<p>In 1996, the artillery regiment, A4, in Östersund was disbanded. Their former premises underwent remodelling to serve as the new campus for the Mid Sweden University. The express intention was that the new occupiers would be allowed to take part in the planning process. During 1997 the company Vasallen became the owner of the premises, by direction of the Ministry of Finance. Vasallen was charged with the management of former military premises and increasing their value with the aim of selling the property.</p><p>Thanks to their well-defined mission and good financial resources, Vasallen became a new actor on the property market. In the same year, a number of architectural firms were invited to take part in a competition. At the beginning of 1998, SWECO FFNS was chosen as the winner, and the planning process started immediately. The new campus was inaugurated on September 6, 2002 with the Swedish Prime Minister, Göran Persson, in attendance.</p><p>The aim of this study was to monitor how well the demands of the new occupiers regarding quality and environment were met, and how these demands were managed during the construction process. My ambition was to study the process as a case study in order to better understand and reflect on what actually happens in the communication between partners. The material on which the study is based was gathered by participation in planning meetings and by following the construction process. The Campus Östersund project was unique in many ways. In the first place, the existing buildings form a sound basis as they were intentionally designed with the needs and well-being of the individual in mind. Many qualities were thus already incorporated into the buildings on the site.</p><p>The strict regulations imposed by the fact that these were classed as historical buildings set certain limitations, while at the same time posing a challenge to be overcome. The stark contrast between a military regiment and the activities of a modern university placed high demands on those involved in the project. The user’s wishes and demands, working environment factors, structural issues and demands on comfort always have a tendency to take second place after financial factors. In this case, however, the owner’s and user’s joint ambition led to the reconsideration of priorities concerning, for example, the working environment. Finally, the project was unique as a fully comprehensive view of the process and final product was adopted by the two main partners. This includes, for example, observing environmental assets throughout the whole project.</p><p>In 1996, the artillery regiment, A4, in Östersund was disbanded. Their former premises underwent remodelling to serve as the new campus for the Mid Sweden University. The express intention was that the new occupiers would be allowed to take part in the planning process. During 1997 the company Vasallen became the owner of the premises, by direction of the Ministry of Finance. Vasallen was charged with the management of former military premises and increasing their value with the aim of selling the property.</p><p>Thanks to their well-defined mission and good financial resources, Vasallen became a new actor on the property market. In the same year, a number of architectural firms were invited to take part in a competition. At the beginning of 1998, SWECO FFNS was chosen as the winner, and the planning process started immediately. The new campus was inaugurated on September 6, 2002 with the Swedish Prime Minister, Göran Persson, in attendance.</p><p>The aim of this study was to monitor how well the demands of the new occupiers regarding quality and environment were met, and how these demands were managed during the construction process. My ambition was to study the process as a case study in order to better understand and reflect on what actually happens in the communication between partners. The material on which the study is based was gathered by participation in planning meetings and by following the construction process. The Campus Östersund project was unique in many ways. In the first place, the existing buildings form a sound basis as they were intentionally designed with the needs and well-being of the individual in mind. Many qualities were thus already incorporated into the buildings on the site.</p><p>The strict regulations imposed by the fact that these were classed as historical buildings set certain limitations, while at the same time posing a challenge to be overcome. The stark contrast between a military regiment and the activities of a modern university placed high demands on those involved in the project. The user’s wishes and demands, working environment factors, structural issues and demands on comfort always have a tendency to take second place after financial factors. In this case, however, the owner’s and user’s joint ambition led to the reconsideration of priorities concerning, for example, the working environment. Finally, the project was unique as a fully comprehensive view of the process and final product was adopted by the two main partners. This includes, for example, observing environmental assets throughout the whole project.