FV-projektet - model til Forebyggende Virksomhedsstrategier i SMV’er (også kaldet Produktivitet og Trivsel - projektet)

Christine Ipsen, Signe Poulsen, Liv Gish

    Research output: Book/ReportReportResearch

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    Abstract

    Background: Many small and sized enterprises ( SMV'er ) experience challenges in relation to the psychosocial work environment. Employees in manufacturing companies experience strain from high working pressure as well as handling customer needs. In the companies within the field of information and communications technology the psychosocial work environment is challenged by high demands in the work, bad planning, tight deadlines and project management. Within both fields they point to that these challenges can lead to work related stress, increased absence and reduction in productivity.
    Purpose and research question: The objective of the development project was: by designing and testing a model to develop preventative company strategies. The purpose of the project was to answer the following research question: Which work and management conditions are necessary in order for SMEs to become able to implement a joint process, where the companies themselves develop, implement and embed new preventative strategies and initiatives which should improve the psychosocial work environment?
    Methods: The development project consisted of three phases; design of model, implementation of model and analyzing the use of the model. In the first phase we designed a model which the SMEs could use. The design phases lead to a prospect that was presented to the case companies at our first visit. The prospect included preconditions for participation, the model, and what we expected could be the benefits for the companies if they participated. In the implementation phase four companies tested the model – named PoWRS – for six months. With support from the research team each of the companies developed company specific preventive efforts targeting company or management specific changes. During the implementation section the research team conducted interviews and surveys with managers and employees. In the analyzing section all qualitative material was transcribed and then all material was coded using Nvivo.
    Results: None of the four companies exclusively focused on improving the psychosocial work environment. The immediate contribution of the PoWRS model was the specific work and management related changes, which initiated by looking at "achieving more of what created enthusiasm". The long-term contribution is related to the local development of competences in the companies, built through the use of the model and the common change processes with focus on the work. Finally, this project points to how SMEs can deal with the fact that they most often do not have process facilitators employed, but instead they can exploit the hidden competencies of already employed staff.
    Original languageDanish
    PublisherDTU Management Engineering
    Number of pages21
    Publication statusPublished - 2014

    Bibliographical note

    Projektet er støttet af Arbejdsmiljøforskningsfondet. Projektnummer: 13-2009-03

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