<p>The purpose of this thesis has been to investigate the effect of introducing the qualitystandard ISO 9001:2000 at Metso Paper Service in Sundsvall. The investigation has been focused on implementation of the new method of work, Continuous improvements. The implementation has been studied in a case study with both a qualitative and quantitative method. </p><p>Continuous Improvements is a way of working focused on continuously increasing the efficiency and having the purpose of achieving the formulated goals. This is often accomplished by the organisation carrying out the changing process to a great extent in small but efficient teams. </p><p>The effects of Metso’s introduction of the system are many. Above all the possibility of influence on the changing process has increased. This study also shows significant increase of the motivation and engagement of the employees as well as the number of ideas of improvements. This documentation ends with recommendations for further improvements of the system.</p>

The purpose of this thesis has been to investigate the effect of introducing the qualitystandard ISO 9001:2000 at Metso Paper Service in Sundsvall. The investigation has been focused on implementation of the new method of work, Continuous improvements. The implementation has been studied in a case study with both a qualitative and quantitative method. Continuous Improvements is a way of working focused on continuously increasing the efficiency and having the purpose of achieving the formulated goals. This is often accomplished by the organisation carrying out the changing process to a great extent in small but efficient teams. The effects of Metso’s introduction of the system are many. Above all the possibility of influence on the changing process has increased. This study also shows significant increase of the motivation and engagement of the employees as well as the number of ideas of improvements. This documentation ends with recommendations for further improvements of the system.

The general aim of the present thesis is to increase our understanding of perceived employability. Employability perceptions refer to individuals’ beliefs about their possibilities of finding new, equal, or better employment. How people perceive their possibilities of getting employment is important in a labour market characterised by flexibility and uncertainty, and the present thesis sets out to investigate the nature, determinants, and implications of employability perceptions, using two population-based samples. In Study I, the aim was to study if employability and self-efficacy are two distinct but related constructs and, along with this, to investigate the nature of their association. The results from this study indicated that employability was distinct from self-efficacy and, furthermore, that employability predicted subsequent self-efficacy. In Study II, the aim was to identify predictors of perceived employability. The combination of situational and individual factors was identified as important for employability perceptions. National economic prosperity, living/working in metropolitan areas, poor physical and good psychological work environments, formal education, and competency development were found to be positively associated with perceived employability. The aim of Study III was to investigate if employability could predict subsequent health and well-being. The results from this study implied that individuals who reported higher levels of employability also reported better global health and mental well-being, but not physical complaints, one year later, after controlling for work environment variables and previous health status. In conclusion, the present thesis has implications for theory as well as practice when it concludes that employability is not primarily a self-evaluation, that it is dependent on individual as well as situational factors, and that it has implications for health and well-being.

