Titel: Gör cheferna som de säger? Kunskapens betydelse för skillnader i uttalad och faktisk interaktion mellan chefer och blue-collar workers respektive knowledge workers. Nivå: Examensarbete i Företagsekonomi, Kandidatnivå, 15 hp Författare: Madeleine Lindqvist och Björn Stenholm Handledare: Per-Arne Wikström Datum: Juni 2013 Syfte: Syftet är att undersöka kunskapens betydelse för skillnader i uttalad och faktisk interaktion mellan chefer och blue-collar workers respektive knowledge workers.   Metod: Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ metod. Semi-strukturerade intervjuer med anställda och chefer på olika företag har använts för att samla in det empiriska materialet. Den teoretiska referensramen har samlats in genom relevant kurslitteratur och vetenskapliga artiklar inom ämnet.   Resultat & Slutsats: Slutsatsen som dragits utifrån denna studie är att det inte gått att finna något glapp mellan chefers uttalade och faktiska handlingar. Däremot visar den på att svårigheten med kommunikation kvarstår trots kunskap om interaktion   Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Då vi anser att vårt tillvägagångssätt inte kunde stödja den klassiska teorin föreslår vi att samma forskningsfråga studeras med en deltagande metod då vi tror att det skulle ge ett annat resultat.   Ett annat förslag är att undersöka varför kommunikationen mellan chefer och anställda inte fungerar trots att båda parter är medvetna om problemet.   Uppsatsens bidrag: Studien bidrar till en ökad förståelse för de komplexa situationer som chefer med ledaransvar ställs inför och huruvida deras kunskap inom områden som kommunikation och interaktion kan hjälpa dem i sitt arbete.   Nyckelord: Espoused theory, theory-in-use, arbetsmotivation, knowledge workers, blue-collar workers

There is little published literature on the health and nutrition status of inland river towboat crewmen. The purpose of the study was to better understand how life on the towboat affects health status, the crews' perceived benefits and barriers to good health, specifically eating practices and physical activity, and motivation to meet U.S.C.G. physical and BMI guidelines. The study utilized a cross-sectional design to explore relationships among variables utilizing a survey and body composition measurements. One hundred ninety-four crewmen participated. Findings indicate crewmen are at increased risk of chronic disease related to anthropometric measurements, lack of aerobic activity, and unhealthy eating practices. Surprisingly, though, men indicated they like healthy foods and would eat them if served. Therefore, men are not as opposed to menu changes as originally thought. Additionally, the towboat environment must be more supportive of healthy behaviors to promote change. Furthermore, given the towboat culture and tradition, a successful intervention must be based on an ecological approach, addressing individual-level, socio-cultural and environmental-level influences.

The prevalence of tobacco use among blue-collar workers such as construction artisans is disproportionately higher than in the general population, yet very limited studies have been conducted about such workers in Nigeria, the most populous country in sub-Sahara African (SSA). Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence and the associated risk factors of tobacco use among construction artisans in Ekiti State, Nigeria. This cross-sectional study employed a multi-stage stratified sampling technique to select participants (carpenters and bricklayers) artisans, journeymen, and their apprentices who were working in Ekiti State. Chi-square and logistic regression were conducted to delineate factors that are associated with tobacco use in this population. The results show that the prevalence of ever-smoke amongst respondents was 19.3%, and multivariate analysis showed that artisans who were within the age range 31-40 years were four times more likely to use tobacco (aOR=3.410; CI=1.476-7.878), compared with those that are less than 20 years. Additionally, being in school (aOR 2.007; CI= 1.026-3.927) and divorced/separated (aOR4.240; CI=1.307-13.759) were associated with tobacco use, compared with the respective populations. The increased prevalence of tobacco use among construction artisans is noteworthy, and few self-reported cases of addiction amongst users demand action from communities and government at all levels. There is need to improved access of artisans to accurate information and tailored messages on dangers of tobacco use. Moreover, smoking and worksite regulations and policies would be needed to curtail the smoking tendencies of these workers

Book Summary: From television, film, and music to sports, comics, and everyday life, this book provides a comprehensive view of working-class culture in America.

