The increasing focus on sustainability necessitates careful planning of future construction projects, with human health and biodiversity being key factors to protect. Planning projects with significant environmental impacts must conduct an environmental impact assessment, which involves identifying potential environmental effects and propose sustainable measures. The aim of the study was to examine how urban and rural municipalities described and assessed sustainability in environmental impact assessments for residential areas. Using thematic analysis, categories such as climate, localization, and environmental goals were established and divided into representative themes. Chi2-tests were used to test statistical significance between the municipal groups. The results revealed significant differences in two climate-related themes and one localization theme. Municipalities primarily utilized various types of stormwater management to adapt projects to climate changes and incorporate green infrastructure. The differences between municipal groups are likely influenced by factors like population density, resources, and surrounding environment. While national environmental goals were included in all environmental impact assessments, did not all proposed plans take them into account Future studies could include a larger sample to enhance reliability and consider underlying factors that may affect municipal conditions.

The primary aim of this study is to gain insight into the level of formality in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classrooms in upper secondary schools and in SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) classrooms in Sweden. This research specifically examines how EFL and SFI teachers perceive and integrate formal language into their teaching practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 teachers, including 5 EFL and 5 SFI teachers to gather qualitative data. The interviews ranged from 20-45 minutes and were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and patterns within the interview transcripts. The findings reveal distinct perceptions and practices between EFL and SFI teachers regarding formal language. EFL teachers view formal language as essential for promoting social norms, such as politeness and respect. They incorporate formal language using formal texts, advanced formal vocabulary, and sentence structures. Some EFL teachers prioritize the use of formal language based on specific lesson goals, while others are influenced by the informal nature of Swedish culture and prefer to use informal language in their classrooms. On the other hand, SFI teachers perceive formal language as flexible and context dependent. They emphasize practical applications of formal language such as writing emails and formal letters at a basic level. SFI teachers focus on clarity and correctness over strict formal language rules and the aim of such focus is to ensure that the students learn the basic Swedish language necessary for social integration.

This dissertation examines the association between transformational leadership and public organizational performance using different data and methods. Each of the three articles collected in this dissertation contributes to the scholarship exploring the interplay of transformational leadership and organizational performance using distinct data and interpretive methods, examining the interplay of its elements and a widely used outcome measure – organizational performance as a dependent variable. The first article presents evidence of the empirical studies analyzing the association between transformational leadership and public organizational performance. Based on a formal, replicable search method informed by current practices for the systematic evaluation of published evidence, this review collects and analyzes empirical research articles examining the association between transformational leadership and public organizational performance. A total of seven journal articles were identified that met the study criteria. The measures of the transformational leadership construct in these studies are different but show a common pattern of survey questionnaires with multiple-level responses. Moreover, transformational leadership is found to be positively associated with public organizational performance. Organizational performance is operationalized using several factors such as development, growth, creativity, and effectiveness in the included studies. Acknowledging the gap in the included studies, this review offers two research questions for further exploration to address the gaps in the existing studies. The second article explores the association between the elements of transformational leadership and federal organizational performance in very large and large federal agencies using Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR) on quantitative survey data drawn from results of the OPM Federal Employment Viewpoint Survey. Statistical findings of this study show a positive relationship between the elements of transformational leadership and organizational performance. This study contributes to the transformational leadership and public management literature by adding the scholarship exploring the association between the elements of transformational leadership and public organizational performance. The third article explores the association between transformational leadership and organizational performance from the experiences and perspectives of U.S. federal agency employees. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with federal leaders from very large and large agencies, as per the Office of Personnel Management's classification. The perceptions of federal employees reflect the interplay between transformational leadership behaviors and perceptions of organizational performance. The informants' interviews enhance the understanding of transformational leadership-organizational performance association from the employee perspective. A process of thematic coding and interpretation is employed to analyze the interview data. The study findings contribute to the management and leadership literature by exploring the lived experiences of federal employees and their perceptions of the influence of transformational leadership on organizational performance. Moreover, the replicable qualitative interview process and analysis methodology create a pathway for future qualitative research. / Doctor of Philosophy / The influence of leadership is widely studied in terms of organizational performance. Among the leadership theories thought to influence organizational performance, transformational leadership is the most widely studied theory. The theory has gained much attention in the past 40 years for its contribution to many positive organizational outcomes, including meaningful work, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational performance. Despite a rich history of research in positive organizational outcomes, scholars still argue that there are scopes further to advance the empirical research on transformational leadership theory. Hence, the purpose of this dissertation is to address this claim and analyze the interplay between transformational leadership and public organizational performance. Study findings will contribute to the literature on transformational leadership by empirically examining the interplay of its elements and federal organizational performance. Moreover, the application of three distinct methods and interpretative data analysis will add new evidence to the research of public management and leadership.