Denna studie grundar sig i ett uppdrag från Trafikverket med avsikten att undersöka hur enmångfaldsstrategi kan få ökad effekt i organisationen. Utgångspunkten för denna studie är attdet tycks krävas mer forskning kring hur HR strategiskt kan arbeta med mångfaldsfrågor ochintegrera dem i organisationens alla delar. Syftet med denna studie är således att identifiera hurHR strategiskt kan arbeta med mångfaldsfrågor. Vidare är syftet att visa hur ett strategiskamångfaldsarbete kan bli mer effektivt.Teorier som belyser begreppet mångfald, effekterna av mångfald, strategi, Human ResourceManagement och Strategic Human Resource management kan ses ligga till grund för ettframgångsrikt HRM-arbete med mångfald. Ledarskap, kommunikation, kunskap och att se tillorganisationskulturen belyser teorin som viktiga komponenter för att ett strategiskt arbete skabli mer effektivt och ge effekt i organisationen.Studien bygger på en deduktiv ansats och en kvalitativ metod har genomförts utifrån treindividuella intervjuer och två fokusgrupper. De individuella intervjuernas syfte var att belysaorganisationens nutida arbete med mångfald, framtida perspektiv för hur ett strategisktmångfaldsarbete kan utformas och en målbild för vad arbetet ska resultera i. Den enafokusgruppen bestod av medarbetare från HR från olika regionkontor i landet och hade somsyfte att klargöra hur HR strategiskt kan arbeta med mångfald. Den andra fokusgruppen bestodav chefer från olika regionkontor i landet och hade som syfte att belysa chefers roll och vad deeftersöker i ett strategiskt mångfaldsarbete.Resultatet från intervjuerna har analyserats utifrån den teoretiska referensramen och i dennastudie har vi kommit fram till och identifierat flera betydelsefulla faktorer som för HR är viktigai utformandet av en mångfaldsstrategi. Det är viktigt att definiera begreppet mångfald, klargöraansvarsfrågan, visa på varför organisationen bör arbeta med månglad och kommuniceraeffekterna. Vidare är det viktigt att koppla mångfaldsstrategin till övriga HRM-aktiviteter ochorganisationens övriga strategier och mål för att det strategiska arbetet ska ge effekt. Kunskapom mångfald och att se arbetet som ett förändringsarbete där ledningen utgör en viktig roll harvisat sig vara väsentliga faktorer för att arbetet ska få värde i organisationen. / This study is based on an assignment from the Swedish Transport Administration with the intention to examine how a diversity strategy can be more efficient in the organization. The starting point for this study is that it seems to require more research on how HR can strategically work with diversity issues and integrate them with the rest of the organization. The purpose of this study is to identify how Human Resources strategically can work with diversity. An additional purpose is to show how a strategic diversity work can be more effective.Theories that highlight the concept of diversity, the effects of diversity, strategy, Human Resource Management and Strategic Human Resource Management can be seen as a basis for a successful strategic HRM with diversity. Leadership, communication, knowledge and organizational culture highlight the theory as important components to strategic efforts to become more efficient and provide the power in the organization.The study is based on a deductive approach and a qualitative method has been used on the basis of three individual interviews and two focus groups. With the individual interview, the purpose was to highlight the organization's contemporary work with diversity, future perspectives on how strategic diversity efforts can be designed and a vision for results. One focus group consisted of employees from HR from various regional offices in the country and were intended to clarify how HR can work strategically with diversity. The other focus groups consisted of executives from various regional offices in the country and were intended to highlight the role of managers and what they are seeking in a strategic diversity effortThe result of the interviews were analyzed based on the theoretical framework. In this study we have come up with and identified several significant factors for HR that are important in the design of a diversity strategy. It is important to define the concept of diversity, to clarify the issue of responsibility, to show why the organization should work with diversity, and communicate the impact. Furthermore, it is important to link diversity strategy to other HRM-activities and the organization's other strategies and objectives for the strategic work to effect. Knowledge of diversity and to see the work as a process of change, where management is an important role, have proved to be essential factors for the work to get the value of the organization.

Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka hur kulturella normer och värderingar stödjer eller hindrar förändringar, för att ta reda på varför det inte är jämställt på chefspositioner. Vidare vill vi undersöka hur organisationer kan förändra dessa kulturella normer och värderingar och hur jämställdhetsplanen kan användas som ett förändringsverktyg i arbetet mot ökad jämställdhet på chefspositioner. Utifrån en kvalitativ metod har vi intervjuat fem arbetstagare inom polisen i Karlskrona, då det är en organisation som inte är jämställd på chefspositioner, trots aktiva åtgärder. Vi har utgått från organisationskultur som teoretisk utgångspunkt, då vi anser att det är relevant för vår studie. Några av slutsatserna i studien är att det finns olika åsikter angående hur kulturella normer och värderingar stödjer eller hindrar arbetet för förändring mot ökad jämställdhet på chefspositioner och hur organisationer kan förändra dem kulturella normer och värderingar som utgör hinder för kvinnor att avancera samt hur jämställdhetsplanen kan användas som ett förändringsverktyg för att påverka jämställdhetsarbetet. Trots olika åsikter bland respondenterna går det att konstatera att kulturella normer och värderingar utgör hinder som påverkar kvinnors vilja att avancera genom att de påverkar individerna inom organisationer på olika sätt. Vidare tyder vår studie på att det går att förändra kulturella normer och värderingar till viss del genom ökad medvetenheten samt ny kunskap om problemet med bristande jämställdhet. Vi kan även konstatera att jämställdhetsplanen kan användas som ett förändringsverktyg trots att den många gånger tenderar till att endast bli ett pappersarbete. / The aim of this study was to investigate how cultural norms and values support or restrict changes to find out why it is not equal in management positions. The study also examines how organizations can change those cultural norms and values and how the gender equalityplan can be used as a tool for change in the work towards gender equality in management positions. With a qualitative approach five workers within the police in Karlskrona were interviewed, because it is an organization, which is not equal in management positions, despite active measures. The theoretical approach that was used is organizational culture. Some of the study’s conclusions are that there are different opinions about how cultural norms and values support or restrict the work of change towards gender equality in management positions and how organizations can change the cultural norms and values that constitute barriers to women's advancement and how the equalityplan can be used as a tool for change to affect gender equality. Despite different opinions, we can establish that cultural norms and values obstruct women's willingness to advance. Furthermore, our study also concludes that it is possible to change cultural norms and values to some extent by increased awareness and knowledge about the problem of gender inequality. We can also observe that the equality plan can be used as a tool for change even though it often tends to be a paper work.

