Dynamics of Implementation and Maintenance of Organizational Health Interventions

In this study, we present case studies to explore the dynamics of implementation and maintenance of health interventions. We analyze how specific interventions are built and eroded, how the building and erosion mechanisms are interconnected, and why we can see significantly different erosion rates a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bullock, Sally, Ammerman, Alice, Jalali, Seyed Mohammad Javad, Rahmandad, Hazhir
Other Authors: Sloan School of Management
Format: Article
Published: MDPI AG 2018
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/113007
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2784-9042
Description
Summary:In this study, we present case studies to explore the dynamics of implementation and maintenance of health interventions. We analyze how specific interventions are built and eroded, how the building and erosion mechanisms are interconnected, and why we can see significantly different erosion rates across otherwise similar organizations. We use multiple comparative obesity prevention case studies to provide empirical information on the mechanisms of interest, and use qualitative systems modeling to integrate our evolving understanding into an internally consistent and transparent theory of the phenomenon. Our preliminary results identify reinforcing feedback mechanisms, including design of organizational processes, motivation of stakeholders, and communication among stakeholders, which influence impleme ntation and maintenance of intervention components. Over time, these feedback mechanisms may drive a wedge between otherwise similar organizations, leading to distinct configurations of implementation and maintenance processes.