What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields (Chinese Translation)

Author Ray Pawson presents a devastating critique of the dominant approach to systematic review namely the 'meta-analytic' approach as sponsored by the Cochrane and Campbell collaborations. In its place is commended an approach that he terms 'realist synthesis'. On this vision, the real purpose of systematic review is better to understand program theory, so that policies Author Ray Pawson presents a devastating critique of the dominant approach to systematic review namely the 'meta-analytic' approach as sponsored by the Cochrane and Campbell collaborations. In its place is commended an approach that he terms 'realist synthesis'. On this vision, the real purpose of systematic review is better to understand program theory, so that policies can be properly targeted and developed to counter an ever-changing landscape of social problems. The book will be essential reading for all those who loved (or loathed) the arguments developed in Realistic Evaluation (Sage, 1997). It offers a complete blueprint for research synthesis, supported by detailed illustrations and worked examples from across the policy waterfront.

Evidence-based Policy: A Realist Perspective

Type a Behavior and Your Heart

Background: The OAV questionnaire has been developed to integrate research on altered states of consciousness (ASC). It measures three primary and one secondary dimensions of ASC that are hypothesized to be invariant across ASC induction methods. The OAV rating scale has been in use for more than 20 years and applied internationally in a broad range of research fields, yet its factorial structure has never been tested by structural equation modeling techniques and its psychometric properties have never been examined in large samples of experimentally induced ASC. Methodology/Principal Findings: The present study conducted a psychometric evaluation of the OAV in a sample of psilocybin (n=327), ketamine (n=162), and MDMA (n=102) induced ASC that was obtained by pooling data from 43 experimental studies. The factorial structure was examined by confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation modeling, hierarchical item clustering (ICLUST), and multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling. The originally proposed model did not fit the data well even if zero-constraints on non-target factor loadings and residual correlations were relaxed. Furthermore, ICLUST suggested that the ‘‘oceanic boundlessness’’ and ‘‘visionary restructuralization’’ factors could be combined on a high level of the construct hierarchy. However, because these factors were multidimensional, we extracted and examined 11 new lower order factors. MIMIC modeling indicated that these factors were highly measurement invariant across drugs, settings, questionnaire versions, and sexes. The new factors were also demonstrated to have improved homogeneities, satisfactory reliabilities, discriminant and convergent validities, and to differentiate well among the three drug groups. Conclusions/Significance: The original scales of the OAV were shown to be multidimensional constructs. Eleven new lower order scales were constructed and demonstrated to have desirable psychometric properties. The new lower order scales are most likely better suited to assess drug induced ASC.

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Psychometric Evaluation of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV)

Manufacturing Advantage: Why High-Performance Work Systems Pay Off

F or us in the editorial board this is a very special event - the appearance of the first issue of our new journal. Things have moved quite fast for us towards the realization of this project. We met for the first time in December 2009, and now the journal is a reality! The vision, scope and plans of the journal will not be presented here. They are to be found at our homepage: www.nordicwl.dk. If you haven’t done it yet we will strongly recommend you to subscribe to the newsletter of this journal. We also recommend you to sign up for the established community of debate related to the journal and participate in the development of the journal. We are very grateful for the many, high quality papers we already have had submitted to us. For this first issue we have selected papers that together illustrate the diversity in working life research both in topics and in methods. That we are able to do this confirms that our ambition to make a journal that is relevant both for researchers and ‘professional practitioners’ in the development of working life is realistic and should have wide appeal (...)

A short introduction

Objectives The aim of this study was to (i) investigate the consequences of self-rostering for working hours, recovery, and health, and (ii) elucidate the mechanisms through which recovery and health are affected.

Methods Twenty eight workplaces were allocated to either an intervention or reference group. Intervention A encompassed the possibility to specify preferences for starting time and length of shift down to 15 minutes intervals. Interventions B and C included the opportunity to choose between a number of predefined duties. Questionnaires (N=840) on recovery and health and objective workplace reports of working hours (N=718) were obtained at baseline and 12 months later. The interaction term between intervention and time was tested in mixed models and multinomial logistic regression models.

