text:
The authors' joint commitment conflicts produced the idea to study highly-regarded leaders' perspective on workplace conflicts and their constructive resolution. Basically there was a curiosity about how such leaders resolve conflicts so effectively.
Workplace conflicts are a major part of a leader´s time at work. While probably unavoidable, how conflicts are handled is crucial for the growth and development of an organization and its employees. There has been practical conflict management research from a leadership perspective, but the studies have had a quantitative focus. This study aims to examine the various ways respected managers address and resolve workplace conflicts. The study seeks to answer the following questions: What kinds of workplace conflict exist in an organization? What are the critical factors in conflicts? How are conflicts viewed constructive/destructive? What is a leader's role when managing/resolving workplace conflict? What abilities and qualities have leaders who manage conflict effectively?
The study is based on a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. The material was thematic and coded. Results were analysed using the theoretical framework. The empirical data was analysed using Rahims (2002) theory of conflict management. Building on the results, the model which has been developed will be presented at the study's conclusion.
The study's analysis reveals that leaders who deal with conflicts constructively mastered the three main areas of concern, depending on the situation. These are people-oriented, task-oriented, and learning- and culture-oriented. The study's results also revealed that evasive and/or dominant leadership in particular creates barrier store solving conflict.
In today's society, the demands at work have increased and the employees are at the disposal
of the organizations success. The working environment today can be perceived as a hot topic,
and on this basis it may also appear that rehabilitation regarding return to work should be
given a greater focus. It appears that it is a lack in rehabilitation at present moment, therefore
greater efforts should occur to develop routines, working relationships and working
techniques with the individual in focus. This study was conducted in a profit-producing
company in Sweden and the purpose of the study is to get the company's vision and guidance
documents regarding their rehabilitation process. Furthermore, the purpose is to describe how
the individual experiences their rehabilitation process. This in order to finally compare these,
to see how well the rehabilitation process works and how it is perceived by its employees. In
conclusion, the purpose is to contribute to the company with possible improvement
suggestions regarding the individual perspective in the rehabilitation process.
This study is based on a qualitative method, where we have interviewed a person who holds
rehabilitation responsibility for the company in question. In addition, interviews have been
made with six employees who have gone through a rehabilitation process at the company. The
result of this study has been analyzed based on the theoretical reference framework of this
study. The empirical result showed that the individual in vocational rehabilitation is
influenced by several factors at the workplace. The factors that we could discern in this study
are how the approach takes place between employers and employees, partly through support
and communication, but also how the rehabilitation work is experienced. The study also
shows that the working conditions for the individual are important through job satisfaction
and the work adjustment that has taken place during their rehabilitation. Another factor of
influence for return to work are how much the individual has participate in their process and
the importance of being able to influence in decisions. These factors are important in
rehabilitation situations in order to generate a successful return to work.
A common problem in the geriatric care is that it is difficult to recruit staff with the right
qualifications. The number of unqualified increases in the industry despite a striving to have
more people who are qualified. Research shows that the need for qualified people in the
industry is increasing and the number of people studying to be nurses decreases. To attract
employees requires that the company is considered to be attractive from the employees' point
of view and also from a prospective employee's point of view. To study the problem, this
survey has been made on one of the leading companies in the industry and the intention was
to study whether the employees' view of attractive work was consistent with what their
managers thought that their employees considered as attractive work.
The survey was made on four different units through a questionnaire that employees have
responded and the unit's managers have been interviewed. The results of the survey showed
that the manager's view of attractive work was consistent with the employees' view of
attractive work to a certain extent. Regional manager and assistant regional manager had a
deeper understanding of what parts fail to appear as attractive employers
Since the 1990s, public organizations underwent several major changes that led to unit managers within the municipal activity increased responsibility and authority, making the unit manager role more complex. Reports indicate difficulties in recruiting and retaining managers. Therefore, it is important to examine how the Head of Unit's, work to develop a more attractive job role. An attractive role is created by giving employees good prospects in the job content, job satisfaction and working conditions. The manager's positon includes three roles of which the employee role of the theory is not especially priority or made visible. The study aims to identify what makes the unit manager's profession an attractive job, and how it can be developed. In the study, a qualitative research method has been used to achieve a deeper understanding of the Heads of Unit working situation. This has contributed to a hermeneutic approach being chosen, as we strive to get a better understanding of the phenomenon. The study was conducted in the municipality of Falun, where six heads of units in nursing management were interviewed. The result shows that unit managers are satisfied with their work situation and find their work attractive. Factors as diverse as, freedom, problem solving, social contacts, and portions of the recognition belong to the attractive factors. Heads of Unit describe, three development areas to increase the attractiveness. The first relates to the organization as a whole, where weaknesses exist in the communications and planning. Other development area is about the pace of work by personalizing the working groups as well as time for reflection and recuperation. The third development field the unit managers highlight, is the lack of recognition from the organization. Besides the Heads of Unit shortcomings, we have identified a development area to increase the attractiveness. Lack of colleagues to "bounce ideas" means that work is perceived as lonely. To counteract loneliness we can manage group guidance as an alternative, where reflection and feedback is included. The theory indicate that this also leads to increased self-esteem, commitment.
This thesis is based on a survey within a global organization. The purpose of the study is to
elucidate and describe an HR department's experience of the psychosocial work environment.
The starting point for this survey is that there are known factors that affect the psychosocial
work environment. Furthermore, the study aimed to motivate the organization to work with
the psychosocial work environment.
The theory is that these factors are based on assumption that the psychosocial work
environment is affected by excessive workload, lack of control, lack of recognition,
community at work, role conflicts and conflicts of values (Åsberg, Grape, Nygren, Rohde,
Wahlberg, & Währborg, 2010) (Thylefors, 2011). Skills and ability to influence the
workplace are also important factors (Wreder, 2007). Knowledge, communication and good
leadership is therefore the foundation for a viable psychosocial work environment.
The survey is based on a deductive approach, in which participants initially putting a value of
factors through a quantitative survey, for a few weeks later to discuss the factors of
qualitative focus groups. The purpose of the survey was to obtain an anonymous individual
estimation of the experience, while the purpose of the focus groups was to obtain deeper
information about the experience and how employees perceive that the psychosocial work
environment can be improved.
The results were interpreted based on the theory and several factors had the potential to be
improved. To conduct an adequate work environment, it is important to identify the factors
and work with them in a way that the employees perceive current. Furthermore, it is
important for the organisations to work with the psychosocial working from an organizational
perspective, and not just primarily the individual perspective.
Background: This study is based on how seven nurses experience their work situation in relation to attractive work and what makes them motivated to stay in their workplace. For many years, the department has had a good reputation and there has been low staff turnover among the nurses. The last three to five years, the trend has begun to turn around and staff turnover has started to increase. This means that the knowledge-intensive department faces the challenge of succeeding in retaining its workforce in order to not risk losing the experience, knowledge and expertise the patients need in their care. This is a topical issue when the Swedish healthcare system is faced with challenges in retaining nurses. At the same time, savings in healthcare are increasing the cost of hired labor. The forecasts show that the population is increasing and living longer and at the same time large retirements are taking place. This creates an unsustainable situation where the experience that exists has to be preserved, which means that organizations need to work to become attractive employers in order to be able to maintain nurses.
Purpose: To investigate which factors that nurses at a care ward in Dalarna experience important in order to stay in their workplace.
Method: We have moved within the hermeneutic interpretation theory where the direction goes towards interpreting, studying and understanding. In order to investigate the background to individuals choosing to stay in a workplace, we chose a qualitative approach. Qualitative research is presented as contextual because the research is understood in its context in order to increase the understanding of the phenomenon under investigation.
Result: What emerged from this study is that colleagues are an important motivating factor to stay in the workplace. Most of the nurses who participated in the study feel that everyone's efforts in the department are important. Good cooperation between colleagues contributes to security in the role and a feeling that experiences are valued. Although nurses appreciate working in teams, something that is significant in healthcare, it appears that they want to be recognized for their achievements on an individual level. They are specialists in their profession and feel that the skills development given at the workplace makes them want to stay. At the same time, they want better working conditions in the form of flexible working hours and wages that reflect their performance. They also want a management that is visible in the day-to-day operations and it is appreciated when the management implements improvement proposals that benefit the working conditions.
Discussion: It`s not possible to ignore the challenges facing the department. The reflections from the nurses regarding the desire to remain in the workplace were affected by the current situation and the challenges they experienced in their working conditions, which also affects the factors that are considered attractive.
