Ambiguous boundaries of responsibility : top-tier managers’ perspectives on responsibility for young adults with mental health problems in need of vocational and educational support
(2025) In Nordic Social Work Research 15(4). p.575-588- Abstract
Offering supports for young adults with mental health problems in their educational and vocational pursuits promotes well-being, social inclusion, and self-sufficiency. It is therefore important that welfare actors offer services to this group. However, in Sweden, with a tradition of local self-governance and municipal autonomy, decisions regarding which services to offer may depend on perceptions of responsibility by managers. The aim of this study was to explore top-tier management’s perspectives on responsibility for young adults with mental health problems when offering vocational and educational support through municipal welfare services. The seven top-tier managers interviewed articulated the importance of offering this support,... (More)
Offering supports for young adults with mental health problems in their educational and vocational pursuits promotes well-being, social inclusion, and self-sufficiency. It is therefore important that welfare actors offer services to this group. However, in Sweden, with a tradition of local self-governance and municipal autonomy, decisions regarding which services to offer may depend on perceptions of responsibility by managers. The aim of this study was to explore top-tier management’s perspectives on responsibility for young adults with mental health problems when offering vocational and educational support through municipal welfare services. The seven top-tier managers interviewed articulated the importance of offering this support, but at the same time expressed ambiguity regarding which welfare system organization should be responsible. The results suggest that these managers demonstrated key aspects of professionalism in prioritizing the needs of their clients over perceived organizational responsibility, thereby providing these young adults with opportunities that may not be available in other municipalities.
(Less)
- author
- Hillörn, Maria ; Hillborg, Helene ; Lövgren, Veronica and Rosenberg, David
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Managerial professionalism, mental health problems, organizational responsibility, young adults
- in
- Nordic Social Work Research
- volume
- 15
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 14 pages
- publisher
- UBM Exhibition Singapore PTE LTD
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105012597325
- ISSN
- 2156-857X
- DOI
- 10.1080/2156857X.2025.2542558
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
- id
- c5b21994-1c84-4509-9207-3e2a9198f575
- date added to LUP
- 2026-01-12 15:41:02
- date last changed
- 2026-01-12 15:41:25
@article{c5b21994-1c84-4509-9207-3e2a9198f575,
abstract = {{<p>Offering supports for young adults with mental health problems in their educational and vocational pursuits promotes well-being, social inclusion, and self-sufficiency. It is therefore important that welfare actors offer services to this group. However, in Sweden, with a tradition of local self-governance and municipal autonomy, decisions regarding which services to offer may depend on perceptions of responsibility by managers. The aim of this study was to explore top-tier management’s perspectives on responsibility for young adults with mental health problems when offering vocational and educational support through municipal welfare services. The seven top-tier managers interviewed articulated the importance of offering this support, but at the same time expressed ambiguity regarding which welfare system organization should be responsible. The results suggest that these managers demonstrated key aspects of professionalism in prioritizing the needs of their clients over perceived organizational responsibility, thereby providing these young adults with opportunities that may not be available in other municipalities.</p>}},
author = {{Hillörn, Maria and Hillborg, Helene and Lövgren, Veronica and Rosenberg, David}},
issn = {{2156-857X}},
keywords = {{Managerial professionalism; mental health problems; organizational responsibility; young adults}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{575--588}},
publisher = {{UBM Exhibition Singapore PTE LTD}},
series = {{Nordic Social Work Research}},
title = {{Ambiguous boundaries of responsibility : top-tier managers’ perspectives on responsibility for young adults with mental health problems in need of vocational and educational support}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2156857X.2025.2542558}},
doi = {{10.1080/2156857X.2025.2542558}},
volume = {{15}},
year = {{2025}},
}