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Syftet med studien är att få en förståelse hur förskollärare motiveras till sitt arbete. Vilka faktorer ökar respektive minskar motivation på arbetsplatsen, samt vilken betydelse har arbetets utformande för motivation och arbetstillfredsställelse? Studien utgår ifrån Herzberg (1993) tvåfaktors teori kring motivation samt Hackman och Oldmans The Job Characteristics Model (Robbins & Judge, 2007) som förklarar att arbetets upplägg kan ses som grund för hur motiverad personal är. Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ ansats utifrån semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sex stycken förskollärare har intervjuats kring upplevelsen huruvida arbetstillfredsställelse och motivation infinner sig. Resultat visar att som en primär grund till arbetsstillfredsställelse ligger goda relationer till arbetskamraterna. Resultat visar även att barnens utveckling ligger som en grund gentemot hur intervjupersonerna motiveras i sin yrkesroll. Barnens utveckling samt det sociala stödet motiverar intervjupersonerna till fortsatt ansträngning och därmed till att stanna kvar på sin arbetsplats. Förutom positiva faktorer visar resultat på hämmande faktorer hos motivation. Så som för lite tid till planering samt för lite pedagogiska diskussioner. Vidare anser intervjupersonerna att för mycket ansvar och höga krav i förhållande till de resurser de har att tillhandahålla hämmar. Resultaten har bearbetats utefter Herzbergs (1993) tvåfaktorsteori rörande motivation och arbetstillfredsställelse. Arbetets utformande har bearbetats utifrån Hackman och Oldmans (Robbins & Judge, 2007) teori. / The aim of the study is to gain an understanding how preschool teachers motivates to their work. What factors increases or reduces the motivation in the workplace, and what is the significance of the work design for motivation and job satisfaction? The study was based on Herzberg (1993) two factor theory on motivation and Hackman and Oldmans The Job Characteristics Model (Robbins & Judge, 2007) explaining that the work arrangement can be seen as the basis of how motivated the personal is. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews. Six preschool teachers were interviewed about the experience whether job satisfaction and motivation arises. Results show that as a primary basis for job satisfaction is a good relationship with colleagues. Results also show that children's development is as a basis for the respondents motivation in their professional. The children developing and the social support motivate the respondents to continue their effort and also motivates them to remain in the workplace. Besides positive factors results show inhibitory factors of motivation. Things such as to little time for planning and for educational discussions. Furthermore, the interviews think that too much responsibility and high demands in relation to the resources they have to provide is also something that inhibition their motivation. The results have been processed with Herzberg (1993) two factors theory on motivation and job satisfaction. The design of work has been compared to Hackman and Oldman (Robbins & Judge, 2007) theory.

The main purpose of this research is to study the impact of the empowerment Job Design (JD) techniques on the satisfaction of the blue-collars’ motivational needs in the context of assembly line system in the automotive industry. We have developed this purpose aiming to make a theoretical contribution due to the fact that only a few studies were developed and were linked to the empowerment model developed by Conger and Kanungo (1988) which is a JD model relevant for the context of assembly line work which is qualified as repetitive and monotone. To fulfil this gap, we have established a conceptual model based on the empowerment model developed by Conger and Kanungo (1988) and theories of motivational needs. We conducted our thesis with the following research question as guideline: What are the effects of the empowerment job design on the satisfaction of the blue-collars’ motivational needs in an automotive assembly line system context? Our objective of this research question was: to study the impact of the empowerment Job Design techniques on the blue-collars’ motivational needs thanks to a case study as research design. This research is made independently to the effects of the context on the blue-collar’s motivation. We have conducted a quantitative study from a positivist and objectivist perspective in two MB (Mercedes-Benz) factories: ELC Étoile du Rhône in France (sample part factory) and Rastatt MB (engine factory) in Germany. Also, we have made questionnaires to distribute these to the blue-collars located in these two MB factories which allowed us to get 67 respondents. The set of 15 questions that constitutes our questionnaire dealt with how the empowerment JD techniques affect their motivational needs. Once the data were collected, we used SPSS for statistical analysis. We retrieved some specific analysis such as descriptive statistics, correlations and regressions. In addition to that, we used Cronbach’s Alpha to test the reliability of our results. We measured the impacts of the empowerment JD techniques (participative management, feedback, modelling contingent/ competence based reward, goal setting and job enrichment) on the motivational needs (existence needs, relation-oriented needs and growth-oriented needs). The results of our findings definitely went in the way that the empowerment JD techniques have a positive impact on the satisfaction of the blue-collars’ motivational needs. Indeed, our analysis indicated positive correlations of all of the empowerment JD techniques on the motivational needs except the JD technique "modelling contingent/ competence based reward". Also, we found that the impacts on the relation-oriented needs (RN) were the strongest ones. Thus, we hope that this paper will help the assembly line managers to become aware of their blue-collars’ potential in order to increase their performance and to improve their employees job satisfaction.