Recruitment needs in Swedish health care are the basis of this study. The requirements are
increasing according to SKL (2015) and the lack of staff leads to competition for labour
among organisations. Better knowledge and understanding of human socialisation would help
to solve the problem, with a focus in the workplace in order to facilitate the organisation's
management to retain staff.
Further research is needed regarding managerial support and colleague relationships, and the
impact they have on the socialisation of new employees. The aim of this study is to examine
how a company in the health care sector works with the socialisation of new employees by
focusing on social relationships and managerial support.
Research involving the socialisation of new employees highlights colleagues as a tool to gain
access to important resources, for example: tacit knowledge. Managers need to be present and
give feedback, organisational culture influences as part of the organisation's personality.
The study consists of abductive and qualitative interviews, with focus on individual
interpretation and experience of their socialisation within the company. Eleven interviews
were conducted, with four managers and seven new employees participating in the study.
The result of the interviews have been analysed using a theoretical framework. We have
concluded that manager awareness of what the individual goes through, during their
socialisation process, affects the managerial support given to the new employees. Colleagues
are important resources and not just a tool for new employees, without also needing to take on
a large responsibility for individuals introduced to the social environment in the workplace.
However, the new employees also need to be open and active in order to receive support from
their colleagues. For the staff to share the organisational culture, they need to be involved in
the changes and common purposes, which permeate the entire operation. To achieve the
successful assimilation of a new employee into such an environment requires a company to be
fully aware of the social development structure within its own organisation. Working closely
with the Human Resources' department, playing a large part in the success of the socialization
The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the role of the site manager in small and medium-sized construction companies from a sustainability perspective. We have investigated which areas of responsibility and internal support a site manager can have, how the psychosocial work environment for the site manager is and what competences and experiences are requested from a site manager. Furthermore, we have investigated whether there is strategic competence supply of site managers.
The results show that small and medium-sized construction companies in Dalarna find it difficult to recruit site managers and in the case of recruitment, they preferably seek candidates with experience of being a site manager. Furthermore, they protect their current corporate culture. The responsibilities for a site manager are many, however, internal support is available. Several of the construction companies find the psychosocial work environment difficult to handle. Additionally, each of the respondents identify that the greatest health risk for a site manager is currently stress.
The method used was qualitative and the empirical material was collected through semi structured interviews. Five respondents participated in the study and all held corporate leading positions in their respective companies, with good knowledge of the role of the site manager. The empirical material was analyzed and discussed based on previous research and theories.
The conclusion of this study is that the role of the site manager is not maintained from a sustainable perspective, as the demands on the already existing site managers increase whilst new abilities doesn't get access to the role due to lack of experience.
To achieve a good work environment, the employer and the employee jointly cooperate under the Work Environment Act. This study has been performed in an industrial company with a view to examining the working environment and occupational injuries differs between men and women. In order to achieve a credible and reliable result, three different methods were used, such as interviews, participant observation and information from the company's IA system. The result shows that there are equally large differences between women and men today as it did a few years ago. Something else that was discovered was that there are many unreported when it comes to reporting the safety conversations, incidents and accidents in the company's IA sys-tem. After analyzing the collected empirical material was concluded that women do not get injuries easily than men, but it depends on the culture, norms and values in the industry. The company is working in the right way in terms of safety, equipment, ergonomics and more, still short right up to the employees. Culture, norms and values affect both working conditions and working environment, and for the success of their work environment, the company must be able to turn this around.
This study has the purpose of examining if there is an answer to the question
When is HR needed? The material in this study is based on five semi-structured interviews and two group interviews with people which are working with HR-related duties within small and medium-sized organizations in Dalarna county. The theoretical frame of reference in this study discusses the following areas: HR/HRM, strategic HRM, HR in small and medium-sized organizations, leadership, communication and Employer Brand. The reasoning behind choosing several different areas is that the main area of the study looks to be relatively unexplored, thus is the theoretical frame of reference shaped out of areas which are considered to have an impact on the question When is HR needed? The result of this study shows that there probably is no concrete answer to this question. What the results do show is that there are several areas which have an impact on the question and which are recurrent with all the interviewed organizations. These are: economics, communication, support from outside the company, stress on managers with a particular focus on labor law, and the organizations' capacity to attract workforce. The result of the study has ultimately been compiled into a model which has the purpose of functioning as a form of checklist that organizations can use to help them appraise if they should consider establishing an HR-function.
The background to the study is based on a demonstration by Union representatives, in Borlänge in 2013. They were demonstrating against changes in working hours in the social sector in Borlänge municipality. One of the affected groups were employees of dementia the accommodation Hessegården. The protesters were not satisfied with the decision because they considered that the working hours would be worse for them.
The aim of the study was to find out how employees and their work is affected by such a decision and highlight the aspects which may hinder or help for this issue.
Method: I chose to carry out the study through a case study and using a qualitative method and hence the use of interviews, semi-structured interviews from some of the employees at Hessegården. Data and theory gathered through literature and previous research.
The results showed that the majority of people did not like the change in working hours and that they felt that their work has become a bit more difficult and stressful after the introduction of the change. It was also mixed views on how the information about the change to and how the boss handled the situation.
Conclusion: the interviews and the study showed that employees were negatively affected by the introduction of the new working hours. Both at their workplace, in their work, and in his spare time in his everyday life. Family and friends were affected by it were working more shifts and the residents were affected by stress and insecurity in their everyday lives.
The interest in conducting the study was raised in the autumn of 2017 when the
movement spread on social media and a large number of individuals witnessed their
vulnerability to sexual harassment at their workplaces. The movement certifies sexual
harassment in a number of industries, where our interest was raised to investigate the nurse's
experiences of sexual harassment.
Past studies that constitute the research front are focused on the individual and the individual
consequences of sexual harassment. The knowledge gap that was identified was how
organizations are affected by the occurrence of sexual harassment as well as how they can carry
out preventive and remedial work on the issue. The purpose of the study is therefore to highlight
the occurrence and the consequences of sexual harassment. One purpose is to explain how the
organization works with issues related to sexual harassment. To answer the purpose of the study
theories describing the definition of the concept of sexual harassment, individual- and
organization effects, power, culture of silence, organizational culture and employer
responsibility is all brought up.
The data collection of the study is based on a triangulation using a quantitative web-based
survey as well as qualitative semi-structured interviews. A demarcation has been made to
female nurses employed in an organization in central Sweden.
The results of the study shows that sexual harassment occurs at the workplace and that there is
a culture of silence about the subject where the asked employees do not know where to turn to
tell their experiences. Employees also show great unknowledge about the organization's policy,
action plan and what support they are entitled to receive. The results of the collected data have
been analyzed using the theoretical reference framework and concentrated on four main areas
that are also discussed. The main areas are where to drawn boundaries, culture of silence,
organizational culture and organizational work.
The field of leadership is a previously well-explored area, but relatively little research in the subject has concerned Swedish organizations and even less government institutions and authorities.
In the following study, what managers at a government authority are perceived as factors to exercise successful leadership in their organization are investigated. The study is based on empirical evidence from qualitative interviews with five managers at the State Administration of Transport, Trafikverket. Through this study, a new interview method has also been developed, interactive themed interview. Where the respondent is a part in creating and designing the interview guide.
In the results of this study, it is found that the investigated managers themselves felt that successful leadership in their organization is based on four factors. These are referred to as relationships, decision making, development and
The conclusions that this study can contribute beyond what factors the managers themselves consider generating a successful leadership are also how the managers act to exert what they experience successful leadership, but also what roles a successful leadership includes. That the role of the manager, the role of leader and the role as himself, affects the aforementioned factors, relationships, decision and development, and that the interaction between these roles and factors in various ways affects the managers' degree of perceived success in their leadership. The study also shows that Trafikverket's new leadership philosophy is in line with what managers perceive as contributing factors for the pursuit of successful leadership. And that this new philosophy can help managers to exert more what they themselves experience as a successful leadership.
In today's society, the attractiveness of an organization is an important factor. It is important to attract new employees and to retain existing employees. Various factors affect the attractiveness and, in order to achieve attractiveness, the organization can work with different employer branding processes. The aim with this study is to examine what can constitutes Securitas as an attractive employe, with suggestions for improvement and development to attract and retain employees. The theoretical point covers theories with Employer Branding.
