was not suitable for meetings where people needed to share physical documents or important meetings, i.e. private talks or decisions meetings.

Distance management – a challenge in participatory interventions in virtual organizations

Virtual organizations challenge the first line managers as they have to be able to manage from afar as distance managers. Investigating distance management in participatory multi-level interventions this paper presents a case study of four SMEs which have applied the multi-level participatory PoWRS program (Prevention of Work-Related Stress) over a six month period. Interviews were conducted with employees, in-house process facilitators, project managers and first line managers. The results show that distance managers are even more challenged in interventions especially regarding coordination of activities and ensuring commitment.

Design for Fidelity – Inscription of Intended Actions, Participation and Behavior in Intervention Frameworks

Occupational health interventions are designed by researchers and occupational health professionals to improve psychosocial working conditions in workplaces. Many intervention frameworks have been designed but with differing outcomes and varied implementation success. Previous intervention studies point to some factors which improve the chances of successful implementation e.g. employee participation, management support and a structured intervention process. Thus many frameworks take these factors into account. For researchers to conclude whether or not an intervention has been successful or worked as intended, researchers advocate fidelity is important. Fidelity describes the extent to which the intervention has been implemented as it was originally intended, and is regarded critical for determining the validity of the research results.