Bakgrund: I den här studien undersöks ett projekt i en kommun i Mellansverige. Kommunen har infört arbetstidsförkortning för personal inom hemtjänst och äldreboenden. Debatten kring arbetstidsförkortning har pågått under en lång tid och pågår i dagsläget. Vilket kan bero på att det finns de som både är för och emot arbetstidsförkortning. Tidigare studier och forskning visar dock att arbetstidsförkortning leder till positiva effekter såsom minskad stress och mer tid över till familj och fritidsaktiviteter. Arbetstidslagen reglerar bland annat arbetstiden, dygnsvila, raster samt pauser. Vården har genom kollektivavtal gått ifrån normen om 40 timmars arbetsvecka, inom Kommunals avtalsområde har redan en arbetstidsförkortning införts som innebär 37 timmars arbetsvecka och detta har genomförts på grund av att de arbetar på obekväm arbetstid. Arbetstiden är sammankopplad med arbetsmiljön och en utmaning är att skapa balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv. Enligt Arbetsmiljölagen ska förhållandena anpassas till varje enskild individ vilket är en betydande faktor då hela människan, med sina egna känslor och behov, går till arbetet. Syfte: Studien syftar till att undersöka om omvårdnadspersonal inom hemtjänst och äldreboende i en kommun i Mellansverige upplever en bättre balans mellan arbete och fritid efter införandet av arbetstidsförkortning. Metod: Den här studien har utgått från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer där både gruppintervjuer och enskilda intervjuer har genomförts. Att det var en kvalitativ forskningsmetod som valdes till studien är för att det skulle hjälpa oss att skapa en större förståelse för hur arbetstidsförkortning påverkar medarbetarna. Intervjuerna genomfördes på deltagarnas arbetsplatser och det var totalt 23 personer som deltog. Slutsats: Studien visar att balansen mellan arbete och privatliv har förbättrats för medarbetarna, detta genom att de lättare kan hantera de krav som ställs både på och utanför arbetsplatsen. / Background: This study examines a project in a mid Sweden region. The region has introduced reduced working hours for staff in home care and nursing homes. The debate about shorter working hours has been going on for a long time and is still ongoing, which may be due to the fact that there are those who are both for and against shorter working hours. However, previous studies and research show that reduced working hours leads to positive effects such as reduced stress and more time for family and personal activities. The law of work-time regulates, among other things, working hours, daily rest, breaks and pauses. Through collective agreements, the healthcare sector has moved away from the norm of a 40-hour working week, and one trade union has already introduced a reduction in working hours to a 37-hour working week, which has been implemented because they work irregular hours. Working hours are linked to the work environment and one challenge is to create a balance between work and private life. According to the law of the work environment, the conditions must be adapted to each individual, which is a significant factor as the whole person, with their own feelings and needs, goes to work. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate whether nursing staff in home care and nursing homes in a region in mid Sweden experience a better work-life balance after the introduction of reduced working hours. Method: This study has been based on a qualitative research method in the form of semi-structured interviews where both group interviews and individual interviews have been conducted. A qualitative research method was chosen for the study because it would help us to create a greater understanding of how a reduction in working hours affects employees. The interviews were conducted at the participants' workplaces and a total of 23 people participated. Conclusion: The study shows that the work-life balance has improved for employees, making it easier for them to cope with the demands they face both inside and outside the workplace.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie var att undersöka hur balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv har påverkats för arbetsförmedlare under distansarbete. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer mottogs arbetstagarnas upplevelser om deras balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv. Studiens deltagare bestod av nio heltidsanställda arbetsförmedlare, sju kvinnor och två män, mellan åldrarna 34-65 år. Data analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys där fem teman identifierades: arbetsmiljö och produktivitet, autonomt arbete, välmående, kommunikation samt gränssättning. Resultatet visar att distansarbetet har fördelar som främjar en balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv för arbetsförmedlarna. De betonar vikten av att sätta gränser som är centralt för work-life balance. Distansarbetet har bidragit med ett nytt bättre arbetssätt som har gett positiva effekter på deras subjektiva välbefinnande. Trots fördelarna visade resultatet även utmaningar med distansarbetet. Exempel på utmaning var brist på social interaktion som kan leda till missförstånd samt otydliga gränser. / The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how the balance between work and private life has been affected for employment counselors during remote e-work. Through semi-structured interviews, employees' experiences regarding their work-life balance were explored. The participants in the study consisted of nine full-time employment counselors, seven females and two males, ranging in age from 34-65 years. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, identifying five themes: work environment and productivity, autonomous work, well-being, communication, and boundary-setting. The results indicate that remote e-work has advantages that promote a work-life balance for employment counselors. They emphasize the importance of setting boundaries, which is crucial for work-life balance. Remote e-work has introduced a new and improved way of working, leading to positive effects on their perceived well-being. Despite the benefits, the results also revealed challenges associated with remote e-work. Examples of challenges included a lack of social interaction that could lead to misunderstandings and unclear boundaries.

