A two-wave quasi-experimental intervention study of a participatory visual art intervention: unexpected effects on job resources and work engagement

ABSTRACT

Background: Being involved in an artistic intervention is related to employeesinterest to do work tasks in other ways and to develop new professional skills. These proactive changes, job crafting, that employees make to their work conditions increase work-related well-being, work engagement.

Methods: This two-wave quasi-experimental intervention study investigated whether a visual art intervention enhanced the crafting of job resources (skill variety) and increased work engagement. The study was conducted among employees (n = 21) working in five comprehensive schools and in four day-care centers over a 1-month intervention. Employees not involved in the interventions served as the control group (n = 19).

Results: Repeated measures ANOVAs showed no significant interaction effects. However, pre–post comparison tests showed that, unexpectedly, the participants’ work engagement significantly decreased, and skill variety tentatively diminished. Qualitative feedback revealed some shortcomings in the implementation of the intervention.

Conclusions: In the case of insufficient operation, the intervention may even have reverse effects.

KEYWORDS:

• Artistic intervention
• job crafting
• job resources
• work engagement
• intervention study

Acknowledgments

This research was part of the ArtsEqual project funded by the Academy of Finland’s Strategic Research Council from its Equality in Society programme [project no. 293199]. The authors thank Maria Hirvonen, MSc for her contribution to the data analyses.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was part of the ArtsEqual project funded by the Academy of Finland’s Strategic Research Council from its Equality in Society programme [project no. 293199].