</p><p>Brukarmedverkan i byggprocessen –en fallstudie 12</p><p>Building the “right product” is an important argument for including the end user in the project. By initiating a planning process in which the user’s demands and wishes are considered, one not only initiates the actual building process, but also a process in the client’s organisation. The capacity to participate in such a process within the organisation is, however, not always good. Clarity and respect for the processes initiated were not always particularly pronounced in this case. Lack of clarity sometimes led to confusion, which in turn led to complications in communication and thus delay in the project. The internal process in an organisation should, if possible, progress simultaneously with, and be firmly established before, meetings with the consultants. Theoretical studies have confirmed the importance of utilizing the process of change in internal organisational development in order to achieve a positive attitude among employees.</p><p>Participation of the end user in a large organisation is often based on representatives in working parties. These representatives should be motivated, be given the time required within the framework of their job, and have the confidence of their colleagues. The opportunity to influence decisions is great in the initial stages. The user should have knowledge concerning the various phases of construction, the financial and legal framework, and the rules and regulations governing the project. Being able to participate in creating one’s own working environment elicits various degrees of commitment and levels of expectation in the user organisation. Both the occupants and the consultants should have the capacity for this kind of development, especially the latter as they constitute the “front line”. The user should understand the relation between desires and possible financial effects. The price tag for alternative demands/wishes and the effects these will have on the final rent should be clearly visible. It is an advantage if this is made clear very early on in the project. The dialogue between the parties should thus be supplemented by the architect explaining to the new occupiers where limitations and opportunities lie in the project. The parties involved must have a certain degree of pedagogical competence in order to explain and manage the project to everyone’s satisfaction. A good environment is seldom described in terms of formulated concepts outside the architectural community. Projects in which the end user is involved thus provide a unique opportunity to start building up a bank of knowledge including expressions used by non-experts to describe concepts of space. Difficulties are encountered when all these views are to be accepted and implemented in the building process through descriptions and drawings. Words are replaced by numbers, and more and more actors are involved, for example, engineering consultants. We simply do not have all the necessary tools with which to express wishes concerning the physical environment. We can, however, bridge the communication gap between users and consultants by using computer-aided information systems. The ideas expressed by the user can be transformed into three-dimensional video sequences, and thus be confirmed as being, “just what we meant”.</p><p>It was apparent quite early on in this research that the technical terms available were not adequate to describe the events of this case. The end user’s feeling of not being able to keep up with the consultants’ technical concepts may lead them to feel that they are at a disadvantage, which certainly will not benefit the process. Here, the role of the architect as a pedagogue is important in leading the various participants into the planning process. One of the actors should perhaps have some kind of skills in behavioural science and Brukarmedverkan i byggprocessen –en fallstudie education. Perhaps changes should be made in the training of architects and other consultants.</p><p>Respect for the common process is perhaps the most important factor for its success, together with clarity and openness. These are terms not traditionally used in construction projects. The interpretation of the customer’s wishes, explaining the opportunities and limitations of the building, and planning for future expansion are the responsibility of the architect. Does a single actor have a reasonable chance of coping with this in a large-scale project? All the participants should gain broad insight into each other’s jobs and roles early on in the project. Respect for the responsibilities and roles of others can be built up by concentrated efforts to exchange knowledge through dialogue early in the process. The incentive for participating varies from one actor to another. Theoretical studies, for example, give clear advice that each actor’s interests in the project be clarified. Trust is one of the most important mainstays in establishing good communication. Feelings of suspicion and unreliability can be disastrous in this kind of project. The development of legal issues and forms concerning contractors and their work is also desirable in order to aid the process.</p><p>When the owner sees the opportunity to take an active part in the management of the premises, this leads to a continuous dialogue and process during and after the planning and construction phases. These studies have given me a greater respect for processes involving the end user, from planning to management. One of my most important personal  reflections, and a partly new realisation, is that the involvement of the user in the process has such a large influence on the building project. Communication and continuous information are essential in projects in which the user is involved.</p><p>Communication can also be made easier if the parties regard each other as fellow partners and not opposing partners. The period spent in education and training is the most important in laying the foundation for these attitudes among professionals. A great deal of responsibility thus lies with teachers to ensure that end users have increased opportunity to participate in and influence the building process. There is no short cut to customer-focused working methods.</p>

