https://www.mdu.se/

The impact of work on mental health is a global issue, costing $1 trillion annually. Work-related depression alone costs 620 billion Euros each year. As work rates intensify in Europe, so does workplace stress. The organisational and social work environment (OSWE) significantly affects worker health. The OSWE not only impacts health but may also hinder innovation.  Encouraging employee-driven innovation (EDI) without ensuring worker health can be risky. However, research has shown that a high Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC) protects workers from organisational and social risks, which is why building a high (PSC) is anticipated to be crucial for worker health and breaking down barriers to EDI. This thesis combines occupational health and EDI research to explore 1) how to build PSC and organisational and social working conditions and 2) how PSC relates to EDI. The research is mainly built on a longitudinal quasi-experimental study with an intervention and control group. In the quasi-experiment, the ‘active ingredient’ is a manager-led training intervention's impact on PSC and OSWE in Sweden's private sector. Literature reviews examine important working conditions for health and the role of OSWE during technological transitions. Findings show that PSC can be built through manager training and collaboration, improving PSC and organisational and social working conditions. PSC is also found to be related to EDI, with management behaviours explaining the relationship. The literature reviews highlight the need for attention to PSC during technological changes. The research concludes that integrating occupational health and EDI extends theory and understanding in both fields, providing practical insights on building PSC and demonstrating how PSC is related to EDI.