Bakgrund och problem: Ett välkänt ekonomiskt styrmedel som används av företagsledare för att motivera anställda till att utföra prestationer som ligger i linje med företagets mål är belöningssystem. Belöningssystem fungerar olika i olika branscher och måste anpassas efter typ av verksamhet och anställda. Ett relativt outforskat område är industribranschen, här utförs ofta kärnprocessen av arbetarna på golvet vilket gör det intressant att se hur ett industriföretag jobbar med belöningssystem mot dessa typer av anställda och identifiera kritiska områden för belöningssystemets funktion mot arbetare då detta är ett ostuderat område. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med ökad förståelse om hur industriföretag jobbar med belöningssystem gentemot arbetare och vad dessa arbetare har för erfarenheter av detta system. Metod: En kvalitativ fallstudie är utförd på företaget Atlas Copco Power Technique Nordic som är verksamma inom industribranschen. Åtta respondenter har intervjuats genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Studien har anammat en abduktiv forskningsansats  Slutsats: Atlas Copco Power Technique Nordic använder sig av många olika belöningar i olika former för att motivera sina anställda, en kombination av icke-monetära belöningar är den främsta nyckeln för att skapa motivation hos anställda. Det framkommer att de monetära belöningarna exklusive lön inte har betydande påverkan på arbetarnas motivation och vilja att prestera. Det visar sig även att mål och rättvisa har en betydande roll vad gäller arbetarnas positiva inställning till belöningssystemet. / Background and problem: A well-known financial instrument used by business leaders to motivate employees to perform in line with the company's goal is the reward system. Reward systems work differently in different industries and must therefore be adapted to the type of business and type of employees in an organization. A relatively unexplored area is the industrial industry. Here the core processes are often performed by the blue-collar workers which makes it interesting to see how an industrial company works with reward systems towards these types of workers and identify critical areas for the reward system's function towards blue-collar workers as this is an unstudied area. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to contribute to an increased understanding of how industrial companies work with reward systems towards blue-collar workers and what experience these workers have of this system. Method: A qualitative case study has been carried out at the company Atlas Copco Power Technique Nordic, which is active in the industrial industry. Eight respondents were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The study has adopted an abductive research approach  Conclusion: Atlas Copco Power Technique Nordic uses many different rewards in different ways to motivate its employees, and the combination of non-monetary rewards is the main key to creating motivation in employees. It appears that the monetary rewards excluding wages have no meaningful effect on blue collar worker’s motivation and desire to perform. It also appears that goalsetting and justice play a significant role in terms of blue collar worker’s positive attitudes towards the reward system.

ABSTRACT This paper will detail the process of creating and making the film Everything that Shines is not Gold. This paper divides into four parts: writing process, pre-production, production, and postproduction. The first part will touch on how the story came about and the writing process. The second part will cover the pre-production aspects and how I dealt with a strict deadline. Next, I will talk about directing. In the fourth part, I will discuss the long and tiring postproduction workflow. Last, I will reflect on making and what I learned.

The purpose of this dissertation research was to bring voice to university custodians as blue-collar workers by exploring the manner in which four custodians interact with students on a university campus. The following research questions framed this study: 1) In what ways do four campus custodians interact with students during their work day at a large public university? 2) In what ways do those custodians talk about students and their interactions with students? This study adopted a critical philosophical lens that acknowledged the historically-marginalized voice of custodians as campus blue-collar workers. Extant research on blue-collar worker identity theory and college student-staff interactions and mentoring literature, as well as the author's own blue-collar background, informed and framed the study. Qualitative data sources for this ethnographically-grounded case study were four campus custodians employed in three residence halls during the academic year at a large, public university in the Midwest. A moderate participant observation strategy melded with a semi-structured interview protocol were employed. Data were collected and transcribed during seventy-five hours of observations throughout a six-week time span. Mutual benefits to both college student success and custodial staff occupational esteem were identified in custodial staff-student interactions. More specifically, custodial staff participants were found to indirectly support college student success via formally acknowledged and performed cleaning and maintenance duties of observing, protecting, and promoting the health of college students. Additionally, custodial staff directly supported college student success via informally-performed actions of remembering, comforting, advising, exchanging and keeping gifts, and participating in events with students. Based on these findings, this study advises college and university decision-makers to consider custodians as important mentors for, and allies to, college student success. Suggestions for professional practice include 1) Acknowledging and leveraging custodians' unique assets and contributions, 2) Fostering relationships between students and custodians, 3) Increasing custodian's opportunities for professional development, 4) Considering custodians' potential to support student success in custodian hiring decisions, and 5) Training Custodial Staff in Basic Crisis Intervention. Future research should examine custodians as formal mentors, explore social justice concerns relative to blue-collar campus workers, and study the influence of custodian-student interactions on custodial staff job satisfaction and performance.

