The psychological work environment has in general been an area of focus in the last couple of years, and the legislation in Denmark was clarified in spring 2013, and it was pointed out, that the psychological work environment legally is equal with the physical work environment. A great amount of studies have focussed on the individual consequences and solutions to a negative psychological work environment. Instead, this project examines the connection between organizational variables and the psychological work environment, and the workplaces chosen are Children and youth departments. This study is based on the assumption, that the psychological work environment has implications on the work done on the job, and therefor the psychological work environment in the Children and youth departments has consequences for the social work performed here.
The study is conducted with inspiration from a critical realist approach. The empirical basis is nine individual interviews with caseworkers and leaders/specialized consultants working in Children and youth departments in three different local Municipalities. In all interviews there are used semi structured interview guides to make sure to include the most important subjects, but also to allow the informants to deepen with the subjects they find important for their experience of the psychological work environment.
The study is made with an abductive approach, and it begins with a theoretical deductive approach. For this matter, the study uses an organisational theory represented by The Leavitt-Ry-model, which includes the following 10 internally dependent variables: structure, people, process, technology, reward system, vision/value/goals, organizational culture, physical environment, organisational context and history. The first analysis uses the variables that are relevant to the psychological work environment to describe the three Children and youth departments. Afterwards, through an open coding of the interviews, the following three themes are identified: 1. The employees’ option to influence on their work and the structural frames in the department; 2. The relationship among the employees and between the employees and the boss; 3. The surroundings. The theories of the ‘Demands and control-model’ and ‘The social capital of the company’ are included to explain the organisational variables effect on the psychological work environment, and to elaborate the effect of social support.
The study has identified different connection between the organizational variables and the psychological work environment in Children and youth departments. One of the connections links to the structure in the departments. Both the office type, with single offices on one side and joint offices on the other, and the structure of the decision-making power has an influence on the psychological work environment. Also the relationship among the employees and between the employees and the boss has an influence. These connections can serve as a social support, which decreases the negative effect that high demands and a low amount of control can cause. The environment also, in different ways, has an influence on the psychological work environment in the Children and youth departments.
The findings of this study shows that it is possible for Children and youth departments as an organisation to work to improve the psychological work environment, but they can’t do it by changing only one variable or be sure, that the change will result in an improvement. A change in one variable effect on other variables, and it is a complicated work to improve the psychological work environment.