The purpose of this study is to determine appropriate choral literature for the adolescent male. Historically, scholars have focused on the lowering of the maturing male voice into the newly-formed chest register. During the change process, the male voice is unpredictable and can have a limited range. While a vast amount of repertoire for the adolescent male accommodates this downward progression and anticipates the narrow range, most adolescent boys are, in fact, capable of singing pitches above the chest register.Registers will be identified in this study. Discussion will pertain to registration shifts between chest register, head register, and falsetto in the adolescent male. I will investigate the use of the head register, which is a legitimate and vital component in healthy singing during adolescence. I will then compare registration to the historical knowledge of the male changing voice, which focuses mostly on the range and development of the newly-forming chest register.I will apply the concept of registration to choral repertoire taken from the 2005 and 2007 American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) national convention reading session packets. I will identify music that best and least facilitates the use and mixture of head-register and chest-register singing. Music for treble voices in various combinations (SA, SSA, SSAA, etc.) and three-part mixed music (SAB) will be examined. Each category presents a set of advantages and disadvantages for the adolescent male. Specific musical examples will illustrate the discussion. Careful repertoire selection with registration as a criterion is a key factor in unlocking male singing potential during adolescence. Although boys have unpredictable ranges, as it will be shown, registers are constant.

Developing internal communication in fast-changing organizations is a current topic, which seems to exercise the minds of corporate people in different positions. Well-functioning internal communication and business success seem to be strongly linked. It motivates people, and only people who are motivated and enthusiastic about their work are able to perform well in their jobs and to secure the success of their employers. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of internal communications and how employees perceive it in fast-changing organizations. An understanding of internal communication and its development was searched by concentrating in selected essential internal communication areas in organizations, internal corporate communication function and internal communication channels. The focus was on fast-changing organizations due to the fact that the development of internal communication does not usually go hand in hand with other organization development and business growth but tends to drag behind. The theoretical framework was formed of internal communication in general, internal communication development, internal communication in fast-changing organizations, internal communication in different organizational areas, internal corporate communicationas a function and internal communication channels. The most valid internal communication areas were selected to be management communication, team and supervisor communication and interdepartmental communication. The theoretical framework presented the dilemmas and characteristics that can occur among the issue of internal communication development. In order to achieve the determined objectives, a quantitative study was conducted. The survey named “Internal communications at the company x” with three different forms of questions was carried out in the case company. The topic was scrutinized from theperspective of a case company and aimed to find out employees’ perceptions. The web-based survey focused on the selected issues concerning internal communication and its development. Questionnaires were sent out to the employees of the case company’s European organization and 94 responses were received. The collected data was analyzed against the theoretical framework, and with the help of analysis conclusions and managerial implications regarding this study were drawn. It was discovered that by developing these internal communication areas together, fast-changing organizations succeed better in internal communication and consequently in other operations. In fast-changing organizations, careful attention needs to be paid especially to the amount of management, supervisor and interdepartmental communication. Communication especially about company situation and financial and sales situation should be increased. Employees value open, systematic, clear and well-organized communication. Development of interdepartmental communication processes is vital in order to improve knowledge sharing across the company and consequently business performance. It is essential that all members of work community understand their responsibility to communicate. Internal corporate communications function should teach that and provide good communication tools for all employees, especially intranet, e-mail and possibilities to face to face meetings and versatile feedback sessions. Efforts to equalize communication between locations, departments and teams need to be taken.