This study aims to address a gap in resilience research by focusing on adult survivors of intra-familial childhood sexual abuse and identifying patterns of behaviour and coping mechanisms that contribute to their resilience. As a result of conducting thematic analysis, six themes were identified: survivor mentality, belief in higher power, therapy, parenthood, passion/goals, and forgiveness. The findings of this study indicate that among adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, those victimised by family members consider engagement in therapy as highly beneficial for achieving resilience. Additionally, they do not view a stable and supportive family environment or adult relationships as significant to achieving their resilience, unlike those with unknown relationships to their abuser. These findings highlight the differences in coping mechanisms observed between resilient victims of intra-familial and extra-familial childhood sexual abuse, suggesting the need for tailored interventions and victim treatments based not only on the nature of the crime but also on the relationship with the abuser, particularly in cases of abuse within family settings.

Detta är en kvalitativ studie med syftet att undersöka föräldrars upplevelser och erfarenheter av sitt föräldraskap, sin parrelation, sin intimitet och sitt sexliv när man har barn med autism och ADHD. Syftet är även att undersöka om det finns något samband mellan föräldraskapet, parrelationen, intimiteten och sexlivet hos dessa föräldrar. Om det finns något sådant samband så är syftet även att försöka förstå detta samband. Empirin bygger på semi-strukturerade intervjuer av 10 föräldrar, 7 kvinnor och 3 män, som har levt eller lever med en partner och som är föräldrar till barn 4–20 år med autismdiagnos eller barn med autismdiagnos och ADHD. Analysen bygger på systemteori (Johnsen & Torsteinsson, 2015, Lundsbye, 2010 med flera), den interpersonella metoden för intimitet (Reis och Shaver, 1988) samt begreppet intimitet (Moss & Schwebel, 1993). Analysen visar, tolkat med hjälp av systemteorin, att föräldrarna sitter fast i samma omvårdnadsbehov som föräldrar har till små barn samt har svårt att vara i partnerrollen då de tvingas vara i föräldrarollen hela tiden. Analysen visar även, tolkat med hjälp av den interpersonella modellen för intimitet (IPM) samt begreppet intimitet, att föräldrarna har svårt att få till en intimitet i sin parrelation, känna sexlust samt få till ett aktivt sexliv. / This qualitative study aims to investigate parents' experiences with parenting, marital relationships, intimacy and sex life when they have children with autism and children with autism and ADHD. The study also aims to investigate whether there is any connection between parenthood, the marital relationship, intimacy and the sex life of these parents. If there is any such connection, the purpose is also to try to understand this connection. The empirical data is based on semi-structured interviews of ten parents, seven women and three men, who live with or have  lived with a partner and who are parents of children 4-20 years old who have autism or children with an autism diagnosis and ADHD. The analysis is based on systems theory (Johnsen & Torsteinsson, 2015, Lundsbye, 2010 et al.), the interpersonal method of intimacy (Reis and Shaver, 1988) and the concept of intimacy (Moss & Schwebel, 1993). The analysis shows, interpreted with the help of systems theory, that the parents are stuck in the same care needs as parents have for young children and have difficulty being in the partner role as they are forced to be in the parental role all the time. The analysis also shows, interpreted with the help of the interpersonal model of intimacy (IPM) and the concept of intimacy, that the parents have difficulty achieving intimacy in their relationship, feeling sex drive and achieving an active sex life.

This thesis explores the legitimacy of national libraries, by analysing the media's portrayal of the British Library during a major cyber attack by the Rhysida group in October 2023. Using diverse media sources, the research examines how media narratives reflect institutional pressures during prolonged disruption. The research employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative media coverage mapping with qualitative thematic analysis. The mapping categorises news articles based on content type, publication section, and perspectives represented. Thematic analysis identifies key themes such as the disruption of library services, cybersecurity concerns, and critiques of digital fragility. The findings reveal a complex interplay between the library's historical role as a national institution and its modern digital vulnerabilities. Additionally, the study discusses the broader implications of digital practices for the institutional identity of libraries, and the perceived responsibilities of national libraries in safeguarding cultural and intellectual heritage against cyber threats.