<p>Syftet med denna studie var att analysera skriftligt arbetsmaterial och offentliga informationsdokument som ligger till grund för förändringsarbete för ett ökat brukarinflytande gällande sociala omsorgsinsatser och servicetjänster i ordinärt boende, det vill säga det egna hemmet. Vi valde att studera Örebro kommun och detta genom en kvalitativ metod i form av en litteraturgranskning. Vårt teoretiska fundament har bestått av socialtjänstlagen, Lag om kommunal befogenhet att tillhandahålla servicetjänster åt äldre, Lag om valfrihetssystem, salutogent synsätt, Kasam och empowerment. Vårt resultat visar att Örebro kommun har infört fyra medel för ett ökat brukarinflytande. Dessa är: förändrad biståndshandläggning, Lag om kommunal befogenhet att tillhandahålla servicetjänster åt äldre, Servicetorget med lotsarna samt Lag om valfrihetssystem. Vi har även studerat hur Örebro kommun har valt att tillämpa Lag om valfrihetssystem med utgångspunkt från lagstiftarens intentioner. De slutsatser vi kan dra från vår studie är att Örebro kommuns ambition är att uppnå ett ökat brukarinflytande för de äldre. Dock ser vi att det är de äldre som har kunskap, kraft och ork att föra sin talan, som kommer att kunna åtnjuta brukarinflytande. De äldre som inte besitter dessa egenskaper kommer dock att behöva ett mer omfattande stöd och hjälp från kommunen för att uppnå ökat brukarinflytande.</p> / <p>The purpose of this study was to analyze the written working material and public information documents on the basis of change for increased user involvement in terms of social care interventions and services in ordinary housing. We chose to study Örebro municipality and this through a qualitative approach in the form of a literature review. Our theoretical foundation consisted of the Social Services Act, Act on municipal authority to provide services to the elderly, the Act on freedom of choice system, salutogenic approach, Kasam and empowerment. Our results show that Örebro municipality has introduced four measures for enhanced user involvement. These are: change needs assessment, Act on municipal authority to provide services to older, the Service market with guides and the Act on freedom of choice system. We have also studied how Örebro municipality has chosen to apply the Act of freedom of choice system based on the legislator’s intentions. The conclusions we can draw from our study is that Örebro municipality has the ambition to achieve a greater user involvement of the elderly who have knowledge, power and energy to present the case. The elderly who do not possess these characteristics will need more extensive support and assistance from the municipality to achieve increased user involvement.</p>

Syftet med denna studie var att analysera skriftligt arbetsmaterial och offentliga informationsdokument som ligger till grund för förändringsarbete för ett ökat brukarinflytande gällande sociala omsorgsinsatser och servicetjänster i ordinärt boende, det vill säga det egna hemmet. Vi valde att studera Örebro kommun och detta genom en kvalitativ metod i form av en litteraturgranskning. Vårt teoretiska fundament har bestått av socialtjänstlagen, Lag om kommunal befogenhet att tillhandahålla servicetjänster åt äldre, Lag om valfrihetssystem, salutogent synsätt, Kasam och empowerment. Vårt resultat visar att Örebro kommun har infört fyra medel för ett ökat brukarinflytande. Dessa är: förändrad biståndshandläggning, Lag om kommunal befogenhet att tillhandahålla servicetjänster åt äldre, Servicetorget med lotsarna samt Lag om valfrihetssystem. Vi har även studerat hur Örebro kommun har valt att tillämpa Lag om valfrihetssystem med utgångspunkt från lagstiftarens intentioner. De slutsatser vi kan dra från vår studie är att Örebro kommuns ambition är att uppnå ett ökat brukarinflytande för de äldre. Dock ser vi att det är de äldre som har kunskap, kraft och ork att föra sin talan, som kommer att kunna åtnjuta brukarinflytande. De äldre som inte besitter dessa egenskaper kommer dock att behöva ett mer omfattande stöd och hjälp från kommunen för att uppnå ökat brukarinflytande. / The purpose of this study was to analyze the written working material and public information documents on the basis of change for increased user involvement in terms of social care interventions and services in ordinary housing. We chose to study Örebro municipality and this through a qualitative approach in the form of a literature review. Our theoretical foundation consisted of the Social Services Act, Act on municipal authority to provide services to the elderly, the Act on freedom of choice system, salutogenic approach, Kasam and empowerment. Our results show that Örebro municipality has introduced four measures for enhanced user involvement. These are: change needs assessment, Act on municipal authority to provide services to older, the Service market with guides and the Act on freedom of choice system. We have also studied how Örebro municipality has chosen to apply the Act of freedom of choice system based on the legislator’s intentions. The conclusions we can draw from our study is that Örebro municipality has the ambition to achieve a greater user involvement of the elderly who have knowledge, power and energy to present the case. The elderly who do not possess these characteristics will need more extensive support and assistance from the municipality to achieve increased user involvement.

