Workplace design practitioners and organizational managers are increasingly noticing all the various aspects in which the workplace affects organizations and their employees. The studies on the relationships between the workplace, organizations and their employees are more focused on psychology or facility management than the socio-spatial perspective. Workplace design, configuration and spatial features impact how well and how much a company can benefit from its human capital. Although the concept of the relation of workplace to an organization is not new, it is relatively unexamined. This thesis introduces a new set of spatial variables to workplace studies, following the concept of personal control. The discussed spatial variables effectively describe the features of workplace floor plan and the characteristics of a workstation. Furthermore, this dissertation develops a method that creates the link between workplace spatial setting and a sense of belonging, organizational outcomes – organizational commitment, work motivation, job satisfaction and work performance. Based on the detailed statistical analyses of a field survey that included 336 participants from 16 organizations, a model of spatial features influence sense of belonging and organizational outcomes was identified within this study. The research findings provide evidence for creating a workplace with a sense of belonging and better organizational outcomes through spatial design. This dissertation is comprised of six chapters. Chapter 1, an introduction, provides a general study background, discusses the problems to be solved in the study, and proposes an approach to deal with the target problems. Chapter 2 firstly reviews the current workplace studies related to spatial features. Secondly, it discusses the influence of workstation design on the human muscle system. Thirdly, it discusses the most relevant psychological issues at a workplace as stated by previous researches. Finally, the chapter reveals how a workplace affects the work of an organization. Chapter 3 specifies how workplace influences an employee’s sense of belonging and environmental control, and introduces the conceptual model. It also introduces the independent and dependent variables, generates research hypotheses. Chapter 4 describes the field survey design, procedures and the participants. It also covers the initial data analysis of the field survey: how the survey instrument, the questionnaire, was developed, commenting on all the aspects it includes – spatial experiences, work motivation, commitment, sense of belonging, job satisfaction and work performance. Chapter 5 is data analysis. This chapter discusses the research findings on workplace design features in relation to employees’ sense of belonging, satisfaction with ambient physical environment, and organizational outcomes – commitment, work motivation, job satisfaction and individual work performance. The final chapter summarizes the findings, comments on design implications of the research results, and draws conclusions. The dissertation ends in admitting the limitations of this research and discussing practical implications for future investigation.

Kandidatuppsats i Företagsekonomi III, Organisation 15 hp, 2FE78E, Ekonomihögskolan vid Linnéuniversitetet i Kalmar. VT 2023. Titel: HR-paradoxen: Att arbeta med mänskliga resurser som inte är på plats. Författare: Kajsa Roos och Petra Ruzsa-Pal Lärosäte: Linnéuniversitetet Ämne: Organisation Handledare: Iva Josefsson Examinator: Mikael Lundgren  Problemformuleringar: Hur uppfattar HR-medarbetare att deras yrke förändrats, vad gäller arbete med organisationskultur och gemenskap, i och med det ökande distans- och hybridarbetet?  Hur kan HR-medarbetare arbeta för att skapa och upprätthålla gemenskap och en gynnsam organisationskultur vid distans- och hybridarbete? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att ge en bild av hur HR-yrket förändrats i och med det ökande distans- och hybridarbetet samt att redogöra för hur HR-ansvariga kan arbeta med att skapa och upprätthålla gemenskap och en positiv organisationskultur i en tid präglad av distans- och hybridarbete.  Metod: Studien följer en induktiv ansats som bygger på en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi där studiens empiri samlats in genom nio intervjuer förlagda på åtta olika organisationer med hjälp av semistrukturerade frågor. Empirin har senare analyserats, tolkats och kategoriserats.  Slutsats: Utifrån studien går det att se att HR-medarbetare behöver tänka och agera på ett annat sätt än tidigare, gällande både aktiviteter, rekrytering och relationsbyggande. Den främsta skillnaden är att de fysiska träffarna och relationerna hamnat i bakgrunden, därför behöver HR-medarbetare arbeta för att skapa nya arenor där dessa möten kan uppstå. Studien visar vidare att det är fördelaktigt att lägga ner mer tid och planering på aktiviteter som ämnar ersätta fysiska aktiviteter. Att vidare involvera personalen i viktiga beslut skapar ett bättre klimat och kultur, som präglas av tillit, fria val och god kommunikation. / Bachelor thesis Business Administration III, Organization 15 credits, 2FE78E, School of Economics at Linnaeus University of Kalmar. Spring 2023. Title: The HR-Paradox: Working with human resources that are not present in the workplace Authors: Kajsa Roos and Petra Ruzsa-Pal Institution: Linnaeus University Subject: Organization Advisor: Iva Josefsson Examiner: Mikael Lundgren   Research questions: How do HR-employees perceive that their profession has changed, in terms of working with organizational culture and a sense of community, in relation to the increased occurrence of remote- and hybrid work? How can HR-employees work to create and maintain a favorable organizational culture and a sense of community in remote- and hybrid work? Purpose: The aim of this study is to present a picture of how the HR-profession has changed due to the increasing distance- and hybrid work and to explain how strategic HR-employees can work to create and maintain a sense of community and togetherness as well as a positive organizational culture in a time embossed by distance- and hybrid work. Method: This study follows an inductive approach based on a qualitative research strategy, where the study's empirical data has been collected though nine interviews held at eight different organizations, using semi-structured interview questions. The empirical material has later been analyzed and categorized.  Conclusion: Based on this study, we can see that HR-employees need to think and act in a different way than before, regarding both activities, recruitment and relationship building. The main difference has been that the physical meetings and relationships have fallen into the background, therefore HR-employees need to create new arenas where such meetings can occur. The study further shows that it is beneficial to spend more time and planning on activities that replace physical activities. Furthermore, involving the staff in important decisions creates a better climate and culture and should be characterized by trust and good communication.

