The study takes servant-leadership and attempts to find if there is an equivalent concept in management. Leadership and management have been extensively compared and contrasted in research and theory and while there are divergent views of exactly what each entails, others hold the view that they might be equal and complementary. The research design follows a positivist philosophy. An instrument that measures distinct leader, manager and professional role preferences is used to check the discrete operation of three contexts among a sample of members of the accountancy profession. The instrument is derived from contextualising pre-developed and pre-tested servant-leadership measuring instruments. Items from the role preference map instrument are added together with demographic details to come up with a meta-instrument adapted for the study. After validating it through pilot-testing, the instrument is applied in real-world research. The research was conducted among a sample of professional accountants working in 28 countries across four continents in organisations with over 82,000 employees. Statistical analysis, employing; analysis of variance, correlations, frequencies, significances, means, variances and tests of scale reliability was performed on both the data and the instruments. The research found clear and reliable servant-leadership-type behaviours exhibited across the three discreet roles and contexts of leader, manager and professional. Some professional accountancy courses are delivered across many countries in the world. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is one such professional accountancy body that offers qualifications on a global scale. However, as accountants originate from, and practice in diverse cultures and economies around the world they are trained by institutes like ACCA from a common syllabus that has elements of management as a subject. Servant-leadership is a type of leadership that is theorised to be humanistic and spiritual rather than rational and mechanistic. Management practice on the other hand needs rationality and contains some mechanistic elements in typical management functions like coordinating and controlling. The implication is whether servant-leadership attributes can be exhibited if professional accountants contextualise themselves as leaders, managers or professionals. The study focuses on the profession of accountants and tests the operation of servant-leadership behaviours from the manager, leader and professional contexts using pre-tested servant-leadership scales and applying them in specific leader and manager contexts. This approach is new in its treatment of servant-leadership in this fashion. A further original approach is the use of the accountancy profession. This treatment of instruments from other fields like psychology and sociology is new.

Communication between a patient with hearing loss and a health care provider can be challenging and potentially contribute to poor health outcomes. This document describes an audiology doctoral project with clinical innovation emphasis on the development of a guide and interprofessional training for health care providers to communicate effectively with patients with hearing loss. A preliminary assessment of provider needs for training was followed by the development and implementation of an interprofessional training on hearing loss and communication strategies for the University of Arizona-St. Luke's Home Interprofessional Education and Practice Program (Spring, 2015). Additionally, video training segments on effective communication in a health care setting were developed. Evaluation of the interprofessional training included administration of pre- and post-training questionnaires (n = 11). Results indicated a significant change in trainee confidence levels in screening for hearing loss and the use of appropriate communication strategies for communicating with hard of hearing patients. These results support further development and research on hearing loss and communication training for health care curriculums, interprofessional education, and in-service training meetings. Implementation of communication trainings may lead to improved patient-provider communication, with positive impact on health care experiences and outcomes for patients with hearing loss.

