Bakgrund: Studien handlar om hur hybridarbete har påverkat arbetet på lokala bankkontor i Sverige under de senaste åren och chefers roll i att anpassa sig till denna förändring. Hybridarbete definieras som en flexibel arbetsform där anställda kan arbeta både på distans och på plats på kontoret. Covid-19 pandemin har påskyndat införandet av distansarbete och lett till en ökning av hybridarbete, vilket har förändrat hur människor arbetar. Inom banker har det traditionellt sett funnits en hög grad av fysisk närvaro på kontoret, vilket gör att det kombinerade arbetet kan ha en stor påverkan på branschen. Studien fokuserar på hur 10 chefer på olika lokala bankkontor har anpassat sig de nya ledarskapsutmaningar som uppstått till följd av ökningen av hybridarbete, såsom en uppluckring av gränsen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv samt-, stress och utmaningar i ledarskapet gällande att skapa teamsammanhållning och en fungerande kommunikation. Syfte: Studien avser att skapa förståelse samt undersöka ledarskapsutmaningar i den hybrida arbetsplatskontexten samt analysera hur chefer på lokala bankkontor i Sverige hanterar dessa utmaningar. Metod: Studien baseras på en kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Intervjuerna genomfördes med tio chefer från lokala bankkontor runt om i Sverige. Den kvalitativa metoden lämpar sig bäst då de deltagande kan ge sina perspektiv kring ledarskapsutmaningar och hur de hanteras av cheferna. Resultat: Studien identifierade ledarskapsutmaningar i den hybrida arbetsplatskontexten inom lokala bankkontor inklusive kommunikation, teamsammanhållning, teamets effektivitet, teknologi och Work-life Balance. Cheferna hanterade dessa utmaningar genom att införa digitala kommunikationsverktyg, organisera virtuella möten och aktiviteter för att främja teamsammanhållning samt möjlighet till fysiska möten och kompetensutveckling. Slutsats: För att framgångsrikt hantera utmaningarna med hybridarbete i banksektorn betonar studien vikten av att chefer investerar i digitala verktyg, kommunicerar tydligt, balanserar arbete och privatliv samt skapar en stöttande arbetsmiljö. Genom att anpassa sitt ledarskap och vidta åtgärder för att möta dessa utmaningar kan chefer skapa en effektiv och välfungerande hybrid arbetsmiljö som främjar välbefinnande och produktivitet hos sina medarbetare. / Background: The study is about how hybrid work has affected the work at local bank offices in Sweden in recent years and the role of managers in adapting to this change. Hybrid work is defined as a flexible form of work where employees can work both remotely and on site in the office. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote working and led to an increase in hybrid working, which has changed the way people work. Within banks, there has traditionally been a high degree of physical presence in the office, which means that the combined work can have a large impact on the industry. The study focuses on how 10 managers at different local bank branches have adapted to the new leadership challenges that have arisen as a result of the increase in hybrid work, such as a loosening of the boundary between work and private life as well as, stress and leadership challenges related to creating team cohesion and effective communication. Purpose: The study intends to create understanding and investigate leadership challenges in the hybrid workplace context and analyze how managers at local bank offices in Sweden handle these challenges. Method: The study is based on a qualitative method with semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with ten managers from local bank offices around Sweden. The qualitative method is best suited as the participants can give their perspective on leadership challenges and how they are handled by the managers. Result: The study identified leadership challenges in the hybrid workplace context within local bank branches including communication, team cohesion, team effectiveness, technology and work-life balance. Managers addressed these challenges by introducing digital communication tools, organizing virtual meetings and activities to promote team cohesion, as well as opportunities for physical meetings and skill development. Conclusion: To successfully manage the challenges of hybrid working in the banking sector, the study emphasizes the importance of managers investing in digital tools, communicating clearly, balancing work and personal life and creating a supportive work environment. By adapting their leadership and taking action to meet these challenges, managers can create an effective and efficient hybrid work environment that promotes the well-being and productivity of their employees.