The study is based on a quantitative method where a survey was created to gather empirical data about employees´view and opinions about the organization as an attractive employer. A meeting was held with Securitas executives and HR partners before the survey was designed to know how the organization works to attract and retain employees. The selection of respondents is limited to guardians who works in a region in the middle of Sweden. Diagram have been used to compiled the empiricism and theories have been used to analyze the empiricism. The conclusions are that factors such as relationships, education, information, benefits and work equipment are attractive. All of these factors need to be improved and if it doesn't happened can it be difficult to attract and retain employees. Improvement proposals have been compiled in a dot shape and is based on what have been said in the analysis and discussion.
The work-introduction is of great importance for both the new employee as well as the
organization. A well planned introduction can affect the employees work performance and
also affect how long the employee stays within the organisation. For this reason, it is
interesting to study the work-introduction process as well as the organisational socialisation.
The purpose of this study is to investigate how the introduction affects the manager's ability to
succeed in his/her leadership. The study will also provide potential tools to improve the
manager introduction, as well as highlight the importance of a well-founded introduction. The
study has been conducted at Falu Municipality who are also the constituent for this study.
The focus of this study is on the personnel-related issues in the introduction of new managers.
Seven qualitative interviews have been conducted, of which three interviews was with
employees and four with managers. The results found indicated that the respondents feel that
the introduction has good building blocks but that it is rarely implemented due to lack of time.
This study also reveals the lack of socialization and relationship-creating tools as part of the
introduction process. In addition to this, the results indicated that a well-structured and
processed introduction has a positive influence on the leadership.
The purpose of this study is to describe and analyse the importance of managers' personal development to conduct an effective leadership. The result of the study and the analysis shows that managers' personal development is significant for how leaders prioritise and manage human relationships, which includes the ability for two-way communication, active listening and being present in the day-to-day working environment. The result indicates that both organisations taking part in the study strive for a relation-oriented leadership. Effective leadership is achieved when the leader has a personal maturity and an understanding of how their behaviour affects others. A leader needs to show humility and be responsive in order to promote cooperation within the organisation and personal development can contribute to such an environment. The study also shows that support in your work, by colleagues and Human Resources (HR), is of great importance to achieve personal development objectives enabling an effective leadership to be conducted.
The study was carried out with a qualitative research method, using semi-structured interviews with eight respondents in various management positions including two HR managers. Their subjective experiences have shaped the result of the study. The reference framework contains previous research on management and leadership, Human Resource Management (HRM), leadership development, the importance of human capital for organisations, the role of HR as well as the conditions for implementing the concept of soft HRM.
The conclusions from the study are that it is possible to achieve effective leadership if the management team and HR in an organisation appreciates the value of leaders having appropriate personal characteristics and supporting the further development of these. A prerequisite, however, is that managers at all levels are seeing the value of development and have a desire to develop.
In an organization located in the countryside of Dalarna an increasing dissatisfaction is revealed in a staff survey among the employees, where serval problems can be linked to the rapid expansion that the organisation is currently undergoing. Even a positive organizational change such as growth can contribute to negative effects and problems for the employees. This study intended to examine what challenges and possibilities the employees are experiencing in this organization that is growing rapidly, linked to the growth. Empirical data has been sampled by conducting eight in-depth interviews with managers, co-workers and HR managers as respondents.
Based on the respondents' view of the situation four major problem areas have been identified: lack of common procedures, ambiguous roles, insufficient information and communication and lack of proactive efforts to ensure employee competence. The empirical data indicate that the organization is suffering from a gap when it comes to the development of human resources, labor system and leadership. The number of employees are increasing at a higher rate than the infrastructural processes, which can be seen as an organizational growing pain. Based on the results, suggestions regarding which activities the HR function should focus on are given.
In order to address the development gap and prevent further growth pain symptoms the HR function should focus on proactive measures. A key factor shown in the developed model of the study, is that the leaders are of great importance for how the organization and its employees are able to handle a situation of growing pain. Therefore, HR needs to have a clear picture of what support the business leaders need in order to be able to create a high value for the organization, managers and employees. Consistent with previous research this study shows that the specifics of each organization and the context it operates in determines which activities that are most important and effective in order to achieve a successful result. General suggestions for HR activities are therefore not given.
The study has taken its starting point in discussions with a contact person in a multinational corporate group. The contact person described a desire to examine which communication channels that would be the most appropriate to use in the communication with line managers regarding HR-practices. The purpose of the study was to, in an multinational corporate group, examine, describe and analyse the relationship and communication between the HR-function and line managers as well as identify which opportunities and obstacles that exist for these areas. The theoretical starting points consisted of theories regarding relationships, communication and organisation.
The study is based on a qualitative approach and the empirical material is collected through seven semi-structured interviews as well as one written response based on the interview guide. The material has been analysed by thematic analysis. The results show that the relationship and communication between HR Business Partners (HRBP) and managers in the examined organisation are perceived as quite good. The interviews also show that the managers are happy with the support they get from their HRBP overall and that they rather get support and information through email unless it is issues that need to be discussed. Furthermore the study shows that the physical distance can affect the relationship and communication in a negative way because it reduces the number of informal and spontaneous meetings that can encourage the relationship. There is no strategy for the internal communication in the corporate group today, something that we think should exist.
In previous interview with the trade union Byggnads, it emerged that the construction industry is characterized by a culture called macho culture. The work environment is characterized by greed, tough working climate, and sexist or gender discriminating language. Byggnads, together with the Byggcheferna, started a campaign 2015 called the "Stop macho culture". In which they argue that the construction industry is one of Sweden's least-equalized industry and that more women are needed but also that the macho culture must be removed completely. Therefore, in this study we have chosen to investigate the exact macho culture and women's status in the construction industry by interviewing both supervisors and employees to arrive at a result. The result found that a macho culture exists when abusive as well as sexist and gender discriminating words occur every day. However, this does not irritate employees or supervisors in any way as they point out that this is the way the construction industry works. Interviewers also consider that women in the workplace are positive, none of the interviewees sees any obstacles in the sex but rather that the woman must have interests that are more male. The conclusions we have come to are that education is what is required and missing, education for both the protection officer, the supervisor and the employees. This to build awareness that women are needed in the industry and that they can do the same work as men can.
A report by Svensk Näringsliv (2010) describes that entities already today and in the near
future are facing the greatest amount of retirements in Swedish history. A major challenge the
companies will face is the retirements of people born during the 1940s; their retirement
enables companies face major challenges, particularly the successful implementation of a
successful generation. The people who retire during his working life developed a knowledge
that many organizations are founded upon. A large part of this knowledge must be transferred
to organizations to continue to be effective on the market. The purpose of this study was to
gain a deeper understanding of the importance of leadership regarding knowledge transfer in
an organization, and to provide practical tools to managers and employees in order to avoid
losing valuable knowledge in a generation.
The industrial Company LEAX's have identified a problem in the transfer key knowledge due
to the change of generation. Their desire was to get help with practical tools, how to think and
act to mitigate the knowledge gap that may arise. To investigate this, and fulfill the purpose of
this study, interviews were conducted with four production managers, four employees who
are expected to share knowledge and three employees are expected to embrace knowledge.
Before the interviews were conducted, we did get knowledge in the subject mentioned above
by reading some the theory of knowledge, knowledge management and leadership. We started
in our theory section to sort out the concept knowledge since the concept of knowledge has a
broad significance and can be defined differently depending whether it is an individual or
organizational. Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) makes a simplified picture of knowledge as an
iceberg, where the explicit knowledge is termed as the top. Clearly visible above the surface
of the water, it is easy to discover and absorb. Hidden under water is an invisible knowledge
that is difficult to detect, called implicit or tacit knowledge. This knowledge forms a huge part
of the iceberg, and thus becomes important to preserve. To understand what knowledge
means, organizations need to identify what kind of knowledge that needs to be transmitted for
the transfer of knowledge to be successful (Jonsson, 2012). But even though organizations do
this, the management also needs to understand that knowledge is a strategic matter that can be
seen as a process that involves employees. In this study, we have investigated how leaders can
create motivation, commitment and resources for employees to want to participate and
contribute to knowledge transfer. To try to understand how knowledge is transmitted in an
organization, we have used the Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) SECI model. The model is based
on the interaction between the tacit and explicit knowledge, which occurs in four processes.
We have developed these processes to a custom model that includes institutional,
organizational and cognitive factors. Based on these factors, we have created practical
suggestions on how leaders together with employees can plan the transfer of knowledge.
