Exploring split shifts in Swedish elderly care

A case study through the lens of power resources theory

Bibliographic Data

ID6430299
AuthorsJohan Alfonsson (0000-0003-2941-0647, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Halmstad Halmstad Sweden, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume34
Issue3
Publication date2025-06-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Social Welfare (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-6866 • E-ISSN: 1468-2397
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ijsw.70027
OpenAlexW4411572699
LanguageEN
References cited30

This article examines the use of split shifts—workdays divided into two periods with a long, unpaid break—in Swedish eldercare. Despite their widespread use, the structural factors driving this scheduling practice remain unclear. Using a case study approach and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), the study explores these factors across municipalities. Insights were drawn from interviews with HR managers, previous research, and power resource theory (PRT), which were used to identify and test relevant conditions. Empirically, the study highlights key drivers behind the use of split shifts; theoretically, it demonstrates how PRT can explain variations in working conditions. The findings reveal two distinct pathways: one involving a high proportion of elderly residents, economic hardship, and absence of a left‐wing majority; the other replacing political orientation with high unemployment. These patterns support both the interview data and theoretical framework, showing how structural conditions shape staffing practices in eldercare

Lens (geology · Optics · Physics · Power (physics · Quantum mechanics · Sociology · Through-the-lens metering · Employment and Welfare Studies · Medicine · Psychology · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Youth Education and Societal Dynamics · Gerontology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access