[ An abstract in English will follow] Denna uppsats handlar om på vilket sätt användarinvolvering påverkar acceptansen av ett affärssystem. I studien redogörs varför acceptansen påverkas av användarinvolveringen, samt hur påverkan sker och vad som leder till den. IT genomsyrar idag så gott som alla former av företagsamhet. Affärssystem stödjer affärsprocesser i flera branscher, från tillverkande företag till renodlade tjänsteföretag. Ett företag behöver exempelvis anpassa både sina affärsprocesser och det nya affärssystem för allt som sker inom företaget. På grund av komplexiteten som detta för med sig är implementeringen ofta ett stort steg för företaget och dess anställda. De framtida användarna av systemet ställs inför en stor förändring som ett nytt affärssystem medför. För att göra övergången så enkel som möjligt och få användarna att acceptera systemet brukar användarna vara delaktiga i implementationen genom en process som benämns som användarinvolvering. Forskning inom området har enats om att användarinvolveringen påverkar acceptansen av ett system (Dickson &amp; Simmons, 1970; Powers &amp; Dickson, 1973; Wu, et al.,2002; Kujala, 2003;, Gable, et al., 2003; Amoako-Gyampah, 2005; Sharp, et al., 2007). Desto mindre finns skrivet om varför acceptansen påverkas av användarinvolveringen, hur den påverkas, samt vad det egentligen är i användarinvolveringen som påverkar acceptansen. Denna uppsats undersökte detta genom att en kvalitativ studie utformades. Teorin om att användarinvolveringen påverkar acceptansen kombinerades med Technology Acceptance Model (en modell för undersökning av acceptansen föreslagen av Davis, 1989) för att skapa en egenutvecklad modell. Den egenutvecklade modellen användes för att skapa teman kring vilka den öppna individuella intervjun utformades. Därefter genomfördes intervjuer med fyra användare som var involverade i en implementationsprocess. Resultatet från intervjuerna strukturerades på ett sätt som matchade teman i den egenskapade modellen. Därefter analyserades resultatet med hjälp av det teoretiska materialet som insamlades under studiens inledningsfas. Slutsatsen är att användarinvolveringen som process består av flera företeelser som tros påverka acceptansen. De företeelserna som tros ha påverkat acceptansen på företaget som studerades var: användarnas förståelse för vad som kommer krävas av dem i framtiden, utbildningen och dess kvalité, användares tidigare kunskap och förmåga att ta in ny kunskap samt företagets mål med implementationen och hur väl det nya systemet kan uppfylla dessa. Slutligen bör man inte bortse ifrån de krav som företaget ställer på sina anställda. En medarbetare kan känna sig tvungen att acceptera ett visst system, då det redan är beslutat att företaget ska bruka systemet. [English abstract] This essay covers what in the user involvement process affects user acceptance of an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP). The study reads up on why the acceptance is affected by user involvement, how the influence derives and where it comes from. Information Technology permeates all forms of enterprise. ERP systems support business processes for many different types of enterprise, ranging from manufacturing to service oriented. A company needs to adapt both its business processes and the new ERP system to fit the company’s business processes and support them throughout the value chain. As a result of the complexity that this adaptation implies, the implementation turns often out to be a big step for the company and its employees. Because of that, future ERP system users face a huge change in their work life. To make this easy and increase the chances of the future users to accept the new system, a process called user involvement is often used. Research has shown that user involvement affects the acceptance of a system (Dickson &amp; Simmons, 1970; Powers &amp; Dickson, 1973; Wu, et al.,2002; Kujala, 2003; Gable, Sedera &amp; Chan, 2003; Amoako-Gyampah, 2005; Sharp, et al., 2007). On the contrary, less is known on why the acceptance is affected by user involvement, how the relation looks like and what in the user involvement process actually affects the acceptance. This essay studied that using a qualitative approach. By combining the theory that user involvement affects the acceptance, with the Technology Acceptance Model (a theory proposed by Davis (1989) that models how users come to accept and use a technology), a new model was developed. The self-created model was used to develop themes which were used as a base for the empirical research. Four interviews with system users took place and the result was analyzed using the theories collected in the earlier part of the study. The conclusion is that user involvement as a process contains many different parts which we believe may influence acceptance. Our study has shown that the acceptance depends on – but not limited to – the following: user’s understanding of what will be required of them in their future work, the educational process and its quality, user’s technical knowledge before the implementation process began, user’s ability to learn, as well as the company’s goals set for the implementation and to which degree the new system will fulfill these goals. Finally, the demands which the company sets on its employees must not be ignored. An employee can feel obligated towards company’s choice of the ERP system and compelled to accept the new system, because it has already been decided that the company would use it.

