Redes eletrônicas e necessidades informacionais, integradas para evidenciar comportamento de busca e uso da informação e compreender o papel dessa tecnologia no ambiente universitário, são os objetivos desta tese. Dividida em três partes, enfoca primeiro o plano metodológico. A seguir, dois estudos de revisão fundamentam o trabalho: (1) rastreando a evolução de redes eletrônicas internacional e nacionalmente para sistematizar a matéria; (2) evidenciando pontos tradicionais de estudos de necessidades de informação para alcançar aqueles centrados no usuário. Na terceira parte apresenta pesquisa peculiar, em ambiente da USP cujo Instituto de Física constitui o universo de observação. Por meio do correio eletrônico é perscrutada a conduta de busca e uso da informação de 87 usuários da rede local do IFUSP, no período outubro / novembro de 1994. A abordagem metodológica utilizada é adaptada do Sense-Making de Brenda Dervin, uma abordagem alternativa ou da percepção, que tem o usuário como objeto de pesquisa. Submetidos a três tipos de análise, os resultados obtidos assim se configuram: (a) utilização das redes: tempo de experiência, freqüência, propósitos, barreiras e dificuldades, treinamentos; (b) busca e uso de informação: contexto de uso, natureza e foco das necessidades de informação, estratégias empregadas para solucionar problemas, esforço dependido para localizar respostas as necessidades, expectativa de uso da informação, recursos informacionais utilizados, completeza e satisfação com as respostas obtidas e fontes efetivas de auxílio e (c) necessidades de informação não solucionadas: contexto de uso, natureza e foco das necessidades, expectativa de uso e estratégias para solução. Ponto significativo da pesquisa foi à categorização de usuários em 4 grupos, conforme as etapas gradativas do seu desempenho no uso das redes: fase 1 descobrindo a existência das redes eletrônicas e seus benefícios; fase 2 - já utilizando as três funções básicas da rede (correio eletrônico, ftp e telnet), porém de modo restrito, apenas usufruindo mais agilmente os recursos computacionais locais; fase 3 - buscas de solução a questões imediatistas, pontuais e de caráter variado; fase 4 - uso denotando experiência, segurança nas várias funções das RE. Dessa categorização e pelas VÍ solução a questões imediatistas, pontuais e de caráter variado; fase 4 - uso denotando experiência, segurança nas várias funções das RE. \"Dessa categorização e pelas freqüências observadas em cada fase, infere-se que as redes eletrônicas têm sido utilizadas mais como um instrumento de comunicação do que real fonte de informação. Similaridades nos procedimentos de busca e uso da informação entre os grupos estudados contribuíram também para delinear o perfil de necessidades informacionais de comunidade acadêmica que utiliza redes eletrônicas. Para otimizar o uso das RE, sugere-se o desenvolvimento de estudos específicos das necessidades dos usuários; serviços pertinentes a essas necessidades; programas de capacitação de profissionais intermediários entre serviços e usuários finais, de formação em serviços e treinamento de usuários. / Electronic Networks and Information Needs are integrated in order to search information seeking behavior of the academic community and to understand the impact of this technology in the university activities. Those are the issues of this dissertation, which is presented in 3 parts. First - the methodology. Second - review studies which contain the fundamentation of this work: (1) electronic networking evolution; and (b) traditional versus oriented approach to study the user needs. Third - information seeking behavior research of the electronic networking users at the Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo based in Brenda Dervin\'s Sense-Making Approach. The electronic mail was used in order to get information from 87 users of IFUSP local network. The results were submitted to three types of analysis: (a) use of the electronic network: amount of experience, frequency and purpose of use, barriers and difficulties, amount of training and context of use; (b) search and use of information: nature and entity focus, strategy used, amount of effort, resource used, user expectation and actual uses, completeness of the answers obtained, usefulness of the answers, sources that effectível y helped to find the information; (c) unsolved information needs: failure, analysis of user\'s problems when their information needs remained unsolved was performed. Users were classified in 4 groups, according their performance in networking: (1) those in discovering electronic networks benefits stage; (2) those using basic functions (email, ftp and telnet) but only locally; (3) those seeking for solutions or immediate issues; (4) expert users. From this characterization and due to the user\'s frequencies in each of these stages, an inference of IFUSP net is done: most users are just at the communication stage, not using networks as an information source. Similarities in the information seeking behavior of those IFUSPnet users contribute to outline the community user needs characterization. As suggestions in order to improve the electronic networks use, it should develop specific studies of user needs, offer users competence program and professional in service training.

