More than an intervention: the far-reaching impacts of a participatory work redesign project in aged care

Abstract

Purpose – This paper reveals and reflects upon the broader impacts of a work redesign intervention aimed at reducing job demands in a large Australian residential aged care organization. Wider project activities and research impacts that are typically omitted from academic evaluations of interventions have the potential to guide researchers and practitioners and inform our understanding of how human resource management (HRM) practices create impact. Design/methodology/approach – Wider project impacts were identified and synthesized from data originally collected to inform and improve project actions and activities including stakeholder interviews, participant feedback interviews and surveys, and organizational feedback. Alongside the research team’s active reflections, this synthesis draws out the critical, but undiscussed, ways research can generate impact. Findings – This paper reports the impacts of the participatory work redesign project on frontline workers, the aged care organization and sector, the academic sector and work, health and safety regulatory bodies. The reporting of these impacts reinforces that work redesign, as a HRM intervention, has the potential to reduce psychosocial hazards at work. Our collective ability to extend, replicate and improve upon the gains achieved in this project is amplified through the in-depth understanding and guidance offered in this paper. This includes guidance on the measurement and reporting of broader impacts, key considerations when engaging stakeholders, and how to persist and embrace the challenges of applied research. Originality/value – This study highlights participatory work redesign as a unique but powerful HRM intervention that addresses the immediate needs of work health and safety bodies and organizations seeking effective interventions that address psychosocial hazards. Detailing the broader impacts that are typically not reported in academic intervention evaluations in applied research, add to an evidence base that can rapidly inform and guide the intended beneficiaries of this work. This dissemination is also important for applied researchers and practitioners in engaging industry partners and in demonstrating greater social value of applied HRM research.