Transformations in the economy have led to changes in employment practices that can create a mismatch between parents’ work schedules and family routines. At the same time, approaches to child-rearing have become more time-intensive, with expectations of increased parental involvement in all aspects of children’s lives compared to previous generations. Mothers are subject to a more intensified maternal role and for fathers, the provider role is no longer sufficient. There are strong social pressures for more active participation in children’s lives and to nurture greater emotional connectivity in the parent-child relationship. These transformations in parenting and employment practices have contributed to a situation where parents now report increased levels of time pressure and greater dissatisfaction with the balance between work and the rest of their lives. The purpose of this study was to develop a broader understanding of how mothers and fathers with school-age children allocate their time, how it varies by household composition, season of the year, and work schedule, and how time use is related to subjective well-being. Given the role that leisure may play in creating a more satisfactory work-life balance, special attention was given to the amount of time available for leisure, with whom this time was spent and the relationship to quality of life. The gender relations perspective provided a theoretical framework since role expectations and experiences of parenthood differ for mothers and fathers. By considering individual, interpersonal, institutional and socio-historical levels of influence, patterns of behaviour may be better understood within the Canadian social context. This study is a secondary analysis of the 2005 Canadian General Social Survey, Cycle 19. Using a sub-sample of 2,062 parents of school-age children (ages 5-17 years), patterns of time use and perceptions of quality of life were assessed and compared by gender according to household composition, season of the school year, work schedule and flexible work option. Work schedules were categorized as traditional (daytime, no weekends), non-standard (evening, weekend and rotating shifts) and irregular (unpredictable, with “on call”, casual, or other irregular patterns). Gender inequality in the allocation of time to important life spheres remained substantial even when faced with very complex challenges in coordinating employment arrangements, family routines, and the school year schedule. With the exception of single fathers, men spent more time on employment-related activities than women regardless of work schedule, while women continued to perform greater amounts of domestic and child care activities. Combined workloads of paid and unpaid labour were significantly different only among single mothers and fathers. For married or cohabitating parents, the distribution of paid and unpaid labour was asymmetrical but the combined workload was not significantly different. Fathers continued to be privileged with greater amounts of leisure time. This was especially noticeable for men with non-standard work schedules and fathers of teenage children. Seasonal differences in time use indicated that women’s routines were more linked to the school year than men’s because of their greater child care responsibilities. When irregular or non-standard schedules were in place that could create more optimal conditions for reconsidering time allocation, parents still followed activity patterns that reproduced traditional gender roles. For women, non-standard schedules were the most detrimental to quality of life, whereas for men irregular schedules decreased well-being. Flexible schedules also perpetuated inequality in the distribution of paid work, unpaid work and leisure although quality of life actually improved for women. This improved quality of life may be attributable to more time spent on activities with physical health benefits or increased options for daily schedules, but it also leads to questions about how much control mothers actually have over their time and whether they recognize or care to challenge the inequalities that persist in the distribution of labour and leisure. Quality of life was diminished by conditions that contributed to a deviation from traditional role expectations. Some of these included not having a partner, women’s work schedules that conflicted with other family members, and for men, having an irregular and unpredictable work schedule. Since these conditions are characteristic of a sizable minority of Canadians parents, their experiences should not be dismissed but rather given greater attention. Additionally, future discussions of work-life integration should consider access to leisure since time for leisure was shown to contribute to parents’ quality of life. The gender relations perspective proved to be helpful in interpreting and understanding the dynamics of time use and behaviour. The four levels of interaction were highly interconnected, but changing institutional conditions such as employment schedules did not lead to greater equality. Instead, non-traditional work schedules widened the gender gap, particularly for child care and domestic activities. Dominant parenting practices were shown to be so deeply imbedded that stereotypical patterns remained a prevailing force guiding men’s and women’s daily activities. The GSS data, despite some limitations, provided considerable insight into the effect of parents’ employment and gender on time use and well-being. The findings of this study underscore the relevance of considering multiple levels of influence when assessing parenting practices, gendered behaviour, and quality of life for employed parents.

