Researchers have found that a positive correlation exists between information technology (IT) flexibility, IT effectiveness, and strategic alignment in organizations. It has been determined that within inflexible IT environments maintainability is reduced and key business factors become at risk. An IT flexibility measurement matrix was developed to assess IT flexibility however leadership characteristics were not identified for measurement with that model. Determining the leadership characteristics needed for IT flexibility was the purpose of this multiple case study. Leveraging the empowerment, situational leadership, IT-business equilibrium, and complexity change theories, the research questions were focused on the leadership characteristics exhibited by organizational and project team leadership. A purposeful sample of 20 IT nonmanagers participated in in-depth interviews and provided insights into leadership characteristics that were observed and practiced in flexible IT environments. Using deductive a priori coding and inductive data analysis, communication was identified as the leadership characteristic required by both organizational and team leadership. Other emergent leadership characteristics were having a vision, managing change, and servant leadership. The implications for positive social change are for organizations to use the results to develop leaders and teams to successfully manage flexible IT environments, enabling improved IT-business alignment. Academic institutions can provide structured training and cooperative education programs, partnering with IT organizations to develop and retain top IT talent. In addition, individuals can build knowledge and gain experience in these areas to strengthen personal and professional skills, thus increasing career potential.

Les missions spatiales et les études de simulation par alitement prolongé ont montré que l’inactivité physique induite par la microgravité affecte l’ensemble des systèmes physiologiques chez l’humain. En condition d’alitement prolongé notre laboratoire (UMR7178, IPHC, DEPE, Strasbourg) a montré que l’adaptation métabolique était proche de celle retrouvée dans le syndrome métabolique associé, dans la population générale, à de nombreuses pathologies. Une hypothèse a été émise pour décrire la cascade des événements entraînant les dérèglements métaboliques en microgravité simulée. Cette cascade d’adaptations aurait pour conséquence le développement d’un état d’inflexibilité métabolique, définie comme une incapacité à ajuster l’utilisation des nutriments comme substrats aux changements de disponibilité des nutriments et dont la compréhension reste toutefois incomplète. Lors de ce projet de thèse, nous nous sommes attachés à caractériser le syndrome d’inflexibilité métabolique chez l’Humain à travers l’investigation clinique de l’état musculaire, de l’inflammation et du stress oxydant, de la sensibilité à l’insuline et de l’oxydation des substrats énergétiques au cours d’une étude de preuve de concept et d’une étude de simulation de microgravité de 60 jours. Sur la base d’études récentes démontrant l’impact de compléments nutritionnels sur les adaptations métaboliques associées à de nombreuses maladies métaboliques chroniques, une étude de preuve de concept a permis de tester l’efficacité d’un cocktail nutritionnel composé de polyphénols, d’oméga-3, de vitamine E et de sélénium. La supplémentation a permis de réduire l’atrophie musculaire, le stress oxydant et le développement d’une inflexibilité métabolique par l’intermédiaire d’une meilleure oxydation lipidique et d’une réduction de la lipogenèse de novo suite à une période d’inactivité physique de 20 jours. Sur la base de ces premiers résultats, une étude d’alitement de 60 jours a été menée chez l’Humain pour tester les effets du cocktail nutritionnel en condition de microgravité simulée. Dans cette seconde étude, la supplémentation nutritionnelle a permis de prévenir au moins partiellement des adaptations aigües et chroniques engendrées par l’inactivité physique au cours de l’alitement. En particulier la supplémentation a augmenté les défenses sanguines anti-oxydantes, a prévenu l’augmentation de la lipidémie et la réduction de l’oxydation lipidique et a contenu le développement d’une inflexibilité métabolique aiguë et chronique en absence de challenge métabolique. Toutefois la contremesure n’a pas eu d’effet protecteur suite à un challenge métabolique sous forme de surnutrition glucidique. L’ensemble des résultats indique que le