This research report follows a group of educators, project managers and scientists involved in a norm-critical project: Norm Creative Certification. The aim of this study is to examine the proposal for, and obstacles to, a norm-critical change that the group discusses in relation to the project and its educational context. The research report also examines whom are expected to make the norm-critical change. For gathering the empirical material the method participant observation is used. Further, the material has been analyzed inspired by Carol Bacchis policy analysis method What is the problem represented to be? Carol Bacchis method has worked indicative, since the material is more organic than a policy. The research report has been analyzed in the context of theories of intersectionality and Kevin Kumashiros theory about antioppressive pedagogy. The obstacles that the reference group refers to a norm-critical change is partly a threatening outside world and an internal feminist critic, the lack of action, a fake (internal) self-image and a fear of the discomfort and resistance that norm-critical change raises. The components that the group suggests for a positive development, is linked to the experience-based learning, an interested attitude of the practitioner, the relation to time and an understanding of conflict, power and domination. What also emerges is that the norm-critical change occurs in the individual, which is assumed not to have any experience of being outside the norm. A duality emerges overall as the group relates to two parallel ideas and pedagogical approaches. Partly the group relates to a "market" where assignments will be carried out and where it is stressed that action without understanding is a way to a norm-critical change. At the same time signed an opposite condition for a norm-critical change, where time, your own experience, understanding and self-reflexivity stands in the center. Here the focus is on longer processes, the individual and the learning processes.

Systems Thinking, (ST), has lately received increased attention, once again, as a result of accelerate change conditions and as organisations seem to operate in a more complex and uncertain context, which demands a new way of thinking. ST is an answer to these challenges as it is a way of thinking and acting that adopt a broader perspective. However, the perspective is not new itself and despite its positive aspects, it is still received inferior attention in the academia as well as practice. The purpose of this research was to contribute to an understanding of the employees perception of the change process towards this perspective, in order to gain an understanding of what is difficult and what factors that have helped these individuals to gain the perspective. A theoretical framework was developed and by conducting an exploratory study of the individual change, data were collected from in-depth interviews. The research findings come up with a model of nine key factors that are considered helpful to the employees in the change process, and three of those especially useful when implementing the ST perspective. The model can be seen as practical guidelines for implementation of ST reforms.

Service Oriented Virtual Organizations (SOVOs) business processes and services are subject to change to meet the internal and external requirements of the competitive, complex and rapidly changing environment they operate in. More practical and efficient ways of change management are needed to allow different partners to initiate changes to their business process and services in a faster and user-transparent manner. This thesis proposes a Change Management Framework for service oriented virtual organizations including a structural and a procedural framework. The structural framework categorizes changes in the SOVO into three layers of change; which include the value network layer, the collaborative process layer and the service providers’ layer, and identifies the impact of change on each layer. Furthermore, the structural framework identifies various triggers of changes which eventually lead to actions taken at the three layers. The change management procedural framework is derived from the ITIL V3, ECM and ECOLEAD best practices and recommendations, customized to fit the SOVO change requirements. It provides different components including the six layers for change processes, change control, change actors and related management processes. The change management procedural framework provides a sequence of steps and methods that the SOVO and its participated organizations can follow in initiating changes to their business processes or services. We design an implementation architecture and a prototype for building the change management console which enables the SOVO change management participants to initiate, assess, collaborate, monitor and authorize changes. The prototype is developed to realize and validate the change management process of change in the SOVO environment. We employ the various capabilities of the IBM Business Process Management (BPM) (including its recent Web 2.0 capabilities) to increase the collaboration between partners in the process of change. We demonstrate that the proposed solutions facilitate and enhance the process of change by effectively engaging the SOVO partners in the process of change.

This research suggests that Child and Youth Care based reflexive practice contributes to crucial shifts in perspective in both international and national staff in humanitarian contexts, and blurs the line between beneficiaries and practitioners in humanitarian intervention. I maintain that national staff (people hired in country by international organisations) to care for affected populations in humanitarian contexts are a distinct group within a vulnerable population, and with whom integrative, focused efforts in practitioner development must be made. Specifically, this research suggests that an emphasis on reflexive practice with this group in Malawi, Sierra Leone and Sudan facilitated small but crucial increments of human change processes which led to increased responsibility as part of developing practitioner identity and wider social change. All of this is important if effective practice towards targeted beneficiaries and humanitarian protection aims are to be fully realized.

