Research question: Is adopting flextime, remote work, and four-day workweeks advantageous to employees and organizations?  Purpose: Advances in technology and the changing nature of work have led to organizations adopting remote work, flextime, and a four-day workweek. The aim is to comprehend how these could affect employees and organizations, then advise organizations on whether to implement them. Employee productivity, satisfaction and well-being are assessed, as well as potential benefits and challenges. The result demonstrates an understanding of advantages, disadvantages, personal interests and critiques, followed by recommendations on facing emerging challenges and suggestions for further research.  Method: The research development is of an inductive nature. A mixed-method technique is used, with 7 respondents contributing to the qualitative research and 120 participants to the quantitative. Most respondents are dispersed around Sweden, but a few from foreign nations are also included to get a global viewpoint. The results are evaluated and contrasted with theoretical data from prior research.  Conclusion: The concepts have proven to be of great interest to employees, with a minority being against some. Many employees feel burned out and unsatisfied with a traditional 5-day workweek, and thus support a 4-day one that would allow more quality time for themselves and to socialize. A vast majority are interested in companies that grant the flexibility to work remotely and schedule their own hours, over those that do not. Trials of the concepts have resulted in increased productivity, and efficiency, better mental and physical health, higher job satisfaction, equality, work-life balance, as well as reduced turnover, burnout, stress and resentment towards management. The concepts would not work for every business or location, but they are highly advantageous to employees and organizations where they suit.

Bakgrund: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) kan förklaras som de aktiviteter företagen åtar sig för att säkerställa att deras intressenter drar nytta och inte missgynnas av deras verksamhet. Forskning kring ämnet har riktats främst på företags sociala ansvarstagande för externa intressenter varför vi fokuserat på ansvaret för en intern intressentgrupp, de anställda, då det framgår att det råder brist på forskning kring ämnet. Genom att belysa hur chefer och konsulter uppfattar bemanningsföretags sociala ansvarstagande för anställda bidrar vi med ökad förståelse för hur detta ansvar tas. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att bidra till ökad förståelse för hur bemanningsföretag tar det sociala ansvaret för konsulterna. Genomförande: Uppsatsen bygger på en kvalitativ små-N-studie med ett hermeneutiskt och fenomenografiskt förhållningssätt. Studien är gjord enligt en abduktiv ansats där urvalet av respondenter gjorts genom ett bekvämlighetsurval och ett målstyrt a priori-urval. Slutsats: Enligt vår tolkning uppfattar cheferna att de tar sitt fulla ansvar, ekonomiskt- legalt-etiskt, vilket bekräftas av att de uppfattar konsulterna som en prioriterad intressentgrupp. Konsulterna uppfattar dock att det etiska ansvaret faller bort vilket bekräftas av att de inte uppfattar att bemanningsföretagen ser dem som en prioriterad intressentgrupp. I processen har vi upptäckt att ålder och erfarenhetsnivå, det triangulära förhållandet mellan bemanningsföretag, kundföretag och konsulten samt att kommunikationen och informationsspridningen påverkar varför uppfattningarna om fenomenet skiljer sig. Bemanningsföretagen behöver uppmärksamma att olika uppfattningar om ett fenomen kan förekomma och behöver därför arbeta för att undvika eventuella konflikter som kan uppstå på grund av detta. Konsulterna och bemanningsföretagen men även företag och anställda i allmänhet kan se till vårt resultat för att öka medvetenheten och förståelsen för sin egen situation för att på så sätt kunna skapa en bättre relation sinsemellan. Olikheter i uppfattningar mellan ledningen och de anställda gäller enligt oss rimligtvis inte enbart för bemanningsbranschen utan kan förekomma var som helst. / Background: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can be explained as the company’s activities performed to ensure that their stakeholders' benefit, and are not disadvantaged, by their operations. Research on the subject has focused primarily on the company’s social responsibility towards its external stakeholders, hence we focus on highlighting the issue towards an internal stakeholder, the employees. There is a lack of research on specifically the employees and their perceptions of the subject. By highlighting how managers and consultants within temporary work agencies perceive the company's social responsibility we contribute to an increased understanding of how this responsibility is taken. Purpose: The aim of the study