The past decade has become rife with an eagerness to integrate new digital technology into teaching. While there have been decades of research done on the importance of curriculum and pedagogy on student engagement, findings of actual technology integration are scarce. Moreover, what does it take to engage students in classroom activities and lessons when technology is introduced? The purpose of this study was to explore how digital technology, when integrated into classroom teaching and activities, impacted the students-classroom engagement based on the interim-cognitive, meta-cognitive, motivational, and behavioral markers. This was explored in a Texas public high school across the four core classes (English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Data was collected in the form of observational field notes, transcripts of recorded lessons, and Likert-scaled surveys. Thematic analysis was used in analyzing qualitative data, Pearson’s correlation of those components found by factor analysis verified three of the five themes identified from the thematic analysis with statistical significance. The findings suggest that mere use of technology does not have a profound impact on student engagement. Instead, technology tends to amplify the existing classroom culture and social norms agreed upon between the teacher and their students. Texas teachers and students are also redefining the meaning of curriculum to include technology as a result of the attempted integration. This research finds that students’ hands-on activities under teachers’ guidance with the use of technology excel when teachers are molding digital work.

The purpose of the present study was to develop the Descriptive Death Scale (DDS), a brief, descriptive and multidimensional measure that assesses individual perceptions of single death experiences. The DDS has the potential to expand how death experiences are understood in the literature because it can serve as a tool for grievers to quantitatively contextualize their single death experiences instead of indicating only the mode of death. From a constructivist perspective, the adjectives included in the DDS are parcels of meaning that symbolically contextualize grievers’ subjective understanding. Drawing from qualitative research, I compiled a broad list of 65 adjectives that grievers and terminally ill patients have used to describe past and impending deaths. My online recruitment process resulted in a sample of respondents (<i>N</i> = 572) who identified primarily as White/European American, cisgender female and heterosexual (83%, 85%, and 83%, respectively). Their ages ranged from 18 to 80 (<i>M = </i>43.13, <i>SD =</i> 13.40). The results of the EFA indicated a 5-factor structure; however, the CFA analysis/ESEM indicated that a 4-factor model better fit the data. The DDS subscales (i.e., Incomprehensible, Warm, Withering, Ostracized) include a total of 27-items and scores on each subscale displayed good internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity. The results from the regression analysis indicated that the Incomprehensible, Warm and Withering death subscales contributed significantly and positively to grief distress, beyond closeness to the deceased and age of the deceased. The DDS assesses the nuanced and unique profiles of grievers’ perceptions of single deaths. It can serve as an important and novel tool for researchers and clinicians to capture grievers multidimensional and subjective understanding of their death experiences. With single word items, it is brief, easy to use, and versatile across domains.

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Alla företag har – från tid till annan – någon form av investeringar i sin verksamhet. För att utvärdera olika investeringsalternativ används investeringskalkyleringar, men de bakomlig-gande antaganden som görs vid dessa kalkyler är präglade av osäkerhet då ingen kan sia om framtidens utfall. Ett verktyg som kan användas för att hantera denna osäkerhet är känslighets-analys. Det finns många studier gjorda om känslighetsanalyser, men nästan alla följer en rationell an-sats och tar sällan hänsyn till den begränsade rationella människan som står bakom analyserna. Syftet med denna studie är att analysera hur företag använder sig av känslighetsanalys i sam-band med investeringsbeslut, oavsett om de förhåller sig till den rationella ansatsen eller inte. Studien har därför genomförts med intervjuer för att kunna uppnå detta syfte. Studien visar på att det finns viktiga faktorer som gör att känslighetsanalysens roll och använ-dande inför investeringsbeslut skiljer sig åt i de intervjuer vi gjort. Faktorerna som denna studie har tagit hänsyn till är hur ägarstrukturen ser ut, vilka typer av investeringar som görs och organisationens tolkningsprocess av omgivningen. Genom vår analysmodell hoppas vi kunna visa på varför behovet och utförandet av känslighetsanalysen ser ut som det gör, men även ge en förståelse för varför den skiljer sig åt mellan olika företag. / All companies have some form of investment in their business. To evaluate different invest-ment options, they will use some form of capital budgeting techniques. However, the underly-ing assumptions made in these calculations are characterized by uncertainty, as no one can predict the outcome of the future. One tool that can be used to deal with this uncertainty is sensitivity analysis. There have been many studies done on the subject of sensitivity analysis. But almost all of them follow a rational approach and rarely consider the limited rational person behind these analyses. The purpose of this study is to analyse how companies use sensitivity analysis for investment decisions, regardless of whether they relate to the rational approach or not. This study was therefore conducted with interviews to be able to achieve this purpose. This study shows that there are important factors that change the sensitivity analysis purpose and how it is used for investments decisions in the interviews that we have done. The factors this study will take into account are company structures, types of investments and how organ-izations manage their interpretation process of their environment. Through our analysis model we hope to show why the need and implementation of sensitivity analysis looks the way it does and provide an understanding of why it differs between companies.