Union mergers have occurred since unions were first established. Research on this particular aspect of the union movement is well established in the UK and the US. However, there are few studies of Australian union mergers, despite the fact that many Australian unions took part in a 'merger boom' in the 1980s and 1990s. Two of the few Australian studies, Hocking (1996) and Campling and Michelson (1998), utilised resource dependency and strategic choice theories to ascertain the why and how of union mergers. However, these Australian studies, like their UK and US counterparts, cease with the completion of the merger and, consequently, there is little known of the post-merger operation of unions. How does the integration of the merger partners - with their traditions, structures and financial arrangements - occur? This thesis rectifies the gap in the literature by means of a qualitative, longitudinal study of the merger and post-merger activities of one of the largest and most prominent unions in Australia, the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU), as it moved towards complete amalgamation. The thesis examines the period 1995-2003. Four of the five pre-merger unions faced a serious and continued decline in membership and all faced mounting financial deficits. From 1995, the year the various mergers were completed, membership decline continued and financial resources dwindled further, providing the impetus for further and significant post-merger changes. The analysis demonstrates that, due to a continuing lack of financial resources, the AMWU leadership initiated a budgeting strategy which influenced the actions and changed the opinions of many of the Union's officials, guiding them towards accepting integration of the constituent divisions and near complete amalgamation. The thesis answers the questions of why and how a union moves from a negotiated federated structure towards amalgamation, post merger, with a particular focus on financial decision-making processes.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 1993

Följande undersökning behandlar ämnet rekrytering med inriktning på kompetensens betydelse vid tillsättning av en tjänst. Vidare redogörs för hur rekryteringsföretag i en mellanstor svensk stad väljer ut individer ur en grupp av arbetssökande och på vilka premisser urvalen sker. Det vill säga om en arbetssökande väljs ut att bli tillsatt för en tjänst på grund av vederbörandes arbetserfarenhet, kunskap och utbildning, eller om det är tack vare dennes personliga egenskaper. Studien ämnar undersöka i vilken utsträckning ansvariga rekryterare värderar arbetssökandes formella kompetenser i förhållande till dess informella kompetenser. Undersökningen kommer också studera den estetiska kompetensens betydelse vid rekrytering. Med andra ord betydelsen av att som sökande klä sig rätt, komma hel och ren till arbetsintervjun. För studien använder vi oss av en kvalitativ metod i form av intervjuer. Dessa intervjuer är baserade på frågor från en upprättad intervjuguide som går att ta del av i slutet av uppsatsen som en bilaga. Dessa frågor resulterar i information från respondenterna som möjliggör för oss att besvara våra frågeställningar som presenteras i inledningen av denna undersökning. I undersökningen framkommer det att rekryterarna framhäver vikten av formell och informell kompetens beroende på vilken typ av tjänst som skall tillsättas. För rekryteringar på kollektivsidan tar man mer hänsyn till vad den sökande besitter för faktiskta kompetenser. Det vill säga vilka direkta kunskaper individen har som går att omsätta i arbetet, till exempel om den sökande kan köra truck och har körkort för detta. Om individen i fråga har akademisk bakgrund eller ej är mindre intressant för dessa jobb och rekryteringsprocesserna sker i regel snabbare än på tjänstemannasidan. Rekryteringar på tjänstemannasidan är istället mer omfattande, komplicerade och tidskrävande. Här läggs tonvikten på den sökandes akademiska bakgrund och arbetserfarenhet. På den formella kompetensen ställs i regel höga krav vid tillsättning av tjänstemän. Studien har visat att det första intrycket av den arbetssökande har betydelse för den ansvarige rekryteraren när de möts för en intervju. En sökande som kommer ordentligt klädd och har förmågan att presentera och framföra sig själv på ett tilltalande sätt har större chanser till en anställning än den individ som inte anstränger nämnvärt. / The following study deals with the subject recruitment, focusing on the competence relevant for appointment to a post. Furthermore it describes how the recruitment companies of a medium-sized Swedish city will select individuals from a group of candidates and on which premises the samples occurs. That is, if a job applicant is selected to be hired because of his work experience, knowledge and education, or if it is thanks to his personal qualities. The study intends to examine the extent to which responsible recruiters value the job seekers formal competences in relation to its informal competences. This study will examine the aesthetic competences importance in the recruitment process. In other words, the importance of the candidates to dress properly, be clean and tidy to the interview. For the study, we use a qualitative approach through interviews. These interviews are based on questions from a prepared interview guide that you can take part of at the end of the essay as an appendix. These questions will result in information from the respondents that will enable us to answer our question as mentioned in the introduction to this study. In the survey, it appears that recruiters emphasize the importance of formal and informal skills depending on the type of post to be appointed. When it comes to recruitment of blue-collar workers the recruiters takes more consideration of which actual skills the candidate possess. That is, which direct knowledge the individual have that he’s able to use at work, for example, if the applicant can drive a forklift and has a license to drive it. If the individual in question has an academic background or not is less interesting for these kinds of jobs and the recruitment processes are generally faster than the white-collar worker side. Recruitment at the white-collar side, is more extensive, complicated and time consuming. Here the emphasis is placed on the candidate's academic background and their work experience. When it comes to the formal qualifications there are usually high requirements for the employment of white-collar workers. The study has shown that the first impression of the job applicant is important for the responsible recruiter when they meet for an interview. An applicant that arrives properly dressed and have the ability to present and express himself in an appealing way have a greater chance of employment than the individual who doesn’t make an effort.