is to contribute to an increased understanding of how staffing companies take their social responsibility towards consultants. Research method: This thesis is built on a qualitative study with a hermeneutic and phenomenographic point of view. The study is conducted according to an abductive approach were the respondents has been chosen through a comfort-selection as well as a targeted a priori-selection. Conclusion: According to our interpretations, the managers perceive that they take their full responsibility, financially-legal-ethical, and that the consultants are a priority. The consultants however, perceive the ethical responsibility to be non-existent and that they are not considered a priority to the company. In the process, we have discovered that age and experience level, the triangular relationship between temporary work agencies, the hiring companies and the consultants as well as that the communication and the dissemination of information affect why the perceptions of the phenomenon differ. The agencies need to pay attention to the fact that different perceptions about a phenomenon may occur and therefore need to work to avoid any related conflicts. The consultants and the agencies, but also companies and employees in general, can look to our results to increase awareness and understanding of their own situation in order to improve their relationship with each other. Differences in perceptions between management and employees is not only applicable to the staffing industry, but can reasonably occur anywhere.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common and undertreated mental health disorders in the US (World Health Organization, 2001). Utilizing an online, correlational design and a sample of approximately100 American employees with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), this study will examine the impact of perceived organizational support (POS) on the help seeking behaviors of employees with GAD. It is predicted that POS will be positively correlated with likelihood of treatment seeking among employees with GAD, and negatively correlated with treatment seeking delay. It is further predicted that perceived mental health stigma will mediate the relationship between POS and these treatment-seeking behaviors. This research may hold significant implications for individuals suffering from GAD, as well as organizations that employ these individuals, as it may shed light on critical correlates of help seeking, and how organizations can promote treatment-seeking behaviors.

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / You will be needing the program SPSS in order to read the .spv files / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The primary goal of an organisation, in a capitalistic system, is the maximisation of profit. The task of the human resource function in organisations is to affect the work performance of working man to the advantage of the organisation and in a manner that adds value to the organisation. The management of employee wellbeing/psychological health is one of the human resource interventions with which the human resource function pursues this objective. It is imperative for organisations to be aware of, and sensitive to, negative factors in the workplace, such as occupational stress, that influence employees’ health and wellbeing and have a significant effect on job satisfaction and performance (Hamidi & Eivazi, 2010). Prevailing stress levels need to be monitored regularly if escalating stress levels are to be detected in time to prevent serious personal and organisational problems from developing. The Sources of Work Stress Inventory (SWSI) is an instrument developed in South Africa specifically for this purpose (De Bruin & Taylor, 2005). The inappropriate use of occupational stress assessments across genders can seriously jeopardize the extent to which occupational stress assessments, and the decisions based on them, achieve their intended objectives. In order to avoid making widespread generalisations and untested assumptions which will eventually do a disservice to the field of psychology, the absence of measurement bias (i.e. invariance and equivalence) should be demonstrated instead of simply assumed (Van de Vijver & Tanzer, 2004). Establishing the measurement invariance and equivalence of an instrument across groups should be a prerequisite to conducting substantive cross-group comparisons (Dunbar, Theron & Spangenberg, 2011). It is imperative to empirically ascertain whether the instruments that are used are free of cultural, language, gender, age and racial bias, not only because it is prohibited by the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, but also as it is in the interest of good workmanship. Bias is indicated as nuisance factors that threaten the validity of cross-group (cultural) comparisons (Van de Vijver & Leung, 