En hel del tidigare forskning tyder på att ha en balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv är viktigt för att uppleva ett psykiskt välmående samt för att kunna prestera bra på arbetsplatsen. Då verkstadschefer på ett industriföretag genomgår ett stort förändringsarbete undersöktes hur fem manliga chefer upplevde sin balans mellan privatliv och arbetsliv. Delsyften med studien var att undersöka hur chefens roll i privatlivet påverkade balansen, i vilken grad stöd hemifrån påverkade balansen samt vilka konsekvenser en balans eller konflikt skulle kunna få. Studien genomfördes kvalitativt, med en semistrukturerad intervjuguide, där samtliga respondenter var påverkade av förändringsarbetet. Resultatet visade att det fanns verkstadschefer som upplevde en konflikt mellan arbetsliv och privatliv men även de som upplevde en balans. Gemensamt upplevde samtliga chefer att de ojämna arbetspucklarna, som uppstod i högre grad med anledning av förändringsarbetet, var påfrestande samt påverkade work-life balance negativt. Dessa arbetspucklar medförde minskad kontroll för att hantera arbetskraven. Något som cheferna upplevde frustrerande var att de har begränsade möjligheter att leva upp till kravbilden eftersom resurser och befogenheter saknades.  Vidare visade studien att förhållandet cheferna hade hemma med olika krav beroende på vilken livsfas de befann sig i, hade en mycket stor påverkan på deras upplevda work-life balance. / Previous research suggests that to have a good relationship between work and private life it is important to experience a-good mental health and success at work. The industrial managers’ in this study were undergoing a major change at their workplace and this study found examined how five male managers’ perception of their work-life balance. One of the aims of this study was to examine how the managers’ roles at home affects work-life balance (WLB), to what degree support at home affects WLB, and the impact that a balance or a conflict could have. The study was conducted qualitatively with a semi-structured interview guide and every manager was affected by the change at the workplace. The results showed that some of the managers were experiencing work-life conflicts where others were on the other hand experiencing a good WLB. The most common reason for feeling conflict between work-life was the uneven amount of workload, which occurred to a greater extent due to the change. These periods of uneven workload caused the managers to feel less control. One of the things that caused the managers to feel frustration is that they had limited resources and authority to handle the demands at work. The situation at home also had a very big impact on whether the managers’ experienced a good WLB or not.

Att bedriva projekt som projektledare har genom tidens gång haft olika innebörd. Förr kunde det exempelvis handla om att bygga pyramider, medan det i dagsläget istället kan handla om implementering av IT-system hos organisationer. Under de senaste decennierna har projekt blivit den vanligaste formen för utförande av organisatoriska aktiviteter inom både industrin och offentlig förvaltning. Cirka 90 % av alla projekt som bedrivs i dagsläget sker även under parallella förhållanden, där en organisation utför fler projekt samtidigt, något som har gett upphov till så kallade multiprojektmiljöer. Tidigare forskning vittnar om ett flertal negativa konsekvenser som uppstår i multiprojektmiljöer, med fokus på tre karaktärsdrag: tidspress med dess snäva deadlines, fragmentering då en och samma projektledare har hand om flera projekt samtidigt, samt resurskonflikter då resurser inom organisationen delas av flera projektledare och linjeenheterna.   Studiens syfte är att tillämpa Amabile och Kramers (2011) koncept om inner work life, för att utforska hur projektledare påverkas av att arbeta i så kallade multiprojektmiljöer. Vår forskningsfråga blir därför: hur påverkas projektledares inner work life av att arbeta i en multiprojektmiljö? Amabile och Kramers (2011) koncept innehåller totalt tolv olika underkategorier som påverkar en individs inner work life.     För att besvara frågeställningen använde vi en kvalitativ metod. Fyra projektledare verksamma i multiprojektmiljöer inom den privata sektorn intervjuades. För att analysera deras svar använde vi oss sedan av en tematisk analysansats. Studiens resultat tyder på att projektledare påverkas både negativt och positivt av att arbeta i multiprojektmiljöer, där negativ påverkan är mest förekommande ur ett helhetsperspektiv. / The meaning of conducting projects has changed over time. A long time ago it could be a matter of building pyramids, today a project may consist of implementing a new IT-system. In recent decades, the project work form has become the most common approach for execution of organizational activities, both in the industry sector and public administration. Approximately 90 % of all projects conducted today are being run under circumstances where several projects are carried out in parallel, which has given rise to so-called multi-project environments. Previous research highlights a number of negative consequences that arise in multi-project environments, where the most prominent characteristics are time constraints including tight deadlines, fragmentation as a single project manager is in charge of several projects simultaneously, and resource conflicts as resources within the same organization are shared between several project managers and line units.   