Dear Colleagues,



We are starting a research project on the impact of changes in work
organisation on health , namely new technologies, globalisation of the
market, new production systems etc. .  These major changes are taking
place in Belgium as in most industrialized countries. We would like to
have your opinion and suggestions in terms of recent developments in
this research area.
The main idea of our future study is to compare the effects of the work
environment on workers health in enterprises which are submitted to
major changes at organisatory level
and in enterprises which remain relatively stable over time.
Besides the individual assessment ( by mean of Karasek and Siegrist
model ) we need an objective measure to classify the enterprises. Does
such a valid ( standardised ) instrument exist?

Summary of the project description:

Title:   IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES AND RESULTING JOB STRESS ON
SOMATISATION, BIOLOGY AND SICK-LEAVE.

General aim:  To study the influence of organisational changes in
enterprises and its resulting job stress on the incidence and
chronification of somatoform diseases, biological dimensions,
psycho-social (dis)functioning and sick-leave. The project aims to
formulate suggestions in order to prevent job stress and its
consequences on the worker’s health.

Global Objectives:

To evaluate the psycho-social health risks on the level of objective as
well as subjective work environment in different enterprises.

To create a preliminary data base for the prevalence of somatoform
diseases in the working population in relation to stressful working
conditions.

To determine specific psycho-social dimensions which are harmful to the
subjects’ mental health, taking into account interpersonal variability
and different mediating factors.

To study the relationship “stress-health” on one hand in a global
perspective, by taking into account the organisational, social,
psychological as well as biological dimensions and on the other hand in
a dynamic perspective, by using a prospective study design.

Please contact us if you have any interesting information.

Many thanks in advance.

France KITTEL
Françoise LEYNEN
Isabelle GODIN


--
France Kittel, PHD
ESP ULB Campus Erasme
CP 596
route de lennik, 808
1070 Bruxelles
Belgium
T: +32.2.555.4082
F: +32.2.555.4049