Studien är genomförd med en kvalitativ metod och undersöker hur nyinträdda på arbetsmarknaden upplever arbetsmotivation och vad som driver dem i yrkeslivet. Vidare syftar studien till att undersöka om det går att urskilja några nya aspekter som inte tidigare uppmärksammats bland befintliga motivationsteorier. Empirin utgörs av tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer med personer i arbete födda på 1990-talet, där varje intervju var cirka 45 minuter lång. Resultatet visar att det finns en medvetenhet och ett hållbarhetsperspektiv hos intervjupersonerna som väger tyngre än exempelvis lön och omgivning. Vi kan med hjälp av det empiriska materialet se tendenser som pekar på att intervjupersonerna drivs och motiveras av faktorer som ligger långt fram i tiden, och att de kan finna mening i arbetsuppgifter som kanske inte generar någon direkt belöning. Intervjupersonerna har en långsiktig och hållbar syn på sitt arbete och motiveras av framtiden, och i de fall där arbetet inte är stimulerande har synsättet blivit en form av överlevnadsstrategi. Denna dimension av långsiktighet presenteras inte i tidigare motivationsteorier och vi vill därför mena att vi bidragit med viktiga insikter att vidare studera. / The following report is a qualitative study, and examines how newcomers to the labor market experiencing motivation and what drives them in their professional life. Furthermore, the study aims to investigate whether if it’s possible to discern some new aspects that is not mentioned in existing motivation theories. The empirical data consists of twelve semi-structured interviews with persons born in the 1990s, where each interview was approximately 45 minutes long. The result shows that there is an awareness and a kind of sustainability in the interviewees answers, that outweighs economic factors and surroundings. We can with the help of the empirical material see a trend that suggest that interviewees are driven and motivated by factors which lies further in the future, and that they can find meaning in the tasks that might not generate any direct reward. The interviewees have a long-term and sustainable approach to their work and are motivated by the future, and this point of view has become a form of survival strategy whenever the work is not stimulating enough. This dimension of sustainability is not presented in the earlier theories of motivation and we would therefore like to suggest that we contributed with important insights to further study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major transformations in education, workplaces, and work-life balance. Though most restrictions have been lifted in Sweden, some processes will likely remain online. This master thesis research collected quantitative data from a sample of university students at Halmstad University regarding the effects the pandemic had on their lives and their personal work preferences. Despite the pandemic leading to major changes both personally and professionally, the results of the study conclude that the pandemic primarily had both good and bad effects on education and did not have a major effect on university students’ outlook on their future in the labor market. Regarding preferences, this study found that there is no consensus. Several of the results are likely the effect of the culture and policies of the Nordic welfare states, which shape and surround this sample. This research contributes to the field of health and lifestyle as it identifies and analyzes potential factors which have strengthened and weakened the sample in focus.

Labor market matching has significant economic and social impacts since a low matching efficiency/quality reduces aggregated gains in productivity and wages and may lead to unemployment and job vacancy. IT has played a crucial role in influencing labor markets matching by reducing search costs, lowering enter barriers, and promoting flexibility. In this dissertation, I explore one antecedent (i.e., digital labor markets) and two consequences of labor market matching (i.e., local employment and wage). The first essay examines the role of project descriptions (i.e., codifiability, flexibility, outcome standards) in influencing the matching efficiency in the digital labor markets. The results find that an appropriate project description could improve the matching efficiency by 15% between employers and service providers. The second essay studies the impact of an extension in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program (STEM OPT), an immigration policy that matches local demand with global supply, on local labor markets. I found that the STEM OPT extension boosts employment for domestic IT professionals by promoting innovative and entrepreneurial activities. The third essay studies the impact of an emerging gig platform (i.e., TaskRabbit), a new matching mechanism, on the employment of workers in the housekeeping industry. The results suggest that the platform mostly impacted middle-level management (e.g., first-line supervisors), while the manual workers, such as cleaners and janitors, were not as affected. The contributions and implications of each essay are discussed. / Business Administration/Management Information Systems

