Better Psychosocial Work Environment:
a study of workplace interventions

A research project on a better psychosocial work environment 2004-07
- Covering companies with intensive work in manufacturing industry, work with human care, and unlimited knowledge work.

Many people and companies find it difficult to maintain the focus on the psychosocial work environment, and much too often the effort comes to nothing. But how come that some companies are able to implement improvements successfully whereas other companies have come to a halt? And how can these companies overcome constraints and difficulties on the road to a better psychosocial work environment.

The goal of the project was to produce results to assist companies in implementing more successful efforts in the future. The result will not be a toolbox of simple methods. The complicated reality in the workplaces rather requires an understanding of processes leading to positive results. The necessary tools can then be selected among the many existing possibilities.
Another important goal was to contribute to the international working life research.

An English summary of the Danish research report can be found here.

See a leafleat about the project here.

The research group have made 13 theses about how the companies can try to manoeuvre through barriers and opportunities in order to reach real improvements of the psychosocial work environment:

1.      The slowest changes are the fastest

2.      The good psychosocial work environment must be re-invented all the time

3.      Distrust in others’ motives hampers the process

4.      Create a professional culture of disagreement

5.      No to love – but yes to recognition  and respect

6.      The manager as secretary for the employees

7.      If we could just do our work!

8.      Involvement and dialogue are good but not enough

9.      Questionnaires set the agenda but do not solve the problems

10.  Face the shortcomings and cultivate the possibilities

11.  It is difficult to keep a sense of perspective when the sea runs high

12.  Nothing comes from nothing

13.  The meaning of work is created collectively