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a Tabletop Roleplaying Game (TRPG) which offers playersthe chance to create and inhabit a fantastical hero in an equally fantastical world, creating ashared experience with their other players and the Game Master (GM) who facilitates play.Much research has examined D&D as an artifact, highlighting its problematic aspects and thepotential of the worlds and rules it presents as reinforcing real world hegemony orshortcoming such as male domination and racism. While building upon these ideas, thisresearch explores how players’ experiences in D&D interact with notions of heroism, how thegame presents what it means to be a hero and how it truly is experienced within my longtimeD&D playgroup. It does this through semi-structured interviews, to examine how the playersexperience the game, including my own reflections and input as GM for this group for anextended period of time. It utilizes the concepts of coloniality and hegemonic masculinity asframes for understanding the mechanics and narratives of D&D and how they interact withconceptualisations of heroism. Through thematic analysis of the interview data, it highlightswhere the players' experiences line up with conceptualisations of coloniality and hegemonicmasculinity, yet also highlights where players' experiences break with or undermine theseconcepts, highlighting alternatives that move away from colonial and masculine heroism.Ultimately determining that while these players understand heroism in D&D in ways whichreinforce or echo coloniality and hegemonic masculinity such as imperial violence, theiractual experiences with heroism are often removed from this, focusing more on collaborationand problem solving devoid of violence.

Rättvik, is a small town in Dalarna, Sweden, with just over 11 000 inhabitants. The population is growing older, and the average age is close to 50, which is the 9th highest in the country. That the average age in the municipality has been rising, while the population has been roughly the same over the last 20 years is a combination of a few different factors. Among these are a decreased number of births and an outmigration of young adults. The purpose of this study is to, through qualitative analysis, highlight which motives young adults who leave Rättvik municipality have. Aside from highlighting the individual motives, the study also analyses how the respondents see differences between young men and women. One example of these differences is the gender-based segregation in the workforce, where rural areas in Sweden generally have a higher quantity of jobs that are male dominated. This paper will also highlight the different factors that motivate people to either return to Rättvik or not.There were two main motives for young adults who leave Rättvik. These are post-secondary education in areas of interest not available in Rättvik, and a yearning for something new and bigger, providing new life experiences. There were also other factors that had an impact on the respondents choice to leave Rättvik, for example love, where they chose to leave the town and move to a bigger city with their significant other. Several respondents have also described pressures or expectations to pursue further education. This mindset over a long period of time made the decision to leave Rättvik easier for many of the respondents. In terms of the gender perspective, many of the respondents described how the interests that are popular in smaller Swedish towns like Rättvik generally attracts men more than women. This, combined with the aforementioned gender-based segregation in the workforce could be a factor to why women, to a larger extent, chose to leave small towns for bigger cities. When the respondents were asked about an eventual return to Rättvik, the opinions were divided. Some respondents showed a high interest in returning to Rättvik, while others were less inclined to do so, and would prefer to live in a bigger city where the job market is larger, and mobility generally is better. / Rättvik är en liten kommun i Dalarna med strax över 11 000 invånare. Rättviks kommun har den 9e högsta medelåldern i Sverige och befolkningen blir allt äldre trots att den totala populationen inte minskar. Detta är konsekvensen av ett minskat barnafödande i kombination med en utflyttning av unga vuxna samt inflyttning av äldre. Att befolkningssammansättningen förändras på detta vis resulterar i negativa konsekvenser för kommunen, då en allt större del av befolkningen inte längre är i en arbetsför ålder. I denna kvalitativa fallstudie undersöker unga vuxnas motiv att lämna Rättviks kommun genom 6st intervjuer med respondenter som valt att flytta från kommunen före 30 års ålder. Undersökningen lyfter fram vilka motiv dessa sex respondenter hade när de valde att lämna kommunen, om de uppfattar att det finns en skillnad mellan kvinnor och män när det kommer till att lämna kommunen, samt hur de ser på att vid en senare punkt i livet, återvända till Rättvik.Det var i huvudsak två huvudanledningar som respondenterna beskrev som motiv att lämna kommunen. Dessa var att söka sig till en eftergymnasial utbildning de var intresserade av och längtan att se något nytt och större för att skaffa sig nya livserfarenheter. Det var även andra, mer personliga faktorer som spelade in, exempelvis kärlek, där respondenter valt att flytta med sin partner till annan ort. Flera av respondenterna beskriver dessutom hur de känt en viss press eller förväntningar att de ska vidareutbilda sig, och varit inställda på det långt före de faktiskt sökt utbildningen. När det kommer till skillnader mellan män och kvinnor lägger respondenterna mycket vikt vid att det upplevs som i glesbygdskommuner som Rättvik generellt uppfattas som att intressen och yrken som är mer maskulina eller mansdominerade är populära. Detta kan vara en bidragande faktor till varför unga kvinnor söker sig till större städer. Respondenterna var kluvna gällande frågan om återflytt, där några lyfte ett starkt intresse av att återvända till kommunen då de värderade sin uppväxt och kulturen i Rättvik högt, medan andra istället lyfte att de troligtvis inte väljer att flytta tillbaka. Detta grundar sig i faktorer som agglomeration då ett större utbud på arbetstillfällen i större städer lockar många dit. Dessutom värderas den närhet och tillgänglighet som finns i större städer högt.

