Title
Decreasing employees' work stress by a participatory, organizational level work stress prevention approach: a multiple-case study in primary education
Author
Bakhuys Roozeboom, M.C.
Schelvis, R.M.C.
Houtman, I.L.D.
Wiezer, N.M.
Bongers, P.M.
Publication year
2020
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Work stress is an important problem among employees in education in the Netherlands. The present study aims to investigate the effects of a participatory organizational level work stress prevention approach to reduce (quantitative) job demands, increase resources (i.e. autonomy, supervisor and coworker support) and to reduce work stress and increase job satisfaction of employees in primary education. METHODS: This study makes use of a multiple case study research design. The stress prevention approach is implemented at 5 primary schools and questionnaires were filled out by 119 employees of the 5 schools at baseline and 1 year later, measuring job demands, resources, work stress, job satisfaction and implementation factors. RESULTS: Multilevel analyses showed a significant decrease in job demands and a significant increase in job satisfaction between baseline and follow up. In addition, employees that were more satisfied with the communication about the intervention showed more improvements in autonomy and job satisfaction. However, employees reporting an increased dialogue in work stress between employees and management showed a smaller decrease in job demands. CONCLUSION: The study shows a decrease in job demands and an increase in job satisfaction in the schools that implemented a stress prevention approach. Results of the study underline the importance of communication about the intervention as part of the implementation process, impacting the effectiveness of the intervention to improve autonomy and job satisfaction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry, study ID: ISRCTN14697835, registration date: 11-10-2019 (retrospectively registered).
Subject
Job satisfaction
Organizational level intervention
Primary education
Work stress
Controlled study
Coworker
Employee
Follow up
Human
Human experiment
Job stress
Multilevel analysis
Primary school
Quantitative analysis
Questionnaire
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:b3625432-1908-4fff-be56-7a768d83a383
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08698-2
TNO identifier
876171
ISSN
1471-2458
Source
BMC Public Health, 20 (20), 676
Document type
article