These practical proposals will benefit both individual and organizational development, and
helps to mitigate the brain drain in the generation change. One of the practical examples we
designed is a skill profile, which is a tool for organizations to identify the knowledge of the
employees, which makes knowledge visible. Knowledge that may be lost. Competence profile
together with our model can be applied to similar companies, but also organizations working
in other industries. As this competence profile was developed for the requirements contained
in the relevant company, it is possible to adapt for other activities.
The purpose of this research is to examine what factors that appears to be attractive in the work as a unit manager. In order to achieve this purpose, a qualitative research method was chosen, using semi-structured interviews with a sample consisting of unit managers and human resource consultants. The results generated in this research aims to improve the understanding of what factors that appears as attractive in the work as a unit manager. Furthermore, the research also aims to contribute to the understanding of what areas that needs to be developed in order to create an improved and healthier work-environment for unit managers. The results in this study shows that the factors that appears as attractive can be divided into three categories; prerequisites, impact and meaningfulness. This is highlighted in for example the size of the work-group, the level of independence inhabited and stimulation, which appears as factors crucial for the attractiveness in the role as a unit manager. The reason why this study is of vital importance is because understanding the factors that appears as attractive in the work as a unit manager can be crucial in maintaining the unit managers in the workplace.
Intresset för att studera intern kommunikation startade när vi själva insåg områdets komplexitet och utmaningar. Fascinationen över att kommunikation, som är ständigt förekommande i alla typer av sammanhang, kan vara så svårt att hantera bidrog till utformandet av studiens syfte och frågeställningar. Studien syftar till att undersöka hur en myndighet använder HR och den kompetens som HR besitter samt huruvida den interna kommunikationen fungerar som en integrerad funktion mellan ledning och chefer. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ ansats där fokus riktas mot respondenternas egna upplevelser och tolkningar.Studiens empiriska material är insamlat på en statlig myndighet genom fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer samt en minifokusgruppsintervju med tre medarbetare. Respondenterna representeras av chefer och medarbetare från myndighetens kommunikationsavdelning samt HR-funktion. Resultatet visar att intern kommunikation definieras som något som sker inom den egna organisationen och beskrivs som både det viktigaste och samtidigt det svåraste att förhålla sig till och hantera. Vidare visar studien att en önskvärd intern kommunikation präglas av ett öppet klimat, möjlighet till medarbetarinflytande samt ett mer uttalat samarbete mellan myndighetens HR- och kommunikationsavdelning. Tidigare forskning har framförallt fokuserats till intern kommunikation vid förändring, något som även inkluderats i studien då den undersökta myndigheten genomgår en övergripande organisationsförändring där samverkan mellan stödfunktionerna kommer öka. Resultatet påvisar att en av de utmaningar som intern kommunikation bidrar till utgörs av att skapa en gemensam förståelse för situationer och problem då olika befattningar och roller utgår från differentierade perspektiv.Nyckelord:
The author's common interest for healthy employees, brought reasonto study how line managers can manage and develop this withsupport from HR. Previous research highlights that knowledge ofhow health is promoted is missing. Line managers have a key role inworking with contributors´ health. The aim of the study is toinvestigate how managers are working for the well-being ofemployees and which aid dedicated to line managers from the HRfunction, and how support and the work with employees' health canbe developed. This study also investigates the approach on healthfrom each party. The method consisted of a case study, includingdata collection through depth interview with HR and focus groupinterview with heads of unit. The result of the HR interview showedoverwhelming support in individual conversations, but lack ofresources for the support function. HR requested additional resourcesand more health promotion work instead of rehabilitation. Heads ofunit are working with a wellness initiative for healthy contributors.Development points were found in increased support, developedwellness options, increased participation and performance appraisalswith a focus on the individual's health status. The findings showthat heads of units are working with participation, attendance andhealth care but want more focus on the individual's health status. HRneeds resources in order to support the heads of units in their healthcare. A common approach is missing between HR and heads of unitin their work for health promotion. Education, approach and supportshould be developed on the basis of the organization's overallcontext.
This study contains an analysis on pensions and pension knowledge with alignment on
occupational pension in a Swedish service producing company. The survey shows that a
complexity and knowledge insecurity takes place on the Swedish retirement area and the
interest for the subject is low. This study aims to identify the terms that have an affection on
that area and analyzes the subject from a HR-perspective in the research company. Both
qualitative and quantitative methods are used in this study shaped as web-based survey and
focus group interview for higher reliability and validity. The theoretical referred framework in
this survey is based on summon situation analysis of the Swedish pension area, definition of
the occupational pension and the terms which can affect the pension, for instance the diversity
and equality in working life. These terms are later compared to the empirical data for analysis
and discussion to the theoretical aspects in the referred framework. HR–s departmental role in
relationship to pension knowledge is examined in this survey and so is the question about
connection between the retirement during a certain retirement age and the individual pension
knowledge. This is later discussed in the discussion section of this survey in a relationship to
the empirical result and the theoretical referred background of this study.
This survey ends with a conclusion about HR–s role as a pension–communicator and a
suggestion to future investigations on the pension area including focus on a broader HR–field.
A proactive improvement proposal is presented for the research company with focus on
promoting and spreading the pension knowledge in the organization.
This study is based on research into the work of gender and equality in two different professions within the same organization. The Swedish labor market is gender segregated and is the labor market to be examined closer stands the internal gender segregation. This means that women and men with the same occupation and sometimes the same employer perform different tasks. According to previous research, women's share of labor has increased significantly since 1960, and this has led to a major step towards increased gender equality. Women and men have chosen different professions that resulted in a gender segregated labor market. A contributory reason why the Swedish labor market is still highly gender segregated is the description of professions and industries such as "typically female" and "typically male".
The starting point for this study is to develop more research on the importance of the Swedish gender-based labor market. The purpose of the study is thus to investigate two different professions that exhibit women dominance and men dominance within one and the same organization.
Previous research shows that differences in traditions, attitudes and values are related to gender patterns. This makes women dominate the home care services and men in the technical activities. These gender patterns are of great importance to the working environment, as it affects all parts of our society. The study has been conducted with qualitative interviews from a hermeneutic perspective. Interviews have been conducted with people with different positions from the emergency services, health and social care (home care service), and the staff manager.
The study has been analyzed with qualitative interviews from a hermeneutic perspective. Interviews have been conducted with people with different positions from the emergency services, healthcare and home care services and the responsible human resource manager.
The results from the interviews have been analyzed based on the theoretical reference frame-work. In this study we have come to the conclusion that the male-dominated occupational field has gone further in the work of gender equality, for example, new dressing rooms for women. And some of the firemen's partners are against female firefighters.
How can organizations retain and attract employees by rewards and benefits? And how can we as human resource managers contribute? This is what the study is about which was performed by a method combination where interviews and a survey was done. The purpose of this study is to identify which rewards and benefits are available in two IT-companies and explore which of them attracts employees in the IT-industry. Three issues were designed, where the purpose was to find out which rewards and benefits are available at the two companies, examine the companies' similarities and differences and see how these rewards and benefits affect the employer´s attractiveness. The theoretical reference consists theories about rewards and benefits, motivation and employer attractiveness. The study led to discussion, improvement proposals and conclusions with the help of relevant theories in the area. The two IT-companies have similar rewards and benefits and a conclusion is made that these affect employer attractiveness. Because of this conclusion it is important that human resource managers and management understand the importance of the affect that they have on attractivity.
This study is based on the Swedish work environment authority statute book about organisational and social work environment, AFS 2015:4 provisions, that has been developed to promote a good work environment and prevent risks of ill health. Because of the increasing numbers of work-related ill health due to stress and mental strain, the focus in this study was unhealthy workloads and if there is knowledge in the municipality about preventing and dealing with these risks.
The aim was to examine how the municipality practically work with the provision within three organizational levels and how the employees perceive their psychosocial work environment. There were also focus on investigating how employees participate in the above environment work.
The study was based on a hermeneutic perspective with a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews. One group interview consisting two employees representing the HR department and two individual interviews at the managerial level. At the employee level, two group interviews were held with three employees from the departments headed by the managers.