In the seven decades following the Investment Company Act of 1940 coming into force in the United States, the mutual fund industry has undergone dramatic changes including, some argue, a transition from stewardship to salesmanship with asset-gathering becoming the industry’s driving force. As fund managers incrementally assumed a more pronounced role in the investment fund industry, an emerging strand of finance literature focused on their characteristics and their potential impact on investment performance. While a large body of academic research concurs that fund managers cannot outperform systematically better than chance, there are also a significant number of studies that link the psychological characteristics of investors to their investment performance. Importantly, we know that fund managers, as a representative sample of professional investors, often have to operate under enormous anxiety and associated psychic pressures. In their effort to cope with these pressures and make sense of an immensely unpredictable and complex work environment, a wide range of psychic defences and behavioural biases may be triggered. The purpose of this research is to investigate, on the one hand, to what extent mutual fund managers are prone to overconfidence and associated behavioural biases such as self-serving attribution. On the other hand, the extent to which overconfidence, proxied by a wide range of variables including overoptimism, excessive certainty and excessive self-reference, may have any bearing on fund performance is of interest. The fundamental question is why, how, and through which mechanisms does overconfidence affect performance. The underlying research questions are motivated by three large areas of research: studies of mutual fund performance and persistence, studies of financial accounting narratives, and studies of professional investor psychology. I also explore how overconfidence is fundamentally generated and, in a sense, resorted to by fund managers as a defence mechanism against the psychic pressures of having to work in a highly intangible, complex and uncertain environment. Drawing on evidence from fund manager reports written for investors, I explain how they use the medium of narratives, and in particular stories, to make sense of what they do as fund managers and their added value for clients. I demonstrate how analysing fund manager commentaries, both through computer-assisted corpus-linguistic approaches and through the “close reading” method, sheds light on the link between fund manager psychology and investment performance. In particular, from the perspective of narrative analysis, I explain how fund managers write their reports in distinguishably different genres depending, among others, on their past performance record, fund size and investment style. In addition, I establish in a longitudinal study that the overall economic environment in which fund managers operate does influence the rhetoric of fund manager reports as well as the evidence for the Pollyanna hypothesis. My findings also suggest that excessive overconfidence is associated, to a large extent, with diminished future investment returns. While superior past returns are expected to increase fund manager confidence which, in turn, may introduce the overconfidence bias in the investment decision-making process and thus diminish returns (through inefficient stock selection, suboptimal market timing and other possible mechanisms), this is not a simple regression towards the mean. The asset pricing model employed in my empirical analysis, the Carhart four-factor model, controls for the effect of previous-year momentum, and my overconfidence measures are only slightly correlated with the momentum figures. Hence, one is led to the conclusion that the narrative-based variables used in this study indeed capture some aspect of the professional investor psychology, and are capable of enhancing the explanatory power of conventional asset-pricing models such as Carhart’s. In investigating the dynamic relationship between fund manager overconfidence and investment performance, the cross-sectional variations in my study demonstrate that superior past performance boosts overconfidence as measured by all proxies employed. In addition, there appears to be an inverted-U relationship between overconfidence and subsequent investment performance. In particular, a hedging strategy based on shorting funds with extremely overconfident managers and going long in funds with normally (over)confident managers, yields positive average returns. The impact of overconfidence on subsequent returns is robust across different investment styles, although it is stronger among growth-oriented funds. Incorporating average scores for fund manager overconfidence over longer periods yields similar results. In addition, fund manager duration appears to correlate with managerial overconfidence in the long term.

The focus of this study is dignity in low status service work. Using labels such as bad jobs, McJobs and dirty work, these jobs have been described as low-skilled, low-paid, monotonous and physically demanding with lack of voice and no job security. Research on dignity at work is especially relevant in a time when different ambitions for more dignified work, initiated by political parties as well as unions, tend to be forgotten or down-prioritized. This study investigates what conditions are preventing dignity among low status service workers and how they create and maintain dignity for themselves. What briefly has been found is that dignity can be prevented by unreasonable demands, constant control, exposed work and mismanagement. Moreover, customerprerogative can prevent dignity when employees are being mistreated by disrespectful customers. Dignity is also hindered by frightening customers, especially in the case of sexual harassment, threats and violence. In this study theories about working conditions and professional status are brought together to explain experiences of dignity at work. Service workers do not only have managers to deal with, but also customers whose treatment is reflected by the status of the service occupation. Besides, working conditions and professional status are two mechanisms acting together when it comes to experiences of dignity at work and may thus result in double tensions in daily work.   Acts for dignity, meaning different ways in which the service workers create and maintain dignity for themselves, are reactions to the obstacles to dignity at work. Three different categories of acts for dignity can be found. The identity-bolstering acts help the workers maintain their professional identity or self-image when it is threatened by different obstacles to dignity. The justifying acts mean that the workers legitimize different obstacles to dignity. Finally, the compensating acts help the workers to even out different obstacles to dignity. / I denna studie fokuseras värdighet i serviceyrken längst ner i statushierarkin. De anställda behöver här hantera påfrestande arbetsförhållanden och brist på inflytande, men också servicemöten där kunders bemötande bottnar i samhällets nedvärderande syn på lågstatusyrken. Servicearbetarnas upplevelser av värdighet sker i interaktion med såväl chef som kund och i studien sammanförs teorier om både arbetsvillkor och yrkesstatus för att förklara hur värdighet hindras i servicearbete. Trots olika hinder är servicearbetarnas strävan efter värdighet central och genom denna skapar och upprätthåller de värdighet i mötet med chef och kund. I studien presenteras tre kategorier av värdighetshandlingar. Identitetsfrämjande värdighetshandlingar hjälper den anställda att bevara sin bild av sig själv i arbetet när den hotas av olika värdighetshinder. Rättfärdigande värdighetshandlingar innebär istället att den anställda legitimerar eller förnekar olika värdighetshinder medan kompenserande värdighetshandlingar avser att väga upp för värdighetshinder. Annorlunda uttryckt kan värdighetshandlingarna beskrivas genom att de anställda skyddar sig från, omdefinierar respektive strider mot olika hinder för värdighet.

