ABSTRACT
This chapter explains and describes an intervention that promotes civil climate within organizations. CREW (Civility, Respect, and Engagement in the Workplace), an intervention designed within the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA), was used to improve organizational-level outcomes through bettering the culture of interactions between employees. Civility in CREW refers to workplace behaviours that express interpersonally valuing and being valued by others, and are based on a consciously cultivated awareness of one’s interpersonal impact. The documented success of CREW in achieving the intended outcomes (Osatuke et al. 2009) resulted in its quick spread. The intervention model has been freely shared with interested organizations within and outside the United States, in government and private sector, in healthcare and other industries. This chapter explains the CREW approach, processes involved in implementing it within the largest healthcare system in the United States, summarizes its outcomes and sustained impact. To aid organizational leaders and consultants in evaluating their interest, we include illustrations of CREW concepts, tools and results. We also discuss organizational contexts, barriers encountered and working solutions. This chapter is based on summarizing the authors’ experience of implementing CREW at more than 1,000 workplaces within the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), from 2005 until now.
