Planned change and change-related communication are perceived very differently by the members of an organization. Strongly varying perceptions of new tasks, work processes and goals make joint action difficult and cause the failure of many change initiatives. The purpose of this study is to investigate how internal communication and sensemaking processes contribute to the perception of strategic change among the members of a public service organization. The following questions are answered: How does the management plan and perform internal communication during a strategic change of the Swedish public service television company Sveriges Television (SVT)? How do the members of the organization make sense of a strategic change and the internal communication related to the changes that are planned and carried out? A social constructivist perspective combined with theories of sensemaking, communication, social identities, roles, groups, power and status constitutes the analytical framework. The investigation is designed as two case studies of the SVT production facilities in Malmö and Örebro. The empirical material consists mainly of personal interviews. Written documents and observations have also been used. The case studies took place between 2002 and 2004. Some main conclusions are as follows: 1) Internal communication is central for how members of an organization make sense of, and participate in, major change. Yet, not even in ideal communication situations do the employees experience that the information has been sufficient and that they have been included in the change process. There are thus reasons for more balanced expectations of what is possible to achieve with internal communication during strategic change. 2) The most influential factor determining how people make sense of change-related communication is the practical everyday reality that constitutes their frames of reference. The reluctance to consider, and act upon, how other individuals conceive of a situation leads to misdirected internal communication and gaps of understanding. 3) Organizational identities, group membership, roles and status function as frames of reference when employees make sense of changes. But irrespective of whether the changes take place on an organizational, departmental or group level, personal identities are the most influential frames of reference for interpreting organizational change. The investigation thus establishes an order of precedence for frames of reference that has important implications for internal communication during strategic change. The thesis contributes to sensemaking theories by demonstrating their extensive ability to explain mutually related phenomena, such as attention, resistance and self-fulfilling prophecies. The apparent ability to explain basically all sensemaking-related issues in organizations, and thus leading to reductionism, is also concluded to be one of the weaknesses of the theories. By connecting sensemaking theories with roles, social identities and power, the study contributes to clarifying the frame concept.

Sound localisation is one of the most representative function of the auditory system and, as such, it has been extensively investigated across species. Spatial hearing can be dramatically altered across the life span, yet research in humans have highlighted the remarkable capacity of the brain to adapt to changes of listening conditions, such as temporary ear plugging or long lasting hearing impairments. Although several investigations have examined accommodation to altered auditory cues (Chapter 1), a common theoretical framework seems to lack and a number of questions remain open. This limits the possibility to translate our current knowledge into concrete clinical applications for individuals who experience spatial hearing difficulties after hearing loss. The current dissertation reflects the attempt to answer specific questions regarding the process of sound localisation. The first study (Chapter 2) aimed to investigate the relation between different reference frames in spatial hearing, namely egocentric and allocentric sound representation. We studies this topic in the context of a learning paradigm, assessing to what extent localisation of single sounds in simulated monaural hearing (unilateral ear plugging) can improve following an audio-visual spatial hearing training focused on egocentric sound processing vs allocentric sound processing. An untrained group was also included in the study. We found that localisation performance in the horizontal plane improved specifically in the side ipsilateral to the ear-plug for all groups. Yet, the trained groups showed a qualitatively different change of performance after four days of multisensory ego/allocentric training compared to the untrained group, providing initial evidence of the possible role of allocentric coding in acoustic space re-learning. These results further highlight the importance of including a test-retest group in paradigms of sound localisation training. The second study (Chapter 3) focused on a specific aspect of the phenomenological experience of spatial hearing, namely the subjective confidence about the perceived sound position. We examined the relation between objective localisation accuracy and subjective certainty while participants localised sounds in two different listening conditions – binaural or simulated monaural hearing. Results showed that overall subjective certainty on sound position decreased in the altered listening condition (unilateral ear-plugging). In simulated monaural hearing, localisation accuracy and spatial confidence dissociated. For instance, there were trials in which participants were accurate, but felt uncertain, and trials in which they were less accurate but expressed higher ratings of spatial confidence on sound position. Furthermore, subjective confidence increased as a function of time within the testing block, and it was related to the spatial distribution of the perceived sound-source position. The third study (Chapter 4) exploited magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study the dynamics of the cortical network implied in active sound localisation. We implemented a novel apparatus to study sound localisation in MEG with real sounds in external space, and collected behavioural and subjective responses (i.e., accuracy and confidence, as in Study 2) during this altered listening condition. Results showed that participants were able to perceive the spatial difference between the positions of stimulation, thus proving the reliability of our novel setting for the study of spatial hearing in MEG. MEG data highlight a distributed bilateral cortical network involved in active sound localisation, which emerged shortly after stimulus presentation (100—125 ms). The network comprise the classical dorsal auditory pathway plus other cortical regions usually underestimated in previous literature – most notably, regions in the central sulcus/precentral gyrus possibly involved in head movements. Connectivity analysis revealed different patterns of neural coupling, as a function of frequency band. In particular, coherence in high gamma revealed significant connections involving the parietal cortex and the posterior superior temporal cortex. In the final chapter (Chapter 5), I summarise the main findings of the three studies, discuss their implications and outline potential future directions.