The purpose of our study is to apply Amabile and Kramer's (2011) concept of inner work life, to explore how project managers are affected from working in a multi-project environment. Our research question is therefore: what are the impacts on project managers inner work life from working in a multi-project environment? Amabile and Kramer's (2011) concept contains a total of twelve different categories that affect an individual's inner work life. To answer the question, we used a qualitative approach. Four project managers working in multi-project environments in the private sector were interviewed. In order to analyze their responses we used a thematic analysis approach. The results of the study indicates that project managers are affected both negatively and positively from working in multi-project environments, where negative impact is most prevalent from an overall perspective.

Bakgrund: I och med utvecklingen av informations- och kommunikationsteknik har gränserna för var och när arbetet kan utföras suddats ut. Arbetet har med andra ord blivit gränslöst. Även om det möjliggör flexibilitet över arbetstiderna, valfrihet gällande platsen för var arbetet kan utföras samt en ökad kontroll över arbetet kan det också leda till överbelastning och arbetsrelaterad stress, som i sin tur kan ha en negativ inverkan på arbetslivsbalansen och därmed välbefinnandet. Det kan i förlängningen även påverka organisationen negativt då det kan yttra sig genom minskad produktivitet, sjukfrånvaro och personalomsättning, vilket är förenat med ökade kostnader. Som lärare inom akademin finns långtgående möjligheter att förlänga arbetsplatsens tid och rum till följd av utbredningen av informations- och kommunikationsteknik, varpå den här studien behandlar högskolelärares upplevelser av det gränslösa arbetet och hur det kan inverka på hälsan. Syfte: Syftet med föreliggande studie är att undersöka högskolelärares upplevelser av det gränslösa arbetet inom akademin för att öka förståelsen för hur det gränslösa arbetet kan inverka på hälsan och därmed öka förståelsen för på vilket sätt det kan vara en friskfaktor eller riskfaktor. Metod: Då föreliggande studie syftade till att fånga enskilda individers upplevelser, tankar och beskrivningar avseende deras arbetssituation i det gränslösa arbetet på ett nyanserat sätt, valdes en kvalitativ metod. Insamlingen av empirisk data gjordes genom tio individuella semistrukturerade intervjuer på en högskola i Sverige. Slutsatser: Studiens resultat påvisar att det sociala stödet är viktigt i ett gränslöst arbete och kan bland annat bidra till att stressfyllda perioder upplevs som mindre krävande. Att ständigt vara tillgänglig kan däremot påverka hälsan negativt i och med den upplevda stressen som följer med tillgängligheten via e-post. Vidare tyder resultatet på att egenkontroll och frihet i arbetet både kan vara en risk- och friskfaktor beroende på hur gränsdragningar gentemot det övriga livet sker, vilket kan bero på individens egna krav och karriärutsikter, liksom glädjen till sitt arbete. Det innebär att den individuella gränsdragningsförmågan blir fundamental i ett gränslöst arbete. / Background: Due to the development of the information and communication technology the boundaries of where and when to carry out your work have faded. In other words, the work has become boundless. Although this allows for flexibility over working hours, place of work and increased control over your work it can also lead to overload and work related stress, which can have a negative impact on work life balance and therefore health. Also, in the long run it can adversely affect the organization as it can lead to reduced productivity, sickness absence and staff turnover, which is associated with greater costs. As a teacher at the academy there are far reaching opportunities to extend the workplace’s hours and location due to the prevalence of information and communication technology, where this study examines the experiences university lecturers have of the boundless work and its impact on health. Aim: The aim of the present study is to investigate university teachers' experiences of the boundless work within the academy to increase understanding of how boundless work can affect health and thereby increasing understanding of how it may be a health factor or risk factor. Method: As the present study aimed at capturing individual peoples’ experiences, thoughts and descriptions regarding their work situation with boundless work in a nuanced manner, a qualitative method was chosen. The gathering of empirical data was done through ten individual semi- structured interviews at a university in Sweden. Conclusion: The study's results indicate that social support is important in boundless work and can, among other things, help stressful periods to be perceived as less demanding. Continuously being available, however, can affect health negatively, with the perceived stress that comes with availability via email. Furthermore, the result suggests that self-control and freedom at work can be both a risk and a healthy factor depending on how boundaries occur to the rest of life, which may depend on the individual's own requirements and career prospects, as well as the joy of his work. This means that the individual’s ability to create boundaries between work and private life is fundamental in a boundless work.