Problematisk skolfrånvaro bland svenska elever är ett växande problem där ett stort ansvar läggs på barnets vårdnadshavare. Syftet med föreliggandestudie var att undersöka hur mödrar till barn som lider av problematisk skolfrånvaro upplever balansen mellan arbets- och familjeliv med hjälp av kvalitativ metod. Nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes för att sedan tematiseras. Tematiseringen identifierade sex teman som berör aspekter som hindrar och främjar intervjudeltagarnas upplevelse av balans i vardagenutifrån studiens två frågeställningar. Resultat från studien visade på en obalans där familjelivet påverkar arbetslivet genom upplevd otillräcklighet, mental och fysisk frånvaro i arbetslivet samt brister i stödsystemet kring barnen. Därtill visade resultatet att arbetet som fristad och energigivare, stöd från kollegor och chef samt flexibla arbetsformer främjar balansen. Slutsatser från studien är att mödrarna är i en ohållbar situation där det råder en obalans mellan arbets- och familjelivet, där brister i stödsystemet kring barnen och oförutsägbarheten hindrar balansen.

Bakgrund Mäklare som fenomen, det vill säga en aktör som står mellan två parter och försöker hitta en lösning som gynnar båda, är en företeelse som funnits i alla tider. I digitaliseringens tidsålder har mäklare också tagit steget ut på nätet och så även till plattformar för sociala medier, såsom Facebook och Instagram.  Syfte & frågeställning Många mäklare i Sverige använder sociala medier idag för att marknadsföra såväl sig själva men även enskilda objekt. Samtidigt är mäklare en yrkesgrupp som redan präglas av hög arbetsbelastning och oregelbundna arbetstider där sociala medier exempelvis skulle kunna tänkas missgynna enskilda mäklares balans mellan arbetsliv och fritid. Syftet med uppsatsen är därför att skapa en förståelse för vilka effekter användandet av sociala medier i yrkesrollen som mäklare får.  Teori I uppsatsens teorikapitel redogörs för de teoribildningar som finns för vanligt förekommande marknadsföringsmetoder inom fastighetsmäklaryrket. Teorikapitlet avslutas med ett delkapitel om work/life-balance, det vill säga förhållandet mellan arbetsliv och privatliv.   Metod Uppsatsens metodologiska ambition är att förstå enskilda mäklares upplevelser kring hur marknadsföring med sociala medier gynnar respektive missgynnar dem. Med detta som bakgrund bedömdes en kvalitativ metod som lämplig, mer specifikt semistrukturerade intervjuer.  Empiri & Analys I uppsatsens empirikapitel beskrivs resultat från de semistrukturerade intervjuerna med hjälp av figurer, tabeller samt text. De mönster och resultat som kan tolkas i empirikapitlet analyseras sedan i analyskapitlet.   Slutsats Uppsatsen mynnar ut i slutsatsen att det finns såväl dimensioner som gynnar såväl men även dimensioner som missgynnar enskilda fastighetsmäklare som nyttjar sociala medier som marknadsföringsmetod. Mäklare som nyttjar sociala medier som marknadsföringsmetod upplever att de i viss mån gynnas på ett kommersiellt plan, exempelvis genom att kunna attrahera fler spekulanter till visningar. Samtidigt upplever de respondenter som nyttjar sociala medier i yrket att det missgynnar deras work/life-balance och hälsa. / Background The phenomenon of brokers, in essence an actor standing between two parties trying to find a solution that benefits both parties, is a role that has existed through all of history. In the digital era real estate brokers have started to use the Internet and platforms for social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, for business purposes. Purpose and research question  Many real estate agents in Sweden use social media to market both themselves as individuals as well as real estate objects. At the same time real estate agents are a profession that already is characterized by high workload and irregular working hours, where social media possibly could disfavor the balance between working life and personal life even further. The purpose of this essay is therefore to create an understanding for the effects of the usage of social media in the profession of real estate agents.  Theory In the theory chapter of the essay the common marketing methods of the real estate agent profession and their corresponding theoretical background is described. The theory chapter ends with a subchapter on work/life-balance, that is the relation between working life and personal life.  Method  The methodological ambition of the essay is to understand the experiences of individual real estate agents in terms of how the usage of social media marketing methods are affecting them. With this in mind a qualitative method was deemed suitable and more specifically the usage of semi-structured interviews.  Results & Analysis In the empirical chapter of the essay the results of the semi-structured interviews are described through figures, tables and text. The patterns and results that can be interpreted from the result chapter are then analyzed in the analysis chapter. Conclusion  The essay reaches the conclusion that there are both favoring and disfavoring dimensions related to the utilization of social media as a marketing method for individual real estate agents. Real estate agents who use social media for marketing purposes experience that they are favored by it to some degree on a commercial level, for example by being able to attract more potential buyers to property viewings. At the same time the respondents who utilize social media in their profession are experiencing that it disfavors their work/life-balance and health.

