1 Introduction
2 Methods
2.1 Search strategy
2.2 Study selection and inclusion criteria
2.3 Data extraction
3 Results
3.1 Study characteristics
First author, publication year | Publication type | Language |
---|---|---|
Prospective studies on perceived effectiveness (N = 7) a | ||
Boland (2006) | Non-academic literature | German |
Borek (2011a, b) b | Academic journal | English |
Gutmark (2014) | Doctoral/PhD dissertation | German |
Kolodej (2016) | Academic journal | German |
Lehmann (2006) | Book | German |
Schumacher (2000) | Book | German |
Van den Berg (2007) | Non-academic literature | English |
Retrospective studies on perceived effectiveness (N = 13) a | ||
Assländer (2002) | Non-academic literature | German |
Baumgartner (2006) | Doctoral/PhD dissertation | German |
Berreth (2009) | Doctoral/PhD dissertation | German |
Finckh (2016) | Academic journal | English |
Gleich (2008) | Doctoral/PhD dissertation | German |
Gminder (2005) | Doctoral/PhD dissertation | German |
James (2004) | Report | English |
Doctoral/PhD dissertation | English | |
Kalb (2007) | Book | German |
Klingohr (2012) | Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis | German |
Kumbruck (2005) | Academic journal | German |
Pacher (2006) | Book chapter | German |
Ruppert (2002) | Book chapter | German |
Other empirical studies (N = 10) | ||
Bultena (2019) | Bachelor’s thesis | Dutch |
Fasching (2009) | Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis | German |
Knauth (2010) | Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis | German |
Kopp (2013) | Academic journal | English |
Mayer (2015) | Academic journal | English |
Schlötter (2016) | Doctoral/PhD dissertation | German |
Schlötter (2018) | Book | German/English |
St John (2018) | Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis | German |
Tenner (2014) | Non-academic literature | English |
Wakefield (2014) | Bachelor’s/Master’s thesis | English |
Theoretical studies, case studies or description of the method (N = 14) | ||
Binder (2005) | Academic journal | German |
Birkenkrahe (2008) | Academic journal | English |
Bulling (2018) | Doctoral/PhD dissertation | English |
Ebbers (2009) | Academic journal | German |
Galla (2008) | Academic journal | German |
Groth (2004) | Academic journal | German |
Heideveld (2014) | Master’s thesis | English |
Jirásek (2015) | Academic journal | English |
Jirásek (2017) | Academic journal | English |
Müller-Christ (2015) | Academic journal | German |
Roevens (2008) | Doctoral/PhD dissertation | English |
Roth (2019) | Academic journal | English |
Staicu (2018) | Academic journal | English |
Wade (2004) | Academic journal | English |
3.2 Data on the perceived effectiveness of the SOC method
First author, publ. year | Sample and country (% female; age) | Aim | Study design and Method | Intervention and Assessment points | Outcome and instrument | Results and conclusion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boland (2006) | 27 farmers, coaches, university employees Germany (Gender and age not reported) | To what extent can the SOC method be used in a meaningful way within a consulting context to induce change among the participants | Non-controlled pre-post intervention design Questionnaire Self-report | A 2-day workshop where multiple issues from the farming context were addressed using the SOC method. Before intervention (t1), Directly after the workshop (t2) | Perceived clarity on the situation and ability to analyse the situation (Cognitive dimension): Adapted from perceived self-efficacy and action competence scale, 30 items. Mood and self-confidence (Affective dimension): Mood scale (Befindlichkeitsskala, Bf-S), 28 opposite adjective pairs with 3 choices (for instance: desperate/hopeful/neither) | Cognitive dimension: Significant increase in item ‘development of own perspective and aim’. Effect size and p-values not reported. Affective dimension: Overall, mood did not change. Participants changed significantly towards the direction of being determined, cheerful, imaginative, hopeful, content, and powerful between t1 and t2. Effect sizes and p-values not reported |
