Many successful interventions are not maintained after researchers leave an organisation at the conclusion of a study. This research was conducted to assess the magnitude of this problem and determine which variables affect intervention maintenance. Maintenance was examined in a review and analysis of 125 applicable studies published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management from 1977 - 1999. Where necessary, authors of studies were contacted to determine the maintenance status of their intervention. The analysis found the extent of this problem in published studies is substantial. Intervention maintenance was necessary to maintain the intervention�s effects in two thirds of studies with successful interventions. Of all studies where maintenance was necessary, approximately 40% failed to maintain the intervention. The maintenance procedures derived from the literature, researchers in the field, and journal analysis included planning for a wide range of positive outcomes, designing the intervention to be long-term, and communicating the benefits of the intervention to the organisation. For this thesis, three studies were conducted to examine the effectiveness of these maintenance procedures. The first two studies partially replicated studies where the interventions had been successful but not maintained, with the inclusion of maintenance procedures. Intervention maintenance occurred in a university cafeteria in Study 1, and in one of three supermarkets in Study 2. Study 3 improved on the design and procedure of Study 2, including a manipulation of the maintenance procedures. During intervention in the control supermarket, signs designed to increase customer donations to the supermarket foodbank bin were placed on shelves near discounted items. In the experimental supermarket, both maintenance procedures and signs were used. During 6 weeks of follow-up, the signs were maintained in both supermarkets. The researcher then ceased regular observations, returning only for 1 month, 2 month, and 1 year follow-ups. After researcher presence was withdrawn, maintenance of the signs continued only in the experimental supermarket. This study demonstrates that the maintenance procedures were effective, and necessary, for long-term maintenance to occur after the researcher left the organisation. It was concluded that the maintenance procedures were effective for encouraging intervention maintenance, and recommended that researchers incorporate the procedures into their studies when maintenance is desirable.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/217763 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Mullen, Nadia, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Otago. Department of Psychology |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/policies/FMPro?-db=policies.fm&-format=viewpolicy.html&-lay=viewpolicy&-sortfield=Title&Type=Academic&-recid=33025&-find), Copyright Nadia Mullen |
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