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This chapter discusses the need for understanding what works for whom in which circumstances from a research and a policy perspective. It reviews state-of-the-art of evidence base on what works for whom in which circumstances, that is which tools and methods may work in which contexts. Organizational interventions often employ a participatory approach, where employees and managers through ongoing negotiations and discussions decide on the process and the content of the intervention. The demands for understanding how to design, implement and evaluate organizational interventions have arisen both from research and from policy. K. Nabe-Nielsen and R. Randall argued that interventions should be tailored to the organizational context and to the individuals within the organizations. The national policies all recommend that senior managers are involved in promoting the project, and in the management standards emphasize the role line managers have in the daily running of organizational interventions. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book highlights that an important guiding principle when developing organizational interventions is to ensure that there's a close fit between the intervention and the context in which the intervention is undertaken. It presents work from some of the world's leading researchers in the field of organizational intervention research. The book also highlights the lack of research attention given to the specific needs of small-medium sized organizations. It argues that the gaps between research, practice, and policy should be closed and that this could happen through evaluating organizational interventions using realist evaluation. The book identifies four factors that were critical to the achievement of positive intervention outcomes. These included participatory decision-making and the co-creation of knowledge, multi-level management support, strong alignment between the intervention and the context, and institutionalizing interventions.

This important new collection provides not only a comprehensive overview of how organizational interventions can improve health and well-being in the workplace - addressing its causes rather than the symptoms - but also the practical issues faced in their design, implementation and evaluation. Drawing on a range of case studies and empirical investigations, it is the first book to seriously examine each element of the intervention process, and to recognize the individual, group, leader and organizational factors that researchers should consider. The authors describe the various challenges to such collaborative processes, as well as the specific methods and tools that can be used in response. Each chapter offers practical, evidence-based guidance. Featuring a final section examining new directions and approaches in organizational intervention research, the book features contributions from some of the leading international researchers in the field. It will be essential reading for any researcher or practitioner interested in the practical issues involved in improving the organization, design and management of the contemporary workplace.