The outcome of the study shows that good results can be obtained in the psychosocial work environment when all organizational levels integrates these issues in their systematic work environment and establish routines to prevent and dealing with unhealthy workload. The study confirms that social support, knowledge, communication and employee participation are important factors for a healthy psychosocial work environment. The discussion shows the importance of taking time for preventing ill health and suggestions about using the demand/control/support-model as a tool for analysing and reflect over the employee workload.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the work situation for first-line managers' at Ludvika municipality. In this paper we have chosen to start from two issues: ● How do first-line managers experience their work situation at Ludvika municipality? ● What can be done to improve the first-line manager's future work situation? To achieve the aim of the study, several methods has been used in which a quantitative method and a qualitative method are combined. The results of the study show that lack of support and resources, as well as too many employees, affect the first-line managers in their daily work by lack of time for work environment management and business development. Most of the firstline managers at Ludvika municipality work in an unsustainable work situation of too high demands together with too little support, which creates a lack of control over the work situation. According to Karasek's Job demand - control - support model, there is an increased risk of ill health among the municipality's first line managers.
This study was based on a need to increase the knowledge regarding what the Millennial generation consider constitutes an attractive employer. To be specific, the purpose was to examine the generation's opinions about attractive factors in employers. Previous research and theory of attractiveness, employer branding and generations for example were used for the base as well as analysis. In order to answer the purpose a quantitative method was used in the shape of a survey distributed to a total of 152 construction engineering students that were Millennials, divided into two universities. The survey resulted in a total of 72 participants.
The result showed that the highest valued factors were to work in a happy and fun environment, to have good relationships with colleagues, opportunity to learn new skills, to gain careerenhancing experience, to work in an exciting environment and that the organization produces high-quality products and services. A categorization of these revealed that all the highest valued factors were other than economic aspects of the employer brand, in fact the majority were psychological.
Furthermore, possible differences in estimations were examined based on work experience and gender. The result showed, among other things, that the group with shorter work experience valued the majority of the most important factors higher while women valued all of them higher. This study's result also demonstrated that none of the examined factors were valued remarkably low, which could indicate that an employer also should pay attention to other factors than the ones the participants regarded as the most important.
The aim of this study is thus to see how the recruitment process is made in the context of public administration and what kind of aspects that can affect the implementation and outcome of the recruitment process. To this study qualitative method has been used. A case study has been combined with interviews and a vignette to explore the respondent's approaches and experiences of recruitment. A total of seven people who all work with recruitment have been interviewed. The theoretical starting points that underpin this study reflect areas of recruitment and selection, subjectivity, sustainability, public sector management, leadership and organizational culture. The results of this study has been analysed by a content analysis that focuses on patternmaking to get a greater understanding of the answers given by the respondents. This study shows that there are several crucial factors that can interrupt and affect the recruitment process in the context of public administration and therefore important to take in consideration. For instance is subjectivity a factor that's always present and therefore inevitable. No matter how much work the respondents put in to making the process of recruitment objective and competence- based, subjective factors like personal charismas and first impressions still takes in consideration in the overall evaluation of the candidate. This factor also has a lot to do with the competence, knowledge and experience that the recruiting managers possess. The study also shows the importance of the HR-function as a key role in the organization both to support the recruiting managers and for the development of sustainability in recruitment as well as in the whole organization.
En kommun ställs ofta inför en mängd olika utmaningar, som ställer krav påorganisationen, ledarna och medarbetarna. Hur ska kommunen bäst ta sig an dessautmaningar som samhället och omvärlden ställer för att kunna vara i framkant i sinorganisation och ständigt utveckla den? Att utveckla sina ledare som har en central roll iorganisationen kan vara ett taktiskt val av strategi för att nå målen som sätts upp iorganisationen. Alla frågor som rör kompetens, erfarenhet, utbildning och personlighetär centrala begrepp för att utveckla ledare (Day, Fleenor, Atwater, Sturm & McKee,2014). Syftet med föreliggande undersökning är att studera om ledarutvecklingen harbidragit med några förändringar eller effekter i kommunen. Genom att ha läst in sig påolika teorier, bland annat om ledarskap, kompetensutveckling och effekter av utvecklinghar en djupare förståelse ägt rum. Metoden i undersökningen är kvalitativ, därsemistrukturerade djupintervjuer har genomförts med åtta chefer som har genomgåttledarutvecklingen. Resultatet visar att efter genomförd ledarutveckling reflekterarcheferna mer över sitt ledarskap, de identifierar styrkor och utvecklingsområden vilketbidrar till kompetensutveckling för individen och för organisationen. De synligaeffekterna av kompetensutvecklingen beskrev cheferna att de fått genom en helhetssynoch en större förståelse för andra. Det skapades även en trygghet i sin ledarroll där deinsåg vikten av samverkan. Undersökningen kan bidra med att ge en bild av hur effektiven ledarutveckling kan vara. Genom att exempelvis skapa en öppenhet i organisationenoch ha tid för reflektion. Avslutningsvis framläggs några förslag på vad kommunen kanarbeta vidare med som exempelvis att fokusera mer på samverkan och skapatvärsektionella grupper. Även kommer några förslag på vidare forskning inom området.
The purpose of this study was to examine what gives employees wellbeing and positive
emotions at work. The study was conducted through interviews with six employees, at four
banking- and insurance offices in the middle of Sweden. The results were analyzed with the
help of previous research and theories.
The result shows that what creates positive emotions and well-being to a large degree are
relationships, both with colleagues and customers. Positive emotions can have a very high
ability to spread among colleagues, customers and the organization. It also showed that it is
important that there is a balance between work life and private life and the demands and
control at work. Being able to study wellbeing at work from an interaction perspective, which
integrates both the individual and the organization also proved to be important to work with
these issues.
This is a qualitative study with the purpose to identify health factors within a unit of Stockholm's city and examine what is necessary for a continued preservation. Furthermore, the aim is to investigate what support is required for the preservation and the HR function's role in this aspect. The work unit is, in the aspect of sickness absence, a wellbeing group who is facing changes in work labor and goal setting due to a recent government shift.
A query tool was used to produce the eight most important dimensions of the attractive work and a discussion was held around these under a focus group interview with the employees of the work unit. The results showed that the most important dimensions were, among other things, working hours and relationships.
Furthermore, it was shown that a balance between work-life and private-life is of great importance to employee's health and well-being. In order to continue to preserve the good work, the empirical data showed that the relationship within the group and the leader was a key factor and that the HR function, the personnel strategy department, only contributes an administrative and guiding role in the issue of support.
The study's conclusions include the following: that the preservation of health factors require existence to be comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. But the study also concluded that employees need reasonable requirements in relation to their scope for manoeuver. A further conclusion is the need for a change in leadership behavior in subsequent stages when the group will possibly enter in a new phase of maturity due to changing circumstances.
The authors also conclude that health factors are partly based on the individual's life situation, but the balance between work-life and private-life is certainly important for most people. The HR function, the personnel strategy department, has an informative and administrative role in the issue of support and the authors believe that there is logic to this role. In terms of the size of the organization, it's easier to turn psychosocial issues to occupational health services or a psychologist group and labor law assistance or information from the HR function.
The ways of improving organizations work environment is constantly developing and is now more than ever focused on the prevention of psychological illness related to the workplace. To help and guide organizations in improving their work environment the Swedish Work Environment Authority has issued a new provisions about organizational and social work environment (AMV, 2015:4). In this study, we'll examine how public organizations utilize the new provisions (AMV, 2015:4) with a focus on the on the organizational environment. The theoretical perspectives in the study is based on strategic HRM, the demand- control and support-model and employee voice. We also examined contributing factors that have a positive and negative influence in the workforce wellbeing. To answer the primary purpose of this essay we conducted two parallel researches in organizations that are operative in the public sector. The organizations are operative in the township of Hofors and in the county council of Dalarna. We have used a phenomenology research approach to conduct six interviews, three from each organization, to get a thorough understanding of their efforts in improving the organizational work environment.
What we found in the results and analysis are the benefits of common goals, common values and cooperation-groups. Our hopes with the study is to enhance the readers understanding about organizational working environment through our explanation of the practical methods the analyzed organizations work to improve their work environment and with our explained understanding of beneficial factors.
As much as 83% of all acquisitions fail to increase shareholder value and 53% even decreases in shareholder value (Daniel & Metcalf, 2001). It is much easier to make the deal, but to make it work says Nguyen & Kleiner (2003). Unsuccessful acquisitions usually depend on cultural differences between the business and the implementation of corporate culture is a key factor for successful acquisitions (Lodofors & Boateng, 2006).
