No description available.

<p>Syfte och frågeställningar</p><p>Syftet har varit att undersöka eventuella gemensamma generella motståndsresurser hos lärare, som har starkt KASAM (känsla av sammanhang) och inte ligger i riskzonen för utbrändhet. Frågeställningarna var följande: Hur upplever lärare sin fysiska, psykiska och sociala arbetsmiljö? Hur kan lärarnas utsagor tolkas i relation till begreppet KASAM?</p><p>Metod</p><p>Den kvalitativa metod som användes bestod av sex halvstrukturerade intervjuer. Kravet på intervjupersoner var att de: arbetat heltid som lärare i minst 20 år, aldrig varit sjukskrivna för utbrändhet, inte ligger i riskzon för utbrändhet samt besitter starkt KASAM. Urvalet säkerställdes dels genom ett KASAM-formulär, dels genom ett utmattningsformulär. Ur detta framkom intervjuobjekten. Intervjufrågorna var förankrade i forskningsvärldens allmänt vedertagna uppdelning av stressorer; fysiska, psykiska och sociala. Svaren analyserades genom Antonovskys KASAM-teori och metod, detta för att finna eventuella gemensamma GMR.</p><p>Resultat</p><p>Lärarna upplever överlag sin fysiska arbetsmiljö som god. De påstår sig ha behändiga klasstorlekar, bra lokaler och ljudnivåer som inte orsakar några större problem. Deras psykiska miljö upplevs vara krävande, men också givande i form av bl.a. uppskattning och synlig utveckling hos eleverna. Gällande den sociala miljön betonas en god relation till arbetskollegor och elever. Lärarnas starka KASAM bekräftas i utsagorna. Eftersom lärarna har starkt KASAM leder inte stressorerna, vilka uppkommer i arbetet, till utbrändhet.</p><p>Slutsats</p><p>Det framkommer flera likheter i lärarnas utsagor, både hur de upplever och hanterar arbetsmiljön. Genom att tolka dessa utsagor har följande generella motståndsresurser framträtt: stödet från omgivningen, god relation till elever och kollegor, personlighet, erfarenhet i yrket samt gränssättning. Dessa GMR kan vara en betydande orsak till varför lärarna lyckats undvika utbrändhet under alla dessa år i yrket.</p>

This thesis contributes to the understanding of how to create organizational change and innovation in companies of the Norwegian Architects, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. The thesis, then, inquires into the conditions necessary for how the collective practice of collaboration and execution in building projects can be changed emphasizing the emancipatory potential of conversations in arenas for dialogue. The aim is to achieve new useful collective practice in projects, which in the end entails increased competitiveness for the companies involved. This implies that organizational change and innovation ultimately encompass the total value-creating chain of all the actors involved in the building project. That means all from the finished building including the physical construction process on the building site and the end-consumers that are going to use or own it, to the initial programming stage with the first drawing sketches of the architect. The thesis will argue that organizational change and innovation in AEC companies does not emerge on its own through for instance “linear-control” oriented models of planning and subsequent plan implementation or models for increased managerial project control. To the contrary, the thesis will show that processes of change and innovation are created through active and broad participation by all actors directly involved in the project, companies as well as single individuals in arenas for dialogue. The objective of this thesis, then, is to contribute to how organizational change and innovation can be created, that is; what are the conditions necessary to achieve organizational change and innovation in AEC companies? And next; how can organizational change and innovation be spread among the companies in the Norwegian AEC industry? These are the two major research questions of the study. The thesis is an action research-oriented case study based on collaboration with a Research &amp; Development (R&amp;D)-program called The Integrated Building Process (the SiB – Samspillet i Byggeprosessen) jointly sponsored by four Norwegian AEC companies and the Research Council of Norway (RCN). My doctoral grant, including abroad stay as a visiting research scholar at Stanford University, California, USA, summer 1998 and fall 1999, was 100 % sponsored by the RCN, the Industry and Energy division. The field research was carried out in a 4 ½-years period from 1997 to 2001.