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Contemporary organisations face a raft of challenges in coping with competing demands and rapidly changing environments. With these demands and changes comes the need for those within the organisation to be adequately skilled to meet these challenges both now and into the future. There is a growing concern that the rate of change is such that learning will not be sufficient and that individuals will need to be skilled in unlearning or letting go of past practice and behaviour. This research investigated individual unlearning as it applies in the workplace, and enabled the development of a process model of unlearning that provides specific indication of factors affecting unlearning during times of change. In particular, this thesis highlights the critical importance of elements of a more personal and affective nature; often referred to as "soft" issues. Six key factors at the level of the individual were identified as impacting unlearning; positive prior outlook, individual inertia, feelings and expectations, positive experience and informal support, understanding the need for change, and assessment of the new way. Two factors emerged from the organisational level that also impact unlearning; organisational support and training and history of organisational change. Many change efforts will fail because of lack of attention to individuals, how they unlearn and the level of feelings and expectations that accompany change. This research demonstrates that organisations must provide resources and education to provide both those in supervisory roles and those impacted by change with the necessary skills to unlearn and to embrace change at an individual level.

Jouer un instrument de musique demande l’interaction des informations provenant de multiples sens. Cette expérience sensorielle a des effets sur les réseaux corticaux et sur les habiletés comportementales chez les musiciens professionnels qui pratiquent pour plusieurs années. L’entrainement musical semble avoir un effet sur les sens, incluant le toucher, mais peu de recherches se sont penchées sur les habiletés tactiles chez les musiciens. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’évaluer les capacités tactiles unisensorielles et multisensorielles non musicales chez les musiciens à l’aide de méthodologies comportementales. La première étude avait pour objectif d’évaluer les temps de réaction auditifs, tactiles, et audiotactiles chez les musiciens. Les temps de réaction de 16 musiciens et 19 membres d’un groupe témoin ont été évalués. Les résultats de cette recherche suggèrent que les musiciens ont des temps de réaction significativement plus rapide pour des stimulations auditives, tactiles, et audiotactiles. La seconde étude avait comme objectif d’évaluer l’interaction d’informations audiotactiles temporelle et spectrale chez les musiciens. Les interactions audiotactiles de 13 musiciens et de 17 membres d’un groupe témoin ont été évaluées à l’aide d’illusions multisensorielles. Les résultats de cette recherche suggèrent que seulement l’interaction audiotactile temporelle est significative différente entre les groupes. La troisième étude avait pour objectif d’évaluer la localisation spatiale tactile chez les musiciens. La localisation spatiale tactile chez 17 musiciens et 20 membres d’un groupe témoin a été évaluée à l’aide de tâche de jugement d’ordre temporel tactile. Les résultats de cette recherche suggèrent que les musiciens ont un taux d’erreur plus élevé pour localiser des stimulations tactiles quand leurs bras sont croisés, mais qu’ils ont des temps de réaction plus rapides pour cette tâche. Généralement, les résultats de ces recherches suggèrent qu’un entrainement musical à long terme améliore les capacités tactiles unisensorielles et multisensorielles, mais seulement pour certaines tâches. D’autres études sont requises afin de mieux comprendre les facteurs de l’entrainement musical menant à ces changements. / Playing a musical instrument requires the integration of information from multiple senses. The long-term sensory training from playing a musical instrument for many years has effects on cortical networks and behavioral abilities. Touch is a sensory modality that seems to be altered by musical training, but little research has focused on the tactile abilities of musicians. The objective of this thesis is to assess non-musical unisensory and multisensory tactile abilities in musicians using behavioral methodologies. The first study aimed at evaluating simple auditory, tactile, and audiotactile reaction times in musicians. Reaction times of 16 musicians and 19 controls were evaluated. The results of this study suggest that musicians have significantly faster response times for auditory, tactile, and audiotactile stimulations. The second study aimed at evaluating the integration of temporal and spectral audiotactile information in musicians. Audiotactile interactions of 13 musicians and 17 controls were evaluated using multisensory illusions. The results of this research suggest that only temporal audiotactile interactions are different for musicians. The third study aimed at assessing temporal tactile localization in musicians using tactile temporal order judgement task. Temporal tactile localization was evaluated in 17 musicians and 20 members of a control group. The results of this study suggest that musicians have a higher error rate to localize tactile stimulations when their arms are crossed but generally have faster reaction times for this task. All of these results suggest that musicians have altered tactile abilities. Overall, these results suggest that long-term musical training alters specific unisensory and multisensory tactile abilities. Further studies are required to better understand the factors of musical training leading to these changes and why certain interactions remain unchanged.