Full-time as norm, lifequality for who? A qualitative study of the transition of female employees from part-time to full-time in elderlycare and its impact on psychosocial work environment Several municipalities in Sweden have started to implement the Full-time journey or in otherwords full-time as the norm in a number of care and nursing homes. With intentions to meetthe future recruitment challenges welfare faces. The purpose of the study is to increase theunderstanding of how the implementation of the Full-time journey affects the psychosocialwork environment of the working women, limited to a selected nursing home for the elderlyin southern Sweden. The gender orientation was chosen because the gender equality issue ispartly a reason why the project, The Full-time Journey, started and partly because there is aproblem regarding the role division between women and men that affects women's well-beingand ability to work full time.The study has been based on three problem statements tocapture: the transition from part-time work to full-time work, the balance between work andprivate life and psychosocial aspects among the respondents.The empirical material has been collected through semi-structured interviews with a sampleof six assistant nurses and a care assistant who worked up to twenty years at theaccommodation. To the material, three theories have been hand-picked to support theempirical data in this qualitative study. The results of the study show that the experiences ofThe Full-time Journey implementation are both positive and negative with a strongconnection to employees' family situation. It can be concluded that women enter full-timeemployment with quality of life as a contribution. / Heltid som norm, livskvalité för vem? En kvalitativ studie om kvinnliga medarbetares övergång från deltid till heltid inomäldreomsorgen och dess påverkan på den psykosociala arbetsmiljön Ett flertal kommuner i Sverige har påbörjat implementeringen av Heltidsresan eller iklarspråk infört heltid som norm på sina vårdboenden. Detta för att möta de framtidarekryteringsutmaningarna välfärden står inför. Syftet med studien är att öka förståelsen för hurimplementeringen av Heltidsresan inverkat på den psykosociala arbetsmiljön hos de arbetandekvinnorna, avgränsat till ett utvalt vårdboende för äldre i södra Sverige. Könsinriktningenvaldes för att jämställdhetsfrågan dels är en grund till varför projektet, Heltidsresan, startadeoch dels för att det finns en problematik rörande rollfördelning av kvinnor och män sominverkar på kvinnors välmående samt förmåga att arbeta heltid. Studien har tagit utgångspunktfrån tre frågeställningar för att fånga in: övergången från deltidsarbete till heltidsarbete,balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv samt psykosociala aspekter hos respondenterna.Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med ett urval avsex undersköterskor och ett vårdbiträde som arbetat upp till tjugo år på boendet. Tillmaterialet har tre teorier handplockats för att stödja empirin i denna kvalitativa studie.Resultatet i studien visar på att upplevelserna av Heltidsresans implementering är bådepositiva och negativa med ett starkt samband till medarbetarnas familjesituation. Slutsatsensom dras är att kvinnor går in i heltidsanställningar med livskvalité som insats.

Yes / This article focuses on the work-life ‘balance’ challenges of those who work in organisations that operate beyond standard hours. The concept of work-life articulation is utilised to examine the experiences and practicalities of attempting to reconcile the, often competing, demands of employment and family life. Qualitative research was conducted in two private sector businesses and one third sector organisation in the UK during the onset of the 2008 financial crisis. The findings reveal increasing competitive pressures, efficiency drives and work intensification. ‘Business needs’ are prioritised over care responsibilities, and in the private sector organisations there is declining flexible working with a reassertion of the management prerogative. This article contributes to current debates over work-life ‘balance’ and highlights variable, changeable and unpredictable working time arrangements that permeate non-standard hours, which creates additional complexities and challenges for family time schedules and routines. / ESRC

Denna kandidatuppsats undersöker svenska småbarnsföräldrars dagliga utmaningar i att balansera arbets- och familjeliv. Syftet är att förstå de strategier som föräldrar i parrelation använder för att upprätthålla en hållbar balans och vilka samhällsstöd som är mest effektiva. Studien använder kvalitativa metoder, inklusive semistrukturerade intervjuer, för att samla in data. Gränsteorin fungerar som huvudsakligt ramverk, medan konfliktteori och genusteoretiska begrepp används som tolkningsverktyg. Resultaten visar att föräldrar ofta känner sig överväldigade av krav från både arbete och hem, men att tydlig kommunikation, riktlinjer och supportstrukturer kan hjälpa. Samtidigt framhävs vikten av samhällsstöd, såsom föräldraförsäkring och arbete för normförändringar, som avgörande för att underlätta balansen. Slutsatsen är att en kombination av individuella strategier och strukturellt stöd är nödvändig för att småbarnsföräldrar ska kunna upprätthålla en hållbar balans mellan arbets- och familjeliv. / This bachelor’s thesis investigates the daily challenges faced by Swedish parents of young children in balancing work and family life. The aim is to understand the strategies used by parents in relationships to maintain a sustainable balance and to identify the most effective societal supports. The study employs qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews, to collect data. Boundary theory serves as the primary framework, while conflict theory and gender theory concepts are used as interpretive tools. The results show that parents often feel overwhelmed by demands from both work and home, but clear communication, guidelines, and support structures can help. Additionally, the importance of societal supports, such as parental insurance and efforts to change norms, is highlighted as crucial for facilitating balance. The conclusion is that a combination of individual strategies and structural support is necessary for parents of young children to maintain a sustainable balance between work and family life.