Inom den svenska förskolan har antalet barn ökat i barngrupperna samtidigt som resurserna har minskat. I det ökade barngrupperna skapas det en större oro bland barnen. Pedagogerna inom den svenska förskolan upplever att det blir mycket spring och konflikter. Detta gör att pedagogerna strävar efter att hitta nya arbetssätt som minskar oron och konflikterna bland barnen. Mitt syfte i denna studie är att undersöka hur en förskola genomförde en förändringsprocess kring sin innemiljö, det vill säga rum, möblering och material. Syftet är även att studera hur barns sociala samspel påverkas av den nya miljön där kommunikationen och interaktionen det vill säga samspelet mellan barn-barn och barn-miljö är som en viktig del i barnens lärande. I interaktioner mellan barnen stimuleras språket och språket stimulerar barnens tänkande. En viktig del i interaktionen är miljön. Miljön har en betydelsefull roll för att stimulera barnens utveckling och lärande. Metoden för studien har bestått i kvalitativa intervjuer och studien är utförd på en förskola med fem informanter som är pedagoger. Resultatet av studien visar att för att en förändringsprocess ska bli framgångsrik behövs det inspirerande och lyhörda ledare. Ledarna behöver ge sina medarbetare tid att gå igenom förändringsprocessens alla steg. Solrosens förskola vill ge en tillgänglig, inspirerande och utmanande innemiljö där barnen får utvecklas i sin egen takt. Efter förskolans förändringsprocess, är deras innemiljö inte längre hemlik utan en miljö gjord för att barn ska bli inspirerade, kreativa och utvecklas som individer. / There is a great increase of the number of children in Swedish preschools and in the same time there is less resources. With the increase of the size of the group of children we have a growth of greater anxiety. The teachers in Swedish preschool experience a lot of running around and conflicts. This means that the teachers strives to find a new way to decrease the anxiety and conflicts among the children. The purpose of my study is to examine how one preschool carried out a change process in their indoor environment concerning the room, furniture and material. The purpose is also to study how children’s social interaction is affected by the new environment, there communication and interaction that is between child –child and child- environment which is a great deal of importance to a child’s learning process. This interaction between children stimulates their language which in its turn stimulates the children´s thinking. An important deal in interaction is the environment. The environment has an important part in stimulating the children´s development and learning. My method has included qualitative interviews and the study is done on a preschool with five informants which are teachers. The result of the study shows that to get a successful changing process the leaders has to be inspiring and perceptive. The leaders need to give their collaborators the time to go through every step of the changing process. The preschool Solrosen is keen on offering an accessible, inspiring and challenging indoor environment for children to develope in their own pace. After the preschools changing process, their indoor environments is no longer like a home, instead it has become a place for children to be inspired, creative and develope into individuals.

