Facilitating the Movement of Knowledge in Occupational Health Services: Building and Aligning Relationships

Abstract

This article examines the establishment and maintenance of structures and relationships within interorganizational collaborations, specifically focusing on occupational health services in Sweden. It investigates how these collaborations are adjusted to existing structures to facilitate the movement of knowledge. The study draws attention to the gaps or seams (Vertesi, 2014) that arise when occupational health services providers and employers have different interests and objectives concerning occupational health and safety, and explores the continuous and often unnoticed relational work (Zelizer, 2012) undertaken by occupational health services providers to make their expertise and services relevant and appealing to customers and employers. This article contributes to the ongoing discussion on alignment work (Kruse, 2021, 2023) by highlighting its current limitations and underscoring the importance of relational work in creating the necessary conditions for moving knowledge.