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of job design and sales managers’ behavior on intrinsic motivation and customer orientation of salespeople. Furthermore, we aim to examine if any of the factors included in our model have an effect on performance of Company X’s salespeople. Thus, our research questions are:  What impacts do job design and sales managers’ behaviors have on intrinsic motivation and customer orientation of salespeople? What kind of differences exist between high- and low performance sales teams considering these factors? Our study has been carried out on commission for Company X where we studied their Customer Service salespeople, which are working in a business to consumer context in the Swedish electricity market. The study makes theoretical contributions to motivation research in the field of Selling and Sales management by developing and testing a conceptual model with a unique combination of motivating variables. Our model was inspired by Hackman and Oldham’s (1980) Job Characteristics Model, but we extended this model and added organizational variables that had not been examined in relation to this model by prior research. Thus, no previous research has, to our knowledge, tested the effects of our chosen variables of job design and sales managers behavior on intrinsic motivation and customer orientation. To deepen our study and our understanding of what effect our variables of job design and sales managers behavior have on performance, we received secondary data from Company X. This additional data analysis enabled us to compare whether there were differences across our key variables between sales teams with high performance and low performance. We adopted a quantitative strategy and data collection method. Thus, we distributed questionnaires to our target population – salespeople working in Company X Customer Service. Both primary and secondary data were entered and processed by the statistical analysis program SPSS. On our primary data we performed Cronbach's alpha tests, cross-tabulations, bivariate regression analysis and multiple regression analysis to test hypothesized effects. Our secondary data in combination with our primary data were analyzed by a two-sample t-test to identify differences between high-, and low performance teams. Our hypotheses were partially supported and findings showed that the critical psychological states: experienced meaningfulness and experienced responsibility had positive effects on intrinsic motivation. Experienced responsibility in combination with role ambiguity had positive effects on customer orientation. Similarly, intrinsic motivation was found to affect customer orientation. The other variables of job design and sales managers’ behavior were not found to have significant effects on intrinsic motivation and customer orientation. Variables affecting performance were coaching; positive behavioral feedback and role ambiguity, and they differed significantly between high-, and low performance teams. Our study provides practical recommendations for Company X and other companies in the electricity market. Our findings can be used to improve marketing strategies and motivation of salespeople in other business to consumer contexts.