Forms of work and working conditions are constantly changing within organizations, due to inter alia the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the boom of digitization and computerization. Labour market in developed countries is characterized by a higher representation of Generation Y and Generation Z employees whose job preferences differ from the previous generations' ones. These factors then result in transformation of forms and ways of work, working conditions, employee expectations and HR activities. The aim of this Master's thesis is to analyse the development and transformation of Work from a historical perspective, based on analysis and comparison of political documents, current scientific research and theoretically oriented scientific sources; and more importantly, to determine the main future trends in the world of work in connection with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impacts on the field of work. Based on these trends, changes in selected HR activities and working conditions are outlined in this Master's thesis. A deeper examination of the subject is provided by a conducted empirical qualitative survey which is reflecting the theoretical basis and mapping the above- mentioned trends that are changing the concept of work and personnel activities in selected organizations. Key words:...

Recent organisational changes have refocused attention on the productivity and performance of sales representatives and consequently brought about a re-evaluation of the QWL these employees experience, as well as their trust in the organisation to support them. Responses to an internet-based survey methodology were analysed using quantitative techniques and structural equation modelling. Results confirm a positive relationship between Managerial Practices and Organisational Trust, and a lower relationship between the dimensions of Personality and Organisational Trust. A positive relationship was noted between QWL and Managerial Practices, and a lower relationship between QWL and the Personality constructs. This study accentuates the importance of management to be aware of the trust employees have in the organisation as well as their experience of QWL, as it seems as though the Personality traits and Managerial Practices of managers influences both the trust relationship and QWL experienced by employees. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Syftet med studien var att studera enhetschefers upplevelse av arbetsrelaterad stress, samt hur stressupplevelsen och balansen på deras privatliv varierade. En kvalitativ metod genomfördes med hjälp av en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Utifrån syfte och Karaseks och Theorells krav-kontroll och stödmodell utformades fyra frågeställningar. Sex enhetschefer intervjuades och det insamlade materialet analyserades med hjälp av en deduktiv tematisk analys. De fyra huvudtemana: krav på arbetsplatsen, kontroll över arbetssituationen, vikten av socialt stöd samt balansen mellan arbete och privatliv var förutbestämda utifrån teorin. Det övergripande resultatet visade på att respondenterna upplevde höga krav och låg kontroll på arbetsplatsen. Vidare framkom det att det sociala stödet var av stor vikt i respondenternas arbetssituation. Modellens förutsedda stressupplevelse stämde överens med enhetschefernas faktiska stressupplevelse och balansen mellan arbete och privatliv visade sig vara begränsad. / The purpose of this study was to study unit managers' experience of strenuous work and work-related stress, as well as how the stress experience impacted on their privacy. A qualitative method was carried out using a semi-structured interview guide. Based on the purpose and Karaseks and Theorell's demand-control and support model, four questions were formulated. Six unit managers were interviewed, and the collected material was analyzed using a deduction thematic analysis. The four main themes: workplace requirements, control of the work situation, the importance of social support and the balance between work and privacy were predetermined based on theory. The overall result showed that respondents experienced high demands and a low level of control at the workplace. Results also showed that social support was of great importance in the respondents' work situation. The model's predicted stress experience was in line with the unit managers' actual stress experience and the balance between work and privacy proved to be limited.

