| 1. |
- Nordlinder, Carolina, et al.
(författare)
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Individual, family, job, and organizational factors associated with retirement intentions among older long-term care workers: A systematic review
- 2024
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Ingår i: Geriatric Nursing. - : Elsevier. - 0197-4572 .- 1528-3984. ; 56, s. 83-93
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This systematic review synthesized prior quantitative research on individual, family, job, and organizational factors associated with retirement intentions (RI) among older long-term care (LTC) workers. Seven databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies. RI were defined as early (<65 years) or late (>65 years). To assess the methodological quality, we used JBI's checklists. The PRISMA statement guided this review. After duplicates were removed, 4 489 records were identified. A final sample of six articles was selected as eligible for inclusion. Current findings show weak social support, high physical job demands, and type of LTC occupation as important determinants for early RI. Strong social support and good job resources are important determinants fore late RI. In contrast to earlier research on other groups of older workers, this review shows no statistically associations between health nor emotional job demands and early RI for LTC workers. The results are discussed using the JD-R theory.
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| 2. |
- Norrgård, Amanda, et al.
(författare)
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How Do Child Welfare Social Workers Assess the Leadership of Their First-line Managers? A 15-Year Perspective
- 2024
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Ingår i: British Journal of Social Work. - : Oxford University Press. - 0045-3102 .- 1468-263X. ; 54:4, s. 1737-1752
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The study aimed to investigate how child welfare social workers assessed the leadership of their first-line managers over a period of fifteen years and to examine whether the assessments have changed over time. More specifically, the analysis focused on the extent to which social workers perceive the leadership of their first-line managers to be empowering, supportive and fair. Data were collected in the years 2003 (n = 293), 2014 (n = 300) and 2018 (n = 309) using the same questionnaire, mainly based on QPS Nordic, which was distributed to social workers working with investigations of children and youth. The results show that the social workers assessed all measured aspects of their first-line managers' leadership as better in 2014 compared to 2003 and significantly better in 2018 compared to 2003. In light of previous studies showing that child welfare managers experience less optimal conditions for their leadership, the results are surprising. How is it possible that the first-line managers, despite their own descriptions of a more difficult leadership situation, are seen as more supportive, empowering and fair in their leadership from the social workers' perspective? Possible explanations for the social workers' better assessments over the years, such as specialisation, are discussed. This article investigates how child welfare social workers have assessed the leadership of their first-line managers over a period of fifteen years. Questionnaires were collected in the same geographical areas in 2003, 2014 and 2018. The results show that child welfare social workers assessed the leadership of their first-line managers as increasingly empowering, supportive and fair over the years. In light of previous studies showing that child welfare managers experience less optimal conditions for their leadership, the results are surprising. How is it possible that the first-line managers, despite their own descriptions of a more difficult leadership situation, are seen as more supportive, empowering and fair in their leadership from the social workers' perspective? Potential explanations as to why assessments have improved are discussed.
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| 3. |
- Steive, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Social work in an assembly line? The development of specialisation in child welfare and further internal division of work between 2003 and 2018
- 2024
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Ingår i: European Journal of Social Work. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1369-1457 .- 1468-2664. ; 27:3, s. 650-663
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organisational specialisation characterises present social work in Sweden as internationally. Specialisation is often expected to lead to higher professional expertise. This study provides an overview of the development of specialisation and workforce characteristics in child welfare based on survey data collected in 2003, 2014 and 2018. The aim was to describe the development of specialisation and discuss the conditions for professional expertise in child welfare work. The results indicate that child welfare work is increasingly work task specialised. Social workers reported performing fewer tasks in 2014 and 2018 compared to 2003. This could be understood mainly as a form of statutory specialisation, indicating a shift in the professional role. Also, with the tendency to divide the work into only one or two phases of the process, child welfare work today almost resembles work at an assembly line. Compared with 2003, the statutory child welfare social workers surveyed in 2014 and 2018 were also significantly younger and less experienced. Since decision-making in child protection is a highly complex and challenging task, a question is if the development may be a survival strategy of the organisations rather than an opportunity for developing expertise.
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| 4. |
- Tham, Pia, 1960-
(författare)
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Arbetsvillkor i den sociala barnavården : förutsättningar för ett kvalificerat arbete
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis describes and analyzes the working conditions of child welfare social workers who responded to a comprehensive questionnaire (n=309, dropout rate 3 per cent).In Study 1, the working conditions of social workers new to the profession (0-2 years) were compared with those of social workers with longer experience. The study shows that less experienced workers were more often found working in areas characterized by worse socioeconomic conditions and in workgroups where many others were also new and inexperienced. Although they described some aspects of their working conditions more positively they tended to report more health problems.In Study 2, working conditions of the child welfare social workers were compared with those of other professional human service workers. The study shows that although social workers in general and child welfare social workers in particular made positive assessments of their working lives, social work was unusually demanding among human service professions on several measures of workload, complexity of tasks and quality of management.In Study 3, the associations between the child welfare social workers’ working conditions and their health and well-being were investigated, controlling for background variables. The negative consequences of high job demands, especially for psychological health and well being emerge.In Study 4, factors associated with the social workers’ intention to leave the job were investigated. The study showed that lack of human resource orientation within the organization was of greatest importance. The results are analyzed from two different perspectives; the effort/reward model and new institutional theory. The main conclusions are that improvement is needed of the introduction to the profession at the workplace, that the status of child protective work needs to be raised and that social workers need help to limit their responsibility load, more time and space for reflection, and greater valuation of their work.
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| 5. |
- Tham, Pia, et al.
(författare)
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Lower demands but less meaningful work? : Changes in work situation and health among social workers in a 15-year perspective
- 2023
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Ingår i: British Journal of Social Work. - : Oxford University Press. - 0045-3102 .- 1468-263X. ; 53:4, s. 2038-2056
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The study aimed to investigate how working conditions, intention to leave and self-rated health among Swedish social workers in child welfare have developed over the course of fifteen years. In 2003 (n = 309), 2014 (n = 313) and 2018 (n = 305), the same questionnaire was distributed to social workers who were working with the same tasks in the same geographical areas. The results show that the social workers in 2018 overall rate their working conditions as better than they did in 2014, and in most respects also better than in 2003. The most salient improvements are that work demands in 2018 are described as significantly lower than in earlier years, and organisational climate, group work and support from their superior and co-workers are seen more positively. Despite these positive developments, the changes in how the social workers rate their health and to what extent they intend to leave the workplace were minor. Also, how the social workers rated positive challenges in work and the extent to which they perceived their work as meaningful or felt that their skills and knowledge often were useful in their work had deteriorated. Possible factors as the influence of New Public Management and increased use of manuals and forms are discussed. This article discusses the slightly confusing results from a follow-up study among social workers in child welfare on how their working conditions have developed over the course of fifteen years. Questionnaires on how the social workers perceive their work and their working conditions were collected in 2003, 2014 and 2018 in the same geographical areas. At the same time as the social workers in 2018 described their working conditions as better than in the earlier years, with lower demands and better organisational conditions, they did not rate their health significantly better, and almost as many of them as earlier still intended to leave the workplace and had thought of changing professions. One of the few aspects of the working conditions which the social workers were less satisfied with compared to earlier was the extent to which they perceived their work as positively challenging and meaningful. Possible factors behind the results are discussed.
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