The purpose is to examine the implementation of corporate culture after a merger and to identify the management and the managers' own experiences of success factors and difficulties during the process.
The theoretical framework defines corporate culture and describes from several cultural levels where values get special attention when the study focuses on corporate values. There is also a description of the ways to develop cultures. It also describes factors that management and managers should take into account when implementing corporate culture. These are leadership, trust and learning (Schein, 2010, Nguyen & Kleiner, 2003, Lakshman, 2011, Bijlsma-Frankema, 2001 and others).
To examine the purpose of the study a qualitative method of semi-structured interviews were conducted. The survey is based on interviews with managers and middle managers at the property company AB.
The result shows that the company's implementation of the values perceived by most respondents as very successful. Success factors in their work on values summarized by taking the best of both worlds, adjusting structure for desired culture, practice what you preach, to have transparency in information and decision, to create a common vision of values and monitoring. The difficulty being discussed is to create a common value of the entire company.
The study concludes that the implementation of corporate culture after a merger involves leaders must practice what they preach, and that management must create the conditions for it and work with monitoring of employees' experiences.
The study is based on an assignment from Trafikverket, where the purpose was to investigate how an industry can work strategically to create attractiveness and how employer brand work can be done. The focus was on the rail industry due to the fact that it is an industry experiencing skills supply difficulties and can therefore be regarded as having lost in attractiveness. The result shows that there is difficulty in attractiveness work because a general definition is complex due to individuals asking for different things. What is important, however, is that a employee value proposition is established and that what is conveyed is also what is delivered to the employees. Work attractiveness is therefore linked to employer branding. In the case of employer branding, it is also important to define target groups and to use creative marketing where social media can be used to advantage. The result also shows that the rail industry is perceived as an anonymous industry that does not reach out with enough information about what they can offer. Contributing interviewees mean that the rail industry needs to be better at visibility, for example by showing up at schools and sending materials to the study and career counsellors with information about which courses are available.
Employer brand specialists from four different companies and five study and career counsellors have participated in the study through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative method has contributed to deepening and understanding the study's questions. An analysis was made based on theories about "the changed work life", employer branding, attractive work and marketing strategies. The analysis shows that changing society places other demands on work, but at the same time it is emphasized that the requirements differ depending on who is asked. Using well-thought-out marketing strategies linked to what an organization wants to accomplish is therefore an important part of the pursuit of an employer's brand work, and especially important for the rail industry.
Organizations are dependent on the employees' unique knowledge, which has come to be regarded as the most important strategic resource. Knowledge is also important for organizations' success and competitiveness. To maintain competitive advantage, it is important to create successful learning opportunities that encourage both individual and collective learning. This study aims to describe and analyse how collective learning arises and the importance of leadership for collective learning. The theoretical frame is based on theories about what prerequisites are required for collective learning and the importance of leadership. The survey's empirical data has been obtained through semi-structured interviews with three employees and three leaders at a development department at a government agency in central Sweden. The study's results have been analysed in relation to the theoretical frame. The study's conclusions are that collective learning has the potential to arise through dialogue and reflection in group meetings, through close relationships and via digital documentation. The activities that leaders create and have the potential for collective learning are; planned activities such as departmental days that enable joint exercises, knowledge forums and common lunches. Furthermore, leaders create the prerequisites by building relationships with their employees and encouraging employees to collaborate by stating cooperation as a pay criterion.
Detta examensarbete har sitt fokus på organisationskultur och policydokument i en offentlig
organisation. Syftet för den undersökning som utfördes var att öka förståelsen för relationen
mellan organisationskultur och policydokument samt att undersöka vilken betydelse
policydokument och organisationskultur har för personalen. Vår ambition var att undersöka
hur personalens förhållningssätt till policydokument är, om policydokumenten är en del utav
deras organisationskultur, hur kulturen kommer till uttryck på deras arbetsplats samt hur den
undersökta enheten arbetar med policydokument. Resultatet av undersökningen visar på att
det inte finns ett aktivt arbete med policydokument. Policys är någonting man använder sig
utav vid uppkomna situationer och detaljkunskapen om dessa policydokument var bristfällig
hos respondenterna. De visste vart dessa dokument fanns att tillgå men inte vad själva
dokumenten innefattade. Den tidigare erfarenheten av implementeringen av policys var
negativ bland medarbetarna. Den erfarenheten som de flesta utav respondenterna talade om
var en specifik personalpolicy. Denna policy hade en tidigare chef försökt implementera och
denna implementering hade skett på ett bristande sätt men är till viss del ändå levande i
verksamheten. En annan del av resultatet visade att det fanns en stark organisationskultur som
präglades utav en familjär känsla och en positiv attityd. Resultatet visar att det fanns stark
organisationskultur men även starka subgrupper inom enheten. Utifrån det som framkom
under denna undersökning så har vi skapat rekommendationer. Dessa rekommendationer utgår
ifrån hur vi anser att Städservice kan arbeta med policys på ett strukturerat sätt samt hur de
kan lyfta fram det positiva som de redan gör.
There has been widespread attention to social workers and their working life in recent years.
This issue is relevant to all parties in the labour market and thus a key subject for the final
exam for the Bachelor of Science in Human Recourse Management. The following essay
to follow up on the wage efforts made by Social workers in Ludvika Municipality in 2016.
The data was collected through a methodological combination consisting of an Internet-based
survey of the social workers affected, and nine qualitative interviews. The theoretical starting
points began with motivational theories such as Maslow´s hierarchy of needs. Herzberg´s two
factor theory and cognitive expectation theory. The main part of the theory section is the
theory of 'arbetslivsförankring', which is the authors' translation of job embeddedness,
created by Holtom, Mitchell and Lee (2006). An explanatory model for this theory was
formulated and returned in the results analysis to estimate the level of working life anchorage
in social administration in Ludvika Municipality.
The results
show that the wage effort to some extent fulfilled its purpose, as 30 out of 34
empolyees still working in the social administration in Ludvika Municipality. On the other
hand, wage efforts brought some negative consequences when social workers expressed
frustration stating that there is more than pay supplement required to stay on their job.
is that the pay could be better communicated to further the relationship and create
confidence between employers and employees, in regards to what makes employs decide to
stay in their workplace, it was repeatedly found that factors other than pay were the main
The interest for commitment and its effect on organizations is the cause of the study. The purpose is that through an increased understanding of the employees experienced grade of commitment and motivation, separate the factors that is the ground for a lower commitment, to provide possibilities for defining the factors that may improve it.
A highly qualified survey was conducted at a company within the manufacturing industry. All together 12 respondents have been interviewed – the MD, three managers and eight production workers. The three different levels of respondents have been analysed separately with relevant theory and then compared to study similarities and deviations between them. The analysis of the results shows that the commitment on the company is considered low and that the definition of commitment and motivation can have different meaning for the individuals. The lack of commitment derives from several factors – mostly in the experience of the "us" and "them" feeling in the company – and the lack of communication. In the discussion, solutions and problems that each level should consider to increase the commitment is analysed.
The result of the study is three different action plans addressed to each level, where concrete proposals and solutions are presented and serves as a base for an increased commitment. The foremost conclusion of the study is that the commitment must increase within the company and that the negative approach has to be reduced with the employees, as it has a negative effect on the daily work of the employees. The study also shows that an active participation and a commitment in the work place may lead to a more loyal, efficient and increased welfare of the personnel.
As a social worker within the child and family unit in the municipal services are the work situations stressful. And the employment turnover is high in the group and affects the organization in a negative way. The purposes of the studies are to work out measures to create better conditions for the social workers in their daily work. Too do this is too find out how the social workers work situation are today and how we can improve the work situation.
The theories for the studies are based on; the work environment, psychosocial work environment, job satisfaction, leadership and change management.
The study is based on a case study in order to get a depth by getting their values and interpretations of the work situation; the study is based on qualitative inter-views. The selections are with 17social worker on children and the family unit in a smaller municipality within the corporation organization in Dalarna. The inter-views were conducted in late autumn and winter of 2014 in a room with every so-cial secretary at several occasions.
Results from the study indicate that the employment situation of social workers today is stressful. Employees have a need to be more involved in the decisions made within the organization and that the decisions are consistent. The employ-ment turnover is quit rate high and there are also others shortcomings for example the education in the introduction for the employer, and it needs to be more im-proved and structured. The head of the unit has a bad influence for the employees and create insecurity and a bad atmosphere in the group. The trust for the head of the unit is low. They should work more with direct communication and overlook the roles in the organization. A change needs to be considered with a focus on leadership, participation and community to create a better working environment for the social workers.