Call centres (CCs) are one of the most rapidly growing forms of workplaces in Sweden. The overall aim of this thesis was to describe work characteristics, physical and psychosocial exposures, and health related outcomes, for CC operators in selected CC in Sweden. The purpose was also to study the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of questions, and the inter-rater reliability of observations and measurements in studies of CCs. This thesis is based on two projects, where study I was a cohort study and studies II-V were a cross-sectional survey. Fifty-seven CC operators were compared with a reference group of 1459 professional computer users from other occupations, study I, and 1183 operators (848 women and 335 men) (response rate 77%) from 28 CCs were studied in studies II-V . Questionnaires covering organisation and work characteristics, physical and psychosocial exposures, individual characteristics and symptoms during the previous month was used, studies I-V. Structured observations in accordance with an ergonomic checklist were used to assess workstation design during the subject’s ordinary work, study I and II. Operators at external CCs spent longer time on customer calls and had less varied tasks. Additional remuneration, call logging and monitoring was more common at external CCs. There were deficiencies in workspace, keyboard- and input device placement. External CCs showed somewhat more problems in the work environment compared with the internal CCs. The CC group spent longer continuous time in front of the computer than other professional computer users. Emotional and cognitive demands and time pressure were reported considered high. Emotional demands and limited decision latitude were dominating features in CC work. A higher proportion of the CC group reported musculoskeletal symptoms compared to other professional computer users. Three out of four operators reported symptoms in the Neck/shoulder or Arm/hand region, with no major differences between internal and external CCs. Comfort of the work environment showed the strongest association with symptoms in the Neck/shoulder or Arm/hand, in both types of CCs. Other exposures associated with symptoms in the Neck/shoulder or Arm/hand in either type of CC were: low complexity of work, long total time of customer calls per day, continuous computer work without a break, high psychological demands, low decision latitude, lack of social support from colleagues and lack of support from a supervisor. The thesis confirms previously suggested associations between unfavourable work characteristics and management, as well as poor physical and psychosocial environment, and musculoskeletal symptoms in computer-interactive tasks. Among operators at internal CCs, symptoms were particularly related to the nature of calls during work, whereas at external CCs critical exposures were the time spent seated with continuous computer work. About half of the questions were classified as having fair to good or higher testretest reliability and can be recommended in further analyses. Other questions should be used with care. A majority of the variables on the ergonomic checklist are classified as having fair to good or higher inter-rater reliability.

No description available.

The visual design of twelve mobile telephones was studied and compared. Thirteen university students completed sorting tasks and were also interviewed. Significant correlations were found for most phones between ranks of beauty and desire to possess. Preferences varied among participants. Multi Dimensional Scaling of pile sorting data implied that phones were compared on the basis of prototypicality and trendiness. Four themes were found in the motivations of possession ranks: aesthetic judgements, symbolic perceptions and associations, conclusions of functions and practical conclusions. The results suggest that making sense of visual design determines aesthetic experiences and partly desire to possess, thus giving support to the applicability of appraisal theories of emotion to the study of design.

Proactive ergonomics is generally considered to be a more efficient and cost effective way of designing working environments than reactive ergonomics. It often requires preemptively selecting working postures and forces to reduce potential injury risk. One major issue with proactive ergonomic design is correctly identifying the true manual forces that will be required of a worker to complete defined tasks. Typically, these forces are represented as in direct opposition to the forces required by a particular task. However, this is likely an oversimplification as forces often act in different directions than the task-required direction to increase required force level, enhance balance and reduce joint moments, depending on specific experimental conditions. This study aims to quantify these off-axis forces as they change with different required on-axis force intensities. This thesis evaluated the effects of force intensity on the presence of off-axis forces across four conditions, which included free and constrained postures, and with and without off-axis force. Eighteen female subjects performed static, unilateral, manual pushing and pulling exertions while seated and were limited to force contributions from the right upper extremity. Hand forces and location of bony landmarks were collected from each subject and force intensity consisted of both maximal and submaximal levels (5% to 50% of the maximum producible on-axis force in increments of 5%). All principle direction forces were scaled to the on-axis force level and anatomically relevant joint moments scaled to the maximum capacity joint moment. The main objective of this study was to analyze off-axis force production as force intensity was increased under various constraint conditions. The highest maximum on-axis force was in the fully free condition (off-axis force allowed and posture unconstrained) and as conditions became more constrained for both pushing and pulling exertions, maximum on-axis force production decreased (p=<0.0001). For submaximal exertions in the free posture, participants used off-axis forces to target the shoulder flexion-extension moment by pushing increasingly upwards (p=0.0122) and to the left by 5.6% on-axis (p=0.0025), and by pulling 12.6% on-axis downward (p=<0.0001) and 4.7% on-axis rightward (p=0.0024) compared to when off-axis force was not allowed. When comparing the free to the constrained posture while allowing off-axis force, participants pushed downwards instead of upwards by a difference of 12.9% on-axis (p=0.0002) and pulled less downward (becoming slightly upward) by an increasing difference (p=0.0002) and from decreasing to increasing rightward (p=0.0006). These changes in off-axis force showed a unifying strategy of using less shoulder flexion-extension strength by targeting wrist and elbow moments for pushing and pulling exertions. When in the constrained posture allowing and not allowing off-axis force resulted in more internal elbow flexion (p=0.0003) moment during pushing, and less internal shoulder flexion (p=0.0092), more internal shoulder adduction (p=0.0252), more to less internal elbow supination (p=0.0415), and increasingly less internal wrist flexion (p=0.0296) moments during pulling, which verified previously observed strategies. Finally, for both maximal and submaximal exertions, pulling was more sensitive to changes in off-axis forces compared to pushing which was more sensitive to postural flexibility. In conclusion, the underlying principles as to how and why off-axis forces change provides valuable knowledge to ergonomists so that they can more accurately predict force production in workplace design, ultimately reducing the potential for injury.

