This thesis examines the managerial roles of the academic deans in Canadian universities, particularly in the province of Ontario. It is important to study the roles of the academic deans since they are pivotal to any higher education institution’s success. Research indicates that organizational performances are very much influenced by what happens in the middle of organizations rather than at the top. (Currie and Procter, 2005) As middle managers, deans are compelled to manage both people and results, while providing vital links to the organization when translating top-level directives of the upper management – president, vice-president academic etc. - into operational plans that need to be understood and implemented by the departmental chairs and program coordinators. Understanding the roles of the academic deans within the context of new public management ideologies will help to increase our understanding about how universities are run and what challenges are presently being faced. The study involved participants from 15 Ontario universities. An online survey has been used in order to collect the data. The response rate was 39%, 41 academic deans out of 105 provided their input between May –July 2009. The data collected was subjected to a quantitative analysis which included descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The findings confirmed the fact that the role of the academic dean has become more managerial in nature as Canadian universities are moving more towards a managed professional public organization model.

This thesis examines the managerial roles of the academic deans in Canadian universities, particularly in the province of Ontario. It is important to study the roles of the academic deans since they are pivotal to any higher education institution’s success. Research indicates that organizational performances are very much influenced by what happens in the middle of organizations rather than at the top. (Currie and Procter, 2005) As middle managers, deans are compelled to manage both people and results, while providing vital links to the organization when translating top-level directives of the upper management – president, vice-president academic etc. - into operational plans that need to be understood and implemented by the departmental chairs and program coordinators. Understanding the roles of the academic deans within the context of new public management ideologies will help to increase our understanding about how universities are run and what challenges are presently being faced. The study involved participants from 15 Ontario universities. An online survey has been used in order to collect the data. The response rate was 39%, 41 academic deans out of 105 provided their input between May –July 2009. The data collected was subjected to a quantitative analysis which included descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The findings confirmed the fact that the role of the academic dean has become more managerial in nature as Canadian universities are moving more towards a managed professional public organization model.

Small to median enterprises have been played an important role in Taiwan¡¦s economic development. There are quite many studies about the characters of small to median enterprise in Taiwan these years. However, there is a common fact that has been ignored for a long time, which is the economic activity involving degree of boss¡¦s wives is fairly high. Not only the high participating rates, but also the influential roles they play in practical economic activities. There are still few studies talk about boss¡¦s wife from the managerial view. Therefore, to combine the related literatures, with the deep interviews with boss¡¦s wives, this thesis wants to draw a vivid picture of the managerial roles, managerial capacities and how do they really work of boss¡¦s wives in the small to median enterprise from the managerial angle. Besides, the studies about boss¡¦s wife are mostly general descriptions. There are no comparisons between different types of boss¡¦s wives. Hence, will boss¡¦s wives of different types play different roles in their own companies is also a topic that this thesis wants to discuss. Consequently, the following propositions are proposed in the terms of the inductive inference of interviewing with the fifteen boss¡¦s wives and reviewing the related literature extensively. Proposition 1¡GThe main tasks of the boss¡¦s wife in self-own company are financial management, key job management and internal affair management. To compare with business functions, those tasks are focused on partial produce management, human resource management and financial management. Proposition 2¡GThe division of labor of boss and boss¡¦s wife highlights the complementarity. Boss¡¦s wife helps boss with company affair. She always do the things that boss can not do or he doesn¡¦t want to do. Proposition 3:¡GThe content of tasks and roles of boss¡¦s wife in the small to median enterprise will change when the company is going to enlarge or become more stable. The tasks of boss¡¦s wife become simpler and more invisible. Boss¡¦s wives only focus on financial management and supervision then. Proposition 4¡GThe managerial roles of boss¡¦s wife in the small to median enterprise can be divided into two groups: apparent and invisible roles. The apparent roles are the authority possessor with no formal position, internal communication channel and parents who take care of employee. The invisible roles are substitute and adviser for boss. Proposition 5¡GDue to focusing on low professional skill activities, internal affair and employee management, the management capacities that boss¡¦s wife highlights are interpersonal skill, communication skill and conceptual skill. The weak point is technical skill. As to the managerial level, the high, middle and low level are all included in the managerial roles that boss¡¦s wife play in small to median enterprise. Proposition 6¡GThe boss¡¦s wife with related professional background has more participation in the core value related jobs. And the boss¡¦s wife with professional financial background has played the more influential role in the financial management. Proposition 7¡GAs to the decision making, boss¡¦s wife with related professional experiences has more right of participating and predominating. Boss¡¦s wife with financial professional has played the professional financial adviser for boss. And the boss¡¦s wife with no special background has no particular emphasis on tasks content and decision making. Proposition 8¡GAs to the usage of professional capacities, related background do help boss¡¦s wives with their jobs a lot. And the boss¡¦s wife with no related experiences needs to get more professional knowledge and skills through self-learning and groping.