Yes / This paper critically examines how low-paid workers, who need to work in more than one legitimate job to make ends meet, attempt to reconcile work and life. The concept of work-life articulation is utilised to investigate the experiences, strategies and practicalities of combining multiple employment with domestic and care duties. Based on detailed qualitative research, the findings reveal workers with 2, 3, 4, 5 and even 7 different jobs due to low-pay, limited working hours and employment instability. The study highlights the increasing variability of working hours, together with the dual fragmentation of working time and employment. It identifies unique dimensions of work extensification, as these workers have an amalgamation of jobs dispersed across fragmented, expansive and complex temporalities and spatialities. This research makes explicit the interconnected economic and temporal challenges of low-pay, insufficient hours and precarious employment, which creates significant challenges of juggling multiple jobs with familial responsibilities.

Under hösten 2023 infördes ett nytt direktiv gällande 11 timmars sammanhängande dygnsvilaför anställda inom Sveriges kommuner och regioner. Direktivet har förändratarbetsförutsättningarna för vårdpersonal, en yrkesgrupp som ofta arbetar skift. Syftet medstudien var därför att undersöka vårdpersonals upplevelse av work-life balance vid skiftarbetesedan det nya direktivet trädde i kraft. För att undersöka detta genomfördes en kvalitativstudie bestående av åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med undersköterskor och sjuksköterskor,vilka analyserades med en induktiv tematisk analys. Resultatet visade att respondenternalägger stor vikt vid att försöka separera arbetslivet från privatlivet för att på så sätt skapabalans i livet. Trots detta upplevde dock majoriteten av respondenterna att arbetet går ut överprivatlivet. Resultatet tyder på att det nya direktivet gällande 11 timmars sammanhängandedygnsvila har haft en negativ inverkan på respondenternas work-life balance / During the autumn of 2023, the new directive regarding 11 hours of continuous daily rest foremployees within Sweden's municipalities and regions was introduced. The directive haschanged the working conditions for healthcare staff, a professional group that often works inshifts. The purpose of the study was therefore to investigate the healthcare workers'experience of work-life balance during shift work since the new directive came into effect. Toexamine this, a qualitative study was performed in which eight semi-structured interviewswere conducted with assistant nurses and nurses, which were analyzed using inductivethematic analysis. The results showed that the respondents put a lot of emphasis on trying toseparate work life from private life in order to create balance in life. Despite this, however,the majority of respondents felt that work overrides private life. The results indicate that thenew directive regarding 11 hours of continuous daily rest have had a negative impact on therespondents' work-life balance.

