Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alignment for Achieving a Healthy Organization

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Salutogenic organizations and change

Abstract

Modern working life is characterized by change and competiveness. It is also characterized by a drift away from low-skilled work to more complex jobs and increased social interaction. This means that the human resources – employees and their skills, competencies, engagement and motivation – are the greatest asset of many organizations. This has implications for how an organization can be healthy, i.e. create an environment that will contribute to employee health, wellbeing and motivation as well as achieve business outcomes. In this chapter, we will draw on theories from work and organizational psychology and behavioral psychology, and our own research, to describe what we believe to be the fundament of a healthy organization. We will do this by introducing the concept of alignment, which will be used to illuminate the healthy organization. Alignment can be described as the lining up of different aspects of what is going on in an organization so that they create a common thread. This cuts across different layers and processes in the organization; thus vertical, horizontal and diagonal alignments will be described. In the second part, we will use the framework of alignment to illuminate why occupational health interventions need to be integrated with the organization’s strategy and systems in order to create sustainable change. Implications of alignment for participatory approaches, intervention fit, program theories, the role of management and more will be discussed. In the third part, we will describe the implications of our view of an aligned, healthy organization for designing and evaluating interventions in organizations. This includes arguing for changing the roles and responsibilities of researchers and practitioners, and how this change can be beneficial to the organization as well as the quality of the research.

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 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
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

References

  • Abernathy, W. B. (2008). Implications and applications of a behavior systems perspective. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 28(2), 123–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Augustsson, H., Törnquist, A., & Hasson, H. (2013). Challenges in transferring individual learning to organizational learning in residential care for older people. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 27(3).

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, E., Israel, B. A., & Schurman, S. (1996). The integrated model: Implications for worksite health promotion and occupational health and safety practice. Health Education & Behavior, 23(2), 175–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batt, R., & Appelbaum, E. (1995). Worker participation in diverse settings: Does the form affect the outcome, and, if so, who benefits? British Journal of Industrial Relations, 33(3), 353–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boswell, W. (2006). Aligning employees with the organization’s strategic objectives: Out of ‘line of sight’, out of mind. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(9), 1489–1511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buller, P. F., & McEvoy, G. M. (2012). Strategy, human resource management and performance: Sharpening line of sight. Human Resource Management Review, 22(1), 43–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, R. J. (1993). Organizational-level interventions to reduce occupational stressors. Work and Stress, 7(1), 77–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, C., Patterson, M., Wood, S., Booth, A., Rick, J., & Balain, S. (2007). A conceptual framework for implementation fidelity. Implementation Science, 2(1), 40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. (2010a). European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks: Managing Safety and Health at Work. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/esener1_osh_management.pdf. Accessed 27 Nov 2012.

  • European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. (2010b). Mainstreaming OSH into business management. Luxembourg: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. http://osha.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/mainstreaming_osh_business.pdf. Accessed 28 Nov 2012.

  • Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blase, K. A., Friedman, R. M., & Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature (Vol. 125). Tampa: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network (FMHI Publication 231).

