
Governing with Health and Safety in Mind: Favorable Conditions for Board OHS Discussions in Swedish Municipal Contexts
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjwop.379 | Journal eISSN: 2002-2867
Language: English
Page range: 5 - 5
Submitted on: Feb 6, 2025
Accepted on: Nov 3, 2025
Published on: Feb 23, 2026
Published by: Stockholm University Press
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© 2026 Caroline Lornudd, Jonas Welander, Sara Göransson, Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz, published by Stockholm University Press
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