During the Covid-19-pandemic, many organizations have reorganized into teleworking to reduce the spread of the virus. The work is moved to the home, which requires the individual to carry out the same work remotely. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate whether, and if so how, a transition to full-time teleworking can affect the traditional managerial role based on managers and employees’ experiences. Central questions that are asked are whether the managers control and support of employees change during telework. This study is based on responses from six interviewees in white-collar work in the technology, banking, finance and insurance industries. The study's theoretical framework consists of Allvin's concept of flexibility through empowerment and Snell's theory of control systems. The results of the study indicate that teleworking does not have to lead to major changes in the managerial role. On the other hand, relationship-oriented leadership becomes of great importance in teleworking, as employees become isolated and experience feelings of not belonging to the workgroup. The flexibility that can arise in teleworking means that employees have increased control and independence over the work which means that they make their own decisions to a greater extent. Finally, it emerges that the managers play a more supportive role in teleworking and that communication between managers and employees becomes more open. / Under Covid-19-pandemin har många organisationer varit tvungna att göra en omorganisering till distansarbete för att minska smittspridningen. Arbetet har förflyttats till hemmet vilket ställt krav på individen att fortfarande genomföra samma arbete, men nu på distans. Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie är att undersöka om, och i så fall hur, en övergång till distansarbete på heltid har påverkat den traditionella chefsrollen utifrån chefers och anställdas upplevelser. Centrala frågor som ställts är om chefers kontroll och stöttning av anställda förändras vid distansarbete. Studien baseras på svar från sex intervjupersoner inom tjänstemannayrken i teknik-, bank-, finans- och försäkringsbranschen. Studiens teoretiska ramverk består av Allvins begrepp flexibilitet genom förtroende samt Snells teori om kontrollsystem. Studiens resultat har visat att distansarbete inte behöver leda till större förändringar av chefsrollen. Däremot har det visat sig att relationsorienterat ledarskap är av stor betydelse vid distansarbete, när de anställda blir isolerade och upplever känslor av bristande samhörighet till arbetsgruppen. Det har också framkommit att flexibiliteten som kommer av distansarbetet gör att anställda får en större kontroll över arbetsuppgifterna och upplever en högre grad av eget beslutsfattande än tidigare. Slutligen visar studien att cheferna intar en mer stöttande roll vid distansarbete och att kommunikationen mellan chefer och anställda därmed blir öppnare.

