Managing occupational safety and health in culturally diverse small businesses: a commentary

Abstract : It is estimated that over 175 million people, or 3 per cent of the world's population, live outside their country of origin. While this diaspora has a significant impact on workforce demographics, there is still a lack of documented evidence on managing occupational health and safety in culturally diverse small businesses. In response to this lack of evidence, an international, collaborative research group was formed in 2009 to investigate the health and safety of culturally diverse workforces and resolve the inherent methodological issues. The research group has begun to undertake a number of exploratory studies located in different countries and within different jurisdictions, focusing primarily on small businesses. Informed by discussions at two recent colloquia on the topic, this commentary provides an overview of the themes and key debates in the extant literature and suggests ways forward. It concludes with an appeal that new approaches to researching and managing culturally diverse small businesses are needed.