School counsellors have been an occupation in Sweden since the 1940s but despite this, there is very little knowledge and research about school counsellors’ preconditions according to their work. This study aims to examine in what frequencies school counsellors’ use evidence-based methods in their work with students in senior high school. The result is based on a survey with N 215 respondents from all over Sweden and the analysis theoretical perspective is founded on evidence-based practice (EBP) and new institutional theory. The result indicates that school counsellors in Sweden do not use evidence-based methods to such an extent and that there are organisational and structural obstacles for school counsellors to base their work from evidence-based practice. There is a decoupling process where ideals of EBP do not match the reality as different kinds of logic appear and come into conflict with each other over whose legitimacy is the one that should dominate the organizational field. To increase the conditions, a school management that provides support and enables professional guidance and competence development is needed. The research field needs to start looking at the school counsellors’ practice from a bottom-up perspective to see what they do that works and develop EBP and the organizational field based on this. This is one way to give school counsellors’ more legitimacy.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate how professionals working within the Swedish Church and the City Mission in a municipality in southern Sweden describe their work with individuals in financial crisis, as well as whether and, if so, how they perceive themselves as complementing or replacing the responsibilities of the municipal welfare agency. During the ongoing inflation, prices for essentials such as food, rent, and electricity have increased, placing additional strain on the welfare state and the efforts of social workers to meet the needs of individuals in economic hardship. There is a lack of consensus in the research regarding the role that the Swedish Church and the City Mission should play in social work and the extent to which they provide aid. In times of inflation, the question becomes particularly relevant as civil society actors become more relevant when societal resources are insufficient. To address our research questions, we conducted a qualitative interview study involving eight participants from the Swedish Church and the City Mission. We employed neo-institutional theory to interpret our empirical data. Our study revealed that the Swedish Church and the City Mission in a municipality in southern Sweden emphasize their multifaceted function and flexible approach, enabling them to address various forms of needs among individuals experiencing financial crisis. They described themselves as being able to complement certain aspects of the municipal welfare agency's responsibilities, but their resources were too limited to fully replace these functions. Our study demonstrated that they could provide limited amounts of food, financial resources, and create a sense of community and belonging inside their organization.

Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka institutionella förväntningar som finns på blivande förskollärare på Uppsala universitet angående det emotionella arbetet som de ska utföra. Studien använder sig av kurslitteratur från Uppsala universitets förskollärarprogram (2022). Förståelsen för emotionellt arbete grundas i Hochschilds redogörelse för begreppet. Denna definition medför även begreppen känsloarbete och känsloregler. I uppsatsen diskuteras det även huruvida läraryrket kan uppfattas som emotionellt arbete utifrån Hochschilds definition. Uppsala universitet tolkas vara en del av den institutionella kontexten utifrån nyinstitutionella teorins definition av institution i och med det kan Uppsala universitets förväntningar översättas till en institutionell förväntning. Forskning visar att det emotionella arbetet inom förskolläraryrket associeras med negativa psykologiska effekter som känslomässig utmattning. Lärare uppfattas förhålla sig till ett antal regler och förväntningar på känslouttryck i arbetet. Utöver det föreslår ett antal studier att emotionella krav i läraryrket korrelerar med negativa känslor. Denna uppsats undersöker de emotionella krav och förväntningar som kurslitteraturen omfattas av.   Målet med uppsatsen är att undersöka både hur förväntningar på emotionellt arbete framställs och en förklaring av den institutionella kontexten angående kurslitteraturens förväntningar. Genom Faircloughs kritiska diskursanalys analyseras dessa framställningar i tre dimensioner. Resultatet för uppsatsen tyder på att kurslitteraturen samspelar med den officiella läroplanen för förskolan angående emotionellt arbete och forskning inom förskola. Kurslitteraturen framställer det emotionella arbetet utifrån olika diskursiva ideal, exempelvis som omsorg, texten tenderar att presentera formuleringar som sanning. Den diskursiva praktiken som framställs har traditionella drag och uppehåller den dominerande diskursordningen. Den sociala praktiken visar att den diskursiva praktiken identifierad i kurslitteraturen är en del av den psykologiska ordningen och föräldrabehandlande ordningen av diskurser. Genom en analys av den icke-diskursiva kontexten visar det sig hur kurslitteraturen rättfärdigar och legitimerar ett antal idéer om emotionellt arbete, eftersom att läroplanen anser dessa som effektiva och önskvärda. Ett antal ideal kan tolkas som rationaliserade myter. Den institutionella kontexten visar hur kurslitteraturen kritiserar skolverket som institution, medan den samtidigt legitimerar och eftersträvar dess förväntningar och ideal.