This is a descriptive qualitative study that explored Korean and English learning for Korean transnational immigrant children living in the United States. The study design included qualitative methods. Observations of five children in a Korean language school offered information about how they were taught Korean to retain their heritage language and culture. Additional observations of two of the children in their respective local public schools offered descriptions of their experiences learning English and U.S. public school culture. Interviews with the three teachers in these classrooms, as well as with three of the children's mothers, added background information and extended the observations. A thematic analysis process led to further understanding about the differences in the three classroom learning environments and described the ways instruction was delivered, the ways the individual children demonstrated their language learning, and the cultural context in each setting. The study found that the Korean language school and English speaking elementary schools were essential for the Korean immigrant children to improve their language proficiency in two languages as well as to learn different cultural and educational expectations.

Le vieillissement entraîne une dégradation des mécanismes sensoriels d’intégration pouvant se manifester dans les tâches de la vie quotidienne des seniors par une perte d'autonomie et des risques de chute. Parmi les facteurs contribuant à l’augmentation de ces risques, certains pourraient relever d’une dégradation de la (re)pondération des signaux sensoriels se traduisant par une augmentation de la dépendance aux informations visuelles et aux références spatiales associées.Examiner la dépendance au référentiel visuel (DRV) dans le contexte du vieillissement permet ainsi de mieux comprendre:• si des effets d’âge sur la cognition et/ou la sensorimotricité sont liés à l’augmentation de la DRV;• si la DRV majorée des seniors indique un mode préféré de référentiation spatiale ou une conséquence des déficits liés à l'âge;• l’évolution de ces associations et ces mécanismes en étudiant des jeunes adultes, des adultes d'âge intermédiaire et des seniors.Dans le Chapitre 2, nous avons examiné les facteurs associés à une plus grande DRV avec l'âge. Nous avons confirmé les résultats classiques de la littérature en montrant une augmentation de la DRV avec l’âge, de plus celle-ci était associée avec une réduction de i) l’effet Aubert, indiquant une réduction de la dépendance au référentiel égocentré (DRE), ii) la capacité de traitement d'attention visuelle parallèle, et iii) la stabilité de fixation visuelle.Nous avons étudié ensuite les comportements d’orientation et de stabilisation de nos participants pendant des tâches posturales, et de marche face à des flux optiques linéaires projetés au sol. Dans le Chapitre 3, nos participants se tenaient 1) en posture érigée pieds serrés ou 2) marchaient sur place (MSP - contacts podaux intermittents) face à 1- une stimulation visuelle statique, 2- un flux optique naturel (aucune stimulation), 3- en approche ou 4- en recul. Les flux optiques ont surtout influencé la MSP induisant des dérives antéroposterieures de la tête, du tronc et du centre de pression (CdP). Les dérives étaient plus marquées chez les seniors par rapport aux autres groupes. Ces participants ont aussi montré des dérives naturelles en condition de MSP, i.e. sans stimulation visuelle projetée. La direction du flux optique a provoqué les effets les plus importants sur la dérive du CdP en association avec i) une DRV supérieure, ii) une DRE réduite et iii) une plus grande dérive naturelle,Dans le chapitre 4, nous avons étudié l'influence de ces mêmes flux sur le contrôle des paramètres de la marche et sur la stabilisation de la tête au cours de la marche. La dépendance au cadre de référence visuel s’est manifestée chez les seniors dans les conditions de i) flux naturel par une stratégie d’abaissement de la tête et une capacité réduite de stabilisation de la tête sur l’espace dont on peut penser que ces comportements visaient à maximiser l’utilisation des indices visuels disponibles, et ii) flux visuels imposés, par une réorientation du tronc et une augmentation de la fréquence du pas. Les résultats montrent aussi une adoption plus fréquente de la stratégie de stabilisation de la tête sur l’espace en conditions imposées de stimulation visuelle. Ce résultat suggère qu’un renforcement artificiel du flux optique mène à une adaptation posturale permettant une meilleure intégration des informations sensorielles pendant la marche.Nos résultats complètent les connaissances actuelles sur les relations entre la DRV et le contrôle sensorimoteur en fonction de la tâche perceptivo- motrice avec l’âge. Cette dépendance semble être associée à une réduction de l'exploitation du cadre de référence égocentrée en termes de perception de l’orientation du corps/verticale et de mouvement- propre, et se manifeste différemment selon la tâche. Enfin, notre travail ouvre des pistes de réflexion pour tenir compte de la DRV exacerbée dans la conception de protocoles d’entraînement pour des seniors plus dépendants. / Aging entails deficits in the mechanisms of sensory integration which may affect daily living tasks in old adults, ultimately leading to loss of autonomy and health risks, notably falls. Among the factors contributing to these risks, some may be associated with a degradation in sensory (re)weighting, leading to a greater reliance on visual cues and the associated frames of reference (FoR) (visual field dependence).Our aim was