<p>Managerial behavior often differs between individuals and situations. To understand this variation the manager’s own interpretation of the role, context and role behavior is especially important. In this thesis several managers’ subjective views and understandings of their role during an organizational change period were investigated in great detail. The organizational changes were assumed to put pressure on the managerial role, exposing adaptive and dynamic role aspect and thereby shed light on differences in behavior. The general purpose was to thoroughly investigate the concept of ‘subjective managerial role’ by two contrasting approaches. One was influenced by concepts and methods used in social constructivism and constructionism (Study 1-3), and the other was a rational/cognitive approach influenced by theories and methods used in cognitive psychology (Study 4-5). Multiple case studies with subjective reports from five managers during a period of sixteen months were chosen as the empirical base. In the constructivist approach three judges were used to interpret the managers’ verbal reports during the beginning of the change period, focusing on indications of ‘subjective role projects’. ‘Subjective role projects’ involved reflections on situations, actors, purposes/goals and action strategies, all within a time frame of the past, present and future. This qualitative content of the role was investigated, and support for the existence of subjective role projects was tested (Study 1). The variation between the managers’ subjective role projects and their general project strategies were explored (Study 2). The judgment and construction process pursued by the three judges was analyzed (Study 3). In the rational/cognitive approach the focus was on role problems. A control model was used to represent subjective role conflicts, on both group and individual levels. Difficult situations described by the managers were complemented with goals and actions strategies, and the managers rated conflicts between these role components, while thinking-aloud (Study 4). Role conflict patterns and dimensions were further analyzed using two quantitative data models (Study 5). Finally, the subjective role construct was compared with a contextual interpretation of the role, based on information from the organizational and social role context (Study 6). The results supported the basic components in both the project model and the control model of the subjective role, but the latter approach would benefit from a more elaborated stimulus sampling. In both approaches the differences between the managers were assessed, but in the constructivist approach it was difficult to separate variation stemming from managers from variation between judges. In the rational/cognitive approach the variation was restricted to conflicting aspects in a specific model. The control model features and the quantitative conflict data made it easier to estimate variance. A major conclusion was that the two approaches complemented each-other in their descriptions of the subjective role. The project model was adequate for investigating the first sense-making phases in the organizational change process, while the control model approach could describe role conflicts and problems, especially on individual levels. However, they both could fit within a framework of a subjective role process model. Using these two approaches in role analysis can provide more information on the subjective role processes of the role incumbent.</p>

<p>The aim was to study personal and organizational conditions for first-line nurse managers and to identify and assess the skills and abilities important for leadership and management. Interviews were conducted with 5 first-line nurse managers, 5 registered nurses, 5 assistant nurses and one head of department delineating their perceptions of current and ideal roles of first-line nurse managers. Factor analysis was conducted to estimate validity and reliability of the Leadership and Management Inventory, developed in the context of this thesis, in one sample of 149 registered nurses and one sample of 197 health care personnel. Interviews and questionnaires to study expectations, experiences and outcomes of two different development programmes for 13 first-line nurse managers in a Training Programme, 14 in a Leadership Development Programme and 14 in a Comparison group were conducted. Letters and questionnaires from 32 former first-line nurse managers were analysed to describe their reasons for leaving their posts. First-line nurse managers, registered nurses and assistant nurses’ descriptions of the first-line nurse manager’s role were corresponding; the main focus was on service on the ward. The head of department described the first-line nurse manager’s responsibility towards the staff with focus on development and co-operation. Analysis of the Leadership and Management Inventory resulted in three factors: “interpersonal skills and group management”, “achievement orientation” and “overall organizational view and political savvy”. Validity and reliability were considered acceptable. Expectations concerning the development programmes were generally met; improvements corresponding to the content of the programmes were reported. Reasons to leave were personal, organizational and linked to the relationship with the head of department. Conclusion: The first-line nurse managers’ individual experiences, skills, abilities and ambitions are important, but so are the conditions in which she/he practices her/his leadership and management. It is important that the interplay between person and organization functions well.</p>

