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You are here: Home → NOE Research Programme → Project Abstracts → PSYRES: Psychological health and well-being in restructuring: key effects and mechanisms

PSYRES: Psychological health and well-being in restructuring: key effects and mechanisms

Despite the great research interest in restructuring in terms of productivity and innovation, investigations of the effects on employees have been neglected. Restructuring can be defined as organisational changes that are much more significant than commonplace changes, i.e. they influence the work of an entire organisation or a whole organisational sector rather than focusing on peripheral changes in working practices (Kieselbach et al., 2009).

Background and aims of PSYRES

Although the research on the psychological health and well-being dimension of restructuring has been scarce there is evidence that restructuring may have significant consequences on health and well-being for those employees exposed to restructuring. Only recently has there been an awareness of the consequences for those that stay behind. These have traditionally been termed the ‘survivors’ (Noer, 1993) and been considered lucky to keep their jobs. However, research has started to emerge which indicate that ‘survivors’ may also suffer. However, the research is both scarce and fragmented – and has primarily focused on downsizing.

Aims of PSYRES are to:

  • Gain insight into the impact of different types of restructuring on the psychological health and well-being of employees;
  • Gain insight into mediating or moderating factors, for example the role played by worker involvement, perceived organisational justice, support from superiors;
  • Gain insight into the role of the national context, and the context of a sector.
  • Determine which subgroups of employees are at risk of developing psychological health problems and why;
  • Identify effective preventive actions and practical strategies to minimize negative psychological health impacts of restructuring.
  • Identify parameters for surveillance at company, national and EU level.

Work packages

Work Package 1: Quantifying the psychological health impact of restructuring. Objectives of WP 1 are to:

  • Gain insight into the impact of different types of restructuring on the psychological health and well-being of workers;
  • Gain insight into mediating or moderating factors, for example the role played by worker involvement, perceived organisational justice, support from superiors;
  • Determine which subgroups of workers are at risk of developing psychological health problems and why
  • Develop a short, validated questionnaire to be used to be able to gather more information on the type of restructuring, the restructuring process and mediating and moderating factors

Work Package 2: Understanding the figures. This work package has the following aims:

  • To improve knowledge on the mechanisms mediating or moderating the relationships between restructuring and psychological health and well-being;
  • To improve knowledge on the contextual factors (i.e., working situations/cultures, national situations/social systems) regarding the relationship between restructuring and psychological health and well-being;
  • To examine whether the effects of restructuring on well-being are stronger for more vulnerable groups (for example aging workers) from other workers, how the effects differ and why they differ;
  • To identify important new risk factors or mediating or moderating factors in the relationship between restructuring and psychological health and well-being.

Work Package 3: Taking action. The overall objectives of this work package are to:

  • Identify the effective strategies that organisations may apply to plan, implement and evaluate restructuring;
  • Identify the key stakeholders in implementing these strategies;
  • Identify ways by which psychological health and well-being issues can be integrated in restructuring, i.e. that organisations understand the need to consider the psychological health and well-being during restructuring rather than focusing on the organisations’ survival (business case).

Work Package 4: Spreading the word. The aim of WP 4 is dissemination of the project results among employers, employees, policy makers, as well as among researchers dealing with restructuring. Dissemination will be carried out at country level, as well as the European level. Several dissemination tools will be involved in order to reach various audience.

Expected outcomes of PSYRES

The expected outcome of this project will be a better understanding of the effects of different types of restructuring on the psychological health and well-being of different groups of workers. Analyzing the epidemiological data available on restructuring and psychological health and well-being using a shared framework, and pooling results of these analyses, will give a more complete overview of and will identify gaps in the surveillance (monitoring) systems at national and European level. Case studies in four different countries, with different social systems, in which different target groups and different sectors are distinguished, will provide insight in the role these variables play in the relationship. This can help to determine effective strategies to minimize negative effects of restructuring at EU-level and at national level and for specific target groups.