Attempting to enhance their productivity or improve working conditions, many businesses have adopted organizational change programs that involve a participatory component. To attain a comprehensive understanding of these change programs we need to investigate the influence of social factors such as power, the impact of local and global contexts, and the role that agency plays in these programs. Further, because organizational programs do not unfold linearly and the contexts in which they are embedded continually evolve, it is crucial to employ an approach that allows studying organizational programs over time. Attending to these considerations enables the production of narratives of organizational change that are congruous with the dynamism of organizational life. This dissertation explores the dynamics of an organizational program in a particular type of occupational health and safety program, which emphasizes employee involvement: participatory ergonomics (PE). Participatory ergonomics, intended to reduce workers’ exposures to work-related musculoskeletal disorders, draws on the input of small groups of labour and management representatives called ergonomic change teams (ECTs) to address exposure to hazards that may lead to musculoskeletal disorders. The dissertation’s examination of an organizational change program consists of an analysis of PE programs in two workplaces: a courier depot and a manufacturing plant. The dissertation’s investigation of the PE programs is based primarily on observations, which were gathered longitudinally as the ECTs endeavoured to make ergonomic changes, and fifty-five semi-structured interviews, which were carried out with ECT members and other key informants who were not members of the ECTs. Data collection occurred during 48 months in the manufacturing setting; in the courier company, collection took place during a 30-month period. The dissertation’s analysis is informed by negotiated order and critical theory lenses. Negotiated order considers social order as an ongoing process and draws attention to the activities of individuals and groups, and the manner in which they influence the dynamics of social life. In regard to organizational programs, it rejects the idea that they unfold independently of actors’ efforts; rather, it considers them as products of individuals’ attempts to establish and maintain the necessary agreements to ensure their operation. Critical theory, as it pertains to occupational health, identifies the constraints that shape working conditions and links these with the uneven distribution of power in the workplace and production imperatives. The dissertation addresses the following general research questions: What actions were undertaken by individuals to ensure the PE programs functioned and continued? How did the organizational and societal context enable or constrain the pursuit of PE program activities? The presentation of the findings begins with an account of the problem-solving processes used in both of the settings, an overview of the types of knowledge that were used, and a description of the actors’ access to knowledge. In each setting, design parameters, production pressures, the nature of the knowledge required to design solutions, and the differential distribution of that knowledge among workplace personnel influenced (a) the effectiveness of the ECTs’ solution building activities, (b) the design process, and (c) the nature and degree of participation by the teams’ worker members. The dissertation then proceeds to an examination of the implementation process. It explores how this process is affected by the organizational context, in particular the ECTs’ limited authority as agents of change, and shows that the minimal authority they possessed prompted the ECTs to select an array of strategies to accomplish their work. These strategies often took the forms of persuasion, persistence, and enlisting the assistance of other personnel. Extending the discussion of implementation, the dissertation then focuses on the division of labour within the ECTs as they carried out their activities. In both settings, implementation activities were unevenly distributed among the ECTs’ membership; they were predominantly carried out by managerial personnel. Both the programs’ functioning and the participation of worker representatives were influenced by the interplay among three main factors: the type of activities that needed to be carried out, workplace hierarchy, and stance, or participants’ views about their ability to act effectively. The discussion of the PE programs then proceeds to an examination of whether the programs were supplied with the resources required to continue over time. The outcomes differed: in Courier Co. the program was discontinued, whereas in Furniture Co. it was maintained. The discussions investigate how PE program continuation was affected by the program supporters’ activities and shaped by conditions both internal and external to the organization. Foremost among these conditions were management’s view of health and safety and the occupational health and safety regulatory framework. The dissertation’s examination of the PE programs over time provides evidence that the functioning and the degree of worker involvement in participatory occupational health programs are conditioned by structural and interactional elements. The programs were shaped by an uneven distribution of power, limits on access to knowledge and scarce resources, and actors’ divergent interests and their capacities to act in accord with these interests. The final chapter of the dissertation reviews the key findings and examines common themes that arose across the workplaces. The dissertation concludes with observations on several topics: the challenges of evaluating program outcomes in settings such as occupational health and safety; the lessons that participatory ergonomics practitioners can take from the study’s findings; and suggestions for possible avenues of future research.

