18894: Uncovering Coping Strategies of Long-Term Care Workers in Self-Managing Teams during Restructuring

Many long-term care organizations are forced to restructure due to financial difficulties. Organizational restructuring is, however, associated with reduced sustainable employability of workers. We performed a case study that aimed to uncover the coping strategies employed by long-term care workers in self-managing teams to safeguard their sustainable employability during organizational restructuring. Self-managing teams are increasingly implemented in long-term care and possess characteristics, such as high autonomy and minimal external supervision, that may shape the coping strategies of workers. The study was conducted over an eight-month period in a Dutch long-term care organization undergoing restructuring. Data were collected through participatory observations in self-managing teams, along with a focus group interview, individual interviews, document analysis, and non-participatory observations in public spaces of the organization. This study enhances our understanding of the coping strategies employed by long-term care workers in self-managing teams and provides practical guidance on how to support their sustainable employability during organizational restructuring.

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