As part of a workplace health improvement program, a pilot study organizational development intervention was carried out in two post offices m the Norwegian Postal Service. The intervention activities reflected three strong OD traditions: (1) the literature on participation and workplace democracy; (2) the literature on workplace stress, especially focusing on job redesign/environmental factors; and, (3) the literature on organizational learning This article descnbes and evaluates the intervention actions that were taken. The OD effort featured a uniform model for implementation, but significant variations between the two offices were observed. Generally, the OD effort was viewed as a success by employees, their supervisors and external consultants. They all tended to agree that the 12-week intervention had created new insights and led to concrete improvements in the workplace m both offices studied.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Argyns, C.D. & Schön, D. (1978). Organizational learning. A theory of action perspective . Reading, Mass.:Addison-Wesley .
2.
Argyris, C. & Schön, D.A. (1996). Organizational learning II Theory, method, and practice. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
3.
Aronsson, G. (1991). Dimensions of control as related to work organization, stress, and health. In J.W. Johnson & G. Johansson (Eds.), The psychosocial work environment Work organization, democratization and health (pp. 11-120) New York: Baywood Publishing Company, Inc.
4.
Burke, R.J. (1993). Organizational-level interventions to reduce occupational stressors. Work & Stress, 7, 77-87.
5.
Caplan, R.D., French, J.R.P., Harrison, R. & Pmneau, S.R. (1975). Job demands and worker health (DHHS, NIOSH Publication No. 75-160.) Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
6.
Caplan, R.D. (1983). Person-environment fit: Past, present and future . In C. L. Cooper (Ed.), Stress research (pp. 35-78) London: Wiley.
7.
Coch, L. & French, J.R.P. Jr. (1960). Overcoming resistance to change. In D. Cartwright & A. Zander (Eds.), Group dynamics: Research and theory. Evanston, IL.: Row Peterson .
8.
Cooper, C.L., Liukkonen, P. & Cartwright, S. (1996). Stress prevention m the workplace Assessing the costs and benefits to organisations. Dublin: European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.
9.
Dixon, N. (1994). The organizational learning cycle. London: McGraw-Hill.
10.
Dollard, M.F. & Winefield, A.H. (1996). Managing occupational stress: A national and international perspective. International Journal of Stress Management, 3, 69-83.
11.
Elden, M. (1983). Democratization and participative research in developing local theory. Journal of Occupational Behaviour , 4, 21-33.
12.
Fiol, C.M. &Lyles, M.A. (1985). Organizational learning. Academy of Management Review, 10, 803-813.
13.
Ganster, D.C. (1989). Worker control and well-being : A review of research in the workplace. In S. L. Sauter, J. J. Jr. Hurtell & C. L. Cooper, (Eds.), Job control and worker health (pp. 3-23.) New York: John Wiley and Sons.
14.
Goliembiewski, R.T. (1978). A survey of the empirical literature on flexible work hours: Character and consequences of a major innovation. Academy of Management Review, 3,837-853.
15.
Grossmann, R. & Scala, K. (1984). Health promotion and organizational development . Vienna: WHO Europe.
16.
Gustavsen, B. & Hunmus, G. (1981). New patterns of work reform: The case of Norway . Oslo: The University Press.
17.
Gustavsen, B. (1992). Dialogue and development. Assen/Maastricht: Van Garcum Publishers.
18.
Gustavsen, B., Hofmaier, B.Philips, M.E., Wikman, A. (1996). Concept-driven development and the organization of the process of change. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
19.
Hackman, J.R. & Lawler, E.E. (1971). Employee reactions to job characteristics. Journal of Applied Psychology Monographs, 55, 259-286.
20.
Hackman, J.R. & Oldham, G.R. (1975). Development of the job diagnostic survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 159-170.
21.
Hackman, J.R. & Oldham, G.R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance, 16, 250-279.
22.
Hedberg, B. (1981). How organizations learn and unlearn? In P.C Nystrom & W.H. Starbuck (Eds.), Handbook of organizational design (pp. 8-27) London : Oxford University Press.
23.
House, J.S. (1981). Work stress and social support. Reading, Mass.:Addison-Wesley.
24.
Israel, B.A., Schurman, S.J. & House, J.S. (1989). Action research on occupational stress: Involving workers as researchers. International Journal of Health Services , 19, 135-155.
25.
Jackson, S.E. (1983). Participation in decision making as a strategy for reducing job-related strain. Journal of Applied Psychology , 68, 3-19.
26.
Landsbergis, PA & Vivona-Vaughan, E. (1995). Evaluation of an occupational stress intervention in a public agency. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16, 29-48.
27.
Lysgaard, S. (1960). ArbeiderkollektivetOslo: Universitetsforlaget.
28.
Karasek, R.A. & Theorell, T (1990). Healthy work: Stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life. New York: Basic Books.
29.
Karasek, R.A. (1992). Stress prevention through work reorganization: A summary of 19 international case studies. In Conditions of work digest : Preventing stress at work (pp. 23-41). Geneva, Switzerland: International Labor Office.
30.
Murphy, L.R. & Hurrell, J.J. Jr. (1987). Stress management in the process of occupational stress reduction. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 2,18-23.
31.
Newman, J.E. & Beehr, T A. (1979). Personal and organizational strategies for handling job stress: A review of research and opinion. Personnel Psychology, 32, 1-43.
32.
Newton, T. (1995). Managing stress: Emotion and power at work. London: Sage.
33.
Pierce, J.L. & Newstrom, J.W. (1983). The design of flexible work schedules and employee responses: Relationships and processes. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 4, 247-262.
34.
Qvale, T. (1978). Work environment law: Norway's case. Human Futures, 1, 95-99.
35.
Sauter, S.L. & Murphy, L.R. (1995). Organizational risk factors for job stress. Washington DC: American Psychological Association .
36.
Sauter, S.L., Murphy, L.R., & Hurrell, J.J. Jr. (1990). Prevention of work related psychological disorder. American Psychologist, 45, 1146-1158.
37.
Schein, E.H. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. New York: Prentice Hall.
38.
Trist, E. (1981). The evaluation of socio-technical systems. Toronto: QWL Centre, Ontario Ministry of Labour.
39.
Wall, T.D. & Clegg, C.W. (1981). A longitudinal field study of group work redesign . Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2, 31-49.
