Subthemes

Authors are invited to submit abstracts on substantial, original, and unpublished research on any issues relevant to the conference.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Understanding small enterprises, their environment and their strategies to survive

• Small enterprise culture
• Organisation of small enterprises
• Employees in small enterprises
• The role of owner-managers
• Employer/employee relations
• Policies for small enterprise development
• Local institutions, authorities and labour unions
• Supply and value chains
• Customer relations
• Small enterprises and the local community

A healthy business

• CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility
• Small enterprise management
• Sustainability
• Personnel management & human resources
• Psycho-social working environment
• Best practise
• Quality of work
• The changing world of work

Healthy people and healthy working life

• Occupational health and small enterprises
• Physical and chemical exposures
• Ergonomics
• Work health promotion
• Risk analysis and workplace assessment
• Certification and auditing
• Safety committees and safety representatives
• Training and education
• Migrant workers
• Disabled workers

Reaching out to small enterprises

• Labour inspection and legislation
• Campaigns
• Creating dialogue, “speaking the language”
• Training programmes
• Occupational health service
• Low cost improvements
• Action research
• Supply chain networks
• Consultancy and advisory service

Business sectors and specific groups

• New business forms and structures
• Construction sector
• Service sector
• Contingent work
• Changes in labour market demographics
• Public enterprises
• Welfare and small enterprises
• The informal economy
• Small enterprises in developing countries
• Globalisation and small enterprises