Coffee is a vital source of income for millions of farmers worldwide and an important commodity in global trade. The 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations, aim to improve the world's production and consumption patterns, but coffee farming is still often associated with modern-day slavery, poor working conditions, and deforestation. To address these issues, certification programs have been introduced, linked to sustainability objectives and aimed at promoting sustainable practices, but their impact has been questioned. This study seeks to explore the inter-organisational learning (IOL) processes between German coffee importers and roasters and coffee producers. It poses three research questions to investigate: (1) The effect of IOL on the sustainable development of coffee farms, (2) the underlying processes of IOL in German coffee supply chains, and (3) the influence of barriers on the IOL process. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews, the study identifies that the primary goal of initiating IOL varies from one company to another and is the main indicator for their ability to enable sustainable development on the farms. While achieving a sustainable transformation was rarely the reason to engage in an IOL process, the focus on quality improvements, most common among the interviewed organisations, also led to some amount of environmental and social sustainable development. Trust is essential for successful IOL, though cultural differences and communication barriers might hinder the development of trust. The study highlights the importance of including farmers in all stages of the IOL process, leading to a significant sustainable development outcome on coffee farms. The study contributes to a better understanding of IOL dynamics in the coffee supply chain, shedding light on IOL's interconnectedness and the sustainable development of coffee farms.

Ambient displays present useful information in the periphery of the users and normally they don’t support interactions. Technological advancements in digital displays, computing power of smart phones and faster wireless networks enable new forms of interactions. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the design space of ambient displays and make an inquiry into the future state by designing and implementing an interactive prototype for a specific use case. The context of the project is a music management company, its Artist &amp; Repertoire division and their work-flow. The work introduces a novel concept of Interactive Semi-Ambient Displays with Narrative visualization features. The thesis is a comprehensive documentation of an iterative Research through Design process and its final outcome, an interactive prototype. The prototype consists of a Semi-Ambient visualization, integrated with narrative features and a mobile application to interact and control the visualization. A formative focus group evaluation of the prototype was conducted to evaluate the final outcome of the process. Results suggest that the concept is a viable way to effectively visualize information in office environments and support the work-flow of co-located groups. Based on the comments, future directions for the general concept and the project are discussed. / Ambivalenta skärmar ger nyttig information i periferin hos användarna som normalt inte stöder en interaktion. Tekniska framsteg i de digitala skärmarna, datorkapaciteten i smarta telefoner och snabbare trådlösa nätverk möjliggör en ny form av interaktion. Syftet med denna avhandling är att undersöka utformningen av dessa ambivalenta skärmar och redogöra om ett framtida skede genom att utforma och genomföra en interaktiv prototyp hos ett specifikt användningsområde. Projektets kontext är ett förvaltningsbolag i musikbranschen, och dess Konstär &amp; Repertoar indelning samt deras arbetsflöde. Arbetets syfte är att introducera ett nytt koncept av interaktiva Semi-Ambivalenta skärmar med berättande visualiseringsfunktioner. Avhandlingen är en omfattande sammansättning av en återkommande forskning inom design process och dess slutliga resultat, en interaktiv prototyp. Prototypen består av en Semi-Ambivalent visualisering, integrerad med narrativa funktioner och en mobil applikation för att interagera och styra visualisering. En utvärdering av prototypen utfördes i form av en pedagogisk fokusgrupp för att ta fram det slutliga resultatet av processen. Resultaten tyder på att konceptet är ett lönsamt sätt att effektivt visualisera information i kontorsmiljöer och stödja arbetsflödet hos lokala arbetsgrupper. Baserat på kommentarerna som finns, är de framtida målen för det grundliga konceptet &amp; projektet att föra en diskussion.

