Syftet med studien var att undersöka varför korttidsfrånvaron hade ökat inom hemtjänsten i en offentlig organisation med fokus på den psykosociala arbetsmiljön. Studien bygger på nio intervjuer som analyserades genom en grundläggande kvalitativ metod. Resultatet visar att de anställda upplevde tidspressade arbetsdagar där arbetsbelastning generellt ansågs vara för hög. Det fanns inte alltid tid till att utföra arbetsuppgifterna under ordinarie arbetstid och inga marginaler fanns för de oväntade händelser som ofta uppkom i arbetet. De anställda upplevde att gemenskapen i arbetsgruppen var god men kände en ensamhet under arbetsdagen och önskade mer gemensam tid tillsammans. Det var skilda meningar om ledarskapet och stödet från chefen. Några av de anställda önskade mer stöd och uppmuntran samt att arbetet utöver vårdarbetet skulle uppskattas mer medan andra var nöjda. Slutsatsen var att korttidsfrånvaron hade ökat på grund av den höga arbetsbelastningen, en stressig arbetsmiljö samt långa arbetsperioder utan ledighet. / The purpose of the study was to examine why the short-term absence had increased within home care in a public organization with focus on the psychosocial work environment. The study is based on nine interviews and the data were analyzed using a basic qualitative research. The results shows that the employees experienced time-pressured working days where the workload generally was considered to be too high. There was not always time for them to perform their duties during normal working hours and there were no margins for the unexpected events that often arose in the work. The employees felt that the community of the workgroup was good but felt a loneliness during the working day and wanted more shared time together. The conclusion was that the short-term absence had increased due to the high workload, a stressful work environment, and long periods of work without time off.

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership style that is preferred by the employees from a psychosocial- and productive perspective. The study is based on Lewin et al´s research on the three leadership styles authoritarian, democratic and laissez-faire leader. This is a quantitative study with a questionnaires as data collection method. The sample consisted of individuals working in a municipality in one nursing unit. The data from the survey were analyzed by three separate one-way depending ANOVA in IBM statistics SPSS 22. As the leadership groups were compared with each other, the results showed, just as previous research, that the democratic leadership style was most preferable from both psychosocial and productivity perspective. The study is based on three hypotheses, hypotheses 1 and 3 was confirmed by the results while hypothesis 2 was rejected. Employees prefer a leadership style that promotes participation and collaboration that creates a foundation to work independently. / Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilken ledarstil som är önskvärd av medarbetarna ur ett psykosocialt- och produktivt perspektiv. Studien baseras på Lewin et al´s forskning om de tre ledarstilarna auktoritär, demokratisk samt låt-gå ledaren. Detta är en kvantitativ studie med enkäter som datainsamlingsmetod. Urvalet bestod av individer som arbetar på en kommun inom omvårdnadenheten. Datat från enkäten analyserades genom tre separata envägs-beroende ANOVA i IBM statistics SPSS 22. Då ledarstilsgrupperna jämfördes med varandra visade de på, precis som tidigare forskning, att den demokratiska ledarstilen var mest önskvärd ur både psykosocialt och produktivitetsperspektiv. Studien baseras på tre hypoteser, hypotes 1 och 3 bekräftades genom resultatet medan hypotes 2 förkastades. Medarbetarna föredrar en ledarstil som förespråkar delaktighet och samverkan som skapar en grund och trygghet för ett självständigt arbete.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

Aim: To investigate gynecologists’ and midwives’ views and experiences regarding work in abortion care in Sweden. Methods: Questionnaire to gynecologists (n=269) and midwives (n=258 comprising 48 questions, response 85%. The quantitative studies (articles I-III) were supplemented by a qualitative study (article IV), consisting of focus-group interviews with gynecologists and midwives/nurses. Results: From the questionnaire studies it was apparent that all the gynecologists had worked in abortion care, whilst not all midwives had done so. The male gynecologists were older than both their female colleagues and the midwives; they had most years of experience but were now working least with abortion patients. Both groups considered it absolutely right, that Sweden have legal abortion and that the law was being followed. Most thought that women should be allowed to have an abortion even after they had felt fetal movements. The midwives were generally somewhat more restrictive than the gynecologists. Half of all thought that the work with abortion patients brought something positive with it. Those having worked longest and most extensively, especially during the previous year were most liberal. Both groups felt that there was a difference between working with surgical and late abortions compared with medical abortions. One in four had had misgivings when involved in surgical and medical abortions, and one in two with abortions after the 18th week. All were positive about the transition to medical abortions, and roughly two thirds of the midwives thought that the primary care sector should be able to take care of these, whereas less than half of the gynecologists thought this. The majority considered it important to receive further and continuing professional development and ongoing guidance. From the focus-group interviews it was clear that the experiences of the gynecologists were largely connected with the technical development of abortion methods and those of the midwives/nurses with improved pain relief. The work was sometimes described in paradoxical terms and was occasionally experienced as frustrating, especially in connection with repeat abortions. Neither of the two groups, however, had had any doubts about participating in abortion. The gynecologists described how women now expected to get an abortion, whereas previously they had asked for one. The midwife/nurse group maintained that the meetings with the women had become considerably more frequent. The interaction between the two professional groups was marked by great trust in each other’s professional competence. Conclusions: Gynecologists and midwives working in abortion care support Swedish abortion legislation and have no doubts about participating in abortions, despite the fact that they have frequently experienced complex and difficult work situations. The character of the work is experienced as contradictory and frustrating, but also as challenging and rewarding. The awareness that the two professional groups have of the importance of continuing professional development and ongoing guidance should be acted on. Furthermore, their collective views and experiences should be made use of, so that abortion care can be developed, not only in order to promote women’s health, but also to improve the work environment for the abortion staff.

