Abstract
Self-help organizations (SHOs) are formed when patients with chronic health conditions (PCHCs) come together to share their perspectives and knowledge in problem-solving, which serves as the basis for promoting the self-reliance and well-being of PCHCs. Nevertheless, practical challenges persist because little is known about what and how to evaluate for the developmental outcomes of SHOs. To address this knowledge gap, the present study develops and validates the Self-Help Organization Development Scale (SHODS). A total of 232 core members from 54 SHOs in Hong Kong participated in our study. The SHODS structure was validated by confirmatory factor analysis. This analysis derived five factors: citizen support, business support, member recovery and mutual aid, organizational health, and functional sustainability. The five-factor structure demonstrated stability across various types of SHOs, as validated by the subgroup analysis based on two criteria: duration of SHO establishment and organization affiliation. Good concurrent validity was supported by significant correlations between the SHODS factors and organizational variables, including staff supervision, staff understanding, networking, advocating, and educating the public. The SHODS also showed excellent internal consistency. In conclusion, the SHODS is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring the developmental outcomes of SHOs.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus—Rethinking Organizational Resilience
KEYWORDS
Self-help Organization, Assessment of Organizational Development, Psychometric Properties, Measurement Tool
