A Piece of the Boardroom Pie-An Interview Study Exploring What Drives Swedish Corporate Boards' Engagement in Occupational Health and Safety.

Abstract

To investigate why boards of directors engage in occupational health and safety (OHS) and what influences their level of engagement. Thirty-four board members and chief executive officers at large companies from the manufacturing, construction, trade, and health/social care sectors were interviewed. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Five drivers organized along a continuum explain why boards engage: legal compliance, untoward events, external expectations/regulations, business drivers, and moral values. Certain factors influence the level of engagement: board's OHS competence, owner's agenda, and competing needs. Boards continuously prioritize among multiple foci. If a board's total engagement is likened to a pie, the size of the OHS slice will depend on the drivers, as well as on the influencing factors. We suggest that even boards with many drivers can down-prioritize OHS under certain conditions.