développement d’une inflexibilité métabolique apparaît comme un événement précoce, qui, décelé à temps pourrait se révéler comme un biomarqueur d’intolérance au glucose dans des stratégies de prévention des maladies chroniques du XXIème siècle. Plus encore, cette étude a permis de démontrer l’atout d’un cocktail antioxydant et anti-inflammatoire en limitant les altérations métaboliques sans avoir d'effets néfastes sur les autres systèmes, tout en étant une contremesure facile à mettre en œuvre et peu coûteuse. Quand bien même la contremesure nutritionnelle utilisée lors de cette étude ne serait pas suffisante pour maintenir l’ensemble des systèmes physiologiques intacts, d’autres études devront être menées afin de trouver la combinaison de contremesures idéale permettant de limiter les dégradations induites par la microgravité et ainsi permettre des nouvelles avancées dans l’exploration spatiale (Lune, Mars) au cours des prochaines décennies. En ce sens, un protocole adapté d’activité physique combiné à une contremesure nutritionnelle sous forme de cocktail semble être une piste prometteuse. / Space missions and bedrest simulation studies have shown that physical inactivity affects all physiological systems in humans. In prolonged bed rest conditions, our laboratory (UMR7178, IPHC, DEPE, Strasbourg) showed that metabolic adaptations were close to that found in the metabolic syndrome associated with metabolic chronic diseases in the general population. Based on these results, we proposed a hypothesis to describe the cascade of events leading to metabolic alterations in simulated microgravity, leading to the development of metabolic inflexibility. Metabolic inflexibility is defined as the inability of the body to adjust fuel use to changes in fuel availability. The first objective of this Thesis was to test this hypothesis and understand the mechanisms underlying the simulated microgravity induced metabolic alterations. Specifically, we focused on characterizing the metabolic inflexibility syndrome in humans through clinical investigation of muscle condition, inflammation and oxidative stress, insulin sensitivity and oxidation of energy substrates in a proof of concept study and a 60-day microgravity simulation study in healthy male adults. Based on recent studies demonstrating the impact of nutritional supplements on metabolic adaptations associated with many chronic metabolic diseases, a proof-of-concept study tested the efficacy of a nutritional cocktail composed of polyphenols, omega-3, vitamin E and selenium. In the feasibility study, we showed that supplementation reduced muscle atrophy, oxidative stress and the development of metabolic inflexibility via an improvement in lipid oxidation and a reduction in de novo lipogenesis following a 20-day period of physical inactivity induced by daily step reduction. Based on these first results, a 60-day bed rest study was conducted in health men to test the effects of the dietary cocktail in simulated microgravity conditions. In this second human clinical research study, nutritional supplementation prevented at least partially acute and chronic adaptations caused by physical inactivity induced by bed rest. In particular, supplementation increased antioxidant blood defenses, prevented increased lipid levels, reduced lipid oxidation and mitigated the development of acute and chronic metabolic inflexibility in absence of metabolic challenge. However, the countermeasure did not have a protective effect following a metabolic challenge in the form of carbohydrate overnutrition. All the results indicate that the development of metabolic inflexibility appears to be an early event, which, if detected in time, could prove to be a useful biomarker to use to prevent chronic diseases in the 21st century. Moreover, this study demonstrated the advantage of an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory cocktail by limiting metabolic alterations without having harmful effects on other systems, while being easy to implement and cost-effective. Even if the nutritional countermeasure used in this study is not sufficient to keep all physiological systems intact, further studies will have to be carried out to find the ideal combination of countermeasures to limit microgravity-induced degradation and thus allow new advances in space exploration (Moon, Mars) over the next decades. In this line, an adapted protocol of physical activity combined with a nutritional countermeasure in the form of a cocktail could be a promising approach.

