Feasibility Study of a New Approach to Balance Job Demands and Resources

Childcare workers are faced with high job demands. The use of selection, optimization, and compensation strategies (SOC) may help reach a better balance between job demands and resources. We aimed to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a participatory intervention to increase the collective use...

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Main Authors: Annette Meng, Birgit Aust
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Aalborg University 2025-07-01
Series:Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://tidsskrift.dk/njwls/article/view/158205
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author Annette Meng
Birgit Aust
author_facet Annette Meng
Birgit Aust
author_sort Annette Meng
collection DOAJ
description Childcare workers are faced with high job demands. The use of selection, optimization, and compensation strategies (SOC) may help reach a better balance between job demands and resources. We aimed to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a participatory intervention to increase the collective use of SOC strategies among childcare workers. Five childcare institutions participated in the development and evaluation of the intervention. Feasibility of the intervention was evaluated through interviews, observations, and a questionnaire survey. We transformed the SOC terminology into the more practical applicable terminology ‘PEX’: Prioritize tasks, Explore resources, and use of eXternal resources, and developed a dialogue tool. The PEX approach seems feasible to use in childcare institutions, and to have the potential to increase the collective use of SOC strategies and thereby improve employee well-being. Also, the study illustrates how important it is that feasibility studies allow for adjustments based on the active participation of employees.
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series Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
spelling doaj-art-7ea96bf2d0984d65a5a6ad6d60a257812025-08-20T03:28:59ZengAalborg UniversityNordic Journal of Working Life Studies2245-01572025-07-0110.18291/njwls.158205Feasibility Study of a New Approach to Balance Job Demands and ResourcesAnnette Meng0Birgit Aust1National Research Centre for the Working EnvironmentNational Research Centre for the Working Environment Childcare workers are faced with high job demands. The use of selection, optimization, and compensation strategies (SOC) may help reach a better balance between job demands and resources. We aimed to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a participatory intervention to increase the collective use of SOC strategies among childcare workers. Five childcare institutions participated in the development and evaluation of the intervention. Feasibility of the intervention was evaluated through interviews, observations, and a questionnaire survey. We transformed the SOC terminology into the more practical applicable terminology ‘PEX’: Prioritize tasks, Explore resources, and use of eXternal resources, and developed a dialogue tool. The PEX approach seems feasible to use in childcare institutions, and to have the potential to increase the collective use of SOC strategies and thereby improve employee well-being. Also, the study illustrates how important it is that feasibility studies allow for adjustments based on the active participation of employees. https://tidsskrift.dk/njwls/article/view/158205Health, Working Environment & Wellbeing
spellingShingle Annette Meng
Birgit Aust
Feasibility Study of a New Approach to Balance Job Demands and Resources
Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
Health, Working Environment & Wellbeing
title Feasibility Study of a New Approach to Balance Job Demands and Resources
title_full Feasibility Study of a New Approach to Balance Job Demands and Resources
title_fullStr Feasibility Study of a New Approach to Balance Job Demands and Resources
title_full_unstemmed Feasibility Study of a New Approach to Balance Job Demands and Resources
title_short Feasibility Study of a New Approach to Balance Job Demands and Resources
title_sort feasibility study of a new approach to balance job demands and resources
topic Health, Working Environment & Wellbeing
url https://tidsskrift.dk/njwls/article/view/158205
work_keys_str_mv AT annettemeng feasibilitystudyofanewapproachtobalancejobdemandsandresources
AT birgitaust feasibilitystudyofanewapproachtobalancejobdemandsandresources