The aim of the thesis is to understand and explain how a group of women have ended up on the long-term sick-list and how a return to working life can be brought about. Support for their return is organized within the framework of a R&D project within the EU-program EQUAL, where empowerment is one of the key principles. The research has been carried out using an interactive approach in close collaboration with the women in the project who have been signed-off long-term on medical grounds. Group discussions, questionnaires and individual interviews have provided the basis for collective analyses. This learning process, which is the central core in the interactive research, has, resulted in a deeper and more valid understanding of the reasons leading to ill-health and of the return to working life. The empirical part of the study and the analyses are divided into three parts. The first part I call the powerlessness process, namely tha which the women describe as a contributory factor to ill-health, caused by diminishing resources and increasing demands both in working life and in private life, and which eventually initiates a long-term signing-off on medical grounds. The second part is concerned with regaining and/or changing the resources that have been lost during the powerlessness process. The third part illustrates the return to working life, which is described in different steps. The thesis shows the worth of looking at the interplay between individual, organizational and community levels when trying to understand the reasons underlying ill-health and how changes at these different levels can affect the individual. The thesis shows also the importance of looking at ”life as a whole” and not just working life, where a return to work is concerned. In order to achieve a sustainable working life, attention must also be paid to gender structures and work-life balance. / Syftet med avhandlingen är att förstå och förklara hur en grupp kvinnors långtidssjukskrivning har uppstått och hur en återgång till arbetslivet kan gå till. Stödet för återgången organiseras inom ramen för ett utvecklingsprojekt i EU-programmet EQUAL, där empowerment är en av nyckelprinciperna. Forskningen har skett utifrån en interaktiv ansats i nära samverkan med de långtidssjukskrivna kvinnorna i projektet. Gruppsamtal, enkäter och enskilda intervjuer har legat till grund för den gemensamma analysen. Denna lärprocess, som är kärnan i den interaktiva forskningen, har bland annat resulterat i en fördjupad och mer valid kunskap om bland annat förklaringar till ohälsa och återgång till arbetslivet. Den empiriska delen av studien och analysen är indelad i tre delar. Den första delen kallar jag vanmaktsprocessen, det vill säga det som kvinnorna beskriver som bidragande orsaker till ohälsa orsakade av ökande krav och minskande resurser i både arbetsliv och privatliv och som till slut leder in i en sjukskrivning. Den andra delen handlar om att återskapa och/eller förändra de resurser som gått förlorade. Den tredje delen beskriver återgången till arbetslivet, vilken beskrivs i olika steg. Avhandlingen visar på värdet av att se samspelet mellan individ-, organisations- och samhällsnivån när det gäller förklaringar till ohälsa och hur förändringar på de olika nivåerna påverkar individen. Avhandlingen visar även på vikten att se till ”hela livet” inte bara arbetslivet, när det gäller en återgång till arbetslivet. För att uppnå ett hållbart arbetsliv bör hänsyn tas till ”hela livet”. Work-life balance begreppet – vilket innefattar arbete, familj och fritidsaspekterna – har visat sig vara ett fruktbart begrepp i analysen.

Over the course of the last few decades, work-life has changed and now includes a higher degree of instability and insecurity. This thesis takes this change as its starting point, aiming to understand the ways in which individuals manage involuntary work-life transitions at the workplace, in terms of learning. The study has a longitudinal focus, based on interviews of twelve people who used to work at the same plant. Seven of the interviewees were laid off during the financial crisis of 2008, five of them were not laid off, but continued their employment throughout the crisis. Theoretically, the approach is a combination of a pragmatic learning perspective, through which learning is seen as a kind of problem-solving activity, and a narrative perspective that provides tools with which to view stories as carriers of meaning. The results show that insecurity is accepted by many as a non-negotiable part of work-life. Work-life is in many aspects affected by market globalisation the discourse of employability, where the individual bears the responsibility for their personal work-life. By preparing as best they can to be financially, socially and employability-wise well equipped, the interviewees do what they can to minimize the negative effects of the bad times that are bound to come at some point. Across time, many of the interviewees are moving between different approaches to dealing with the insecurity of work-life. In the process of making meaningful strategic choices, they are involved in learning. Experience and future plans play a role in which choices are made, and thereby also form the route that is constructed by each individual as they navigate between different points in their work-life. The final discussion aims at pointing out the effects an insecure work-life impose on people. People tell stories of acceptance towards the instability of work-life, not because they find work-life satisfying or well-functioning, but because they need to. In order to match the qualifications of an employable individual, they cannot oppose it. In doing so they would automatically define themselves as not so flexible, not so employable. This is a result of learning in work-life transitions.