Sammanfattning   Bakgrund: När människor blir patienter inom psykiatrisk vård upplever de sig ofta utlämnade till andras välvilja. De kan ofta redan innan ha en skör och svag autonomi och deras egen medverkan och delaktighet i vården kan ibland vara svår att särskilja. Det finns en stor aktualitet i ämnet delaktighet då patienters rättigheter, självbestämmande, inflytande och ansvar i vården på många sätt står i fokus idag.     Syfte: Att beskriva patienters erfarenhet av delaktighet inom psykiatrisk vård   Metod: Metoden är en litteraturstudie där 14 vetenskapliga artiklar som svarar på syftet och frågeställningarna för studien har sökts fram. Analysmetoden baseras på en kvalitativ innehållsanalys där meningsbärande enheter identifieras som vidare kodas i kategorier och utvecklas till centrala teman.   Resultat: Resultatet redovisas under fem huvudteman; att bli sedd, att få veta, att utgå från patienten, att ha kontroll och egenmakt samt att hindras av sitt sjukdomslidande med tillhörande underteman. Resultatet visar att bekräftelse i vårdrelationen är viktigt för att skapa förutsättningar för patientens delaktighet. Om en patient har en känsla av att bli sedd, hörd, förstådd, respekterad som individ och bekräftad av vårdare kan ett ömsesidigt givande och tagande i relation uppstå och utgöra en god grund för delaktigheten. Patientens möjlighet till delaktighet hämmas av den traditionella hierarkiska strukturen i den psykiatriska vården, vilken initierar patientens känsla av maktlöshet och uppgivenhet.   Diskussion: För patienterna krävdes det mer än allmän snällhet och information av vårdarna för att de skulle kunna uppleva sig som delaktiga i en jämställd vårdrelation. Det är först när stödet och informationen förmår möta patientens livsvärld som en genuin delaktighet uppnås.      Nyckelord: patientdelaktighet, brukarmedverkan, psykiatrisk vård, psykisk hälsa / Abstract   Background: When a person becomes a patient in psychiatric care they often feel omitted to the kindness of the care givers. They can often have a history of fragile and weak autonomy and their own involvement and participation in care can sometimes be difficult to distinguish. Patients’ rights, autonomy, influence and responsibility in health care is in many ways in focus today, the matter is therefore of great importance.   Aim: To describe patients' experiences of participation in psychiatric care.   Method: The method is a literature review where 14 scientific articles that matches the purpose and questions for the study have been sought out. The method for analyzing is based on a qualitative content analysis in which meaningful units have been identified and coded into categories to form central themes. Result: The result are presented in five central themes; being seen, to know, to start from the patient's perspective, to have control and empowerment and as being hindered by their illness suffering, with its sub-themes. The result shows that affirmation from the caregiver is important to create conditions for the patient’s involvement. If a patient has a feeling of being seen, heard, understood, respected as an individual and confirmed by caregivers, a mutual give and take in relationships arise, and provide a good basis for participation. The Patient's possibility to be involved is hampered by the traditional hierarchical structure of mental health services, which initiates the patient's sense of powerlessness and despair. Discussion: For the patients, it took more than general kindness and useful information to enable them to experience themselves as equal participants of a care relationship. It is only when the support and information is able to meet the patient's reality as a genuine involvement is achieved.   Keywords: patient participation, user involvement, psychiatric care, mental health

Public e-services are progressively used as a means for governmental agencies to interact and exchange information with citizens and businesses. These services are typically Internet-based and are meant to fulfill the three overarching objectives of egovernment; (1) to improve citizens’ interactions with the government, (2) to make governmental organizations more efficient and effective, and (3) to increase the transparency of government and lead to a more democratic society. The work presented in this thesis concerns how to identify those who affect the development of public e-services, and those who are affected by the implementation of a public eservice; hence public e-service stakeholders. The research is conducted according to the qualitative and