<p dir="ltr">This research studies post-stay-at-home mothers from a traditional nuclear family who enter the workforce after divorce. While family communication scholars have explored topics surrounding divorce, very little about how mothers make sense of their transition from being stay-at-home mothers (SAHMs) to working mothers (WMs) after divorce.</p><p dir="ltr">Through an interdisciplinary approach, this research uses Transitional Theory (Anderson et al.<i>, </i>2012; Schlossberg, 1981; Schlossberg, 2008) and Communicated Narrative Sense Making (CNSM) (Koenig Kellas, 2018; Koenig Kellas & Horstman, 2014) to understand how mothers make sense of their experiences during this change in their lives. It further studies the participants through mixed methods, using the Shift and Persist Scale (Chen <i>et al.,</i> 2015) and Sense of Control Scale (Lachman & Weaver, 1998a, 1998b) along with reflexive thematic analysis (TA) (Braun & Clarke; 2021; 2006).</p><p dir="ltr">The results of the qualitative section of this study brought forth seven themes displayed in the realms of sense-making during transition. These themes are <i>Belief themes: Out of control</i>, <i>taking back life</i>, and <i>finding a place to belong</i>; the <i>Value themes:</i> <i>Finding the wherewithal to survive</i>, <i>discovering and reclaiming self</i>, and <i>accepting of accomplishments</i>; and the <i>Meaning-Making theme: Recognizing resolve</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">The quantitative results of this study indicated that there were significantly higher levels of persistence and personal mastery with those who told narratives framed positively as opposed to those who told narratives framed negatively. There was, however, no significance in their ability to shift or in their perceived constraints.</p>

The rapid development of artificial intelligence has initiated debates regarding its eventual threats and opportunities in the labor market. There is currently an ongoing discussion about which jobs, within the HR-business, that could potentially be replaced by AI, with the recruiting profession being suggested as replaceable by AI. The sociological relevance of the study´s subjects lies in the intersection of human and technology. The purpose of the study is to examine how professionals in the field of recruitment experience AI. By studying this, emotions arising in relation to technological development can be elucidated with the aim of understanding the intersection between humans and technology. Latest research has shown that development of new technology may raise apprehension among people. The theoretical framework of this study is based on Blumers (1986) ideas about sense-making within symbolic interactionism and Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989). Blumers ideas are used to understand how recruiters' sense-making process affects their feelings towards AI. Technology Acceptance Model are used in purpose to understand recruiters potential for acceptance of AI. In this study, qualitative interviews were conducted with recruiters working at recruitment and staffing agencies. The study's results indicate that recruiters have a positive attitude towards using AI in their work, despite having difficulty understanding what AI is. The findings suggest that recruiters do not perceive AI as a threat to their occupational roles, as AI lacks the human capabilities required by their job roles. / Den snabba utvecklingen av artificiell intelligens (AI) har väckt diskussioner om dess potentiella hot och möjligheter på arbetsmarknaden. Just nu pågår en diskussion om vilka jobb inom HR som skulle kunna ersättas av AI, i vilken rekryteringsyrket framförs som ersättbart av AI. Den sociologiska relevansen i studiens ämne är mötet mellan människa och teknik och syftet med studien är att undersöka hur yrkesprofessionella inom rekrytering upplever AI. Genom att studera detta kan känslor som uppkommer i relation till teknikens utveckling synliggöras i syfte att förstå mötet mellan människa och teknik. Tidigare forskning visar exempelvis att ny teknik kan skapa oro hos människor. Studiens teoretiska ramverk utgår från Blumers (1986) teorier om meningsskapande inom symbolisk interaktionism och Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989). Blumers teorier används för att förstå hur rekryterares meningsskapande process påverkar deras känslor gentemot AI. Technology Acceptance Model används för att förstå rekryterares möjlighet till acceptans av AI. I denna studie har kvalitativa intervjuer genomförts med rekryterare som arbetar på rekryterings- och bemanningsföretag. Studiens resultat visar att rekryterarna har en positiv attityd till att använda AI i sitt arbete trots att de har svårt att greppa vad AI är. Studiens resultat visar att rekryterarna inte upplever AI som någonting som kan hota deras yrkesroll, på grund av att AI saknar den mänskliga förmågan som deras yrkesroll kräver.

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