Managerial behavior often differs between individuals and situations. To understand this variation the manager’s own interpretation of the role, context and role behavior is especially important. In this thesis several managers’ subjective views and understandings of their role during an organizational change period were investigated in great detail. The organizational changes were assumed to put pressure on the managerial role, exposing adaptive and dynamic role aspect and thereby shed light on differences in behavior. The general purpose was to thoroughly investigate the concept of ‘subjective managerial role’ by two contrasting approaches. One was influenced by concepts and methods used in social constructivism and constructionism (Study 1-3), and the other was a rational/cognitive approach influenced by theories and methods used in cognitive psychology (Study 4-5). Multiple case studies with subjective reports from five managers during a period of sixteen months were chosen as the empirical base. In the constructivist approach three judges were used to interpret the managers’ verbal reports during the beginning of the change period, focusing on indications of ‘subjective role projects’. ‘Subjective role projects’ involved reflections on situations, actors, purposes/goals and action strategies, all within a time frame of the past, present and future. This qualitative content of the role was investigated, and support for the existence of subjective role projects was tested (Study 1). The variation between the managers’ subjective role projects and their general project strategies were explored (Study 2). The judgment and construction process pursued by the three judges was analyzed (Study 3). In the rational/cognitive approach the focus was on role problems. A control model was used to represent subjective role conflicts, on both group and individual levels. Difficult situations described by the managers were complemented with goals and actions strategies, and the managers rated conflicts between these role components, while thinking-aloud (Study 4). Role conflict patterns and dimensions were further analyzed using two quantitative data models (Study 5). Finally, the subjective role construct was compared with a contextual interpretation of the role, based on information from the organizational and social role context (Study 6). The results supported the basic components in both the project model and the control model of the subjective role, but the latter approach would benefit from a more elaborated stimulus sampling. In both approaches the differences between the managers were assessed, but in the constructivist approach it was difficult to separate variation stemming from managers from variation between judges. In the rational/cognitive approach the variation was restricted to conflicting aspects in a specific model. The control model features and the quantitative conflict data made it easier to estimate variance. A major conclusion was that the two approaches complemented each-other in their descriptions of the subjective role. The project model was adequate for investigating the first sense-making phases in the organizational change process, while the control model approach could describe role conflicts and problems, especially on individual levels. However, they both could fit within a framework of a subjective role process model. Using these two approaches in role analysis can provide more information on the subjective role processes of the role incumbent.

The aim was to study personal and organizational conditions for first-line nurse managers and to identify and assess the skills and abilities important for leadership and management. Interviews were conducted with 5 first-line nurse managers, 5 registered nurses, 5 assistant nurses and one head of department delineating their perceptions of current and ideal roles of first-line nurse managers. Factor analysis was conducted to estimate validity and reliability of the Leadership and Management Inventory, developed in the context of this thesis, in one sample of 149 registered nurses and one sample of 197 health care personnel. Interviews and questionnaires to study expectations, experiences and outcomes of two different development programmes for 13 first-line nurse managers in a Training Programme, 14 in a Leadership Development Programme and 14 in a Comparison group were conducted. Letters and questionnaires from 32 former first-line nurse managers were analysed to describe their reasons for leaving their posts. First-line nurse managers, registered nurses and assistant nurses’ descriptions of the first-line nurse manager’s role were corresponding; the main focus was on service on the ward. The head of department described the first-line nurse manager’s responsibility towards the staff with focus on development and co-operation. Analysis of the Leadership and Management Inventory resulted in three factors: “interpersonal skills and group management”, “achievement orientation” and “overall organizational view and political savvy”. Validity and reliability were considered acceptable. Expectations concerning the development programmes were generally met; improvements corresponding to the content of the programmes were reported. Reasons to leave were personal, organizational and linked to the relationship with the head of department. Conclusion: The first-line nurse managers’ individual experiences, skills, abilities and ambitions are important, but so are the conditions in which she/he practices her/his leadership and management. It is important that the interplay between person and organization functions well.