The relationship between alcohol consumption and traumatic brain injury (TBI) often focuses on alcohol consumption increasing the likelihood of incurring a TBI, rather than alcohol use outcomes after TBI. This focus is in part due to the large numbers of TBI patients visiting emergency rooms notable levels of alcohol in their blood. Additionally, increases in alcohol use disorders following TBI can be predicted by previous history of alcohol use. However, studies have also shown patients without a history of an alcohol use disorder can experience increases in problem drinking after single or multiple TBIs. Due to the diffuse impact of alcohol consumption and mild TBI on the brain, it is likely that an interaction exists between TBI outcomes and problematic alcohol use after TBI. To examine the impact of mild repetitive TBI (rmTBI) on voluntary alcohol consumption, male mice were subjected to four mild TBI or sham procedures over a two week period, then offered ethanol (20% v/v) for 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks using the two-bottle choice, drinking in the dark paradigm. Following the drinking period, mice were sacrificed and brains were extracted to examine expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, a possible shared mechanism of neuronal damage. An additional cohort of mice was subjected to the same rmTBI and voluntary ethanol paradigm and tested for cognitive and behavioral deficits following the set drinking period. Results indicate there is a temporary decrease in ethanol consumption following rmTBIs compared to Sham mice in this model. Results also suggest an attenuated expression of TNF-α in rmTBI, ethanol drinking groups compared to ethanol exposed mice after the Sham procedure. The outcomes of the cognitive and behavioral tasks suggest that ethanol consumption after rmTBI can cause transient cognitive dysfunction and increased novelty preference.

En appliquant des règles apprises, les humains sont capables de résoudre avec précision de nombreux problèmes avec un minimum d'effort cognitif. Pourtant, ce genre de résolution de problèmes basé sur les habitudes peut favoriser un type d'inflexibilité cognitive appelé « set cognitif ». Le set cognitif se produit lorsqu'une stratégie alternative plus efficace est masquée par une solution connue et familière. Dans cette recherche, j’ai testé si le set cognitif diffère entre espèces de primates et entre cultures humaines, en utilisant une tâche LS-DS informatisée non verbale, qui mesure la capacité des sujets à s'écarter d'une stratégie apprise (LS) pour adopter une stratégie directe (DS) plus efficace. Premièrement, j'ai comparé la capacité de babouins, de chimpanzés et d’humains à briser le set cognitif pour constater que seuls les babouins et les chimpanzés utilisaient le raccourci DS quand il devenait disponible. Dans une étude complémentaire, j’ai analysé les mouvements oculaires de sujets humains pour déterminer si la solution DS est soit visuellement négligées, soit vues mais négligées. Les sujets humains ont regardé le raccourci, mais ils ne l'ont pas utilisé jusqu'à ce que leur conceptualisation des contraintes du problème ait été altérée. Enfin, j'ai comparé le set cognitif entre les occidentaux et les Himba semi-nomades du nord de la Namibie. Cette étude a révélé que la susceptibilité au set cognitif variait selon les cultures humaines. Je discute en conclusion les origines des variations stratégiques constatées entre espèces et entre cultures humaines. / By applying learned rules, humans are able to accurately solve many problems with minimal cognitive effort; yet, this sort of habit-based problem solving may readily foster a type of cognitive inflexibility termed ‘cognitive set’. Cognitive set occurs when an alternative – even more efficient – strategy is masked by a known, familiar solution. In this research, I explored how cognitive set differs between primate species and across human cultures, using a nonverbal computerized ‘LS-DS’ task, which measures subjects’ ability to depart from a learned strategy (LS) in order to adopt a more efficient, direct strategy (DS or ‘the shortcut’). I compared baboons’, chimpanzees’, and humans’ abilities to break cognitive set and found that all baboon and chimpanzee subjects used the DS shortcut when it became available; yet, humans exhibited a remarkable preference for the LS. Next, in an effort to elucidate how cognitive set occludes alternative strategies, I tracked human participants’ eye movements to identify whether better solutions were a) visually overlooked or b) seen but disregarded. Although human subjects saw the shortcut, they did not use it until their conceptualization of the problem constraints were altered. Lastly, I compared shortcut-use between Westerners and the semi-nomadic Himba of northern Namibia. This study found that susceptibility to cognitive set varied across human cultures and presented further evidence that problem conceptualization, not perceptual processing, influences individuals’ ability to use the alternative. Overall, this research provides a novel comparison of cognitive flexibility within the primate lineage and across human cultures.