The aim of this study was to examine how heads of unit in charge of personal assistance (PA)for the disabled experience and handle ethical dilemmas and situations within theirworkgroups when The Work Environment Act and The Swedish Act Concerning Support andService for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments collide with each other. The methodof the study was to use semi-structured interviews based around three main topics; the head ofunits opinions about the value and purpose of The Work Environment Act in theadministering and implementation of personal assistance services, the problem solvingprocess and the head of units own individual experiences of ethical dilemmas or workenvironment-related conflicts or situations within their workgroups. Four heads of unit wereinterviewed for this study. The results of this study showed that the interviewed heads of unitexperienced a lack of clear and factual information about how they were meant to solvedilemmas emerging from the two laws conflicting with each other regarding the rights of thecare recipient to layout their personal assistance to their liking, versus the rights of thepersonal assistant to have acceptable working conditions. The heads of unit could not rely onlegislation and/or other specific directive documents when work environment-relatedproblems arose. There is a strong emphasis on the care recipient’s rights both within thelegislation and throughout the different fields of social work in general, which makes it harderfor the personal assistant to claim their rights. Both The Swedish Act Concerning Support andService for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments and the PA-profession is relativelynew in Sweden and has yet to be adequately explored and discussed.

Throughout history the discipline of psychology has been dominated by the study of mental illness as opposed to mental wellness. The introduction of positive psychology has caused a shift from the bias towards mental illness to a focus on psychological wellbeing. The aim of positive psychology is to begin to catalyse a change in the focus of psychology from preoccupation only with repairing the worst in life to building positive qualities. This has resulted in an increase of studies on positive traits and feelings. In light of this, work engagement has become a focus area particularly given that research has shown that disengagement or alienation at the workplace is central to the problem of employees’ lack of commitment and motivation. It is therefore important to understand why some employees stay engaged at work even whilst facing challenges with constant change and why others disengage at work. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between three psychological conditions namely psychological meaningfulness, psychological safety, and psychological; availability; job characteristics; and work engagement. Furthermore, the study sought to investigate the mediating effects of psychological conditions on the relationship between work engagement and job characteristics. A survey design was used with a questionnaire as a data gathering instrument. The sample consisted of 150 employees of a university. Descriptive statistics (e.g. mean and standard deviations), Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and multiple regressions were used to analyse the data. The results showed that psychological meaningfulness was the strongest predictor of work engagement and that it fully mediated the relationship between job characteristics (job enrichment, work role fit and rewarding co-worker relations). Psychological availability did not predict work engagement but indicated a statistically significant correlation with cognitive, emotional and psychical resources. Limitations in this research are identified and recommendations are made for future research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Orientation: Teachers have a vital role to play within any society. Of late, it can be seen that, generally, teachers within South African schools are becoming increasingly unhappy and dissatisfied with their work. This can be seen as a result of the various strikes and protests over the recent years. Since the South African education system is still very much fragmented and unequal, a legacy of the apartheid era, teachers working within former model C schools, in particular, can be seen as having numerous job demands placed on them in spite of low levels of job resources with which to cope. It is thus important to determine the impact that certain job resources and job demands have on the levels of work engagement and organisational commitment of teachers working within former model C schools in particular. Research Purpose: The purpose of this research was three-fold. Firstly, to determine the relationship between work engagement, organisational commitment, job resources and job demands. Secondly, to determine whether a differentiated approach to job demands (challenge demands and hindrance demands) impacted on positive organisational outcomes, such as work engagement. Thirdly, to determine the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between certain job resources and organisational commitment; and between challenge job demands and organisational commitment. Motivation for the Study: This study was aimed at enabling an identification of the relationship between work engagement, organisational commitment, job resources and job demands. Further, the study was aimed at identifying the impacting role that specific job resources and job demands have on positive organisational outcomes, such as work engagement and organisational commitment. Research Design, Approach and Method: A cross-sectional survey design was used. A sample (n= 117) was taken from teachers