As awareness of the costs of workplace injury and illness continues to grow, there has been an increased demand for effective ergonomic interventions to reduce the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The goal of ergonomic interventions is to reduce exposures (mechanical and psychosocial); however there is conflicting evidence about the impact of these interventions as many studies produce inconclusive or conflicting results. In order to provide a clearer picture of the effectiveness of these interventions, we must find out if methodological issues, particularly statistical power, are limiting this research. The purpose of this study was to review and examine factors influencing statistical power in ergonomic intervention papers from five peer reviewed journals in 2008. A standardized review was performed by two reviewers. Twenty eight ergonomic intervention papers met the inclusion criteria and were fully reviewed. Data and trends from the reviewed papers were summarized specifically looking at the research designs used, the outcome measures used, if statistical power was mentioned, if a rationale for sample size was reported, if standardized and un-standardized effect sizes were reported, if confidence intervals were reported, the alpha levels used, if pair-wise correlation values were provided, if mean values and standard deviations were provided for all measures and the location of the studies. Also, the studies were rated based on the outcomes of their intervention into one of three categories (shown to be effective, inconclusive and not shown to be effective). Between these three groupings comparisons of post hoc power, standardized effect sizes, un-standardized effect sizes and coefficients of variation were made. The results indicate that in general, a lack of statistical power is indeed a concern and may be due to the sample sizes used, effect sizes produced, extremely high variability in some of the measures, the lack of attention paid to statistical power during research design and the lack of appropriate statistical reporting guidelines in journals where ergonomic intervention research may be published. A total of 69.6% of studies reviewed had a majority of measures with less than .50 power and 71.4% of all measures used had CVs of > .20.

Denna uppsats handlar om personlighetstest som urvalsmetod vid rekrytering, mer specifikt studeras testet Person Profil Analys. Syftet är att få djupare förståelse för varför detta test, trots en omfattande kritik, är ett av Sveriges mest använda. Vi har valt att undersöka testet i en specifik organisation, för att på så sätt uppnå en så detaljerad datainsamling och djupgående analys som möjligt. Organisationen vi studerat är ett av Sveriges landsting, som använder Person Profil Analys vid chefsrekrytering. Vi har genomfört kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra personer som tillämpar testet vid rekrytering, i ambitionen att få förståelse för varför landstinget har valt att använda Person Profil Analys. Intervjuerna berörde bland annat respondenternas attityd till testet, dess praktiska tillämpning och funktion i rekryteringsprocessen. Utifrån litteratur och tidigare forskning inom ämnet presenterar vi en teoretisk genomgång av testanvändningens huvudområden. Dessa behandlar etiska aspekter, testkonstruktion, tillförlitlighet, testets funktion i rekryteringsprocessen samt testmarknadens expandering och bristande reglering. Huruvida personlighetstest kan öka träffsäkerheten i anställningsbeslut är en mycket omtvistad fråga, vi lyfter därför också fram den kritik som riktas gentemot personlighetstest som urvalsmetod. En central och övergripande diskussion för vår undersökning behandlar personlighetsbegreppet och dess definition. Denna diskussion har även legat till grund för vår analys, där det framkommer att landstingets testanvändning präglas av en samexistens av två motsatta synsätt på personligheten, vilket leder till en tvetydig attityd gentemot testet. Undersökningen pekar på att en tänkbar förklaring till landstingets användning av det kritiserade testet Person Profil Analys, är att det i första hand fyller en tryggande och symbolisk funktion, med syftet att dämpa rekryterarnas osäkerhet inför anställningsbeslut. Landstinget verkar inte ha något reellt behov av ett personlighetstest i rekryteringsprocessen, därför har de inte heller gjort ett medvetet och reflekterat val av vilket test som ska användas. Detta ger en förståelse för att landstinget använder ett så kritiserat test som Person Profil Analys. Med andra ord är det inte testets tillförlitlighet och vetenskapliga förankring som är det mest betydande för organisationen, utan dess förmåga att skapa trygghet i rekryteringsarbetet. Utifrån detta resonemang skulle landstinget kunna använda vilket test som helst, som tillför trygghet. Att valet föll på Person Profil Analys var en ren tillfällighet, vilket vi menar kan förklaras av den kommersiella och oreglerade testmarknaden, i kombination med den starka tro på vetenskap som vi menar är kännetecknande för landstingets organisationskultur. I och med testanvändningen verkar landstingets rekryterare uppleva att osäkerheten som finns naturligt i rekryteringsarbetet har dämpats eller försvunnit. Vi ser dock att den finns kvar i organisationen och utgör en negativ energi. Osäkerheten har endast skjutits över på den struktur som testet utgör. Då rekryterarna skjuter över sin osäkerhet på testet, får de svårare att hantera den och omvandla den till något positivt. Eftersom testet verkar fylla en tryggande funktion i organisationen, får de också svårt att sluta använda det. Landstinget har mer eller mindre fastnat i den oreflekterade testanvändningen. En konsekvens av detta blir således att de får svårt att utveckla och förändra rekryteringsarbetet utifrån sina egna behov.