1997). These nuisance factors could be due to construct bias, method bias and/or item bias. Due to the importance of the decisions made, it would seem essential that the information provided by test results apply equally across different reference groups. In this study the specific measurement invariance and equivalence sequence of tests set out by Dunbar et al. (2011) was used to answer a sequence of research questions that examine the extent to which the SWSI multi-group measurement model may be considered measurement invariant and equivalent or not, and to determine the source of variance if it existed (Vandenberg & Lance, 2000). Upon investigating the measurement model fit of the SWSI, the results indicated that support was found for the hypotheses that the measurement model fits the data of both gender samples independently. Furthermore, support was found for the configural and weak invariance model. However, due to not meeting the requirements for metric equivalence, partial measurement invariance and equivalence was explored. The SWSI multi-group measurement model met the requirements of partial complete invariance and partial full equivalence, and the non-invariant items were identified in the process. The implications of the results are discussed, limitations are indicated and areas for further research are highlighted. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kerndoelwit van enige organisasie, veral in ‘n kapitalistiese stelsel, is om optimale wins te genereer. Die taak van die menslike hulpbronbestuurfunksie binne organisasies is om die werksverrigting van die werkende mens te beïnvloed tot voordeel van die organisasie en terselfdetyd waarde tot die organisasie toe te voeg. Die bestuur van ‘n werknemer se welstand / sielkundige gesondheid is een van die menslike hulpbron-iintervensies waarmee die menslike hulpbronfunksie hierdie doelwit nastreef. Dit is uiters belangrik vir organisasies om bewus te wees van, asook sensitief te wees vir, negatiewe faktore soos werkstres, wat werknemers se gesondheid en welsyn beïnvloed en wat 'n beduidende invloed op werkstevredenheid en prestasie het (Hamidi & Eivazi, 2010). Heersende stresvlakke moet gereeld gemonitor word om tydig stygende stresvlakke te bespeur ten einde ernstige persoonlike en organisasieverwante probleme te verhoed. Die Bronne van die Werkstres-inventaris (BWSI) is in Suid-Afrika spesifiek vir hierdie doel ontwikkel (De Bruin & Taylor, 2005). Die ontoepaslike gebruik van werkstresmetings oor geslagte kan egter die mate waartoe beroepstresmetings en die besluite wat daarop gebaseer word hul oogmerke bereik ernstig benadeel. Die afwesigheid van metingsydigheid (bv. invariansie en ekwivalensie) moet dus empiries gedemonstreer word, in stede daarvan dat die afwesigheid daarvan eenvoudig aanvaar word (Van de Vijver & Tanzer, 2004). Die afwesigheid van hierdie informasie kan lei tot wydverspreide veralgemenings en ongetoetsde aannames wat die Sielkunde professie ernstige skade kan berokken. Die meetings-invariansie en -ekwivalensie van 'n instrument oor groepe is 'n voorvereiste vir substantiewe kruis-groepvergelykings (Dunbar, Theron & Spangenberg, 2011). Dit is noodsaaklik om empiries te bepaal of die instrumente wat gebruik is vry is van kulturele-, taal, geslag-, ouderdom- en rasse-sydigheid, nie net omdat dit verbied word deur die Wet op Diensbillikheid 55 van 1998 nie, maar ook omdat dit in die belang van goeie vakmanskap is. Sydigheid is sistermatiese steurnisse wat die geldigheid van die kruis-groep (kulturele) vergelykings (Van de Vijver & Leung, 1997) bedreig. Hierdie steurnisse kan wees as gevolg van konstruk-, metode- en/of itemsydigheid. Gegewe die belangrikheid van die besluite wat geneem word gebaseer op die metings is dit noodsaaklik dat die inligting vergelykbaar oor die verskillende verwysingsgroepe is. Die studie het die stel metingsinvariansie en -ekwivalensie toetse wat deur Dunbar et al. (2011) gebruik om 'n reeks van navorsingsvrae te beantwoord. Daar is ondersoek gestel na die mate waartoe die BWSI multi-groep metingsmodel as invariant of ekwivalent beskou kan word, en die bron van variansie te bepaal as dit sou bestaan (Vandenberg & Lance, 2000). In die ondersoek na die metingsmodel passing van die BWSI, is daar ondersteuning gevind is vir die hipoteses dat die metingsmodel beide van die geslagsteekproewe goed pas. Steun is ook gevind vir die konfigurale en swak invariansie modelle. Aangesien slegs beperkte steun vir metriese ekwivalensie gevind is, is ondersoek na die parsiële metriese invariansie en ekwivalensie ingestel. Die BWSI multi-groep metingsmodel het voldoen aan die vereistes van parsiële volledige invariansie en parsiële volle ekwivalensie, en die nie-invariante items is deur die proses geïdentifiseer. Die implikasies van die resultate word bespreek, beperkinge word aangedui en areas vir verdere navorsing word uitgelig.

