Data_Sheet_1_Increasing Access to Organization Theories for Implementation Science.PDF

BackgroundOrganization theories offer numerous existing, highly relevant, yet largely untapped explanations of the organizational dynamics underlying evidence-based intervention (EBI) implementation. Rooted in ideas regarding power, autonomy, and control, organization theories can explain how and why organizations adopt, implement, and sustain EBI use. Although they have gained visibility, organization theories remain underused in implementation research, perhaps due to their inaccessibility to implementation scientists. To improve access to organization theory among implementation scientists, we summarized organization theories with relevance to implementation science.
MethodsLed by the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) Organization Theory for Implementation Science workgroup, we employed a modified Delphi process to reach a consensus among 18 experts at the intersection of organization and implementation science regarding organization theories with relevance to implementation science. From texts that described the organization theories, using standardized abstraction forms, two investigators independently abstracted information regarding constructs, propositions regarding how or why constructs might influence implementation, the potential relevance of organization theories' propositions for implementation, and overviews of each theory. The investigators then reconciled discrepancies until reaching consensus. A third investigator reviewed reconciled abstraction forms for accuracy, coherence, and completeness.
FindingsWe identified nine organization theories with relevance to implementation science: contingency, complexity, institutional, network, organizational learning, resource dependence, sociotechnical, and transaction cost economics. From the theories, we abstracted 70 constructs and 65 propositions. An example proposition from institutional theory is: “Coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures contribute to organizations…within an organizational field [becoming increasingly similar].” These propositions can be operationalized as levers to facilitate EBI implementation.
ConclusionsTo increase use in the field, organization theories must be made more accessible to implementation scientists. The abstraction forms developed in this study are now publicly available on the CPCRN website with the goal of increasing access to organization theories among an interdisciplinary audience of implementation scientists through the CPCRN Scholars program and other venues. Next steps include consolidating organization theory constructs into domains and translating the resulting framework for use among researchers, policymakers and practitioners, aiding them in accounting for a comprehensive set of organization theory constructs thought to influence EBI implementation.

研究背景：组织理论（Organization theories）现有大量与循证干预（evidence-based intervention, EBI）实施背后的组织动态高度相关却尚未充分挖掘的解释。基于权力、自主性与控制相关理念，组织理论可阐释组织采用、实施并维持EBI使用的方式与原因。尽管组织理论的受关注度有所提升，但在实施科学领域仍未得到充分利用，这或许是因为实施科学研究者难以获取相关理论。为提升实施科学研究者对组织理论的可及性，本研究对与实施科学相关的组织理论进行了系统梳理与总结。

研究方法：本研究由癌症预防与控制研究网络（Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network, CPCRN）实施科学组织理论工作组主导，采用改良德尔菲法（modified Delphi process），在18名兼具组织科学与实施科学交叉领域专长的专家中，就与实施科学相关的组织理论达成共识。基于描述各组织理论的文本资料，两名研究人员使用标准化信息提取表单，独立提取有关理论构念、关于构念如何或为何影响实施的命题、组织理论命题对实施的潜在相关性，以及各理论的概述内容。随后研究人员对分歧进行协调直至达成共识。第三名研究人员对协调后的提取表单进行准确性、连贯性与完整性审核。

研究结果：本研究共识别出9种与实施科学相关的组织理论：权变理论（contingency）、复杂理论（complexity）、制度理论（institutional）、网络理论（network）、组织学习理论（organizational learning）、资源依赖理论（resource dependence）、社会技术理论（sociotechnical）以及交易成本经济学（transaction cost economics）。从上述理论中，我们共提取出70个构念与65条命题。来自制度理论的示例命题为："强制型、模仿型与规范型压力促使组织……在组织场域内日益趋同"。这些命题可被操作化为推动EBI实施的干预杠杆。

研究结论：为提升该领域的应用普及，需进一步提升实施科学研究者对组织理论的可及性。本研究开发的信息提取表单现已于CPCRN官网公开，旨在通过CPCRN学者计划及其他渠道，向跨学科的实施科学研究者群体推广组织理论的可及性。后续研究方向包括将组织理论构念整合至不同研究领域，并将所得框架转化为可供研究者、政策制定者与实践者使用的工具，以帮助他们全面考量被认为会影响EBI实施的各类组织理论构念。