Det inträffar omkring 17 000 självmordsförsök i Sverige per år och hälften av dessa leder till psykiatrisk vård. Suicidriskbedömningar görs i psykiatrisk öppenvård av bland annat psykologer. Genom fem intervjuer undersökte vi ett i stort sett outforskat område: hur psykologer inom psykiatrisk öppenvård upplevde sitt arbete med suicidnära patienter. Vi använde tematisk analys för att analysera materialet vilket resulterade i två huvudteman: Att jobba på gränsen – med undertemana Mellan liv och död, Mellan arbete och fritid och Mellan att vara psykolog och människa – respektive Att balansera mellan acceptans och intervention – med undertemana Förr eller senare så händer det samt Resurser och coping. En återkommande dimension i temana var Emotionella reaktioner. Resultatet ger en bild av att psykologerna känner oro för patienterna och att denna oro kan användas som en del i suicidriskbedömningen. Vår tolkning är att psykologernas arbete kan spilla över på deras fritid och att detta i förlängningen kan tänkas ge konsekvenser så som medkänsleutmattning. Vi har tolkat psykologernas berättelser som att de använder copingstrategier för att återhämta sig från sin arbetsbelastning. I vårt resultat framträder en bild av att arbetet med suicidnära patienter kan vara vardag för psykologer inom psykiatrin. Vidare kan arbetet utgöra en känslomässig belastning för psykologer som är annorlunda jämfört med den belastning som uppstår i arbetet med icke-suicidnära patienter. / About 17,000 suicide attempts occur in Sweden each year, half of which lead to psychiatric care. Psychologists are one of the professional groups that conduct suicide risk assessments in psychiatric outpatient care. In this study we examine an relatively unexplored area: how psychologists in outpatient psychiatric care experience their work with suicidal patients. A thematic analysis of five interviews was conducted. The analysis resulted in two main themes: Working at the boundary – with sub themes Between life and death, Between work and leisure time and Between being a psychologist and a human – and Balancing between acceptance and intervention – with sub themes Sooner or later it will happen and Resources and coping. A recurring dimension in all themes was Emotional reactions. The findings provide a picture that the psychologists worry about the patients and that this worry can be used as a part of the suicide risk assessment. Our analysis shows that the psychologists’ work can spill over into their leisure time. This may eventually have effects, such as compassion fatigue. Our interpretation of the narratives suggests that the psychologists use coping-strategies to recover from their workload. The results also show that working with suicidal patients can be part of the daily work of psychologists in psychiatric care. Further more, our analysis shows that working with suicidal patients can include an emotional exhaustion on psychologists that is different from the exhaustion that might arise in the work with non-suicidal patients.

This study explores how hosting an international exchange youth influences families. Participants in the study took part in a four-week summer exchange by hosting a middle school aged Japanese youth through the Kentucky 4-H/Labo program. Labo is a Japanese club program that encourages youth to learn about American culture through international travel. As society becomes more globalized, the skills and abilities associated with international travel are increasingly important (Anderson, Lawton, Rexeisen & Hubbard, 2006). Hosting international youth through exchange programs is one method of developing these skills and abilities. This qualitative study uses thematic analysis to analyze three primary data sources. These were in-depth, semi-structured interviews (n = 20), program evaluation, and lifeline interview methodology graphs. This study explored the gap left by prior research by being concerned with families who have hosted an exchange youth for a short period of time. Previous research has focused on long-term exchanges, individuals and Americans traveling abroad. From this analysis, seven major themes were identified. These include (a) challenges of communication, (b) anxiety of program participants, (c) belief in a privileged experience, (d) personal growth, (e) familial relationship development, (f) feelings of loss upon departure, and (g) increased appreciation of home and foreign cultures. Two outlying themes of (a) father made a surprising contribution to hosting the exchange youth and (b) idealization of Japan were included for the additional context of understanding they provided. These findings offer insights into the efficacy of these programs as well as how they benefit the family. The findings, implications for program managers and potential areas for future research are discussed.