interpretive research tradition. Based on theoretical and empirical work, conducted and analyzed using a hermeneutic approach, a conceptual framework is presented. The basis of the framework is laid by extracting, structuring, and interrelating concepts, models and methodologies concerning public e-services, public e-service stakeholders, and stakeholder involvement. The empirical foundation of the thesis, an interpretive case study, covers the development and implementation of a public e-service at a Swedish public sector organization. Data collection techniques include interviews, participatory observation, an open-ended questionnaire, and project documentation. The thesis presents two main knowledge contributions; 1) lessons learned from a public e-service development project involving multiple stakeholders; and 2) a conceptual framework for identifying, characterizing and involving stakeholders in the development and implementation of a public e-service. / En mängd myndighetstjänster, såsom ansökan om föräldrapenning, finns nu tillgängliga via Internet i form av offentliga e-tjänster. Dessa e-tjänster är tänkta att uppfylla tre generella mål: (1) att förbättra medborgares interaktioner med offentliga organisationer, (2) att effektivisera och förbättra administrativa processer inom den offentliga förvaltningen, samt (3) att öka den offentliga förvaltningens transparens och i förlängningen leda till ett mer demokratiskt samhälle. Arbetet som presenteras i avhandlingen syftar till att identifiera vilka intressenter som påverkar, och/eller påverkas av, utveckling och implementering av offentliga e-tjänster. Avhandlingen presenterar forskning som genomförts enligt en kvalitativ och tolkande forskningstradition. Baserat på teoretiskt och empiriskt arbete, genomfört och analyserat med en hermeneutisk ansats, presenterar avhandlingen ett konceptuellt ramverk. Ramverket är uppbyggt av extraherade, strukturerade och interrelaterade koncept, modeller och metoder angående offentliga e-tjänster, intressenter, och användarmedverkan. Det empiriska arbetet utgörs av en fallstudie av utveckling och införande av en offentlig e-tjänst vid en svensk offentlig organisation. De datainsamlingsmetoder som använts inkluderar intervjuer, deltagande observationer, en kvalitativ enkät, samt dokumentstudier. Avhandlingen presenterar två huvudsakliga kunskapsbidrag: (1) lärdomar från ett utvecklings- och implementeringsprojekt av en offentlig e-tjänst som involverar många olika intressenter, samt (2) ett konceptuellt ramverk för att identifiera, karaktärisera och involvera intressenter vid utveckling och implementering av offentliga e-tjänster.

Computer users often suffer from poorly designed support systems that hinder them from performing their work efficiently and with satisfaction. The evidence is found in observations of users at work, interviews, evaluations of systems, and numerous reports of systems with poor usability that fail from start. Those who use the systems are proficient in their work, and those who develop systems are proficient in software engineering. These two groups have often little knowledge and understanding of each other’s worlds and their vocabularies are quite different. In systems development projects, users are often confronted with representations of their work that they hardly recognize. Systems designers compose these representations in an attempt to reduce the complexity of the work practices in a way that is appropriate for systems development. It is very difficult for users to appreciate the consequences fully on their future work situation from such representations, since they are removed from the social setting and often describe work in a fragmentized way. The unfamiliar view of their work may make the users less inclined to participate in the forthcoming design process. This thesis presents research performed to increase the usability of systems in working life and to explore conditions that facilitate the design of systems that really support the users work. The research comprises field studies in different work contexts, e.g. health care, dentistry, public service, and transportation. Information on the essentials of work has been gathered and analyzed to learn how such findings can be translated into systems design. Another goal has been to explore how to make the most of users’ experiences and skills to assure systems that better fit their work. Along with a growing awareness of the importance of user involvement in design, a participatory design process including the analysis and design of work has evolved.