This research presents a way for digitalising worksite benefits programs. The related work analysis and results of user interviews showed the important role of benefits programs in the wellbeing of employees, and as a result in company performance and employer branding. However shortcomings were discovered in the current format of worksite programs and suggested that digital transformation might help to address these shortcomings. The research used semi-structured interviews and analysis, user journey mapping, prototyping, and heuristic evaluation methods to deliver the concept of an employee insurance wallet. Furthermore, the research stepped beyond product design and presented a comprehensive framework for developing, monitoring, and operating such digital worksite benefit product. The framework incorporates stakeholder needs to ensure business success and user-centred design methodology to embrace usability and engagement principles. According to the research results, the real-life version of the product was developed. / Denna forskning presenterar ett sätt för digitalisering av arbetsplatsfördelningsprogram. Den relaterade arbetsanalysen och resultaten från användarintervjuer visade den viktiga rollen som förmånsprogram har för anställdas välbefinnande, och som ett resultat i företagets prestanda och varumärke från arbetsgivare. Emellertid upptäcktes brister i det aktuella formatet av arbetsplatsprogram och föreslog att digital transformation kan hjälpa till att lösa dessa brister. Forskningen använde semistrukturerade intervjuer och analyser, kartläggning av användarresor, prototyper och heuristiska utvärderingsmetoder för att leverera konceptet för en anställdsförsäkringsplånbok. Vidare gick forskningen bortom produktdesign och presenterade ett omfattande ramverk för att utveckla, övervaka och använda sådana digitala arbetsplatsfördelar. Ramverket innehåller intressentbehov för att säkerställa affärsframgång och användarcentrerad designmetodik för att omfatta användbarhets- och engagementsprinciper. Enligt forskningsresultaten utvecklades den verkliga versionen av produkten.

Kandidatuppsats i Företagsekonomi III, Organisation 15 hp, 2FE78E, Ekonomihögskolan vid Linnéuniversitetet i Kalmar. VT 2023. Titel: HR-paradoxen: Att arbeta med mänskliga resurser som inte är på plats. Författare: Kajsa Roos och Petra Ruzsa-Pal Lärosäte: Linnéuniversitetet Ämne: Organisation Handledare: Iva Josefsson Examinator: Mikael Lundgren  Problemformuleringar: Hur uppfattar HR-medarbetare att deras yrke förändrats, vad gäller arbete med organisationskultur och gemenskap, i och med det ökande distans- och hybridarbetet?  Hur kan HR-medarbetare arbeta för att skapa och upprätthålla gemenskap och en gynnsam organisationskultur vid distans- och hybridarbete? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att ge en bild av hur HR-yrket förändrats i och med det ökande distans- och hybridarbetet samt att redogöra för hur HR-ansvariga kan arbeta med att skapa och upprätthålla gemenskap och en positiv organisationskultur i en tid präglad av distans- och hybridarbete.  Metod: Studien följer en induktiv ansats som bygger på en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi där studiens empiri samlats in genom nio intervjuer förlagda på åtta olika organisationer med hjälp av semistrukturerade frågor. Empirin har senare analyserats, tolkats och kategoriserats.  Slutsats: Utifrån studien går det att se att HR-medarbetare behöver tänka och agera på ett annat sätt än tidigare, gällande både aktiviteter, rekrytering och relationsbyggande. Den främsta skillnaden är att de fysiska träffarna och relationerna hamnat i bakgrunden, därför behöver HR-medarbetare arbeta för att skapa nya arenor där dessa möten kan uppstå. Studien visar vidare att det är fördelaktigt att lägga ner mer tid och planering på aktiviteter som ämnar ersätta fysiska aktiviteter. Att vidare involvera personalen i viktiga beslut skapar ett bättre klimat och kultur, som präglas av tillit, fria val och god kommunikation. / Bachelor thesis Business Administration III, Organization 15 credits, 2FE78E, School of Economics at Linnaeus University of Kalmar. Spring 2023. Title: The HR-Paradox: Working with human resources that are not present in the workplace Authors: Kajsa Roos and Petra Ruzsa-Pal Institution: Linnaeus University Subject: Organization Advisor: Iva Josefsson Examiner: Mikael Lundgren   Research questions: How do HR-employees perceive that their profession has changed, in terms of working with organizational culture and a sense of community, in relation to the increased occurrence of remote- and hybrid work? How can HR-employees work to create and maintain a favorable organizational culture and a sense of community in remote- and hybrid work? Purpose: The aim of this study is to present a picture of how the HR-profession has changed due to the increasing distance- and hybrid work and to explain how strategic HR-employees can work to create and maintain a sense of community and togetherness as well as a positive organizational culture in a time embossed by distance- and hybrid work. Method: This study follows an inductive approach based on a qualitative research strategy, where the study's empirical data has been collected though nine interviews held at eight different organizations, using semi-structured interview questions. The empirical material has later been analyzed and categorized.  Conclusion: Based on this study, we can see that HR-employees need to think and act in a different way than before, regarding both activities, recruitment and relationship building. The main difference has been that the physical meetings and relationships have fallen into the background, therefore HR-employees need to create new arenas where such meetings can occur. The study further shows that it is beneficial to spend more time and planning on activities that replace physical activities. Furthermore, involving the staff in important decisions creates a better climate and culture and should be characterized by trust and good communication.