Existing theories and literature seeking to explain small business reticence to engage in enterprise bargaining, at times adopt a generalised approach which precludes or at least limits their relevance and ability to explain small business choice at the industry and even organisational level. Such explanations cannot be detached from the external contextual framework in which an organisation operates and its own, often unique, strategic corporate response to the environmental influences which are challenging it. Labour flexibility vehicles including bargaining, if chosen to facilitate broader corporate strategies, can thereby, be regarded as functionally dependent upon and interactive with the corporate orientations and objectives of the organisation which in turn are environmentally influenced and shaped. The research principally provides a focused description and analysis of the experiences of Clothingco, a small, up market, vertically integrated clothing manufacturer and retailer, which has undergone various strategic readjustments at the corporate and industrial relations level throughout the 1990s, in response to externally driven pressures. The research presents firm evidence to suggest that Clothingco has selected its labour flexibility mechanisms so that they are consistent with and able to accomodate prevailing corporate strategies and orientations. Its strategic corporate readjustments throughout the 90s, which can be perceived as falling along the continuum of cost minimisation to productivity enhancement, have in particular registered differing choices with respect to labour flexibility vehicle and strategies. In the light of the findings, the research as a preferred labour flexibility vehicle at Clothingco. These are identified as: an increasing corporate focus towards cost minimisation throughout the 1990s, coupled with an inability by management to countenance union intervention in enterprise bargaining procedures. The interaction of both these factors, rendered enterprise bargaining from the point of view of management, both a strategically and industrially inferior labour flexibility vehicle to the use of contract labour. The research's strength lies in these areas which have been highlighted and which can be monitored and tested more comprehensively in future research. / Master of Commerce (Hons)

<p>Background: In recent research literature, some researchers mean that companies in fast changing markets have to act proactively while others find that companies have to adapt to conditions and to react. This makes it interesting to study how software companies act strategically and also to study to what extent a flexible organisation is required by companies who proact and by those who react. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is the study how different types of software companies act strategically and what this requires of the company in terms of flexibility. </p><p>Delimitation: The study treats only Swedish software companies with more than ten employees. Proceed of the Study: Representatives from four case companies as well as a consultant have been interviewed. As a complement to the case study, a survey has also been conducted where 36 companies have participated. </p><p>Results: Only one of the four case companies can be said to act proactively. Among the survey companies, there are principally young companies, companies with a leading position on the market and companies that experience high growth that act proactively. Companies that work proactively value to a greater extent than reactive companies a flexibility that is created by visions.</p>

<p>Background: outsourcing is one of the most obvious and continuous trends that has been able to study during the past ten years and also has had a strong development in the industry. What consequences will follow from an extended outsourcing? </p><p>Purpose: the study’s overall purpose is to investigate what possibilities and risks that can be connected to an outsourcing decision and how the order of the service will handle the risks. The study will also investigate what management philosophy that will be used and regulate the outsourcing relation and how the company’s strategy will affect the decision and how the process of outsourcing will look like. </p><p>Research Method: we have conducted 17 personal interviews with representatives of companies that order outsourcing solutions and with company’s that deliver the services. </p><p>Conclusions: The study shows that outsourcing is an extensive subject field that have different signification depending of the company’s situation. We have found that outsourcing not only is a way to reach short-term cost reduction, the ambition and the long term strategy is to form a partnership that generate lower cost in the future. The company should only focus on the activities that create value and in the long term consider if this only include the company’s mission.</p>

