Abstract
The safety and health of many workers employed in micro-enterprises (with less than 10 employees) is poor, and legal arrangements related to working environments remain a considerable challenge in these enterprises. The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of how Swedish occupational safety and health (OSH) inspectors perceive themselves as inspectors and their role as bureaucratic regulators when meeting micro-enterprises. In the study, 11 Swedish inspectors were interviewed and asked to reflect on their role as inspectors, how they perceive themselves as inspectors and what their role is as bureaucratic regulators when inspecting micro-enterprises. The qualitative content analysis revealed one theme—a balancing act—and three categories: one inspector, many roles; interactions with micro-entrepreneurs; and exercise the profession as an inspector. The results showed that OSH inspectors experience challenges in meeting the requirements of street-level bureaucracy while addressing the needs of micro-enterprises. In conclusion, OSH inspectors need organisational support to develop inspection models and enforcement styles tailored to micro-enterprises, as this could ease their work and contribute to better inspection outcomes. The implications of this study include a need for increased competence about working environment issues in micro-enterprises, development of enforcement styles among the inspectors, emphasis of the importance of specific governmental projects for OSH and development of models in this enterprise group. Additionally, development of micro-enterprise managers’ competence and ability to handle issues related to the working environment and health were also important.
Highlights
Micro-enterprises are seen as important for economic growth, innovation, employment and social integration in the European Union (Roper and Hewitt-Dundas 2017; European Agency for Safety and Health at Work [EASHW] 2018)
Around 30% of the European workforce is employed in micro-enterprises (Muller et al 2016), and effective occupational safety and health (OSH) management in these enterprises is crucial for the well-being of employees and for enterprise survival (Walters 2001; EASHW 2018)
To understand the bureaucratic role OSH inspectors carry in relation to micro-enterprises and how they are key actors in improving OSH in those small firms, we draw on the theoretical concept of street-level bureaucracy
Summary
Micro-enterprises (with 1 to 9 employees) are seen as important for economic growth, innovation, employment and social integration in the European Union (Roper and Hewitt-Dundas 2017; European Agency for Safety and Health at Work [EASHW] 2018). Hupe et al (2016) argue that Lipsky’s understanding of streetlevel bureaucracy is too broad and imprecise, and they contend that the concept has other dimensions They argue that one important dimension is the location of power in relation to SLBs, as this is fundamental to the legitimacy of control (Hupe et al 2016). They further argue that as representatives of state agencies, SLBs have a variety of tasks that range from routine activities to complex duties demanding a high degree of discretion including administrative tasks for which no bureaucratic control is needed. As such, Hupe et al (2016) assert that a second important dimension is the context in which street-level bureaucracy is constructed
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