Nagrinėjant darnaus vystymosi problemas, iki šiol buvo akcentuojamas gamybos poveikis aplinkai ir žmogui. Ir tik pastaruoju metu atkreiptas dėmesys, kad nuo vartojimo būdo ir jo pasirinkimo priklauso aplinkos būklė. Šiame darbe atlikome Lietuvos gyventojų pajamų ir vartojimo apimties bei struktūros pokyčių analizę 1996 – 2006 metais, įvertinome šių pokyčių galimą poveikį aplinkai bei galimybes pasiekti ES šalių senbuvių lygį. Darbui buvo naudojami Statistikos departamento prie Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės ir Europos Statistikos agentūros EUROSTAT duomenys. Apibendrinus tyrimų rezultatus nustatyta, kad Lietuvos bendrasis vidaus produktas pradėjo itin sparčiai augti nuo 2001 metų ir pastaraisiais metais auga beveik po 10 %., o gyventojų pajamos ir išlaidos pradėjo sparčiau augti tik nuo 2004 metų ir pastarųjų metų prieaugis siekia beveik 20 %. Per visą analizuojamą laikotarpį BVP padidėjo 2,7 karto, o disponuojamos pajamos ir vartojimo išlaidos - apie 2 kartus. Namų ūkių vidutinių vartojimo išlaidų santykis 1996 - 2006 metais tarp turtingiausių ir skurdžiausių namų ūkių beveik nekito ir skirtumas sudarė 8,7 - 8,9 karto ir yra žymiai didesnis nei ES šalyse senbuvėse (5-6 kartai). Lietuvos namų ūkių vartojimo išlaidų makro struktūroje vienam namų ūkio nariui per mėnesį nuo 1996 iki 2006 metų 4 kartus padidėjo išlaidos turizmui (25,40 Lt). Mažiausiai išaugo maistui ir gėrimams 1,1 karto (27,80 Lt). Tuo tarpu išlaidos transportui padidėjo 3,7 karto (49,10 Lt), būstui ir jo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Ussualy analising sustainable development and environment problems the major focus is put on human and environmental impact of production. Recently more attention is paid to sustainable consumption and the environmental impact of consumption patterns. In this work changes of inhabitant’s income and expenditure dynamics and structure during 1996-2006 years in Lithuania is analyse. Possible impact of these changes to environment and Lithuanian possibility to reach the level of EU old members was estimated. For this analysis we used Lithuanian statistical department and European statistical agencies EUROSTAT data. Analysis shows that Lithuanian GDP was growing very fast from 2001 years and recently GDP was growth reached 10 % annually. Inhabitant incomes and expenditures have started growing just from 2004 years and incremented by 20 %. During the period under analysis GDP increase 2,7 times, but incomes and consumption expenditures – about 2 times. In 1996-2006 years household expenditures difference between rich and poor household inhabitant was stable and fluctuated about 8,7-8,9 times. While this indicator was 5-6 times in EU old members. Lithuanian household consumption expenditure per inhabitant per month for tourism increase 4 times (25,40 Lt) between 1996 and 2006 years. The minimum expenditures were for food and drink - 1,1 times (27,80 Lt), the expenditure for transport increase 3,7 times (49,10 Lt) and expenditure for accommodation 2 times (36,70 Lt). By the most... [to full text]

I denna socialpsykologiska uppsats har vi undersökt svenska ledares upplevelse kring balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv. Ämnet är av relevans att studera då dagens föränderliga arbetsvillkor ställer höga krav på de anställdas anpassningsbarhet. Behovet av anpassning medför en alltmer komplex tillvaro i hanteringen av en tillfredställande gränsdragning mellan dessa domäner. Vårt syfte med studien var att förmedla en förklaring och helhetsbild som påvisar vad som är mest angeläget för ledarna i hanteringen av denna gränsdragningsprocess. Vi har genomfört en kvalitativ studie, och utifrån syftet och frågeställningarna har vi använt Grundad teori som metodval. Det insamlade datamaterial har därmed analyserat grundligt med hjälp av transkribering och kodning, som resulterade i följande kategorier: Vikten av att upprätthålla sociala relationer, organisatorisk stöttning, stöd i privatlivet, stöd via frizon och eget förhållningssätt. Resultatet visar sammanfattningsvis att det som möjliggjorde en tillfredställande gränsdragning var ett fungerande socialt stöd. Det mest angelägna för ledare var att kunna upprätthålla de stödjande sociala relationerna som möjliggjorde en lyckad kombination av arbetet och privatlivet, som i sin tur resulterar i ökat välbefinnande genom tillfredställd gränsdragning. / In this social-psychological essay we have examined Swedish leaders experience about the balance between work and personal life. The topic is relevant to study when today's changing working condition puts high demands on the employees' adaptability. The need for adaptation involves an increasingly complex existence in dealing with a satisfactory distinction between these domains. Our purpose of this study was to convey a statement and overview that demonstrates what is most indicate for the leaders in the management of this demarcation process. We conducted a qualitative study, and based on the purpose and the issues we have used Grounded theory as our method. The collected datasets from semi-structured interviews and written submissions have thus analyzed thoroughly by means of transcribing and coding, that resulted in the following categories: The importance of maintaining social relationships, organizational support, private life support, free zone support, and own approach. The result shows that what enabled a satisfactory demarcation was a functioning social support. The most important thing for leaders was to maintain the supportive social relationships that enabled a successful combination of work and private life, which in turn resulted in improved well-being through a satisfied boundary.