The purpose of this study is to describe how a systematic work environmental management can be conducted effectively to contribute to a good work environment. Prior research enhances the importance of leadership and the necessity of involving the co-workers in the work environmental management. Research also shows that the hard and technical parts are often prioritized before the psychosocial part. The empirical material was gathered through a mixed method consisting of interviews of a focus group and a survey on a corporation in Sweden.
The result shows that respondents raise several different parts as important in order to conduct effective systematic work environmental management. The study gave the conclusions that systematic work environmental management can be conducted effectively if there is a thought-through plan and commitment where all parts of the work environment are covered and taken with importance. It has been shown that the psychosocial work environment is more difficult to treat than the physical environment. Leadership is a part that has shown to be of importance on how the work environmental management will succeed and that the economic aspect is regarded as important for an effective systematic work environmental management.


text:
No, not food that's somehow found it's way onto the floor on the street. No, this is a post about Thai street food. Or more specifically, Bangkok street food. Two words: it's AWESOME. Oh yes, it's so good it deserves capital letters.
Street food is, not surprisingly, food from stalls on the street. There's so many different types to choose from. Fruit carts, meat skewers, fish skewers, noodle soup, meatballs, noodles, rice, vegetables. Full plated meals, snacks or take away. Spicy or not spicy. SO MUCH CHOICE. Anywhere you go, there's something available. And pretty much everything I have tried is so frickin' DELICIOUS. Spicy, full of flavour and just so god damn tasty. Just sat here writing about it is making me hungry and wanting to go out and eat, eat and eat again.
And the people who run the carts and cook the street food are so awesome too. Happy, smiley, friendly people. Most of them seem to enjoy what they do and are happy to have a laugh and a joke, and love it when you love their food.
Yesterday was an epic street food day. Nick's been rating his food, and his curry from a little stand near Khao San road has rated the highest yet. And the little guy who served us was an awesome happy little chappy, but the lady who cooked our tea at a little stand just down the road and round the corner from our hostel was the best yet. She was a little whirlwind of activity, joking and laughing with everyone as she went, cooking at a million miles an hour. We sat for ages just watching her. Especially when she was cooking a huge order for this Thai man, who had ordered a feast for two people. She put everything (including some soup) in little clear plastic bags for takeaway, and we ended up laughing and joking with him about how much he'd ordered and whether he'd be able to eat it all.
So, our street food day in pictures:
Brunch: Nick with his highly rated curry and the guy from the stall
Dinner: my hot spicy vegetable/tofu stir fry thing and the happy smiley whirlwind lady
The day ended with many beers, a ham and cheese toastie, crisps and chocolate from the 7 eleven but obviously that's not really authentic Tahi street food so the less said about that the better…

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Do you recall that night? The history of our worlds slid down your marzipan wallpaper, We licked the best bits… Read more We could have had it all but History decided.
Moondance (2018)
I gave you the moon, Divinely wrapped with silk dunes. Captivated, you held the moon, shattering earthy cocoon. Stroking the… Read more Moondance (2018)
All that's solid (can't just) melt into air. (2018)
You can't replace fire with air; Oxidation would corrode our connection. We are fire: burning, ferocious, smouldering. We are flames:… Read more All that's solid (can't just) melt into air. (2018)
Time and space (2018)
I share you with time and space; Wouldn't it be nice if we could bend time, curve it across longitude,… Read more Time and space (2018)
Eggshell heart (2018)
Her love was hidden deep, buried in her eggshell heart. Nested from the world only her diary knew the truth.… Read more Eggshell heart (2018)
Adventures of the heart (2018)
In the Louvre, follow the crowd. Glimpse at Van Gogh, marvel at Vermeer and study Picasso. Adjacent to the Atrium,… Read more Adventures of the heart (2018)
Loch Lomond blessing ( 2018)
Where the path weaves, past the craggy rocks. Down the eroded path of bygone Drovers; you might catch a glimpse… Read more Loch Lomond blessing ( 2018)


text:
ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at email@example.com.
- Fong, Raquel
- 1 Arizona State University
- 1 Dawes, Mary
- 1 Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka
- 1 Liou, Daniel Dinn-You
- Higher education
- academic advising
- higher education
- Higher education administration
- ecology
- 1 Education
- 1 adaptability
- more
- 1 social climate
- 1 transition
- Mobile Crowd Sensing in Edge Computing Environment
- The Effect of Disability on Subjective Well-Being across the Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Roles of Age at Disability Onset and Disability Type
- Mechanically Active Heterogeneous Polymer Matrix Composites
- Attribute-Based Encryption for Fine-Grained Access Control over Sensitive Data
- 并购背景下教育行业品牌价值研究
In college, students are continuously learning and maturing, prompting transitions, as they grow to enhance their academic, vocational, and personal development. As such, institutions of higher education must also consider how to support students in these transitions. At the Teachers College at Southwestern University, 59% (N=86) of students in Educational Studies, a non-certification major, transitioned from teacher certification majors. In an ecology that centralizes students pursuing teacher certification, students majoring in Educational Studies do not receive the adequate support, particularly in addressing their concerns and curiosities regarding their future career trajectories. This qualitative study drew on Bronfenbrenner's ecological models of …
- Contributors
- Fong, Raquel, Liou, Daniel Dinn-You, Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka, et al.
- Created Date
- 2018


text:
Ken Frew, Founder & Past President
Ken Frew founded Mail-O-Matic in 1967 and for the next 44 years served as president of the company, until his passing in October of 2011, at the age of 73.
But Ken was more than our president. He was our friend and our inspiration. He was proud of his employees, whom he made feel like family, and always made it clear that he knew their hard work was the main reason for the company's success.
Ken came by this respect for employees naturally. As a teenager he delivered newspapers before going to school and worked at a bakery after school. After graduating, he landed a job in the mail room of the The Vancouver Sun and The Province, hand-stuffing newspapers with advertisements and inserts.
A fellow worker, impressed by Ken's work ethic, invited him to join in moonlighting at a small side business. And so for five years, after working his full shift at the newspapers, Ken worked a second full-time job inserting advertisements into local magazines, then labelling, cording and bundling the magazines for delivery.
When his co-worker retired, Ken bought the business from him -- and formed Mail-O-Matic. It was 1967, he was 29, and he was the only employee. As an owner of one of the few letter shops in the Lower Mainland, he knew the value and growth potential of Mail-O-Matic. He strove to be innovative, mechanizing the mail processes, while maintaining the kind of personal contact with clients he knew would ensure that their needs were being met.
Over the course of four decades, his faith and dedication were vindicated. Mail-O-Matic now employs 50 people serving clients throughout Canada and the U.S..
Ken was passionate about every aspect of the business, from being on-site during construction of the new building to helping employees run the machines. For years he refused to take a vacation, instead coming to work every day to make sure Mail-O-Matic was running at its highest efficiency. When Ken finally did take vacations, usually in Palm Springs where he could golf, he would call the office daily to see if his assistance was needed with anything. On his return from Palm Springs, after driving two or three days, he would always drive directly to the office to check in even before going home. In later years he even installed a video camera system in the shop to enable remote monitoring while he was away.
But the most endearing and enduring part of Ken's personality was his ability to inspire people. He had a clear idea of how the company could continue to succeed and made a point of surrounding himself with hard working, dedicated employees who shared his vision.
He expected everyone to do their best for the company – but he did it without ever getting angry or demeaning to anyone. He recognized that his employees' hard work was the main reason for the company's success, and in return, he worked hard to make sure they were happy and secure in their jobs.
His devotion to his company and his employees continued right up to the day of his passing. While he had every opportunity to stop working, he continued to come to the office every workday. He did this not for himself, but because he knew that the livelihood of many people depended on the success of Mail-O-Matic and was determined to keep the business going strong to support his employees.
For more than four decades, that's exactly what he did. That is Ken's legacy. And we promise to carry it on.


text:
Long Beach Township is subject to flooding from wind driven waves and tidal flooding that accompany hurricanes, nor'easters, and winter storms. There are methods to protect your property from flooding. Some methods are fairly simple and inexpensive, others require a professional contractor.