<p>I dagens samhälle ser inte arbetsplatsernas sociala miljö likadan ut som förr, idag krävs det mer både utav anställda och arbetsgivare när det kommer till att se efter de sociala relationerna. Nyckeln till framgång inom många stora företag sägs vara kommunikation och samarbetsförmåga. Mycket ansvar läggs på den som leder gruppen med anställda och ett företags framgång hänger ofta ihop med hur en ledare styr sin personal. Dagens arbete skiljer sig från förr i tiden, idag krävs det att anställda och personalansvariga är mycket mer flexibla, har samarbetsförmåga och är motiverade att utföra sitt arbete. Syftet med denna studie är att utifrån ett socialpsykologiskt perspektiv förstå relationen mellan ledare och grupp och belysa ledarens roll i sammanhanget. Personansvariga och anställda som blev intervjuade arbetade på tre olika orter på ett inomhus-lekland för barn. Analysen berör aspekterna: organisationsstruktur, ledarstilar, flexibilitet, sociala band, social responsivitet respektive asocial responslöshet. Resultatet analyseras utifrån Robert Kreitner, Michael Allvin, Rolf Granér och Thomas Scheff.</p> / <p>In today’s society the atmosphere of the workplace looks nothing like what it has in the past.The expectations of both employees and employers has shifted drastically. Companies haveplaced a new emphasis on communication within their organizations in the belief thatcommunication is the key to successful cooperation. Within more and more organizations, agreater level of responsibility is being placed upon managers when it comes to creatingeffective leadership for those employees working under them. Much of the success of theseorganizations is now derived from how well their middle and lower level managers areleading their teams. There are other aspects of the modern business environment that alsoserve to differentiate it from the past. Today’s work requires a greater level of flexibility forboth managers and employees, as well as demanding from all members of organization anincreased ability to work in team-based, cooperative environments. The purpose of thisinvestigation is to understand the relationship between leaders and group members withinbusinesses and the result is analyzed on the basis of organizations from a social psychologybased perspective. This analysis is based upon interviews with personnel managers andemployees working at multiple different children's indoor-playgrounds in three differentcities. The analysis will examine the following aspects: structure of an organisation, leadertypes, flexibility, social bonds, social response respective asocial lack of responsitivity.Robert Kreitner, Michael Allvin, Rolf Granér and Thomas Scheff.</p>

<p><strong>Aim:</strong> This paper aims to produce a serviced office concept adjusted to Statens fastighetsverk. The concept will make SFV:s properties more attractive for renting.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Method:</strong> Information has been collected from interviews with 13 different serviced office companies, one serviced office agent and eleven government authorities. Also litterateur, reports and internet have been used in gathering information.</p><p>I will use following questions:</p><p>¨      How is the serviced office concept designed?</p><p>¨      Which customer segment should SFV direct to and what need does the segment have?</p><p>¨      How shall a marketing plan look like for the concept?</p><p>¨      How should a concept designed for SFV look like?</p><p> </p><p><strong>Result & Conclusions: </strong>Serviced office space is a company that letting functional workspace with access to shared facilities e.g. reception, office machines, internet, phone and more. Serviced offices have one distinguishing feature, very flexible let agreements. In this paper my conclusion is that government authorities are a suitable customer for suggested concept, especially government authorities with head quarters outside the Stockholm region. They have to be present in Stockholm with either employees that perform work from distant and have the need of coordinated workspace or commute workers that have the need of mobile workspace and meeting rooms. SFV can meet this need with suggested concept and to simplify I named the concept Myndighetscentret. The concept is developed on the basis of to the needs of government authorities and it’s divided in two parts, one part with conference and one with letting of workspace. The workspace area has different types of workstation to match the different needs of the customer.</p><p>¨      Mobile workspace suited for customers with temporary need of workspace.</p><p>¨      Cell office of different sizes suited for customers with permanently need of workspace.</p><p>I believe that governmental authorities can benefit from this concept and be seemed as innovative thinking of SFV and a will of develop their property. I also believe SFV:s properties with many cell offices are suited to this concept because of the secrecy between governmental authorities.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Suggestions for future research</strong>: It would be interesting to do a quantitative research of the governmental authorities’ exact needs and how big it is. Also research Swedish serviced office market and the future of it would be interesting.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Contribution of the thesis: </strong>In this report I have shown that governmental authorities in Sweden have a need for variant types of workspace in Stockholm and developed a concept for SFV to meet this need.</p>