Den här studien ämnar undersöka hur lärare uppfattar sin autonomi inom olika områden av deras yrke och fungerar som en förstudie till ett forskningsprojekt. Begreppet autonomi är mångfacetterat, men kontroll över yrket och inflytande över beslutsprocesser utgör en stor del av det. Uppsatsen fokuserar på lärare i grundskolan och gymnasiet. Tre forskningsfrågor formulerades för att fånga in begreppet autonomi. Dessa är: Hur uppfattar lärare sin professionella autonomi?, Hur skiljer sig lärares uppfattningar angående olika dimensioner av autonomi (olika nivåer och olika områden i yrkeslivet)? samt Hur väl korrelerar olika delar av lärares uppfattade autonomi med varandra?. Studiens empiri samlades in genom kvantitativ metod i form av en webbenkät vilken 93 personer svarade på. Merparten av lärarna svarade på enkäten via facebookgrupper även om flera olika kanaler användes för att nå ut till möjliga respondenter. Det teoretiska ramverket består i Frostensons tre nivåer av autonomi, LaCoes sex komponenter gällande lärares yrkesautonomi och Ballous individuella autonomi vilka tillsammans skapar en multidimensionell konstruktion. Tidigare forskning behandlar hur de senaste decenniernas skolreformer i Sverige omformat lärarprofessionen men består också i utländsk forskning gällande lärare och deras autonomi.                       Uppsatsens resultat visar att lärare uppfattar sin autonomi som både stor och liten beroende på vilket område av autonomi som åsyftas. Respondenterna anser sig ha litet inflytande gällande ekonomiska beslut vilka även visar sig vara de beslut de uppfattar är viktigast i skolans verksamhet. Vidare uppfattar lärarna som svarade på enkäten sin autonomi som hög vad gäller sådant som rör deras klassrumsmiljö och undervisning. / This study serves as a pilot study for a research project and aims to investigate how teachers perceive their autonomy in different domains of their profession. Autonomy as a concept is multifaceted but control over the profession and influence in decision-making processes constitute a great part of it. The study focuses on primary, secondary and high school teachers. Three research questions were formed to capture the term autonomy. These are: How do teachers perceive their professional autonomy?, How do teachers perceptions differ in the various dimensions of autonomy (different levels and domains of the worklife)? and How well do various domains of teachers perceived autonomy correlate?. The data of the study was collected by quantitative method via a web-based questionnaire which was answered by 93 persons. The main part of the teachers answered the questionnaire through facebook groups despite having used several other different channels to reach out to possible respondents. The theoretical framework consists of Frostenson’s three different levels of autonomy, LaCoe’s six components of teacher autonomy and Ballou’s themes within individual autonomy which together create a multidimensional construction. Previous research discusses how school reforms of the recent decades in Sweden have reshaped the teaching profession but it also consists of foreign research of teachers and their autonomy.                       The results of the study indicates that teachers perceive their degree of autonomy as both high and low depending on what domain referred to. The respondents consider themselves having a small influence regarding economical decisions which also is considered the most important decisions in school’s activities. Furthermore the teachers who responded perceive their degree of autonomy as high regarding the classroom environment and teaching.

This thesis examines the group of political advisors within the government offices of a right-wing and left-wing government, showing differences between the two in terms of recruitment. The political advisors, among many roles both inside and outside the government offices, fall under the category of policy professionals. The policy professionals are defined as a social group employed without being elected, but perhaps capable of affecting policies. With collected resumes of policy professionals inside the government offices, the backgrounds of the policy professionals are examined showing differences in the qualities valued most in recruitment between the two governments selected for the thesis. The political profiles ‘media-talent’ and ‘party democrat’ show what type of government metamorphosis is present on the basis of Bernard Manin’s theory of the representative democratic form of government. The results showed a majority of policy professionals belong to the party democratic profile representing Bernard Manin’s second metamorphosis. The growing group of media-talent profiles within both governments however show, that the metamorphosis might be in a state of change, moving towards the public democracy.