Denna studie söker förståelse för studie- och yrkesvägledares upplevelser av arbetet med att vidga perspektiv och att ge arbetsmarknadsinformation till elever på gymnasiala yrkesprogram samt vilka effekter detta arbete upplevs ha. Detta görs genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med åtta studie- och yrkesvägledare i Sverige. Studie- och yrkesvägledarna upplever att perspektivvidgande vägledning är viktigt för eleverna. Detta då eleverna får möjlighet att se andra vägar. Möjligheten att välja och välja bort utbildnings- och yrkesmöjligheter upplever respondenterna leder till mer välgrundade val. Det finns en upplevd oro hos ett antal respondenter kring att låta nedvärderande till elevernas tilltänkta bransch som följd av perspektivvidgande vägledning. Detta påverkar i viss mån hur studie- och yrkesvägledarna arbetar med perspektivvidgning och uttrycker sig till eleverna. Arbetet med arbetsmarknadsinformation varierar mellan respondenterna men upplevs som viktigt för elevernas kontakt med arbetslivet och kunskap om arbetsmarknadens förändringar. Arbetsförlagt lärande (APL) samt yrkeslärarnas kunskaper inom elevernas tilltänkta branscher upplevs betydelsefulla. Studie- och yrkesvägledarna ger framför allt arbetsmarknadsinformation mot andra branscher och yrken om intresset finns för detta. / This study seeks a deeper understanding of how guidance counselors experience the work with perspective broadening, giving information about the labor market and what effects those might have on students in upper secondary vocational education. This will be achieved through qualitative interviews with eight guidance counselors in Sweden. The guidance counselors experience that perspective-broadening counseling is important for the students. It opens up alternative routes. The ability to choose a path within studies and jobs leads to better career choices. There was a concern among the respondents about sounding derogatory to the students' chosen industry as a result of perspective-broadening guidance. To some extent, this affects how the guidance counselors work with broadening perspectives and express themselves to students. The work with labor market information varies between the respondents but is perceived as important for students' contact with working life and knowledge of changes in the labor market. Work-based learning (practice) and the vocational teachers' knowledge of the students' intended industries are perceived as significant. The guidance counselors primarily provide labor market information on other industries if there is interest in this.

This study has examined the main causes of high unemployment among foreign-born individuals by interviewing professionals within the field of practical social work. We have interviewed six supervisors within the labor market initiative Rusta & Matcha, an intervention for unemployed individuals carried out by private companies on behalf of the Swedish Public Employment Service. The results point to two main categories of causes for the high unemployment among foreign-born individuals: individual and structural/external factors. Individual factors include lack of language skills, low level of education, and limited work experience. Structural reasons include issues with validation and recognition of foreign qualifications, ethnic discrimination in the labor market, limited social networks, and cultural differences. Additionally, the results highlight how these causes affect different groups of foreign-born individuals. / Denna studie har undersökt de huvudsakliga orsakerna till den höga arbetslösheten bland utrikesfödda genom att intervjua professionella inom det praktiska sociala arbetet. Vi har intervjuat sex handledare inom arbetsmarknadspolitiska insatsen Rusta & Matcha, en åtgärd för arbetslösa utförd av privata företag på uppdrag av Arbetsförmedlingen. Resultaten pekar på två huvudkategorier av orsaker till den höga arbetslösheten bland utrikesfödda: individuella och strukturella/externa faktorer. Individuella faktorer inkluderar bristande språkkunskaper, låg utbildningsnivå och begränsad arbetslivserfarenhet. Strukturella orsaker omfattar problem med validering och värdering av utländska utbildningar, etnisk diskriminering på arbetsmarknaden, begränsade sociala nätverk och kulturella skillnader. Dessutom visar resultaten på hur dessa orsaker påverkar olika grupper av utrikesfödda

This study provides a comparative analysis of labor market integration policies for immigrant women in Sweden and Canada from 2015 to 2023, using Carol Bacchi's framework of "what is the problem represented to be” (WPR). It explores how Canadian and Swedish policies construct the “problem” for female immigrants' labor market integration by examining underlying assumptions, values, and discourses within these policies. The study uses a postcolonial feminist and intersectional lens to critically assess how gender, immigration, and labor market dynamics intersect with policy frameworks. Analyzing the representations and effects of these policies, this study highlights the differences and similarities between the approaches of the two countries. It also considers the wider sociopolitical context that influences policy development and implementation. The study reveals that Canadian and Swedish policies identify a combination of structural and individual shortcomings as the "problems" for immigrant women integrating into the labor markets of these countries. The comparative analysis between the nations reveals that while both countries identify similar "problems," their strategic actions and targeted interventions differ. Canada has a more comprehensive approach to labor market integration and focuses more on efforts to restructure harmful structures. In contrast, Swedish initiatives focus more on individual adaption over systemic change by implementing targeted initiatives for immigrant women's adaptation to existing labor market structures. The findings of this study contributeto migration and labor studies by revealing the complex layers of policy and its impact on the labor market opportunities of immigrant women.