<p>University of Örebro</p><p>Department of social Sciences</p><p>Sociology, Contnuation Course, 61-90hp.</p><p>Essay 15hp. Spring 2008</p><p>Title: Who is resbonsible? A soceityscientific discussion about burnout.</p><p>Author: Emilie Fuchs</p><p>Abstract</p><p>The purpose with this essay is to do a critical comparation between two different perspectives, burnout as an individual problem and burnout as a social problem. The first perspective states that the individual itself is responsible for her sickness while the second perspective states that the society and foremost the labour market should work in order to prevent people from beeing burned out. With that purpose in mind I want to enlighten and hopefully bring up the topic for discussion.</p><p>The essay is based upon the following questions:</p><p>• How can you sociologically understand the labour market of today?</p><p>• How can you understand burnout in an individual context?</p><p>• How can you understand burnout in a social context?</p><p>By studying and reading four books, I have presented the two different perspectives of burnout. Two books represents burnout out of a social perspective whereas the individual perspective is advocated in the other two books.</p><p>The results founded shows that the individual perspective means that the individual has to resolve his own problems even though the labour market is the main cause to why people becomes burned out. The social perspective, on the other hand, basically want the labour market to take responsibility and prevent burnouts.</p><p>Through the results, my conclusion is that the individual perspective represents the individualised world we live in. The social perspective of burnout shows the importance of a good solidarity, mainly at work. This point of view could probably lead to a growing safety on the labour market, which presumably results in less burned out people.</p><p>There are, after reading this essay, a few questions the reader may ask herself: Should not the society take responsibility and help those who are burned out? Does the structure of society contribute to the fact that people becomes burned out?</p><p>Keywords: Burnout, Individual, Society, Work, Flexibility</p> / <p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att göra en kritisk jämförelse av två olika perspektiv, utbrändhet som ett individuellt problem och utbrändhet som ett samhälleligt problem. Det första perspektivet menar att individen själv ansvarar för om hon blir sjuk eller inte medan det andra perspektivet är av den åsikten att samhället och främst arbetsmarkanden ska arbeta för att människor inte ska bli utbrända. Med hjälp av detta syfte ska problemet utbrändhet belysas och förhoppningsvis få upp ämnet till diskussion.</p><p>Denna uppsats baseras på följande frågeställningar:</p><p>• Hur kan man sociologiskt förstå dagens arbetsmarknad?</p><p>• Hur går det att förstå utbrändheten i en individuell kontext?</p><p>• Hur kan man förstå utbrändheten i en samhällelig kontext?</p><p>Genom att studera och läsa fyra böcker har jag presenterat de två olika perspektiven av utbrändhet. Två böcker representerar utbrändhet ur ett samhälleligt perspektiv medan det individuella perspektivet förespråkas i de andra två böckerna.</p><p>De resultaten jag har fått fram visar att det individuella perspektivet menar att individen själv ska lösa och ta tag i sina problem trots att arbetsmarknaden är huvudorsaken till att vi människor blir utbrända. Det samhälleliga perspektivet är av den åsikten att arbetsmarkanden, och samhället till viss del, ska ta ansvar och hjälpa individen. Individen ska i viss mån också själv förebygga och komma ur sin utbrändhet.</p><p>Genom resultatet har jag kunnat dra slutsatsen att det individuella perspektivet representerar den individualiserade värld som vi lever i. Det andra synsättet på utbrändhet visar vikten av att vi har en bra sammanhållning i främst arbetet, vilket leder till en trygghet som gör att vi inte kommer att ha lika stor mängd sjuka.</p><p>Efter att ha läst denna uppsats kan exempelvis följande frågor ställas: Borde inte hela samhället ta ett ansvar och hjälpa de som är utbrända? Är det de samhällsstrukturer vi lever i som bidrar till att vi blir utbrända?</p><p>Nyckelord: Utbrändhet, Individ, Samhälle, Arbete, Flexibilitet</p>