The best way to minimize flood damage is to raise your house so the lowest habitable floor is above your base flood elevation. Current cost estimates range from $40,000 to $150,000 for complete job and your flood insurance premiums could be significantly reduced. Installing flood vents in your house can also reduce flood damage and lower your premium. For an on-site consultation about retrofitting your flood prone house, please call the Construction Office for an appointment, (609) 361-6679.
During the December 1992 storm considerable damage was inflicted by floating objects such as landscape timbers, wooden walkways, trash bins, and ornamental piling cut offs. When installing these objects they must be firmly anchored to prevent floatation in accordance with Ordinance #172-18C citing specific anchoring requirements. Wooden curbs are prohibited.
Do you know your flood risk?
LBI is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Call the Building Department for information about flooding at 609-361-1000, ext. 6651. Ask to see a flood map of your neighborhood. This information will help you determine how much water is likely to come in during severe flooding conditions. Flood Insurance Rate Maps are also available at the Surf City Branch of the Ocean County Library. Elevation certificates are also kept on file in the Building Department and are available upon request.
Do you have enough flood insurance?
Even if you have taken steps to protect your home from flooding, you still need flood insurance. Homeowner's policies do not cover flood damage, so you will need to purchase a separate policy under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It takes thirty days for a flood policy to take effect. This is why you need to purchase flood insurance before flooding occurs. If your insurance agent is unable to write a flood policy, call 1-800-638-6620 for information or go to www.floodsmart.gov
Is the main electrical switch box located above potential flood waters?
The main electric panel board height is regulated by code. All electrical work should be done by a licensed electrician.
Are electric outlets and switches located above potential flood waters?
Consider elevating all electrical outlets, switches, light sockets, electric baseboard heaters, and wiring above the projected flood elevation for your home. You may also want to elevate electric service lines (at the point they enter your home) above the projected flood elevation.
Are your washer and dryer elevated above potential flood waters?
For protection against shallow flood waters, the washer and dryer can be elevated on masonry or pressure treated lumber platforms above the projected flood elevation. Another option is to move the washer and dryer to a higher floor.
Are the furnace and water heater above potential flood waters?
The furnace and hot water heater can be placed on masonry blocks, concrete, or on a pressure treated lumber platform or moved to a higher floor. Furnaces that operate horizontally can be suspended from ceiling joists if the joists are strong enough to hold the weight. Outside air conditioning compressors and heat pumps are required to be placed on a base above the projected flood elevation. All work must conform to state and local building codes.
Does your home have flood vents?
Installation of flood vents within the enclosure space below the first floor allows for flood waters to flow through equalizing hydrostatic pressure and may lower your flood insurance premium. Call the Building department for specifications.
Funding Sources for Repetitive Loss Properties
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is continually faced with the task of paying claims while trying to keep the price of flood insurance at an affordable level. It has a particular problem with repetitive loss properties, which are estimated to cost $200 million per year in flood insurance claim payments. Repetitive loss properties represent only one percent of all flood insurance policies, yet before Hurricane Katrina, they accounted for nearly one-third of the claim payments (over $4.5 billion to date).
Mitigation of the flood risk to these repetitive loss properties will reduce the overall costs to the NFIP as well as to individual homeowners. Accordingly, over the years, Congress has created a variety of funding sources to help repetitive loss property owners reduce their exposure to flood damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now has five grant programs and one insurance benefit. More information on these programs can be found on these websites.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) – a grant made available after a Presidential disaster declaration(http://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program)
Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) – a grant that your community can apply for each year(http://www.fema.gov/flood-mitigation-assistance-grant-program)
Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) – a nationally competitive grant that your community can apply for each year (http://www.fema.gov/pre-disaster-mitigation-grant-program)
Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC) – a grant that FEMA administers for certain repetitive loss properties when there is no local government sponsor
Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) – an extra flood insurance claim payment that can be provided if an insured building was flooded and then declared substantially damaged by the local permit office (http://www.fema.gov/increased-cost-compliance-coverage)
Small Business Administration (SBA) -low interest loans that can fund repairs and mitigation projects after a disaster declaration
Most of the FEMA grants provide 75% often cost of a project. The owner is expected to fund the other 25%, although in some cases the state or local government may contribute to the non-FEMA share. ICC pays 100% (up to $30,000) of the cost of bringing the damaged building up to the local ordinance's flood protection standards.
Each program has a different Congressional authorization and slightly different rules (summarized inthe table on the next page). States and communities set their own priorities for the use of the grantfunds, but they are strongly encouraged to address their repetitive flood problems. In no case can a FEMA grant be used on a project without the completely voluntary agreement of the owner.
|Types of Projects Funded
|Acquisition of the entire property by a gov't agency
|Relocation of the building to a flood-free site
|Demolition of the structure
|Elevation of the structure above flood levels
|Replacing the old building with a new elevated one
|Local drainage and small flood control projects
|Dry floodproofing (nonresidential buildings only)
|Percentage paid by federal program
|Application notes
Key to Application notes:
- Requires a grant application from your local government
- Only available after a federal disaster declaration
- Requires the building to have a flood insurance policy and to have been flooded to such an extent that thelocal government declares it to be substantially damaged
- This is a low-interest loan that must be paid back
What yon can do:
- Check the websites and read up on the details of the funding programs that are appropriate for yoursituation. For example, if your state has not been declared a federal disaster area for some time,look at the grants that have annual application procedures, not HMGP
- Talk to your local planning, building, or emergency management official to see if your communityis interested in applying for a grant for properties like yours.
- Talk to your permit office to make sure they are aware of ICC. In some cases a local ordinancemight be worded to trigger ICC for a repetitive loss property that was not substantially damaged.
- Keep your flood insurance policy in force. Several grants and ICC only fund properties thatcurrently have a flood insurance policy.


text:
By John Coyne
Copyright © John Coyne. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Copyright © John Coyne. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
IN 1938, CENTURY COUNTRY CLUB of Westchester County, then one of the prominent Jewish country clubs in the county, went searching for a professional golfer to work as the teaching assistant to Dan Mackie, the club's home pro.
|Ben Hogan practicing at
Century Country Club.
(Image: Jules Alexander
via John Coyne)
Someone mentioned Ben Hogan, who was playing on the fledgling PGA tour, as a possibility. Hogan was playing in California and it was decided to check out Hogan through Frederick Hellman, brother of former member Marco "Mickey" Hellman, of the Wells Fargo Bank.
In February 1938, Ted Low wrote Hellman thanking him for his help, and saying, "I received your telegram saying that you had seen Ben Hogan and that he made a nice appearance."
Hogan was hired and went back east to take over as the teaching pro at the club. His salary was $500 a year, plus food and lodging.
Hogan himself would admit he was not a gifted teacher of the game. In his classic book, Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf written with Herbert Warren Wind and published first in 1957, a book that still sells nearly 100,000 paperback copies a year, Hogan would write, "I didn't and don't have the ideal temperament for teaching," In this book he also would write, "Quite early in my career when I was serving as the professional at the Century Country Club in Purchase, N.Y., I did a great deal of teaching."
And when he wasn't teaching, he was practicing.
"He lived on the practice range," says Nelson Long, the club's long-time head pro. "We had a member here who passed away a few years ago but remembered Hogan from his time at the club. He said that whenever Hogan played with a member, however, he had the habit of looking away when the member swung, so as not to be influenced by a bad swing."
Hogan did, however, draw on his time at Century, in writing Five Lessons. He writes, "There was a young businessman at my club, Fred Ehrman, who had this ability to learn, and we did a very satisfying job together. He was a 90-shooter in April. Five months later he was playing in the 70s and won the club championship."
It was while giving lessons at Century that Hogan began to develop his understanding of the dynamics of the golf swing, which, he said, he fully understood by 1946, his first great year on the PGA tour. "Beginning in 1946," Hogan writes in Five Lessons, "I was able to win some of the big championships, and being able to win was the proof I needed that what I felt was correct was indeed correct."
In 1940 Dan Mackie was pensioned off at Century Country Club and Hogan became the head pro. He would stay, however, only that summer. In the years before and after World War II, and into the 1960s, pros at northern clubs only worked from April to the end of October.
Would anyone surpass Hogan's ability?
In 1940, Hogan wrote, "It is my conviction that in the years ahead there will be many changes in style and form, just as there have been in the past. We never come anywhere near reaching perfection—there is always something left to improve."
Well, also came the Big Bertha drivers, the Pro V1 golf balls, and, of course, Nicklaus and Tiger.
John Coyne is a bestselling author of three golf novels and more than 20 other books. Pay him a visit at John Coyne Books.