Abstract
The incidence of occupational diseases in small businesses is higher than in big ones, and this fact puts the former in need of a healthcare management model they can administer. This study established a model based on community organizational development theory to reinforce worker empowerment for healthcare in small businesses, focusing on health centers for workers (HCFW). The researchers surveyed 408 workers at 39 small businesses in the B region of South Korea, according to the characteristics of business sites, general characteristics of workers, and elements of community organizational development theory, and analyzed their results with a structural equation. The research period was September, 2015. Five concepts were examined: empowerment in healthcare, community capacity, participation and relevance, critical consciousness, and issue selection. The results revealed that greater community capacity led to greater participation and relevance (γ = 0.39) and empowerment in healthcare (γ = 0.25), while greater participation and relevance led to greater empowerment in healthcare (γ = 0.76). In addition, greater critical consciousness led to greater participation and relevance (γ = 0.12). Finally, greater community capacity led to greater issues selection (γ = 0.56), which in turn led to greater participation and relevance (γ = 0.25). The study makes proposals for directions of health centers for workers and community networks. Confirmation of this model for worker empowerment suggests several directions to HCFW in relation to workers and community networks.
Highlights
With the increasing specialization and advancement of industrial technologies, businesses in SouthKorea have been downsized, resulting in more outsourced jobs
This study revealed that employees of small businesses exhibited different patterns of participation according to their recognition of Health Centers for Workers (HCFW)-centered community capacity
It surveyed individuals in relation to HCFW, and tested structural equation models based on community organizational development theory
Summary
With the increasing specialization and advancement of industrial technologies, businesses in SouthKorea have been downsized, resulting in more outsourced jobs. Korea—hired fewer than 50 individuals in 2018 Overall, these companies employed 11.3 million individuals (59.4% of the total 19.1 million hires) in 2018. These companies employed 11.3 million individuals (59.4% of the total 19.1 million hires) in 2018 78.3% of all industrial accidents at worksites, and employed 52.4% of all individuals who experienced an occupational disease in this same year [1]. These disproportionate numbers are largely due to the poor working conditions and older age of employees at small businesses [2]. The MoEL and the Korean Occupational Safety and Health Agency created Health Centers for Workers (HCFW)
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