Borek, (2011a, b) | 67 team leaders and members Austria (42%; not reported) | To evaluate the contribution of the method on improvement of task and relationship conflicts in existing teams | Non-controlled pre-post intervention design Questionnaire Self-report | A SOC session where an issue from an existing team was addressed. Before intervention (t1) 4 weeks post-intervention (t2) 4 months post-intervention (t3) | Task and relationship conflict: Intra-team conflict scale (4 items task conflict; 3 items relationship conflict) Scale on Cooperation (5 items), Communication (6 items), Coordination (6 items), Cohesion (5 items). All 7‑point Likert scales | Decrease in task conflict: Mean (SD) t1 = 4.52 (1.17), t2 = 4.15 (1.05), t3 = 3.73 (1.07), t1–t3: p = 0.01. Decrease in relationship conflict: Mean (SD) t1 = 5.30 (1.08), t2 = 4.96 (1.45), t3 = 4.53 (1.64), t1–t3: p = 0.01. Effect sizes not reported. Non-sustained change in Cohesion, Cooperation, Communication and Coordination |
Gutmark (2014) | 113 (65 with follow-up data) employees from different organizations Germany (53%, and 50% at follow-up; 19–64 yrs, mean 42 yrs) | To evaluate whether after a SOC session: – general well-being is improved – understanding of social-emotional relationship aspects is improved so they can influence other people better – their workplace and organizational environment judged more positively | Non-randomized controlled pre-post intervention design Matched control group (waiting list) Questionnaire Self-report | A 1-day workshop where multiple issues from the participants were addressed using the SOC method. Two weeks before intervention (t1) 2 weeks post-intervention (t2) 4 months post-intervention (t3) | Well-being: Stress Symptoms scale (KASSL), 4 subscales: social contact disorders, mood disorders, job difficulties, concentration and performance disorders; General Mental State scale (VEV): two poles: “relaxation, ease, optimism” versus “tension, insecurity, pessimism”. Only assessed at t2 and t3. Directive attitude: Attitude and Interest scale (FDE) consisting of two scales “directive attitude” and “extraversion”. Perceived organizational climate: Questionnaire on Organizational Climate (FEO), 9 subscales | Stress symptoms: Significant decrease in total scale in the experimental group compared to the control group at t1–t2 (eta2 = 0.054, p ≤ 0.05,) and at t1–t3 (eta2 = 0.167, p ≤ 0.001). Significant decrease in mood disorders in the experimental group compared to the control group at t1–t2 (eta2 = 0.077, p ≤ 0.01,) and t1–t3 (eta2 = 0.240, p ≤ 0.001). No significant change in the other scales. General Mental State: In the experimental group a significant change towards “relaxation, ease, optimism” at t2 and t3. Mean (SD) t2 = 194.75 (3.14) and t3 = 202.55 (3.92) (p < 0.001). No change in the control group. Attitude and Interest: Significant increase in “directive attitude” in the experimental group compared to the control group: (eta2 = 0.093, p ≤ 0.05) and “extraversion” (eta2 = 0.118, p ≤ 0.01). Perceived organizational climate: Significant improvement between t1–t3 in the experimental group in Collegiality (eta2 = 0.206, p ≤ 0.001); Evaluation of work (eta2 = 0.073, p ≤ 0.05); Workload (eta2 = 0.093, p ≤ 0.05); Career perspectives (eta2 = 0.022, p ≤ 0.01); Action possibilities (eta2 = 0.153, p ≤ 0.001); Attitude towards the organization (eta2 = 0.112, p ≤ 0.01); No change in Organization, Payment and Gender equality. Between t1 and t2 only significant improvement in Action possibilities. No changes in the control group for any of the scales and measure points |
Kolodej (2016) | 13 individuals from different work contexts Austria (62%; 32–58 yrs, mean 45 yrs) | To evaluate whether the SOC method is a helpful intervention to improve problem-solving skills with regard to a problem situation in an organizational context | Non-controlled, pre-post intervention design Questionnaire and semi-structured interview Self-report | A SOC session where an issue from a participant was addressed. 1 week before intervention (t1) Directly after intervention (t2) 4 weeks post-intervention (t3) | Perceived Self-efficacy: Perceived Self-efficacy Scale (total score between 10 and 40). Perceived usefulness and effectiveness, self-constructed items | Significant increase in perceived self-efficacy between t1 (mean = 29.67, SD = 0.81) and t3 (mean = 32.63, SD = 0.57) (p = 0.029). No significant increase between t1 and t2. Effect sizes not reported. Perceived subjective usefulness of the SOC method (score 0 to 6): Mean (SD) over 3 time points = 4.97 (0.95). Perceived effectiveness of the method (score 0 to 6): Mean (SD) over 3 time points = 4.51 (1.13). Perceived feasibility/implantation possibility of the solutions (sustainability): a mean score of 4 on a scale of 0 to 6 |