working at former model C high schools in Durban North, KwaZulu-Natal. A demographic questionnaire, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) and Job Demands-Resources Scale (JDRS) were used to collect data from the sample. Main Findings: The findings of the study suggest that job resources are positively related to work engagement. The differentiated classification of job demands within the study was tested in terms of its relationship with work engagement. Interestingly it was found that overload (a challenge job demand) was both statistically as well as practically significantly related to work engagement; while job insecurity (a hindrance job demand) was not. Further, it was found that the job resources of organisational support and growth opportunities held predictive value for work engagement. Lastly, findings suggested that work engagement mediated the relationship between job resources and the positive organisational outcome of organisational commitment. The hypothesised mediating role that work engagement could play in the relationship between overload (a challenge job demand) and organisational commitment could not be tested in the present study. Practical/Managerial Implications: Job resources play a vital role in harnessing positive organisational outcomes such as work engagement and organisational commitment. Further, some job demands are positively related to work engagement. Therefore, managers and heads of schools need to look seriously at evaluating the state of the job demands and resources that are available to their teaching staff, and implement interventions that could increase various job resources and decrease major hindrance demands faced by teachers. These interventions could go a great way in developing more work-engaged as well as organisationally committed teachers. Contribution/Value-Add: The present research study contributes greatly to the knowledge pertaining to teachers working within former model C high schools within South Africa. Further the present study can be seen to extend the existing literature with regards to the Job Demands-Resource Model by adopting a differentiated approach to job demands and thus consequently investigating the positive relationships that certain job demands may have in terms of organisational outcomes. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Social and ethical accounting, auditing and reporting (SEAAR) is a process with a range of tools and techniques that enables an organization to measure, account for, understand, report on and improve its social performance over time. Before 1993, British Columbia's post secondary education institutions implemented public policy and operated with a level of autonomy that enabled them to meet the needs of their students, employees and distinct communities. After 1993, public policy aimed at increased efficiency, effectiveness and accountability centralized major aspects of human resource and labour relations policy in British Columbia's public sector. This thesis describes the process, the results and the implications of conducting a social audit to assess the social performance of one particular community college. During the years 1991 - 2000, the College grew; diligently balanced its budgets through significant entrepreneurial efforts and employees remained committed to their students and the purpose of the College. However, as entrepreneurial efforts increased, it was apparent that the increased productivity had stretched the capacity of employees to deliver services and the consequences were evident. The use of sick leave increased with a concomitant increase in the incidence of short and long-term disability leaves. More employees reported feeling stressed and expressed less satisfaction about their work at the College. Social auditing is about accountability. Its stakeholder process complements traditional strategic planning processes. Within the context of a public sector organization, a process of social auditing, previously used in the private sector, was adapted to evaluate a broad range of organizational issues related to human resource policies and managerial practices. The College had a foundation of human resource policies, practices and programs that had achieved some of their purposes over time, and the social audit clearly identified where improvements where required. Key findings included the need to attend to workload and work design issues that were creating stress, the need to refocus performance evaluation, professional development and to enhance programs that recognized the contribution of employees. Training, particularly in the area of technological skills was recognized as critical for ensuring that employees were prepared for workplace changes. In particular, the social audit provided feedback on communication processes and identified improvements necessary to enhance open and transparent decision-making. Health and wellness programs were recognized as key to restoring balance to employees' work lives and reducing stress. A number of recommendations from the social audit were integrated into the College's Strategic Plan 2000 - 2003, and funds were allocated during the College's 2000 - 2001 budget process. In June 2000, the Board of Governors allocated additional funding to manage issues related to workload and stress that arose from the strategic plan and the social audit. Through a reflective process, the research enabled a human resource practitioner to develop and implement a process of social auditing, examine and understand the effects of centralized public policy on human resource management and labour relations policy in British Columbia's public sector and make recommendations for improvement to human resource policy in one of British Columbia's community colleges.