This thesis investigates the correlation between passion and both work engagement and employee well-being among young professionals in the Swedish labor market. Given the significant economic losses attributed to low work engagement globally, this research aims to explore how fostering passion in the workplace relates to both productivity and human well-being. By integrating theories of motivational psychology and leadership, the study examines the nature of passion and its correlation to job performance and personal well-being. Utilizing a descriptive quantitative research methodology, data was collected from 74 young professionals aged 18 to 45, currently employed in various industries across Sweden. The research employed validated scales to measure passion, work engagement, and employee well-being and applied statistical analysis to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings reveal a positive correlation between passion and work engagement, indicating that individuals who are passionate about their jobs exhibit higher levels of engagement and job satisfaction. Additionally, the study finds that passion correlates with employee well-being, contributing to reduced stress and improved mental health. These results suggest that organizations can achieve sustainable productivity by fostering environments that nurture employee passion and engagement. The thesis contributes to the field of Human Resources (HR) by providing empirical evidence that supports the integration of passion-focused strategies in organizational practices. It offers practical recommendations for HR professionals and leaders to identify and cultivate passion within their workforce. The implications of this research underscore the importance of adopting a human-centric approach to leadership and organizational development in the contemporary workplace.

This thesis examines how the government presents and addresses the challenges it identifies regarding integration in the labor market in its policy documents. By applying Carol Bacchi’s What’s The Problem Represented To Be? as theory and method, we analyze how the government identifies and represents challenges. We also examine if any aspects brought up by previous research have been identified as challenges, but are left unproblematized and uncommented in the policy documents. The goal of the essay is to investigate and increase understanding and contribute with in depth knowledge of how and in what way challenges, in Sweden’s integration policy with a focus on the labor market, are discursively presented by the government, but also which challenges are raised by previous research but not presented by the government. The result shows that the government makes several recurring representations of problems in the policy documents, including that immigrants need an increased incentive to establish themselves on the labor market and in community life. What is left unproblematized by the government but highlighted by previous research is the structural discrimination on the labor market. Throughout the analyses, a number of concepts have been identified that have been left undefined, for example social establishment/integration.

No description available.

Arbete och en meningsfull sysselsättning är en rättighet för alla. Det bidrar till delaktighet, meningsfullhet och autonomi. För individer med utländsk bakgrund skapar arbete förutsättningar för att integreras i samhället, dock har många individer svårt att komma in i arbetsmarknaden. vi har undersökt varför arbetslösheten är högre hos individer med utländsk bakgrund som dessutom lever med psykiska funktionsnedsättningar, än för de vanliga individerna. Studien har visat att förutom individens utmaningar med diagnosen PTSD, som kan innebära kognitiva och/eller exekutiva nedsättningar, är samhällets syn, insatsformerna och kunskapsläget för de yrkesverksamma bidragande faktorer till den höga arbetslösheten. Den här kvalitativa studien har valt att ta del av yrkesverksammas perspektiv på hur arbetsrehabiliteringen ser ut och upplevs fungera. Vi utförde fem semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem personer som är yrkesverksamma inom det här området och har olika professioner. Samtliga har långa erfarenheter kring PTSD som diagnos, och vilken påverkan den har ur ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv. Bristerna i stödformerna som är tillgängliga i dagsläget är något vi identifierade i den tidigare forskningen och vårt resultat i den här studien visar att stora delar av intervjudeltagarnas upplevelser stämmer överens med tidigare forskningsresultat. Det visar på att forskningen inom PTSD i Sverige är bristfällig och ett syfte med den här studien är att belysa detta. Studien belyser även utmaningarna som en nyanländ individ med PTSD får möta jämfört med en som har svensk bakgrund. / Work and meaningful employment is a right for everyone. It contributes to participation, meaningfulness and autonomy. For individuals with a foreign background, work creates the conditions for integration into society, however, many individuals find it difficult to enter the labor market. we have investigated why unemployment is higher among individuals with a foreign background who also live with mental disabilities, than for the ordinary individuals. The study has shown that in addition to the individual's challenges with the diagnosis of PTSD, which can involve cognitive and / or executive impairments, society's views, forms of intervention and state of knowledge for the occupational factors contribute to the high unemployment. This qualitative study has chosen to take part in the professionals' perspective on how work rehabilitation looks and feels to work. We conducted five semi-structured interviews with five people who are professionals in this field and have different professions. All have long experiences with PTSD as a diagnosis, and what impact it has from a systems theory perspective. The shortcomings in the forms of support that are currently available are something we identified in the previous research and our results in this study show that large parts of the interview participants' experiences are consistent with previous research results. This shows that research in PTSD in Sweden is deficient, and one purpose of this study is to shed light on this. The study also highlights the challenges that a newly arrived individual with PTSD may face compared to someone with a Swedish background.