<p>Environmental management officers – leadership and employeeship in local environmental health authority</p><p>The purpose of this study was to illustrate the working situation of municipal environmental health management officers. This is a qualitative study where I have interviewed ten environmental officers in ten municipalities in Sweden. The interviews were based on a half structured interview guide with questions. I have interpreted the interviews through different leadership theories. The role of the management officers is divided into many roles. The management officers have many possibilities to get more education in leadership for example they can join a network for environmental management officers or participate in different courses that employer pay. Ten different styles of leadership were found in this study: the manager with focus on administration systems, the Jack-of-all-trades-manager, the coach, the administrative official, the parent-manager, the working too much manager, the manager that get “helicoptered” by higher management, the pragmatic manager, the find out manager and the manager as manager. The employee situation is sometimes turbulent and employee turnover is extensive. The efficiency is low when a lot of time is necessary to continually educate new staff all time. The turnover and lack of development for an environmental health officer is costly because the resulting efficiency is lower than necessary. Working as an environmental health officer is an occupation with external and internal conflicts. More research is needed to develop the area of municipal environmental health in many ways.</p>

Environmental management officers – leadership and employeeship in local environmental health authority The purpose of this study was to illustrate the working situation of municipal environmental health management officers. This is a qualitative study where I have interviewed ten environmental officers in ten municipalities in Sweden. The interviews were based on a half structured interview guide with questions. I have interpreted the interviews through different leadership theories. The role of the management officers is divided into many roles. The management officers have many possibilities to get more education in leadership for example they can join a network for environmental management officers or participate in different courses that employer pay. Ten different styles of leadership were found in this study: the manager with focus on administration systems, the Jack-of-all-trades-manager, the coach, the administrative official, the parent-manager, the working too much manager, the manager that get “helicoptered” by higher management, the pragmatic manager, the find out manager and the manager as manager. The employee situation is sometimes turbulent and employee turnover is extensive. The efficiency is low when a lot of time is necessary to continually educate new staff all time. The turnover and lack of development for an environmental health officer is costly because the resulting efficiency is lower than necessary. Working as an environmental health officer is an occupation with external and internal conflicts. More research is needed to develop the area of municipal environmental health in many ways.