Background: Careful airway management, including tracheal intubation, is important when performing anaesthesia in order to achieve safe tracheal intubation. Aim: To study airway management in anaesthesia care from both the professional and patient perspectives. Methods: 11 RNAs performed three airway tests in 87 patients, monitored in a study-specific questionnaire. The tests usefulness for predicting an easy intubation was analysed (Study I). 68 of 74 anaesthesia departments in Sweden answered a self-reported questionnaire about the presence of airway guidelines (Study II). 20 anaesthesiologists were interviewed; a phenomenographic analysis was performed to describe how anaesthesiologists' understand algorithms for management of the difficult airway (Study III). 13 patients were interviewed; content analysis was performed to describe patients' experiences of being awake fiberoptic intubated (Study IV). Results: The Mallampati classification is a good screening test for predicting easy intubation and intubation can be safely performed by RNAs (Study I). The presence of airway guidelines in Swedish anaesthesia departments is poorly implemented (Study II). Algorithms can be understood as law-like rules, a succinct plan to follow in difficult airway situations, an action plan kept in the back of one's mind while creating flexible and versatile personal algorithms, or as consensus guidelines based on expert opinion in order to be followed in clinical practice (Study III). One theme emerged describing experiences of being awake intubated; feelings of being in a vulnerable situation but cared for in safe hands, described in five categories: a need for tailored information, distress and fear of the intubation, acceptance and trust of the staff's competence, professional caring and support, and no hesitation about new awake intubation (Study IV). Conclusions: The Mallampati classification is a good screening test for predicting easy intubation, when the airway assessment is performed in a structured manner by RNAs. The presence of airway guidelines in Swedish anaesthesia departments was poorly implemented and should receive higher priority. Algorithms need to be simple and easy to follow and based on the best available scientific evidence. Tailored information about what to expect, ensuring eye contact, and giving breathing instructions during the procedure may reduce patients' feeling distress.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Elementary teachers at a school in the southeastern United States received iPads and iPad training to improve teaching and learning in the content subject areas. Despite the iPad training provided by district technology personnel, teachers expressed a need for more content-specific training. Teachers need adequate and appropriate professional development to assist in preparing integrated computer-based technology instruction to increase student academic achievement. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore the descriptions of 10 purposely selected 4th and 5th grade teachers who used iPads in content subjects and 1 instructional technology facilitator who provided district iPad training regarding the district's iPad professional development and implementation in instruction. The theoretical support for this study was the technological pedagogical content knowledge framework that provided an interaction among technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews and lesson plans. Inductive analysis was used with hand coding to discover themes. Teachers recognized the need for ongoing professional development and collaboration with colleagues to create content-specific iPad integrated lessons. Based on these findings, a project was designed to provide teachers with a 3-day professional development to include modeled lessons, collaboration with colleagues, a shared Google Drive folder, and a schedule for ongoing professional development. These endeavors may promote positive social change by providing ongoing content-specific iPad professional development for elementary teachers that could improve computer-based technology instruction and student learning in content subject areas.

Background: When the patient is critically ill the family is in a vulnerable position. The nurse's role is to support and help the family to find meaning in the difficult situation and to provide realistic hope. Balancing between the patient's and the family's needs is difficult. Knowledge about how nurses experience difficulties in the interaction with family is required in order to grant good care too critically ill patients and their family-members. Aim: To describe nurses' perceived difficulties in the interaction with family-members of critically ill patients. Method: The study is a qualitative literature-based study based on qualitative research. Results: The analysis resulted in four main themes; difficult disunion, environmental constraints, interpersonal difficulties and communicative difficulties. Conflicts, disagreement and expectations in the interaction with family-members are difficult. There are environmental constraints in the form of family's presence, lack of space and time constraints. Nurses find it difficult to manage their emotions, family who get to close and to support the family. Information, comprehension, knowledge, language barriers and cultural differences represents communicative difficulties. Conclusion: There is a lack of knowledge among nurses about how to handle difficult situations where family is involved. Doctors and nurses need to collaborate more. Conflicts, disagreements and expectations can put severe pressure on the nurse. It is difficult for the nurse to strike a balance between being professional and being personal. Environmental constraints are an organizational problem which creates difficulties for the nurse in the interaction with family.