title: The work is never ending: uncovering teamwork sustainability using realistic evaluation.
abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to uncover the mechanisms influencing the sustainability of behavior changes following the implementation of teamwork. Design/methodology/approach Realistic evaluation was combined with a framework (DCOM®) based on applied behavior analysis to study the sustainability of behavior changes two and a half years after the initial implementation of teamwork at an emergency department. The DCOM® framework was used to categorize the mechanisms of behavior change interventions (BCIs) into the four categories of direction, competence, opportunity, and motivation. Non-participant observation and interview data were used. Findings The teamwork behaviors were not sustained. A substantial fallback in managerial activities in combination with a complex context contributed to reduced direction, opportunity, and motivation. Reduced direction made staff members unclear about how and why they should work in teams. Deterioration of opportunity was evident from the lack of problem-solving resources resulting in accumulated barriers to teamwork. Motivation in terms of management support and feedback was reduced. Practical implications The implementation of complex organizational changes in complex healthcare contexts requires continuous adaption and managerial activities well beyond the initial implementation period. Originality/value By integrating the DCOM® framework with realistic evaluation, this study responds to the call for theoretically based research on behavioral mechanisms that can explain how BCIs interact with context and how this interaction influences sustainability.
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mandus
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5688-8323
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frykman
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulrica
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: von Thiele Schwarz
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Adelaide , Adelaide, Australia.|Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Emergency Care, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.|Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University , Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Åsa
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Muntlin Athlin
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden.|Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine (CES), Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Henna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasson
authors.affiliation: Medical Management Centre, Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mazzocato
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Behaviour analysis; Implementation; Operant psychology; Realistic evaluation; Sustainability; Teamwork