Lehmann (2006) | 51 (35 with follow-up data) consultants, managers, leaders Switzerland, Germany (59%; not reported) | To evaluate: – to what extent a SOC corresponds with perceived reality of the participants. – whether a SOC session contributes to a perceived improvement in the issues of the participants | Non-controlled, pre-post intervention design Questionnaire and semi-structured interview Self-report | A workshop of 1 to 4 days with multiple SOC sessions with issues from participants. Before intervention (t1) Directly after intervention (t2) Follow-up (between a few days-7 months) (t3) | Perceived correspondence between the SOC and the subjective reality. Perceived improvement in the situation after a SOC: Participants chose their own solution criteria that were relevant to them (evaluating on a scale from 1–10 their perceived position and their desired position across the criteria at each measurement point) | Participants reported approx. 8 on scale of 0–10 that SOC-image corresponded with reality. Significant increase in central tendency of ‘perceived position’ on criteria between t1 to t2 (p < 0.01), between t1 and t3 some criterion clusters show a significant increase, some do not. Effect sizes not reported |
Schumacher (2000) | 39 employees from different organizations (30 in analysis) Germany (69.4%; 21–60 yrs) | To evaluate if the SOC method is related with: – improvement of the subjective organizational image – improvement of cooperation at work | Non-controlled, pre-post intervention design Questionnaire Self-report | A 2–3 day workshop with multiple SOC sessions. Before intervention (t1) 4 weeks post-intervention (t2) 4 months post-intervention (t3) | Subjective Organizational Image (SOB), consisting of 2 scales for each relationship: Autonomy (3 adjective pairs on a scale of −3 to 3) and Attachment (3 adjective pairs on a scale of −3 to 3). Team Competency, consisting of 5 scales: Acceptance, Involvement, Transparency, Conflict resolution and Empathy/perspective-taking | Increase in Autonomy: Mean (SD) t1 = 55.75 (21.63), t2 = 63.04 (19.24), t3 = 64.04 (25.37). Significant increase t1–t2 (p = 0.010), borderline significant t1–t3 (p = 0.054). No change in Attachment. Effect sizes not reported. Significant increase in transparency at t1–t2 (p = 0.049). Significant increase in conflict resolution at t1–t2 (p = 0.016) and t1–t3 (p = 0.033). No change in the other scales. Effect sizes not reported |
Van den Berg, (2007) | 110 people from general population (48 participants; 30 observers; 32 control) Netherlands (‘almost equal’; mean 43 yrs) | Do people who participate in a SOC session: – feel more connection with their work? – understand connections and relationships in their work better? – feel less helplessness at work? | Non-randomised, controlled pre-post intervention design Convenience control group Questionnaire Self-report | A SOC session 0–2 days post-intervention | Connection to work environment Insight into how people relate at work Helplessness at work Attitude towards SOC (only for participants and observers) Self-constructed questionnaire of 35 items, 5‑point Likert scale) | Connection to work environment: no change in participants, observers and the control group Insight into how people relate at work: Participants showed a significant increase in insight (t = 2.18; p < 0.05). Observers showed a significant decrease (t = −2.48, p < 0.01). No change in CG Helplessness at work: Participant showed a significant decrease in helplessness (t = −1.81, p < 0.05). No change in the control group or observers Participants showed a significant increase in positive attitude towards SOC (t = 2.75, p < 0.01). No change in observers |