This research suggests that Child and Youth Care based reflexive practice contributes to crucial shifts in perspective in both international and national staff in humanitarian contexts, and blurs the line between beneficiaries and practitioners in humanitarian intervention. I maintain that national staff (people hired in country by international organisations) to care for affected populations in humanitarian contexts are a distinct group within a vulnerable population, and with whom integrative, focused efforts in practitioner development must be made. Specifically, this research suggests that an emphasis on reflexive practice with this group in Malawi, Sierra Leone and Sudan facilitated small but crucial increments of human change processes which led to increased responsibility as part of developing practitioner identity and wider social change. All of this is important if effective practice towards targeted beneficiaries and humanitarian protection aims are to be fully realized.

Service Oriented Virtual Organizations (SOVOs) business processes and services are subject to change to meet the internal and external requirements of the competitive, complex and rapidly changing environment they operate in. More practical and efficient ways of change management are needed to allow different partners to initiate changes to their business process and services in a faster and user-transparent manner. This thesis proposes a Change Management Framework for service oriented virtual organizations including a structural and a procedural framework. The structural framework categorizes changes in the SOVO into three layers of change; which include the value network layer, the collaborative process layer and the service providers’ layer, and identifies the impact of change on each layer. Furthermore, the structural framework identifies various triggers of changes which eventually lead to actions taken at the three layers. The change management procedural framework is derived from the ITIL V3, ECM and ECOLEAD best practices and recommendations, customized to fit the SOVO change requirements. It provides different components including the six layers for change processes, change control, change actors and related management processes. The change management procedural framework provides a sequence of steps and methods that the SOVO and its participated organizations can follow in initiating changes to their business processes or services. We design an implementation architecture and a prototype for building the change management console which enables the SOVO change management participants to initiate, assess, collaborate, monitor and authorize changes. The prototype is developed to realize and validate the change management process of change in the SOVO environment. We employ the various capabilities of the IBM Business Process Management (BPM) (including its recent Web 2.0 capabilities) to increase the collaboration between partners in the process of change. We demonstrate that the proposed solutions facilitate and enhance the process of change by effectively engaging the SOVO partners in the process of change.

Introduction: The major changes which are in progress in today’s society affect, among other things, leadership that is exercised at a distance. In order for leaders of personal assistance organizations to be able to adapt their organization to the outside world, learning and leadership are crucial, and it is therefore important to explore how distance leaders in personal assistance perceive their impact on their employees' learning, and how these leaders perceive changes that take place in the organization.  Problem formulation: 1) What are the perceptions of leaders in personal assistance regarding their impact on employees’ learning and development? 2) What are the perceptions of leaders in personal assistance regarding changes which are in progress in the organization?   Aim: The aim of the thesis is to contribute knowledge about how leaders in personal assistance who lead at a distance, create conditions for employees’ learning and development. The purpose is also to contribute knowledge about the leaders’ perceptions of changes in organizations where leadership is exercised at a distance. Method: The study was conducted with a qualitative approach through semi-structured interviews with leaders at personal assistance organizations. Theory: The thesis is based on concepts such as distance, learning organization, transformative leadership and change leadership and which are used to interpret and analyze the respondents’ answers and to discuss the results of the study. Results and analysis: The results show that the respondents perceived that distance leadership in personal assistance can affect employees’ learning and development in personal assistance through three important aspects: organizational learning, promoting dialogue and having well-functioning meetings. In the event of changes, the leader has an advisory and supportive role, and the leader must be positive, clear and a role model for his employees. It is important that the leader looks at the whole of the organization and ensures that all employees receive information and are involved in changes in the organization. The parts of the organization must be organized to create a whole and there must be interaction with all parts of the organization.   Discussion: The results of the study and analysis are discussed based on previous research on learning in organizations, transformative leadership and change leadership as well as concept formation, leadership, distance leadership, learning and change processes in organizations. Conclusion: · The leader at a distance affects employees’ learning and development through dialogue and discussion, especially at various meetings. It is especially important to have an open dialogue and an effective discussion in order to reach conclusions on a particular issue. By enabling teamwork, the leader creates opportunities for individual learning, which later leads to collective learning. The most problematic with distance leadership is precisely the physical distance between leaders and employees, as the leaders cannot monitor and give feedback on the employees’ work. Nor can employees receive clear instructions. · Changes must take place when the attempt at change is directed towards the whole, i.e. towards the network of relationship that exists between different parts of the organization. The leader should realize that a change is a long process and undergoes different phases where even these phases require different lengths of time. It is not just an event but a process. Since it is a matter of leadership at a distance, it is especially important that the leader, based on limited insight, gets the employees involved and assesses they need for competence development.