Bakgrund: Sjuksköterskor skattar sig att bli stressade av tidsbrist och resursbrist. Moralisk stress uppstår ur dilemman. Dilemmat uppstår när det finns begränsningar i organisationen, konflikter med bedömningar som andra har gjort hindrar en att göra det som egentligen anses riktigt och tankar uppkommer om vad som ska göras istället.   Syfte: Att undersöka distriktssköterskans erfarenhet av stress i sitt arbete på vårdcentral med fokus på moralisk stress.   Metod: En kvalitativ studie med semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med åtta distriktssköterskor och analyserades med manifest kvalitativ innehållsanalys.   Resultat: Distriktssköterskorna erfor stress i många olika situationer och det som var mest framträdande var tidsbrist samt situationer i telefonrådgivningen. Det fanns ett större vårdbehov än vad det fanns läkartider och då kunde inte distriktssköterskorna ge den vård som de önskade. Regler och rutiner kunde upplevas som hindrande i mötet med patienten vilket gav uttryck som frustation och tankar om vad som var rätt att göra.   Slutsats: Distriktssköterskorna upplever stress, oro och frustration vid stor vårdtyngd, lite personal, brist på läkartider och när kommunikationen mellan kollegor och patienter brister. Distriktssköterskorna står inför dilemman på grund av att regler och rutiner i organisationen hindrar dem att utföra den vård de önskar vilket visar på att de erfar moralisk stress. / Background: Nurses think themselves to be stressed by time constraints and lack of resources. Moral distress arise out of dilemmas and these dilemmas emerge when there are limitations in the organization and conflicts between previous assessments and, contradicting thoughts about what can be done instead arise.   Purpose: To examine the district nurse's experience of stress in their work on health center, focusing on moral distress.   Method: A qualitative study with semi-structured interviews was conducted with eight district nurses and to analyze, manifest content analysis was used.   Results: The district nurse´s experience stress in many different situations, lack of time and struggles with telephone counseling was the most prominent. The need for care is greater than there are doctor’s appointments and the district nurses cannot provide the care they desire. When meeting with patients, rules and procedures can be more obstructive than helpful, this often led to feelings of frustration and second guessing the right thing to do.   Conclusion: District nurses experience stress, concern and frustration when there is too much workload, staff shortages, when times for doctors’ appointments are few and the communication between colleagues and patients is insufficient. The district nurses are facing these dilemmas because the rules and procedures in the organization prevent them from performing the care they desire. In other words, they are experiencing moral distress.

Arbetsmiljölagen ger anställda och deras representanter, skyddsombuden, rätt att delta i det systematiska arbetsmiljöarbete som arbetsgivaren har skyldighet att arrangera. Forskning om deltagande har i stor utsträckning varit fokuserad påstrukturella och organisatoriska förutsättningar för anställdas deltagande. Mycket tyder dock på att anställda inte utnyttjar sina starka rättigheter. Avhandlingens analyserar arbetsmiljödeltagandet genom en fallstudie på ett pappersbruk med väl etablerade organisatoriska strukturer för deltagande i syfte att förklara deltagandets grunder bortom de strukturella villkoren. Syfte är att förstå varför anställda inte i avsedd omfattning utnyttjar de möjligheter till arbetsmiljöinflytande som lagstiftning och goda strukturella villkor ger. Avhandlingen visar hur anställda i stor utsträckning handskas med arbetets risker och belastningar genom sin kollektivt utvecklade kompetens, förståelse och ansvar för varandra och i mindre utsträckning genom att interagera med arbetsgivaren genom arbetsmiljödeltagande. Etienne Wengers begrepp ”praktikgemenskaper” används i avhandlingen tillsammans med Paavo Bergmans analys av lagarbete och betydelsen av processpecifik kompetens för att klarlägga de sociala processer för meningsskapande som betingar anställdas deltagande i arbetsmiljöarbetet. Med Lysgaards begrepp ”arbetarkollektivet” visar också avhandlingen på betydelsen av maktrelationerna mellan operatörer och arbetsgivare för möjligheterna att etablera en gemensam kunskapsprocess kring arbetsmiljö genom de former för arbetsmiljödeltagande som var etablerade på pappersbruket. / Swedish law gives employees, and their representatives, rights to participate in the employer’s systematic occupational health and safety management. Research  on worker participation in OHSM has mainly focused on structural conditions for participation such as organisational arrangements, industrial relations, or union support. There are however indications that employees do not use their strong legal rights. The aim of the present thesis is to understand the prerequisites and conditions for worker OHSM participation, seen here as a joint knowledge process for work environment issues. More precisely, the thesis aims to analyse the significance of workers’ local and situated knowledge, the construction of participative practices, and the problems and advantages of representative participation. The thesis also aims to explain the paradox that favourable structural conditions for participation are only partly used by the workers, despite evident risks at work. The empirical basis is a case study at a paper mill. The mill was chosen as its OHSM to a large extent fulfils what research claims are necessary structural conditions for effective participation. To understand the possibilities and problems of such participation, the analysis uses a combination of three theoretical perspectives on work and (situated) knowledge: Etienne Wenger’s (1998) approach to communities of practice; Paavo Bergman’s (1995) analysis of teamwork in the process industry; and Sverre Lysgaard’s (1961) theory of the workers’ collective.