    Google Scholar 

  • Fried, Y., & Ferris, G. R. (1987). The validity of the job characteristics model: A review and meta‐analysis. Personnel Psychology, 40(2), 287–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glenn, S. S., & Malott, M. E. (2004). Lead article complexity and selection: Implications for organizational change. Behavior and Social Issues, 13, 89–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, A. (1999). Organizational interventions: Facing the limits of the natural science paradigm. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 25(6), 589–596.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), 250–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hasson, H. (2010). Study protocol: Systematic evaluation of implementation fidelity of complex interventions in health and social care. Implement Science, 5, 67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hasson, H., Blomberg, S., & Dunér, A. (2012). Fidelity and moderating factors in complex interventions: A case study of a continuum of care program for frail elderly people in health and social care. Implementation Science, 7, 23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Humphrey, S. E., Nahrgang, J. D., & Morgeson, F. P. (2007). Integrating motivational, social, and contextual work design features: A meta-analytic summary and theoretical extension of the work design literature. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(5), 1332.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hurrell, J. J., & Murphy, L. R. (1998). Occupational stress intervention. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 29(4), 338–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hymel, P. A., Loeppke, R. R., Baase, C. M., Burton, W. N., Hartenbaum, N. P., Hudson, T. W., et al. (2011). Workplace health protection and promotion: A new pathway for a healthier—And safer—Workforce. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 53(6), 695–702.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobsen, D. I., Thorsvik, J., Sandberg, A., & Sandin, G. (2008). Hur moderna organisationer fungerar: Introduktion I organisation och ledarskap. Lund: Studentlitteratur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen, T. H., Remmen, A., & Mellado, M. D. (2006). Integrated management systems: Three different levels of integration. Journal of Cleaner Production, 14(8), 713–722.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuorinka, I., Forcier, L., Hagberg, M., Silverstein, B., Wells, R., Smith, M., et al. (1995). Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs): A reference book for prevention. London: Taylor & Francis.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landsbergis, P. A., & Vivona‐Vaughan, E. (1995). Evaluation of an occupational stress intervention in a public agency. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16(1), 29–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawler, E. E., Mohrman, S. A., & Ledford, G. E. (1995). Creating high performance organizations: Practices and results of employee involvement and total quality management in Fortune 1000 companies. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazzocato, P., Hvitfeldt Forsberg, H., & von Thiele Schwarz, U. (2011). Team behaviors in emergency care: A qualitative study using behavior analysis of what makes team work. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine, 19(1), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mikkelsen, A. (2005). Methodological challenges in the study of organizational interventions in flexible organizations. In A. M. Fuglseth & I. A. Kleppe (Eds.), Anthology for Kjell Grønhaug in celebration of his 70th birthday (pp. 150–178). Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mikkelsen, A., Saksvik, P. O., Eriksen, H. R., & Ursin, H. (1999). The impact of learning opportunities and decision authority on occupational health. Work and Stress, 13(1), 20–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, P., & Haslam, C. (2009). Why employers spend money on employee health: Interviews with occupational health and safety professionals from British Industry. Safety Science, 47(2), 163–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murta, S. G., Sanderson, K., & Oldenburg, B. (2007). Process evaluation in occupational stress management programs: A systematic review. American Journal of Health Promotion, 21(4), 248–254.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nastasi, B. K., Hitchcock, J., Sarkar, S., Burkholder, G., Varjas, K., & Jayasena, A. (2007). Mixed methods in intervention research: Theory to adaptation. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(2), 164–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, K., & Randall, R. (2009). Managers’ active support when implementing teams: The impact on employee well‐being. Applied Psychology: Health and Well Being, 1(3), 374–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, K., & Randall, R. (2012). Opening the black box: Presenting a model for evaluating organizational-level interventions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, K., Randall, R., & Christensen, K. B. (2010a). Developing new ways of evaluating organizational-level interventions. In J. Houdmont & S. Leka (Eds.), Contemporary occupational health psychology: Global perspectives on research and practice (pp. 21–45). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, K., Randall, R., Holten, A., & Rial Gonzalez, E. (2010b). Conducting organizational-level occupational health interventions: What works? Work and Stress, 24(3), 234–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen, K., Taris, T. W., & Cox, T. (2010c). The future of organizational interventions: Addressing the challenges of today’s organizations. Work and Stress, 24(3), 219–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NIOSH. (2012). Research compendium: The NIOSH Total Worker HealthTM Program: Seminal Research Papers 2012 (Vol. DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2012–146). Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services, PublicHealth Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2012-146/pdfs/2012-146.pdf. Accessed 28 Nov 2013.