Syfte: Syftet med det här arbetet är att undersöka sjuksköterskors upplevelser om deras balans mellan arbete och privatliv och om det upplever att det har en effekt på deras välmående och prestation.  Metod: Vi har utfört den här studien med semistrukturerade intervjuer, vilka har transkriberats och analyserats. Det är en kvalitativ studie med en induktiv forskningsansats.  Slutsats: För sjuksköterskor finns det flera utmaningar angående WLB, till exempel mentala påfrestningar, svårigheter att släppa jobbet när de är hemma, ork- och tidsbrist, svårt att varva ner och ibland för lite tid till återhämtning. Stress och för lite sömn kan påverka välmående samt prestation. Vi får också lära oss att bemanningssjuksköterskors situation påverkar positivt samt negativt i olika aspekter av WLB. Regelbundna arbetstider och bemötandet av bemanningsfrågan för att lösa arbetsbördan kan förbättra arbetsförhållandena. / Purpose: The purpose with this paper is to examine nurses' experiences concerning their work-life-balance and their eventual opinion whether it has an effect on their well-being and performance.  Method: We have done this study with semi structured interviews, which we have transcribed in order to anlayse them. The study is of qualitative nature and has an inductive research approach.   Conclusion: Nurses face several challenges regarding their WLB, for example mental strain, difficulties in disconnecting from work at home, energy- and time based deficiencies, challenge to unwind and, sometimes, a time shortage for recovery. Stress and lack of sleep can affect well-being and performance. We have also learned that the staffing nurse situations have both positive and negative effects on different aspects of WLB. Regular work hours and addressing staffing issues to alleviate work-load could enhance the work situation.

A survey was done in order to identify the predictors that contribute to satisfaction with qowl. A positive correlation was found between satisfaction with facets of work life and overall satisfaction with qowl. No significant difference was found between overall satisfaction and the mean of the satisfaction with the facets of work life. Organisational climate seemed to have the greatest influence. Significant predictors are identification with the organisation, participation, communication, resource management, work group functioning, reward system, health and safety aspects, job security and the rate of pay. Significant differences were found between rank, occupational, race and age groups. When need non-fulfilment scales are added to facets of work life measures, increase in the prediction of overall satisfaction is significant. The need to do work that supports moral values contributed most significantly to overall satisfaction. The most frequent preference was for financial security, followed by recognition, relationships and for achievement. / Psychology / M.A.

The aim of the study was to conceptualise psychological empowerment as perceived in a South African context in terms of the dimensions and contributing factors. The study was conducted by means of quantitative and qualitative methods. The sample included employees from different geographic areas, genders, races, level of education and positions in organisations in different sectors. Relationships between demographic variables and psychological empowerment were determined. To determine to what extent South Africans are psychologically empowered, according to Spreitzer’s (1995) model, means and standard deviations were calculated for the four dimensions (meaning, competence, self-determination and impact) and overall psychological empowerment (PE) and a percentile table was utilised to establish a norm and compare it with a norm established in previous research. Management practices were found to be significantly related to PE. However, when regression analysis was done, only the practices, motivation, delegation and job and role clarity significantly predicted PE. Perceptions of empowerment were investigated and it appeared that economic empowerment is emphasised in the media, while the majority of interview respondents seemed to have a balanced or positive view of empowerment as enabling. The psychological experiences of employees were explored and dimensions of psychological empowerment that are similar to what was found by previous research emerged. Some characteristics were found to be unique given the present context. Dimensions and characteristics that emerged from the study were resilience, sense of competence, sense of achievement, sense of control, sense of meaning, making a difference and empowerment of others. The theoretical frameworks proposed by Menon (2001) and Zimmerman (1995) were investigated, which confirmed the importance of a goal orientation and pro-active behaviour in psychological empowerment. These theories were evaluated and compared to cognitive theories as suitable frameworks for the study of psychological empowerment. Contributing factors that emerged from the qualitative study most prominently were opportunity and recognition. Locus of control emerged as a possible intrapersonal factor and it was explored further as a contributing factor. Together with the significant factors from the quantitative survey, these factors were employed to recommend a strategy for the development of psychological empowerment with the dimensions of empowerment as outcomes. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / The research question in this study involves the subjective experiences of quality of worklife (QWL) by alcoholics and non-alcoholics, in order to form an idea about the differences in such experiences, between the two groups. Personality is related throughout to QWL and alcoholism. A sample consisting of 60 alcoholics and 58 non alcoholics was used. Personality measurements were done by using Cattell's Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16-PF) whilst experienced QWL was measured with the self developed QWL-questionnaire. In order to test the hypotheses for this study, the data has been processed by using Pearson's Product-moment coefficient of correlation and t-tests. The results from the study indicate a significant relationship between personality and certain exclusive QWLdimensions for alcoholics. There is however, no significant difference in the subjective experiences of global QWL between alcoholics and non-alcoholics. Several personality factors have been identified as being related to alcoholism. / Die navorsingsvraagstuk in hierdie studie betrek die subj ektiewe ervaring van gehalte van werklewe (GWL) deur alkoholiste en niealkoholiste, ten einde 'n begrip te vorm van die verskil in sodanige ervaring, tussen die twee groepe. Persoonlikheid word deurgaans in verband gebring met GWL en alkoholisme. 'n Steekproef bestaande uit 60 alkoholiste en 58 nie-alkoholiste is gebruik. Persoonlikheidsmetings is met die 16-Persoonlikheidsfaktorvraelys van Cattell gedoen terwyl ervaarde GWL met die selfontwerpte GWL-vraelys gemeet is. Ten einde hierdie studie se hipoteses te toets, is die data verwerk deur van Pearson se produkmomentkorrelasiekoeffisient en t-toetse gebruik te maak. Die studie se resultate dui op 'n beduidende verband tussen persoonlikheid en sekere eksklusiewe GWL-dimensies by alkoholiste. Daar bestaan egter geen beduidende verskil in die subjektiewe ervaring van globale GWL tussen alkoholiste en nie-alkoholiste nie. Daar is etlike persoonlikheidsfaktore geidentifiseer wat met alkoholisme verband hou. / Industrial and Organizational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / 'n Opname is onder geregistreerde verpleegkundiges in diens van plaaslike besture onderneem met die doel om 'n perspektief op die gehalte van hul werkslewe te verkry, faktore te identifiseer wat hulle motiveer om 'n loopbaan in plaaslike besture te kies en die faktore te identifiseer wat werkstevredenheid positief /negatief be"lnvloed. Ontleding van die data het aangedui dat negatiewe faktore in die werkslewe soos onder andere die gebrek aan deelname in besluitneming en beperkte loopbaangeleenthede werksontevredenheid tot gevolg kan he. Positiewe faktore soos die geleentheid om gereelde diensure te werk en die status wat geregistreerde verpleegkundiges in die gemeenskap geniet, bevorder werkstevredenheid. Dit is hoofsaaklik hul belangstelling in primere gesondheidsorg en die geleentheid om gereelde diensure te werk wat geregistreerde verpleegkundiges motiveer om 'n loopbaan in plaaslike besture te kies. Aanbevelings om die kwaliteit van die werkslewe van geregistreerde verpleegkundiges te verbeter en werkstevredenheid te bevorder, is geformuleer. / A survey was undertaken among registered nurses in the service of local authorities to obtain a perspective on the quality of their worklife, to identify factors that influence registered nurses in local authorities and to identify those factors that influence the quality of the worklife and job satisfaction positively /negatively. Analysis of the data indicated that negative factors in the worklife such as limited participation in decision-making and limited career opportunities could lead to dissatisfaction in the work situation. Positive factors such as the ability to work regular hours and the status of registered nurses in the community promote job satisfaction. It is mainly their interest in primary health care and the opportunity to work regular hours of duty, that motivate registered nurses to choose a career in local authorities. Recommendations to improve the quality of the worklife of registered nurses and to promote job satisfaction were formulated. / Nursing Science / M.A. (Verpleegkunde)