The last two decades have seen an increasing sophistication in the type of information systems employed by organizations. In particular we have seen the emergence of enterprise systems technology - advanced information technology specifically designed to integrate the vast majority of an organization's processes and data flows. As the characteristics of ES technology have encroached beyond individual user domains and have become integrated throughout organizations, user acceptance issues have also broadened beyond the individual unit of analysis. At the same time numerous examples can be found both in the trade press and academic literature of organizations wishing to use enterprise systems as a primary driver of widespread organizational change and restructuring. A fundamental premise of this study is that while it may be intuitively appealing to consider technology as a primary catalyst for organizational change, it neglects to acknowledge the presence of what is referred to as the &quoteduality of structure&quote (Giddens, 1993). Duality of structure proponents contend that while IT system protocols may to a certain extent determine individual action, human agency can also determine the extent to which the technology is incorporated into everyday operations. The failure of past research to acknowledge the role of individual action and the influence of social context in determining IT usage is considered to be a significant oversight (DeSanctis & Poole, 1994). Underpinned by the theory of structuration and its notion of duality, a theory of user acceptance is put forward capable of clarifying the process by which users evaluate and react to enterprise systems technology. The thesis reports on an empirical investigation into the relationship between three representations of structure within an organization: the characteristics of ES technology; job design; and social networks. The capacity of ES technology to alter the structural elements of both job design and social networks, and hence form user's attitudes and behavior towards the system, is the fundamental theoretical premise of the thesis. As such this represents a clear step forward in understanding the implications of ES technology for both users and organizational structure. Using a longitudinal embedded single case design, this study examines the user acceptance and structural implications of introducing an ES into a large public sector educational institution. A social network and job design perspective was adopted to offer fresh insight into the dynamics of employee reaction to the introduction of ES technology. Five hypotheses support the job design component of the thesis. It was argued that given the inherent design elements of ES technology, along with the specific intent of the system's introduction, that users would both anticipate and perceive a decrease in job characteristics following an ES implementation. Further, that the positive relationship between job change and user acceptance would be moderated by the amount of system usage reported by users. Users with a greater exposure to the system were hypothesized to have a far stronger relationship between job change and acceptance than low users. The ramifications of perceived or actual changes to embedded resource exchange networks and subsequent employee reactions to those changes were also considered. Essentially social networks were argued to play a dual role in the user acceptance process, one being a conduit for the facilitation and transfer of user attitudes towards new systems, the other acting as a catalyst for attitude formation towards new systems. Overall the findings only partially supported four of the eight hypotheses put forward. While users were seen to anticipate an &quoteacross the board&quote decrease in job characteristics at Time 1 following the introduction of an ES, perceived changes in job characteristics at Time 2 were dependant on user hierarchy and the extent of system usage. Those high in formal authority reported an increase in job enrichment following the system's introduction, while those low in formal authority reported a decrease in overall job enrichment. Usage was also seen to moderate the relationship between job change and user acceptance. At Time 1 low users reported a positive relationship between anticipated changes in meaningfulness and user acceptance. Conversely at Time 1 high users reported a negative relationship between anticipated skill variety levels at Time 2 and user acceptance. Only one job characteristic reported a relationship between usage and user acceptance. Low users reported a positive relationship between changes in task identity and user acceptance. A post-hoc profile of the usage categories indicated that high users were more likely to be a lower hierarchical position than low users. The positive relationship reported by low users at Time 1 and Time 2 was explained by both the nature of the system, as well as the type and quantity of information received by low users. As senior members of the organization they were considered more likely to receive information that highlighted its attributes in the context of their job roles. The inherent design of ES technology, along with the specific intent it was being introduced, facilitated largely management orientated objectives. Therefore it is unsurprising that low users anticipating an increase in experienced meaningfulness following the introduction of a system that enhanced their job role reported corresponding acceptance levels. In contrast, the negative relationship between anticipated levels of skill variety at Time 2 and perceived ease of use was explained by the affinity that high users were likely to have with the old system. To high users with a high degree of proficiency associated with a redundant skill set, increased skill variety only represented a steeper learning curve and an increased pressure to adapt to the new system. The network component of the study also produced mixed results. Of the two networks that were measured over time, only one supported the hypothesized increase in both advice and resource exchange networks over time. Post-hoc analyses indicated that two of the four groups exhibited network change consistent with the hypothesized relationship. Anecdotal reports suggested that contextual elements such as geographical location and managerial policy at a localized level determined the nature of the change for the remaining two groups. The results failed to support the relationship between network change and user acceptance. However, a weak but significant negative relationship between the measure of network efficiency and user acceptance was found. In simple terms users developing an increasingly redundant set of contacts reported higher levels of user acceptance. In sum, the thesis represents a contribution to enterprise systems, user acceptance and social network literatures. In the first instance the research validates the call by Orlikowski & Iacono (2001) to readily acknowledge the specific nature of the technology under investigation. Despite the growth and saturation of enterprise system types, comparatively little research has been undertaken to examine the user and organizational issues surrounding their implementation. This research has demonstrated the capacity for the inherent design elements of ES technology to have differential effects in terms of job design for different user classifications. This and other findings represent a step forward in understanding the structural and user acceptance implications of this technology, while sign-pointing a number of promising future research avenues. The job design results, and to a lesser extent the network efficiency results, demonstrate the effect of social context on user acceptance. As such they provide further insight regarding the potential determinants of user acceptance beyond the individual unit of analysis. The findings also indicate an increasing need for user acceptance research to stretch beyond the transitory, short term measures of user acceptance such as perceived ease of use, usefulness, training and computer efficacy. Finally the thesis contributes to a small, but growing literature examining the role of social networks in the process of organizational change. In particular this thesis has considered in detail, the attitudinal and behavioral consequences of artificially altering established patterns of interaction. As such the study highlights the need to better understand the role of networks not only in the case of facilitating change, but the effect of network change in terms of change intervention success.

