Multi-Actor Shared Agency as Unity and Distinctness: a Categorisation Analysis of the Tasks, Responsibilities, and Obligations of Occupational Health Services and Workplace Representatives in Occupational Health Collaboration

Abstract

The goal of occupational health collaboration is to promote well-being and health at work as a collaboration of the workplace, employees, and occupational health care. In this article, we examine occupational health collaboration from the perspective of multi-actor shared agency as collaboration between organisations. The object of our interest is how occupational health care and workplace representatives talk about their own or another organisation’s tasks, responsibilities, and obligations in occupational health collaboration. The material consist of group-based semi-structured interviews of 17 occupational health care and workplace representatives. We analysed the material using categorisation analysis and content analysis. Multi-actor shared agency manifested itself as talk about unity and distinctness. Unity was manifested by the categories of working together, seeking collaboration, developing collaboration, and supporting collaboration. Distinctness was manifested by the categories of demanding, criticising, indifference, limiting, monitoring, and controlling. The results can be used to understand the cultural and institutional factors influencing collaboration between organisations.

Full text (in Finnish) (journal.fi)

Authors

Sanna Pesonen, Riitta Seppänen-Järvelä, Hanna Hakulinen, Johanna Lammintakanen

Additional Information

• Peer-Reviewed: yes.
• Open Access: yes.
• Cite as: Pesonen, S., Seppänen-Järvelä, R., Hakulinen, H., & Lammintakanen, J. (2026). Yhteistoimijuus yhtenäisyytenä ja erillisyytenä – kategoria-analyysi työterveyshuollon ja työpaikkojen edustajien tehtävistä, vastuista ja velvollisuuksista työterveysyhteistyössä. Työelämän tutkimus, 24(1), https://doi.org/10.37455/tt.148455