Enriching Swedish women's work environment: The case of social enterprisesin day care

This article addresses the dramatic increase of work-related demands and th e deterioration of the psychosocial work environment for women employed in the public service sector in Sweden during the 1990s and the potential cont ribution of social enterprises to enriching women's work environment. The e mpirical part of the study of the staff of 57 day care centres, chosen thro ughout Sweden, compares the three main types of social enterprises providin g day care services, namely parent cooperatives, voluntary organizations an d worker cooperatives, with each other and contrasts them, in a retrospecti ve study, with similar municipal services. The staff study shows that socia l enterprises provide good jobs in the sense of being both demanding and pr oviding decision latitude for the employees. Women gain more control over t heir jobs through greater participation and influence in the decision-makin g processes of social enterprises. This both enriches their work life and r esults in a more engaged staff and better quality services.