Syfte: Syftet är att skapa en ökad förståelse för hur offentliga verksamheter i mindre kommuner uppfattar och hanterar utmaningarna vid chefsrekrytering samt vad som ligger till grund för hur de hanterar det. Metodik: En tvärsnittsstudie på offentlig sektor i Kalmar Län har använts som forskningsstrategi med en induktiv ansats. Genom en kvalitativ metod med åtta semi-strukturerade intervjuer har vi producerat fram data. Slutsats: Studien har visat att offentliga verksamheter i mindre kommuner upplever ett problem i att finna lämpliga kandidater till chefstjänster, men ser inte det som krisartat. För att hantera rekryteringssvårigheterna utnyttjar offentliga verksamheter i mindre kommuner både operativa och strategiska åtgärderna. Operativa åtgärder som används är exempelvis förlängning av annons och informell rekryteringsmetod. De strategiska åtgärderna är exempelvis det ledarförsörjningsprogram som både kommun och landsting har samt genom att arbeta med Employer Branding. Det framgår också att offentliga verksamheter i mindre kommuner hanterar svårigheterna både genom att ta hand om det synliga problemet och de faktorer som gett upphov till problematiken. De bakomliggande orsakerna till verksamheternas hanterande styrs av informella och formella krafter. Olika påtryckningar gör att de blir begränsat flexibla och offentliga verksamheter i mindre kommuner imiterar varandra för att upprätthålla sin legitimitet. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain greater understanding of how the public sector in smaller communities perceive and handle difficulties in recruiting executives and what they base their chosen approach on. Methodoly: Using an inductive approach, a survey study was performed on the public sector of Kalmar Län. A qualitative method was used to collect data, by conducting eight semi-structured interviews with executives in public sector organizations. Conclusion: The study has shown that public sector in smaller communities perceives a problem finding relevant candidates for executive positions, but they do not see it as a crisis. To handle the difficulties in finding relevant applicants they use operative and strategic actions. Operative actions include for example extending the ad and using the informal recruitment method. The strategic actions involves for example the talent management programs and by working with employer branding. The public sector in smaller communities is taking actions to handle the problem they perceive and also to handle the underlying factors that led to the problem. The way they handle the problem is based on formal and informal forces. Different forces prevent flexibility and the public sector in smaller communities imitates each other to maintain their legitimacy.

Arbetslivet förändras och detta leder till förändringar av organisering och struktur inom organisationer. För att möta behov av flexibilitet, effektivitet och konkurrenskraft har nya sätt att organisera resulterat i nya ramar och strukturer för arbete med personalfrågor.  Dessa nya sätt att organisera har lett fram till nya roller och ansvarsfördelningar. I denna studie var syftet att skapa förståelse för hur HR- funktionens utformning påverkar chefers arbetssituation. Studien undersökte chefers upplevelser av HR-stödet i relation till arbetssituationen inom en organisation där HR-stödet bygger på ett service center, en expertenhet och HR business partners ute i verksamheten. Uppsatsen bygger på tio kvalitativa intervjuer med HR-medarbetare och chefer på Trafikverket. Studien visar att cheferna upplever ett tillfredställande HR-stöd från expertenheten och HR business partners. Samordningsproblem inom HR-funktionen ger dock effekter för både chefer och HR-medarbetare inom organisationen. En varierande chefsroll som innefattar både generella kunskaper om verksamheten, personalfrågor, administration i kombination med att vara ledare åskådliggörs i uppsatsen. / Work and employment often change, and this leads to transformations in the structure of organizations. To meet the demand for flexibility, efficiency, and competitiveness, new ways of organizing have resulted in new frameworks and structures for jobs in the field of human resources. These newly presented ways of organizing have led to shifting roles and distribution of responsibility. The purpose of this study is to create a wide understanding of how the organization of HR affects the work of managers. The study examines the experiences of managers with HR-support in relation to the current work situation within an organization where HR-support is based on a service center, a center of expertise, and HR business partners. Ten qualitative interviews with HR employees and managers at the governmental organization Trafikverket form the base of this study. The results show that HR-support, given by the center of expertise and business partners, is satisfying for managers.  However, issues of coordination within HR affect both managers as well as HR employees within the organization. A shifting role of the manager, which includes general knowledge of operations, questions of personnel, and administration in combination with being a leader, are illustrated in the study.