Globally, there is an ageing population resulting in an older workforce; in the UK it is predicted that by 2050 over one third of the workforce will be aged over 50. Construction involves heavy manual labour where working into later life may be difficult and natural, age-related decline is exacerbated by working conditions. Co-developing ideas with workers using participatory approaches can facilitate positive, healthy change in the workplace. The aim of this thesis is to explore ways in which construction workers jobs and workplaces can be made healthier, easier and safer to facilitate healthy ageing and longer working lives. An in-depth interview study with 80 construction workers explored their understanding of their health and wellbeing at work and ideas for improvement. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire identified a high prevalence of symptoms in workers of all ages in the knees, lower back, wrists and hands. Many of these symptoms were considered to be work related; interestingly, this did not affect Work Ability Index ratings. Workers had good ideas to improve their health and wellbeing at work; over 400 changes had been made or were being sustained by workers around improving manual handling, PPE, tools and machinery and health and wellbeing. A further 265 new suggestions were made concerned with education and supervision, facilities and human resources. In-depth focus groups with senior stakeholders (n=18) in three construction organisations explored barriers and opportunities for change. They were concerned about the health and wellbeing of their workers; were keen to hear their ideas; and identified poor communication within the whole workforce as a barrier to change. Opportunities to improve the situation included better feedback to workers, and interactive toolbox talks to encourage idea generation and sharing experiences. Finally, participatory workshops with senior stakeholders and trades workers (n=23) captured ideas for the development of a resource for the industry to facilitate longer working lives. Participants strongly suggested that the resource should facilitate communication between the workforce and supervisors by being visually engaging, strongly health-related and interactive, to capture and maintain the attention and involvement of the workforce.

Organically growing companies usually reach a point when people management starts to be challenging up to such scale that influences their further development. This master thesis in its first part covers basic topics essential for people management, especially communication, work motivation, job design and leadership. In the second part of this work is focus put on empiric research of a concrete situation inside the selected company, analyses of management interviews and employee questionnaires. The last part then presents a set of recommendations adjusted directly for the researched company in order to help improve current situation.

Based on an integration of job design and lifespan developmental theories, Truxillo et al. (2012) proposed that job characteristics interact with employee age in predicting important work outcomes. Using an experimental policy-capturing design, we investigated age-differential effects of four core job characteristics (i.e., job autonomy, task variety, task significance, and feedback from the job) on job attraction (i.e., individuals' rating of job attractiveness). Eighty-two employees between 19 and 65 years (Mage = 41, SD = 14) indicated their job attraction for each of 40 hypothetical job descriptions in which the four job characteristics were systematically manipulated (in total, participants provided 3,280 ratings). Results of multilevel analyses showed that the positive effects of task variety, task significance, and feedback from the job were stronger for younger compared to older employees, whereas we did not find significant age-differential effects of job autonomy on job attraction. These findings are only partially consistent with propositions of Truxillo et al.'s (2012) lifespan perspective on job design.

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