to study how preferential modes of spatial referencing influence sensorimotor control. Examining visual field dependence in the context of aging thus allows to better understand:• if age-related cognition and/or sensorimotor deficits are associated with increased reliance on the visual FoR;• whether this reliance indicates a preferred mode of spatial referencing or a consequence of age-related deficits;• how the above associations and mechanisms evolve by studying young, middle-aged and old adults.We first examined possible factors associated with greater reliance on the visual FoR with age (Chapter 2). We confirmed classic literature reports of increased visual field dependence in old age, and uncovered an association between greater visual field dependence and reduced i) reliance on the egocentric FoR, ii) parallel attentional visual processing ability, and iii) visual fixation stability.We subsequently examined the orientation and stabilisation behaviour of our participants during postural tasks and while walking under different conditions of linear ground optic flow. In Chapter 3, participants stood quietly or stepped in place (SIP – intermittent podal contacts with the ground surface) while confronted with 1- natural optic flow (no stimulus), 2- a static visual stimulation, 3- approaching and 4- receding optic flow. The results showed that the optic flow stimuli influenced SIP primarily as evidenced by anteroposterior drifting of the head, trunk and centre of pressure (COP). Old adults had larger amplitudes of drift compared to the younger participants, and drifted even under natural flow (natural drift) during SIP, indicating reduced egocentric self-motion perception. The most important directional optic flow effects were on the COP and were associated with i) increased reliance on the visual FOR, ii) reduced reliance on the egocentric FoR, and iii) greater natural drift.In Chapter 4 we investigated the influence of ground optic flow on the control of walking and head stabilisation. Reliance on the visual FoR in old adults was manifested under conditions of i) natural flow by a reduced head pitch orientation and ability to stabilise their head in space, which may indicate a strategy to maximise the salience of available visual cues and ii) imposed optic flow, by a re-orientation of the trunk in pitch and increase in stepping frequency. Our results also revealed a general improvement of head stabilisation under conditions of imposed visual stimulation towards a more frequent adoption of the head stabilisation in space strategy. This suggests that the artificial enhancement of optic flow provokes a postural adaptation in order to optimise sensory information processing when walking.Our findings extend current knowledge on the association between reliance on the visual FoR and sensorimotor control across adulthood and depending on the perceptivo-motor task. It is evident that this reliance is linked to a reduction in the exploitation of the egocentric FoR in terms of body orientation and self-motion perception, and that its manifestation depends on the task. Finally, our work provides insights for the design of training protocols aimed at frailer olds taking into account exacerbated reliance on the visual FoR.

Experiences of teachers in SFI, Swedish for (adult) Immigrants, indicate that during their schooling earlier in life, SFI students have developed skills, abilities, values, ideas and expectations about teaching and learning that differ somewhat from the prevailing communicative oriented theory of second language teaching which is emphasized in SFI. In the thesis these aspects are referred to as different school cultural frames of reference. The aim of the thesis is to generate knowledge about SFI-students’ school cultural frames of reference of relevance for SFI teaching. The considerable number of immigrants from Iraqi Kurdistan during the 1990s has led to an empirical focus related to this geographical area. From a critical perspective, in some respects a research interest of this kind can be seen as contributing to a division between ‘us’ and ‘them’, in a wider sense a part of exclusion and a maintenance of the segregated Swedish society. In a special section is given an account of this research ethic question, together with arguments from intercultural pedagogy that support a focus on school cultural frames of reference. The theoretical platform for the thesis is sociocultural theory. The concepts of social representations, pedagogical code, classification, framing, power distance, diaspora and distinctions of knowledge also are used. The thesis is based on two data materials. The first consists of data from interviews and talks with students and teachers in SFI, all from Iraqi Kurdistan. The second consists of data gathered through observations, classroom observations, interviews and talks during two visits in the KDP-administrated region of Iraqi Kurdistan, each visit being for a period of about one month. This data material also includes text materials, mainly textbooks in EFL for grade five and six, and course books about EFL teaching used in teacher education. The thesis illuminates several aspects that provide an understanding as to why SFI students from Iraqi Kurdistan can have certain abilities, values, ideas and expectations about teaching, learning materials, learning, teacher and student roles that differ from the communicative oriented second language teaching emphasized in SFI. However, results from the study also underline the importance of a ‘weak’ use of this understanding in a SFI teaching context.