Bakgrund: Arbetslivet förändras ständigt till följd av digitaliseringen och tillgången till information ökar kraftigt. Banksektorn är en av de sektorer som påverkats mest av dessa förändringar och studier har visat att arbetsrelaterad stress ökar till följd av detta. Det är lätt att utifrån studier och fackliga undersökningar förknippa stress i banksektorn med arbetsmiljöproblem eftersom fokus ligger på ohälsa och sjukskrivning. Samtidigt vill många människor arbeta i banksektorn och i andra yrkesgrupper med liknande karaktärsdrag. Det behövs en djupare förståelse för stress i banksektorn och hur den kan upplevas i moderna, föränderliga yrken med stor informationsbearbetning. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att förstå hur stress upplevs, med banksektorn som exempel, samt att utifrån detta belysa problematiken kring begreppet stress. Metod: Detta är en kvalitativ flerfallstudie med ett socialkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom 10 semistrukturerade intervjuer från tre svenska banker. Studien har utgått från empirin och har således en induktiv ansats. Slutsats: Studien visar att ett arbete i banksektorn är intensivt och innebär höga krav i form av långa arbetsdagar, komplexa arbetsuppgifter, deadlines och ansvar. Dessa krav ger upphov till stress som upplevs både negativt och positivt. Negativ stress upplevs vid en förlorad kontrollkänsla och vid en konfliktkänsla mellan arbete och privatliv. Positiv stress upplevs genom en känsla av utmaning och, till viss del, adrenalinrus. Studien har visat att stress upplevs på olika sätt, både positivt och negativt. Till följd av detta kan begreppet stress behöva nyanseras och bli mindre förknippat med negativa värden. / Background: Work is constantly changing due to digitalization and access to information is rapidly increasing. These changes affect the banking sector and studies have shown that work related stress increases as a result. One can easily associate stress in the banking sector with problems in the work environment since that is what studies and surveys are focusing on. At the same time, many people find the banking sector attractive, as a workplace. This study is necessary, because we need a better understanding about how stress can be perceived in modern professions, characterized by the processing of information. Aim: The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of how stress is perceived, using the banking sector as an example. Further, we aim to illustrate the problem concerning the concept stress. Methodology: This is a qualitative case study using the perspective of social constructivism. The empirical data has been collected through semi-structured interviews with three Swedish banks. The study has an inductive approach. Conclusion: This study shows that the banking sector is an intensive workplace and involves high demands as long working hours, complex tasks, deadlines and responsibility. These demands contribute to a lot of stress. Negative stress is perceived when the sense of control is lost and when a conflict between work and personal life arises. Positive stress is perceived when a sense of challenge appears and, to some extent, with a feeling of adrenaline. The results have proven that stress in the banking sector is perceived in various ways, both negative and positive. The concept stress might therefore need to be altered and be less associated with a negative value.

