Developing and implementing an action-oriented staff survey: Queensland Health and the 'Better Workplaces' initiative

Abstract

QUEENSLAND HEALTH IMPLEMENTED the ?Better Workplaces? staff opinion survey (the survey) in May 2006. The initiative stands as the largest single staff survey ever conducted in Queensland, and one of the largest in Australia. This case study outlines the process of this project, the outcomes to date and some of the pitfalls and successes along the way. Logistically it involved 37 health service districts and 10 corporate areas spread across the state. The survey process incorporated four survey periods over two years. The aim of the survey was: to improve workplace culture at the local level and across the organisation as a whole. Workplace culture is defined by Cole as ?The collection of unwritten rules, codes of behaviour and norms by which people operate, how we do things around here?1 Queensland Health proposed to improve its workplace culture by listening to staff and developing and driving targeted action plans following the survey with each district and division to create a climate of trust, respect, and innovation among staff which will ultimately improve patient outcomes. ?. . . The creation of a culture that is free of blame and encourages an open examination of error and failure is a key feature of services dedicated to quality improvement and to learning.?

The Relationships of Experiencing Workplace Bullying with Mental Health, Affective Commitment, and Job Satisfaction: Application of the Job Demands Control Model

“…The items selected for inclusion by the first author had been assessed in a climate questionnaire within a similar large government organization in Australia [38]. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the workforce bullying scale was 0.85.…”

Following Up on Employee Surveys: A Conceptual Framework and Systematic Review

“…Examples include, but are not limited to, job demands, control at work, social interactions, leadership, and commitment to the organization ( Björklund et al, 2007 ), as well as rewards, communication, quality of management, participation, employee satisfaction, organizational climate, and effectiveness ( Amba-Rao, 1989 ). More examples include items on response to stress, the need for work development, and perceived work environment ( Elo et al, 1998 ), as well as items regarding quality of work life, individual morale, individual distress, supportive leadership, role clarity ( Jury et al, 2009a , b ).…”

Actions and results from the Queensland Health "Better Workplaces" staff opinion survey

“…2 A number of difficulties were experienced in getting action plans completed by some districts and divisions. These frequently included the lack of a dedicated person to drive the development of the action plan, delays in gaining agreement on action plans due to lengthy but necessary consultation processes, and the increased size and scope of a number of districts that were amalgamated during the 2007 district restructure.…”

“…2 Due to the large size of the organisation, about one-quarter of staff participate in each survey round to enable appropriate resources to be directed towards participants at any point in time. A survey cycle therefore, consists of four rounds over a period of 2 years.…”