The research revolves on the emergence of globalisation, change, competition, work pressure, and risks among others which have exposed insurance employees to work stress that can interfere with home activities. The research purpose was to determine the relationship between work stress, work-home interference, and organisational culture among insurance employees in the Zimbabwean context. The sample consisted of 240 participants, from which data was collected from 190 employees who responded to the questionnaires. The questionnaires were analysed using SPSS, internal consistency reliability analysis, and the inter-correlation analysis. The inferential statistics used were multiple linear regression and one way ANOVA. Substantial positive and negative correlations were noted for the six sub-scales of the Occupational roles questionnaire (ORQ), negative work-home interference (NWHI) and positive work-home interference (PWHI) scales, and the three sub-scales of the Organisational culture index (OCI). The research concluded that different measures should be taken to manage work stressors, depending on the organisational culture, and its employees to prevent spill-over which contributes to negative work-home interference. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Thesis (Ph.D. Commerce (Human Resource Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This thesis addresses work-life conflict, a topical phenomenon for the career progression and wellbeing of women. Notwithstanding a lot of interest in the topic, as well as various endeavours after treaties and legislation to support women in the workplace it continues to be a subject of research interest since work-life balance has not been achieved yet. The current study intended to explore what the women managers in the public sector of Limpopo Province understand by work-life conflict, as well as their experiences and to proffer a framework for understanding the work-life conflict of women managers. The study highlights that numerous working women are still inundated with non-work responsibilities, which results in conflict with the expected responsibilities in the work environment. The resultant work-life conflict continues to have career-limiting effects on women. The study employed a mixed-methods design to collect data. The quantitative part of the study used questionnaires to collect data and a total of 68 usable questionnaires were returned. For the qualitative part individual interviews were conducted with a total of 16 women. Given the mixed nature of the data, the research applied two genres of analytical techniques, viz. thematic analysis and non-parametric relational analysis. The findings of the study indicate that most of the women managers in the study understand work-life conflict to mean work-to-life interference. The women managers conceptualise life-to-work interference as a normal phenomenon, which serves as a function of maintaining homeostasis in their social structure. The results further suggested that only the workplace has to be changed for them to attain work-life balance. The women managers in the study also appear to experience physical and psychological health problems due to not coping with work-life conflict. The research results deliver invaluable information that can be employed in strategies that attempt to alleviate the negative experiences of work-life conflict by women managers. This study has developed an integrative framework for understanding the work-life conflict of women managers in the public sector. None of the existing theories has propounded any integrative framework for understanding the work-life conflict of women managers in the public sector. The current findings add to the knowledge on addressing the work-life conflict of women managers by delivering context-specific recommendations of what organisations can do to attain work-life balance. Key words: work-life conflict; coping strategies; public sector; women managers; work-life balance; Integrated work-life conflict framework

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Theoretically, inter-role conflict can occur between any life domains that place competing demands on an individual. However, inter-role conflict research has mainly focused on the conflict between only two domains: work and family. This limited focus is problematic because it has excluded many other potential life domains in which people participate. In order to focus more attention on other life domains, however, it is necessary to understand which life domains people are participating in. As such, the goal of the present qualitative research was to identify and define the full spectrum of life domains by asking two questions: What life domains are relevant to work-life conflict, and how do people value the various life domains in which they are involved? A total of 13 life domains emerged from the data. Participants engaged in an average of 9 of these domains, indicating that people engage in many activities in life outside just work and family.