  • Nytrø, K., Saksvik, P., Mikkelsen, A., Bohle, P., & Quinlan, M. (2000). An appraisal of key factors in the implementation of occupational stress interventions. Work and Stress, 14(3), 213–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oldham, G. R., & Hackman, J. R. (2010). Not what it was and not what it will be: The future of job design research. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31(2–3), 463–479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Øvretveit, J. (2009). Effective leadership of improvement: The research. The International Journal of Clinical Leadership, 16(2), 97–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., & MacKenzie, S. B. (1997). Impact of organizational citizenship behavior on organizational performance: A review and suggestion for future research. Human Performance, 10(2), 133–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rafferty, Y., Friend, R., & Landsbergis, P. A. (2001). The association between job skill discretion, decision authority and burnout. Work and Stress, 15(1), 73–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Randall, R., Griffiths, A., & Cox, T. (2005). Evaluating organizational stress-management interventions using adapted study designs. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 14(1), 23–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Randall, R., Cox, T., & Griffiths, A. (2007). Participants’ accounts of a stress management intervention. Human Relations, 60(8), 1181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saksvik, P., Nytrø, K., Dahl-Jørgensen, C., & Mikkelsen, A. (2002). A process evaluation of individual and organizational occupational stress and health interventions. Work and Stress, 16(1), 37–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Semmer, N. K. (2003). Job stress interventions and organization of work. In J. C. Quick & L. E. Tetrick (Eds.), Handbook of occupational health psychology (pp. 325–353). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D. (2002). IMS: Implementing and operating. London: BSI British Standards Institution.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steckler, A. B., Linnan, L., & Israel, B. A. (2002). Process evaluation for public health interventions and research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stenfors-Hayes, T., Hasson, H., Augustsson, H., Hvitfeldt Forsberg, H., & von Thiele Schwarz, U. (2013). Merging occupational health, safety and health promotion with Lean: An integrated systems approach (the LeanHealth project) (Vol. Submitted). Gower Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

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

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • von Thiele Schwarz, U., & Hasson, H. (2011). Employee self-rated productivity and objective organizational production levels: Effects of worksite health interventions involving reduced work hours and physical exercise. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 53(8), 838–844.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Thiele Schwarz, U., & Hasson, H. (2012). Effects of worksite health interventions involving reduced work hours and physical exercise on sickness absence costs. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 54(5), 538.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • von Thiele Schwarz, U., Lindfors, P., & Lundberg, U. (2008). Health-related effects of worksite interventions involving physical exercise and reduced workhours. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 34(3), 179–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, J. A., III. (1994). Participation’s effects on performance and satisfaction: A reconsideration of research evidence. The Academy of Management Review, 19(2), 312–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilder, D. A., Austin, J., & Casella, S. (2009). Applying behavior analysis in organizations: Organizational behavior management. Psychological Services, 6(3), 202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, G., & Dale, B. G. (1999). Integrated management systems: An examination of the concept and theory. The TQM Magazine, 11(2), 95–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson, G., & Dale, B. G. (2002). An examination of the ISO 9001: 2000 standard and its influence on the integration of management systems. Production Planning & Control, 13(3), 284–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, P. M., Dunford, B. B., & Snell, S. A. (2001). Human resources and the resource based view of the firm. Journal of Management, 27(6), 701–721.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zink, K. J., Steimle, U., & Schröder, D. (2008). Comprehensive change management concepts: Development of a participatory approach. Applied Ergonomics, 39(4), 527–538.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zwetsloot, G. I. J. M. (1995). Improving cleaner production by integration into the management of quality, environment and working conditions. Journal of Cleaner Production, 3(1), 61–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz

  2. Medical Management Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden

    Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz & Henna Hasson

  3. Vårdal Institute, The Swedish Institute for Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Henna Hasson

Authors
  1. Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Henna Hasson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Zürich, Hirschengraben 84, Zürich, 8001, Switzerland

    Georg F. Bauer

  2. University of Zürich, Hirschenbgraben 84, Zürich, 8001, Switzerland

    Gregor J. Jenny

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

von Thiele Schwarz, U., Hasson, H. (2013). Alignment for Achieving a Healthy Organization. In: Bauer, G., Jenny, G. (eds) Salutogenic organizations and change. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6470-5_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation