Affiliations: Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of
Musculoskeletal Disorders, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario,
Canada | University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Institute for Work & Health, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada | University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta,
Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Desré M. Kramer, Centre of
Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Department
of Kinesiology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave West, Waterloo,
Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1. Tel.: +1 416 467 6272; Fax: +1 519 886 5488; E-mail:
dkramer@uwaterloo.ca
Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the effect of the involvement of
intermediaries who were research partners on three intervention studies. The
projects crossed four sectors: manufacturing, transportation, service sector,
and electrical-utilities sectors. The interventions were participative
ergonomic programs. The study attempts to further our understanding of
collaborative workplace-based research between researchers and intermediary
organizations; to analyze this collaboration in terms of knowledge transfer;
and to further our understanding of the successes and challenges with such a
process. Participants: The intermediary organizations were provincial
health and safety associations (HSAs). They have workplaces as their clients
and acted as direct links between the researchers and workplaces. Methods: Data was collected from observations, emails, research-meeting
minutes, and 36 qualitative interviews. Interviewees were managers, and
consultants from the collaborating associations, 17 company representatives and
seven researchers. Results: The article describes how the collaborations
were created, the structure of the partnerships, the difficulties, the
benefits, and challenges to both the researchers and intermediaries. The
evidence of knowledge utilization between the researchers and HSAs was tracked
as a proxy-measure of impact of this collaborative method, also called Mode 2
research. Conclusion: Despite the difficulties, both the researchers and
the health and safety specialists agreed that the results of the research made
the process worthwhile.
Keywords: Knowledge transfer and exchange, workplace intervention research, collaborative research, knowledge utilization, prevention of musculoskeletal disorders