Today we can see how companies are making significant investments in various methods and tools to access and utilize the users’ knowledge for the purpose of innovation efforts. What many highly innovative companies try to accomplish with these investments is to develop and establish sustained producer-user ecosystems. The aim of these ecosystems is often to encourage users to collaborate with each other and with the producer in order to generate innovations related to the offering of the producer. However, although these ecosystems are proven to create new innovation opportunities for companies, it has been shown that a close collaboration with many users brings about a number of challenges for companies. For example, it can be costly and time-consuming to establish and utilize large numbers of user relationships and it can be difficult to align the innovation interests of established producers with those of the users. Moreover, the fact that many innovating users have relationships to one another can contribute to conflicts of interests and established producers may have to balance stability and change within the ecosystem. Another challenge in the utilization of user relationships is that it is not only dependent on the direct interaction with users but also the internal dissemination and utilization of information related to the users’ needs. This dissemination can be problematic since it is costly and difficult to forward timely and reliable information about the users’ needs. Consequently, the aim of this thesis is to better understand how companies that are operating within sustained producer-user ecosystems can leverage user relationships for the purpose of innovation. The research forming the foundation for this thesis was carried out within two established medical technology companies that successfully had developed innovations within this type of ecosystems. Quantitative and qualitative data was collectedand a number of different analyses were conducted. The results reveal that these ecosystems can be understood as a system where direct and indirect user experiences are distributed among employees and users. This in turn implies that employees utilization of user relationships can be understood as a function of the extent to which employees knows and values the pertinence of their own as well as others direct and indirect user experiences as well as accessibility and cost of seeking user-information from other people. The results demonstrate that when companies experience high costs related to the acquisition of user experiences they may benefit from employing users to occupy boundary-spanning roles. However, the thesis reveals how the utilization of such boundary-spanning roles brings with it a number of organizational challenges. Moreover, an important aspect of success tends to be the utilization of relationships to so-called transformational users. These users experience problems with established producers' current products before the majority of users, they adopt new technologies earlier than their peers, and they cooperate with established producers for the purpose of transformation of a product field in order to obtain or maintain a central position within the ecosystem. Furthermore, the results reveal how established producers and users are jointly engaged in value creation through various collaborations. However, the results also indicate that the utilization of user relationships for innovation within these types of ecosystems is, to a large extent, a matter of managing tensions emerging within and around these collaborations. On a general level, this thesis points to the potential benefits of considering producer-user ecosystems as a comprehensive perspective, which may explain how companies gain and sustain a competitive edge, rather than one out of many approaches that companies can apply in order to leverage user relationships for innovation. / <p>QC 20140918</p>

Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to increase understanding and provide new knowledge on the applicability and value of the living lab approach in user-centric product and service development in public and private sector. Research has been carried out within the authentic living lab environment of the Oulu Urban Living Labs (OULLabs) and the PATIO user community and user involvement tool in 2011–2018. Empirical evidence is gathered from qualitative living lab case studies conducted in multiple contexts: public service development, commercial product and service development, business accelerating, innovation instruments, public procurement and urban planning. The primary source of information are the 70 in-depth interviews with the customer companies and organizations. Both general and context-specific value of the living lab approach for public and private sector customers are identified. The living lab approach provides an effortless process for user-centric development. Knowledge and practice of user involvement are transferred into customers. The living lab approach supports the development of usable and desirable products and services. The diverse context-specific value of the living lab approach includes, e.g., information for the development and decision making, learning and knowledge, new customer and end-user contacts, increased efficiency, improvement of organizational culture and communication, enhanced quality of products and