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<p dir="ltr">At present, formal and non-formal agricultural spaces, including agricultural education, do not provide opportunities for individuals from historically and contemporarily marginalized communities to develop a strong sense of belonging. An increase in sense of belonging may increase retention for all individuals interacting with agricultural programs and more effectively disseminate tools and resources to a wider audience, which can help solve agricultural issues such as the hunger crisis. The Garden Sun Institute (GSI) is a non-formal agricultural education program that is changing this narrative, with many staff and students of marginalized populations expressing a deep sense of belonging not only with others at GSI but also feeling a sense of belonging in the field of agriculture. The purpose of this case study was to explore whether there is a sense of belonging at this location and to determine what factors may contribute to it. The questions guiding this study are: 1) How do youth describe a sense of belonging at GSI? 2) How does GSI engage with youth, family, and staff? and 3) How do those engaging with GSI describe a sense of belonging within agriculture broadly? Results from this study showed that utilizing elements of the Critical Pedagogy of Agriculture along with practices such as trauma-informed pedagogy, student-led and student-centered learning, and gentle parenting have led to this program developing a culture of belonging. Future research recommendations include determining accountability strategies and investigating the impacts of the incorporation of strategies into formal education programs.</p>

This thesis offers an assessment design for collaborative learning, utilisation of blended learning support through current communication technologies and highlights the crucial role of the tutor. The thesis designed and tested a theoretical framework which encompassed an active learning environment and resulted in the development of the shamrock conceptual framework. To test the theoretical framework, clarify the role of the tutor and the impact on the learner experience two studies were undertaken using pedagogical models that combined the concepts of learner-centric, sociocultural and dialogic perspectives on collaborative learning and technology in meeting the needs of learners in the 21st Century. In the first study, the role of the tutor was found to be crucial in setting, implementing and guiding learners using the assessment design as part of a social constructivist pedagogical practice. The pedagogical approach adopted was to blend face-to-face and Wiki learning experiences and was found to promote learner ownership, engagement and the fostering of a learning community. The second study validated the first and provided additional asynchronous technology experiences in addition to the Wiki blend in the assessment design. Study 2 examined the role of the tutor and the learner whilst using current technologies comprising podcasts and video and a Wiki in the collaborative experience. Findings showed that the Wiki supported community and collaborative aspects of a sociocultural practice whilst learners were engaged in authentic learning activities and led to a well supported learning environment. The importance of technology design and use to accommodate collaborative and community aspects was found to be an essential component. It was found that technology is not simply an add-on but rather needs to be planned and considered purposefully by both tutors and learners when used in a blend to supplement learning on campus as part of an assessment design in higher education. This study has shown that, for this to happen, academics need to be provided with the appropriate support, knowledge and skills required in developing a blended learning experience using a Wiki supplemented by class contact on campus as part of an assessment design.

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This study addresses the concept of fair governance based on an empirical study with marginalized groups, primarily Muslims, and their interaction with government agencies as its salient locus of investigation. Employing the research method of in-depth interviewing, I present a qualitative analysis of 35 semi-structured interviews with Muslims and government administrators. The methodological framework based on which these interviews are interpreted is rooted in the tradition of social constructivism as manifested in the grounded theory perspective of Charmaz. My examination of the hitherto unspoken political visions of the study participants and their shared perspectives offers pragmatic solutions to create greater equity and fairer inclusion of the marginalized in civic and political dialogues and in the administrative practice of government. Remarkably, the cultural changes towards justice and inclusion in the Government of British Columbia manifest that fair government is committed to creating a fundamental transformation in favour of marginalized groups. I find the most promising approach for such transformation occurs where bottom up and dynamic approaches of civil society are aligned with top down approaches of government to justice. The findings suggest that fair governance enhances its functionality and capacity through reflecting universal universalism in its policies and practices, heartening public spirituality and moving towards a more humane modernity rather than the extant western model of modernity. Thus, fair governance calls for diversity in expression of religious identity and challenges the mistaken images of Muslim women. Subsequently, fair government welcomes female religious actors, who act upon religious values, to its administration and respects their choice of clothing encompassing the scarf. Fair government, at all levels, ameliorates the ethical standards of its employees and employs authentic leaders, who act in a virtuous manner, care about employees’ deeply held values, and implement direct communication with staff. Such government supports legislative and constitutional reforms to consider a different outlook of the marginalized on political and social concerns, respects religious practices, honours Muslims’ identity and interpretation of life, and supports individuals who aim to improve humanity in Canada and its occupational settings. Rethinking Islamophobia in the context of the distinct need of government administrators for the institutional education about Islam, as a key finding of the study, depicts the emergence of “Islamoexploria”, as a new expression, which I coin. In my study, there is ample evidence to suggest that a sample of government administrators in British Columbia is in the age of post Islamophobia since they, as pioneers, have passed the stage of Islamophobia and entered a new era of “Islamoexploria”. Thus, they have produced the profound socio-cultural changes towards understanding Islam by shifting from fear of, ostensibly, the unknown to knowledge about the unknown and to approaches that are more sympathetic to Muslims. This finding suggests that fair government facilitates the journey from western Islamophobia, a demonstration of old racism, to “Islamoexploria”, a contemporary thirst for knowledge about Islam. Concurrently, Muslims remain responsible to contribute to fairness at large by role modeling their religious values, which greatly promote justice, compassionate attitudes, and humanitarian actions. / Graduate / 2022-12-07