Title: The Janus face of the informal work - A qualitative study of women's informal work Research question: What are women’s perceptions of the informal work? Purpose: The purpose of the study was to make an inventory of women’s perceptions of the informal work that is part of a woman’s lot. Method: This study was conducted with an inductive research approach using a qualitative research strategy. The empirical material used in the study was collected through unstructured interviews with seven different women. Conclusions: The answer to this study’s research question is that the study’s women informers’ perceptions of the informal work are both positive and negative. The study’s main finding is first and foremost that the study’s women informers experience two different kinds of informal work. The first kind is informal work related to household chores and the other kind is formal- informal work. The second finding of the study is that there is a Janus face to discover when it comes to women’s informal work since the positive sides of the informal work affects the neg- ative sides and vice versa. Keywords: Gender roles, gender stereotypes, gender status, gender hierarchy, work-life bal- ance, work-life conflict, stress, motivation, job satisfaction, unpaid work, informal work, invis- ible work.

Sedan Sverige i januari 2020 fick sitt första bekräftade fall av covid-19 har stora förändringar skett gällande hur och var arbete bedrivs, med omfattande inslag av distansarbete. Denna uppsats har därför undersök hur distansarbete har påverkat balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv samt den nuvarande och framtida arbetssituationen för kontorsmedarbetare inom företaget Hemfrid. Befintlig forskning visar att distansarbete kan gynna såväl medarbetare som arbetsgivare; medarbetaren åtnjuter ökad flexibilitet och work–life balance, medan arbetsgivaren gynnas av en ökad arbetsintensitet och högre tillgänglighet. Studien är genomförd via en enkätundersökning i slutet av april 2021 med 76 svarande i målgruppen, vilket utgör en svarsfrekvens om 39 %. Enkätsvaren visar att medarbetare upplever att distansarbete har fungerat bra; ökat work–life balance med mer tid till familjen och hemmet, samt en ökad flexibilitet, effektivitet och mindre stress trots ökad arbetsbelastning. Den sociala distansen till kollegor och företaget gör dock sammanhållning sämre, vilket inte minst märks för nyanställda som får svårare att lära känna kollegor och komma in i kulturen. Arbetsmiljön har förbättrats för de som har tillgång till extrautrustning hemma, men försämrats för övriga. Vi rekommenderar Hemfrid att låta medarbetare arbeta 2–3 dagar i veckan på distans efter pandemin, vilket drar nytta av såväl kontors- som distansarbetets fördelar. Särskild hänsyn bör tas till nyanställda och hanteringen av arbetsmiljön på distans. Vårt bidrag till befintlig teori är ny kunskap om hur omfattande distansarbete fungerar i praktiken, och förslag på hur det kan organiseras i framtiden. För framtida studier rekommenderas bland annat att närmare undersöka en optimal uppdelning av arbetstid, samt hur kontoret bäst kan utformas för att understödja det uppdelade arbetssättet. / Since Sweden in January 2020 had its first confirmed case of COVID-19, major changes have been made regarding how and when work is conducted, with extensive elements of remote work. This thesis has investigated how remote work during the pandemic has affected the work situation and the balance between work and private life for office coworkers of the company Hemfrid. Existing research shows that remote work can benefit coworkers as well as employers; the coworker enjoys increased flexibility and work–life balance, while the employer benefits from increased work intensity and higher availability. The study is conducted via a survey conducted in the end of April 2021 with 76 respondents in the target group, which constitutes a response rate of 39%. The survey results show that coworkers feel that remote work has worked well; increased work–life balance with more time for the family and home, as well as increased flexibility, efficiency, and less stress despite increased workload. However, the social distance to colleagues and the company makes cohesion worse, not least for new employees who find it more difficult to get to know colleagues and get into the culture. The work environment has improved for those who have access to extra equipment at home but deteriorated for others. We recommend Hemfrid to let coworkers work 2–3 days a week remotely after the pandemic, which benefits from the advantages of both office and remote work. Special consideration should be given to new employees and the management of the work environment remotely. Our contribution to existing theory is new knowledge of how extensive remote work works in practice, and suggestions on how it can be organized in the future. For future studies, it is recommended, among other things, to closer investigate an optimal division of working hours, and how the office can best be designed to support the divided way of working.