services, gaining visibility, involvement of citizens and increased productivity. PATIO is perceived as a fast, easy and efficient digital tool to involve users regardless time and location in a living lab environment. The main contribution of the thesis is the new knowledge of less researched long-term and partly novel living lab studies in a remarkable breadth. The findings of the thesis support the adoption of the living lab approach as a natural and continuous practice in a variety of product and service development activities, especially in local innovation ecosystems but also in international environments. / Tiivistelmä Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on lisätä ymmärrystä ja tuottaa uutta tietoa living lab -toimintatavan soveltuvuudesta ja arvosta yritysten ja julkisen sektorin tuote- ja palvelukehityksessä. Tutkimus on toteutettu autenttisessa Oulu Urban Living Labs (OULLabs)- ja PATIO living lab -ympäristössä vuosina 2011‒2018. Tutkimuksen empiiriset todisteet perustuvat laadulliseen tapaustutkimukseen, jossa living lab -menetelmiä ja -työkaluja on hyödynnetty eri konteksteissa: julkisten palvelujen kehittäminen, kaupallisten tuotteiden ja palvelujen kehittäminen, yrityskiihdyttämö, innovaatioinstrumentit, julkiset hankinnat ja kaupunkisuunnittelu. Tutkimuksen pääaineisto koostuu 70:stä yritysten ja muiden sidosryhmien edustajien haastattelusta. Tutkimuksessa on tunnistettu sekä yleisiä että kontekstisidonnaisia living lab -toiminnan hyötyjä julkisen ja yksityisen sektorin asiakkaille. Living lab -toimintatapa tarjoaa vaivattoman prosessin käyttäjäkeskeiseen kehittämiseen sekä lisää uutta tietoa ja uusia käytäntöjä käyttäjien osallistamisesta. Living lab -toimintatapa tukee käytettävien ja haluttujen tuotteiden ja palveluiden kehittämistä. Living labin monet kontekstisidonnaiset hyödyt ovat esimerkiksi informaatio tuote- ja palvelukehityksen ja päätöksenteon tueksi, tiedon ja oppimisen lisääntyminen, prosessien tehostaminen, uudet asiakas- ja loppukäyttäjäkontaktit, tuottavuuden lisääntyminen ja taloudelliset hyödyt, organisaatiokulttuurin ja kommunikaation parantaminen, tuotteiden ja palveluiden parempi laatu, näkyvyyden lisääminen sekä kuntalaisosallistaminen. Digitaalinen käyttäjäyhteisö ja käyttäjien osallistamistyökalu PATIO on nopea, helppo ja tehokas tapa aktivoida käyttäjiä tuote- ja palvelukehitykseen living lab -ympäristössä. Tutkimus tuo uutta tietoa vähän tutkituista pitkän aikavälin living lab -toiminnan tuomista hyödyistä ja uudenlaisista living lab -tutkimuksista merkittävässä laajuudessa. Tulokset tukevat living lab -toiminnan omaksumista luonnolliseksi ja jatkuvaksi osaksi tuotteiden ja palveluiden kehittämistoimintoja paikallisissa innovaatioekosysteemeissä, mutta myös kansainvälisissä toimintaympäristöissä.

Standardsystem är något som har blivit allt mer populärt bland verksamheter, vilket innebär att företag väljer att köpa en paketerad systemlösning i form av informationssystem. Vissa standardsystem är väl anpassade för respektive verksamhet, medan vissa inte är det, vilket kräver modifikationer av systemet. Ett sätt för att uppnå god anpassning av systemet är att använda sig av användarinvolvering under utvecklingsprocessen. Genom att anpassa ett system utefter användarnas önskemål tenderar deras acceptans på systemet att bli högre. Därför kommer denna studie inrikta sig på att försöka förstå om användares involvering påverkar deras acceptans av ett standardsystem vid ett standardsystembyte och hur. För att kunna undersöka detta har en fallstudie av kvalitativ art genomförts på företaget Ellos. Studien har genomförts med hjälp av tidigare forskning inom användarinvolvering och användaracceptans som skapat en grund för att undersöka hur det har applicerats i en verksamhet. Författarna ville skapa sig en djupare förståelse kring begreppen och genomförde därför intervjuer på Ellos som är i implementeringsfasen av sitt standardsystembyte. Eftersom Ellos implementerar flera system är studien avgränsad till deras logistikavdelning. Resultatet av studien visade att en högre grad användarinvolvering bidrog till högre acceptans hos användarna. / ERP-systems are becoming more and more popular among businesses, and it means that the company buys an information system in a packaged system solution. Some ERP-systems is well suited for each business, while some are not, which require modifications of the system. One way to achieve good alignment of the system is to use user involvement during the development process. By adapting a system along the user requests, their acceptance towards the system tends to become higher. Therefore, will this study focus on trying to understand if user involvement affects their acceptance of an ERP-system change and how. To investigate this, a case study of a qualitative approach was conducted on the company Ellos. The study was completed with help from previous research in the areas of user involvement and user acceptance that created a base for examining of how the actual work is done in an organization. The authors wanted to create a deeper understanding of the concepts and therefore completed interviews at Ellos that is in the implementation phase of an ERP-system. Because Ellos implements several systems, is the study limited to their logistic department. The result of the study showed that a higher degree of user involvement contributed to higher user acceptance.