Results The odds ratio (OR) of having short [OR 4.8, 95 % confidence interval (95% CI) 1.9–12.3] and long (OR 4.8, 95% CI 2.9–8.0) shifts increased in intervention A. Somatic symptoms (β= -0.10, 95% CI -0.19– -0.02) and mental distress (β= -0.13, 95% CI -0.23– -0.03) decreased, and sleep (β= 1.7, 95% CI 0.04–0.30) improved in intervention B, and need for recovery was reduced in interventions A (β= -0.17, 95% CI -0.29– -0.04) and B (β= -0.17, 95% CI -0.27– -0.07). There were no effects on recovery and health in intervention C, and overall, there were no detrimental effects on recovery or health. The benefits of the intervention were not related to changes in working hours and did not differ by gender, age, family type, degree of employment, or working hour arrangements. 

Conclusions After implementation of self-rostering, employees changed shift length and timing but did not compromise most recommendations for acceptable shift work schedules. Positive consequences of self-rostering for recovery and health were observed, particularly in intervention B where worktime control increased but less extensively than intervention A. The effect could not be statistically explained by changes in actual working hours.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/41508898.pdf

Implementation of self-rostering (the PRIO-project): effects on working hours, recovery, and health.

The aims of the study were to explore the effects of the implementation of IT-based tools for planning of rosters among shift workers on work-family-related outcomes and to interpret the results in light of the different implementation processes. A quasi-experimental intervention study was conducted with 12-month follow-up at 14 intervention and 14 reference worksites in Denmark. Workplaces planning to introduce IT-supported self-rostering were recruited, and three different kinds of interventions were implemented. Intervention A and B aimed at increasing workers satisfaction and well-being, while intervention C was designed to optimize the personnel resources. Questionnaire data were collected from 840 employees at baseline and 784 at follow-up. Process evaluation encompassed interviews with about 25 employees and 15 managers at baseline and follow-up. Work-family-related outcomes were work-life conflicts, work-life facilitation, marital conflicts and time with children. An overall decline in work-family conflicts and increase in work-family facilitation were found in the total intervention group. More specifically, in group B, work-family conflicts and marital conflicts decreased while work-family facilitation increased. In group C, work-family conflicts increased while work-family facilitation and time spend with children decreased, and no significant changes were observed in the reference group and in group A. An overall positive effect of the implementation of self-rostering was found on the balance between work and private life. However, results from the process evaluation suggested that the organizational aim with the intervention was crucial for the effect.

Work-life balance among shift workers: results from an intervention study about self-rostering

– Focus on the qualities and rhythms of time are important in order to understand strain and learning opportunities in modern working life. This article aims to develop a framework for exploring the qualities of time in boundaryless work, and to explore self‐management of time as a process, where the relations between time and tasks are negotiated., – The article consists of a theoretical part that takes inspiration from newer time sociology and leads to proposal of a framework that focuses on the relation between identity, meaning and qualities of time. The empirical part illustrates the use of the framework. The authors present a case study of teachers’ work at an elementary school based on qualitative data collected by observations, teachers' time dairies and individual and group interviews., – The authors suggest an analytical framework where temporal order is a core concept, and points at conflicts between multiple temporal orders as a focus for empirical studies. On the basis of the case study the article discusses how mastering of time conflicts is an integrated part of doing the job and how professional identity and meaning is at stake in this process., – The article urges for a renewal in research on time and strain at work, and discusses how self‐management of time becomes a new area for learning at the workplace, implying that collective arenas should be established., – The article offers an original contribution to understanding and studying temporal aspects of work and the role of learning processes.

Helge Søndergaard Hvid

Papers

A short introduction

Implementation of self-rostering (the PRIO-project): effects on working hours, recovery, and health.

Work-life balance among shift workers: results from an intervention study about self-rostering

Negotiating time, meaning and identity in boundaryless work

Elderly care in transition: Management, meaning and identity in work - a Scandinavian perspective