Impact de l’innovation sur le travailler et la santé psychologique des travailleurs du secteur de la santé et des services sociaux

For several years now, psychological problems at work have been attracting the attention of various community stakeholders, considering their high prevalence. The effects of these problems are numerous, both for society and organizations, and for individuals and families. Various explanatory factors for their development, including changes in work activity, are mentioned in the scientific literature. In addition, the way in which workers perceive their work, as well as the subjective and affective relationship they have with this occupation, plays a key role in the occurrence or not of psychological problems at work. Innovation (as well as the transformation it induces) is pervasive in organizations, while few studies are interested in its effect on workers' health and their subjective relationship to work. In order to optimize preventive interventions carried out at work, this research aimed to understand how innovation influences the subjective relationship at work. The research was carried out according to a comprehensive three-pronged qualitative approach, including both a case study according to methodology in work psychodynamics, individual interviews analyzed using the inductive approach and a macroscopic ergological analysis of the results obtained. The research mobilized the participation of nineteen health and social service workers, including six workers aged 55 and over who participated in one-on-one interviews. Three specific objectives were pursued: 1) to better understand the links between psychological health and work-related innovation in health and social services sector; 2) considering the phenomenon of the aging of the working population, circumscribing the specific effects of innovation on aging workers; and 3) to identify the elements to be considered for the prevention of the development of psychological health problems and for the maintenance of well-being in an innovative working environment. Through its results, this research confirmed that innovation was not without effect for the workers encountered. First of all, the interpretation of the results of this research has shown that the impact of innovation goes well beyond the requirements of work, since it affects the way in which workers experience their relationship to work and negotiate it. Secondly, research has found that institutional injunctions linked to innovation can become iv paradoxical for workers who are getting older. Finally, this research made it possible to understand that innovation has an influence on the three poles of the work activity as described in ergology, including the ability of the worker to renormalize when the antecedent norms are transformed. This last point leads to consider ways to prevent the development of psychological health problems among workers, as well as stalemate for aging workers. These tracks are organized around three organizational conditions to be favored, namely the coherence between the implanted innovation and the values of the profession and the workers, then the possibility of real choices during the process of renormalization, and finally a climate of confidence allowing workers to mobilize the adaptive strategies they consider effective in maintaining their well-being at work. In short, the research presented in this thesis has looked at innovation and the impact it has on work, which makes it possible to consider it beyond the positive effect that it usually enjoys in studies concerning it. Thus, this research makes it possible to sensitize the organizational and social actors involved in the adoption of innovative cultures. The latter must consider that innovation will have an effect on workers working in their organizations and put in place conditions to promote well-being at work.

Keyphrases: Innovation in the workplace, Psychological health and well-being at work, Aging workers, Prevention