Meta-analytic reviews of decades of comparative efficacy psychotherapy research consistently reveal that all tested models of marriage and family therapy (MFT) work, and they generally work equally well. Researchers have hypothesized that this may be due to factors common across models responsible for change. Despite a sizable body of common factors literature in psychology, such research in MFT is still in its infancy. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the development of a theory of common factors responsible for change in MFT. Semi-structured, open-ended qualitative interviews were conducted with three different MFT model developers (i.e., Dr. Susan M. Johnson, Emotionally Focused Therapy; Dr. Frank M. Dattilio, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; and Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, Internal Family Systems Therapy), Dr. Johnson and Dr. Schwartz's former students, and each of their former clients who had terminated therapy successfully. Transcripts were coded using the grounded theory techniques of open coding, axial coding, and relational statements. Coding was done utilizing a constant comparative method in which data were simultaneously analyzed and coded. Common factors fell into two main categories of model-dependent factors and model-independent factors. Factors within the model-dependent category include those aspects of therapy directly informed by the therapist's model. Model-dependent categories include common conceptualizations, common interventions, and common outcomes. Factors within the model-independent category include general aspects of therapy that are not directly related to the therapist's model. Model-independent categories include client variables, therapist variables, the therapeutic alliance, therapeutic process, and expectancy and motivational factors. Each model-dependent and model-independent category has several subcategories. Results are discussed in both model-specific and common factors conceptualizations. A sequential model outlining how model-dependent factors appear to combine to produce therapeutic change while being mediated by model-independent variables is proposed. The findings are integrated with the current common factors literature in psychology and MFT. Clinical, training, and research implications are discussed. / Ph. D.

A phenomenological study was conducted to explore and understand the personal experiences and meaning ascribed by senior leaders within a large multidisciplinary construction company. An effort was made to understand how they personally experienced leading others, what they learnt about themselves, what challenged them most, and what support, if any they had during their leadership of large-scale organisational change. The research found that there is a significant personal cost to the individual. This cost comes in terms of career, work-life balance and even reputation. It provides an opportunity to grow in self-knowledge, provided leaders are open to learn and reflect and that there is a substantive support structure both internally and externally to the organisation in order to ‘survive’. Without this malleable disposition, the already high cost escalates to the extent that it could be life threatening. In spite of the prolific literature available, the leaders claim that shareholders and most others do not understand the extreme length of time it takes to start and embed change that is sustainable. Without that understanding from the other role players, the leader carries not only the blame but also the scars of failed change. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

During the 1990's high expectations were put on telemedicine technology in health care organizations, which can be seen as a reflexion of the society's interest in IT. The use of tele-medicine is expected to improve the quality and decrease costs of health care services. However, if these expectations are to be attained the visions have to be translated into fields of application in local settings where the technology would be used. This could be seen as an infusion process, which means that the technology would incrementally be used in a comprehensive and integrated manner. In this thesis, four Swedish telemedicine projects are analyzed. The approach used is that of Actor network theory (ANT), which has enabled the development of a theory of the infusion process, implementation of IT-projects, and parts of ANT, e.g. the model of the translation process and the notion of inscription. By using the concept of translation, it is possible to see the infusion process as a process where the generic features of the technology (transmitting sound and pictures in real time) are translated into concrete activities in local settings. These fields of application are realized by the mobilization of different task-based networks, where the roles of the actors are defined by the task to be solved. An iterated mobilization of the network implies further that the network will become stabilized, which is a central dimension in the process of infusion. Another way to understand the process of infusion is to describe it as cycles of implementation, where one cycle symbolizes the implementation of a field of application, which is a result of the translation of the generic features of the technology. The inscriptions in the studied technology allow a high degree of flexibility of use and flexibility of action. The flexibility means that fields of application ought to be developed in interaction between actors in local settings, and supporting programs of action are to be identified, or developed, in order to integrate technology use into daily routines. The considerable numbers of failed of IT-project implementations can be explained by the fact that a traditional planning perspective has been used on technologies, which allow a high degree of flexibility of use and flexibility of action. However, by categorizing inscriptions in technological artifacts, it becomes possible to predict what kinds of implementation strategies are appropriate for different kinds of technologies. By viewing the implementation of open networking technologies as a process of translation, the infusion process will be facilitated and a comprehensive and integrated use of technology will be enabled. / digitalisering@umu