Developing Initial Middle Range Theories in Realist Evaluation: A Case of an Organisational Intervention

Abstract

(1) Background: Realist evaluation is a promising approach for evaluating organisational interventions. Crucial to realist evaluation is the development and testing of middle range theories (MRTs). MRTs are programme theories that outline how the intervention mechanisms work in a specific context to bring about certain outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, no organisational intervention study has yet developed initial MRTs. This study aimed to develop initial MRTs based on qualitative evidence from the development phase of an organisational intervention in a large multi-national organisation, the US food service industry. (2) Methods: Data were collected through 20 semi-structured interviews with the organisation′s managers, five focus groups with a total of 30 employees, and five worksite observations. Template analysis was used to analyse data. (3) Results: Four initial MRTs were developed based on four mechanisms of participation, leadership commitment, communication, and tailoring the intervention to fit the organisational context to formulate ‘what may work for whom in which circumstances?’ in organisational interventions; (4) Conclusions: Our findings provide insights into ‘how’ and ‘which’ initial MRTs can be developed in organisational interventions.

A Systematic Realist Synthesis of Digital Interventions for Enhancing Mental Health at Work: Contexts, Mechanisms, and Outcomes

“…The context of a workplace mental health intervention in uences its operational mechanisms which, in turn, determine the intervention outcomes. In workplace mental health interventions, it is crucial to examine the connections between changes in speci c mechanisms within the intervention context, leading to distinct outcomes [20][21][22][23][24]. The Realist or Context-Mechanism-Outcome (CMO) approach offers a structured framework for evaluating digital interventions in the workplace, particularly for mental health and well-being.…”

“…This holistic approach ensures that the evaluation of DIs is not just focused on the outcomes but also considers the underlying processes and environmental factors that contribute to these outcomes. Therefore, the CMO con gurations are typically formulated as testable realist propositions, also named realist program theories [24], structured in the format of "If... Then... As a result" [19][20]. Consequently, realist propositions are conceptual frameworks that articulate the underlying assumptions about how a particular intervention or program is expected to bring about change in a given context [22][23].…”

“…The realist review methodology has been previously employed in organizational psychology research to examine the impact of contexts and mechanisms on the outcomes of various health promotion interventions (as evidenced in studies by 22,24,[31][32][33][34][35]. The usefulness of this theoretical framework is also underpinned by the studies that rely on its implementation to assess face-to-face intervention designed to promote workers' mental health [36][37] and the effectiveness of digital tools in promoting mental health and well-being in the general population [38].…”

Testing middle range theories in realist evaluation: a case of a participatory organisational intervention

“…, 2022; Roodbari et al. , 2021a, b, c). Participatory organisational interventions are advantageous as they: (1) allow targeting the right working condition problems at source (Busch et al.…”