Today's society is increasingly shaped by new digital technologies and digital work practices. We live in an era that is rapidly changing, and this poses demands on Sweden's industries to meet the requirements and needs of our industrial society. One industry that has struggled to keep up with the pace of digitalization is the construction industry. The construction industry is characterized by high complexity and numerous processes involving various stakeholders, as each building project has its own unique conditions and requirements. In addition to this, the stakeholders have their own conditions and needs related to technology and the use of digital tools. In order to fully leverage the opportunities of digitalization, it is important for actors to be aware of their own, as well as their co-actors', conditions and needs related to technology, especially when implementing new technology and digital work practices, to ensure the implementation is as successful as possible.  This study has been conducted within a project consulting firm with the aim of analyzing differences and similarities in perceptions among actors and groups during the implementation of a changed digital work practice. To achieve this goal, a case study was conducted using data collection techniques such as document analysis, observation, and semi-structured interviews, with the interviews serving as the significant source of empirical data.  Once the empirical data was collected, it was categorized based on how the respondents agreed with each other within their own respondent group and in comparison to another respondent group. Overall, the authors did not find any inhibiting differences in the respondents' answers regarding implementation. However, concerns were raised regarding how the consulting firm's payment models were adapted to the new digital work practice.  After the study, the authors concluded that, in this case, they did not find significant differences in the respondents' answers that could hinder implementation for the consulting firm. The differences that existed were rather due to variations in the respondents' depth of understanding regarding technology. The main challenge highlighted with the new work practice was how the company would charge for the new technology. To fully utilize the opportunities of digitalization and keep up with the ongoing development, one of the suggestions for further research is the payment models of companies.

The Eudaimonic turn: Well-being in Literary Studies (2013), a study by Pawelski et al, sheds light on a recent turn in literary studies. The eudaimonic approach entails that texts are examined with the help of a hermeneutic of affirmation rather than the sceptical, suspicious methods of the deconstruction and post-structuralism. Pawelski et al’s text is drawn upon in this study because it corresponds to the way in which Marlene van Niekerk utilises themes such as relationships, friendship and loss in Die sneeuslaper (2009). The eudaimonic turn focusses on the way in which complex interpersonal connections are able to add to an individual’s well-being through positive as well as negative processes. Die sneeuslaper is mainly a reflection on what it means to be an author. However, it also raises important questions about the nature of being. The four short stories provide different perspectives on friendship, on how friendship can sometimes be problematic and even a nuisance, but also how relations with others repeatedly prove to be beneficial to a person’s well-being. In my study, the relational theme of friendship in Die sneeuslaper is studied from a eudaimonic point of view. Kaja Silverman’s text, Flesh of my Flesh (2009), is referred to in order to shed light on the term relationality. The relational themes of finitude (or mortality) and interpersonal connection are clearly present in Van Niekerk’s text. Although the death of a beloved friend causes trauma in Die sneeuslaper, the trauma proves to have positive effects in the form of posttraumatic growth, comfort and acceptance as time goes by. Comfort is also construed through the creation and appreciation of a work of art like Die sneeuslaper. Cognitive narratology is referenced to show how Marlene van Niekerk overthrows and plays with fixed ideas regarding relationality and friendship, causing the reader to converse with the text. Views on friendship held by thinkers such as Aristotle, Montaigne, Lacan, Kierkegaard and Derrida are referenced to give Van Niekerk’s use of the theme in Die sneeuslaper a certain context. This context represents the fixed frames of thinking generally applicable with regard to friendship. When a reader is willing to critically interpret these as well as personal frames of reference, it provides him or her the opportunity to contemplate reality from new perspectives. In Die sneeuslaper the reader is continually challenged to question existing frames of reference by means of never ending methods (resembling a Möbius-strip) and strange notions. This study concludes with the notion that it is necessary for artists (like the writers in Die sneeuslaper) to reflect differently on reality, so that readers may be inspired to also view reality in a different light. This will result in a broader view of reality, which in turn will have a more defining influence on personal well-being. / MA (Afrikaans and Dutch), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014