Bakgrunden till detta examensarbete tar avstamp i automatiseringens utbredning inom välfärdssektorn. En aktiv digitaliseringspolitik bedrivs på nationell nivå där argument som effektivitet och rättssäkerhet motiverar implementeringen av ADM, eller automatiserat beslutsfattande. Dock har denna politik en inverkan på det sociala arbetets handlingsutrymme och hur det bedrivs. Syftet med studien är därmed att undersöka hur automatiserat beslutsfattande påverkar biståndshandläggares handlingsutrymme. Metodansatsen i examensarbetet är en litteraturstudie av kvalitativ karaktär vars empiri utgörs av vetenskapliga artiklar. Dessa artiklar har sedan studeras med hjälp av tematisk analys, där vi utifrån extrakt i datamaterialet ringat in återkommande mönster och generella temana. Resultaten analyseras och diskuteras utifrån nyinstitutionell teori och Lipskys teori om gräsrotsbyråkrati. Våra fynd pekar på att automatiserat beslutsfattande ökar såväl som minskar handlingsutrymmet samt i de flesta fall medfört en organisatorisk uppdelning av försörjningsstödet, där handläggare får antingen mer klienttid eller fler ärenden att övervaka. Vidare visar resultaten att arbetsmarknadsåtgärder i många fall förflyttats från handläggare till jobbcoacher. Utifrån vår teoretiska analys drar vi slutsatsen att automatiserat beslutsfattande utesluter och/eller omdefinierar Lipskys handlingsutrymme. Vi kommer även fram till att det höjer rättssäkerheten samt både kan öka och inskränka möjligheten till relationsskapande. Avslutningsvis kan automatiserat beslutsfattande förstås som en nödvändighet utifrån ett organisationsteoretiskt perspektiv.

This study aims to explore how individuals who are operating Swedish elite football clubs manage the tension between non-profit and commercial logics, and whether organizational form is important when managing them. The respondents in this study are individuals with positions at the very highest organizational level, and predetermined themes that concern the tension within Swedish elite football were used in the design of the interview guide. The results were then analysed from a new institutional perspective. The outcome showed that elite football clubs tend to use similar strategies when managing the logics regardless of organizational form. / Denna studie ämnar undersöka hur individer som är verksamma inom svenska elitfotbollsföreningar hanterar spänningen mellan ideella och kommersiella logiker och om organisationsform har betydelse för hanteringen av dem. Respondenterna i denna studie är individer med befattningar på allra högsta organisatoriska nivå och förutbestämda teman som berör spänningen inom svensk elitfotboll användes vid utformandet av intervjuguiden. Resultaten analyserades sedan ur ett nyinstitutionellt perspektiv. Utfallet visade att elitfotbollsföreningar tenderar att använda likartade strategier vid hanteringen av logikerna oberoende av organisationsform.

Internet är idag en ny arena där alla delar med sig av information till alla. Det nya Internet, Webb 2.0, handlar om interaktivitet, kommunikation och dialog. Medborgare och intressenter vill ha större insikt och bättre möjligheter att påverka. De som bidrar med kunskap och synpunkter vill veta hur bidragen påverkar verksamheten, annars slutar de föra dialog. Regering och riksdag vill även att effektiviteten och tillgängligheten till myndigheternas tjänster ska öka. Tidigare forskning visar att det finns en trend mot ämnesarenor och att det kan föreligga ett paradigmskifte från fokus på tjänsteleverans till nätverkade myndigheter som involverar medborgare och intressenter i sin verksamhet. Detta ställer nya krav på riktlinjer och strategier. För att explorativt undersöka dessa trender och fenomen har representanter för tre svenska myndigheter intervjuats. De empiriska resultaten har sedan belysts med nyinstitutionell teori och analyserats med hjälp av lednings- och kommunikationsstrategiska teorier och koncept. Studien konstaterar att de tre undersökta myndigheterna har tagit små steg för att närma sig de virtuella ämnesarenorna. Vissa medarbetare deltar i sociala medier, men deltagandet är inte formaliserat och insikter och lärdomar aggregeras inte inom organisationerna. Samtidigt som kunskapen om sociala medier är relativt låg verkar det finnas institutionaliserade myter som påverkar beslutssituationen. Myndigheternas ledningsgrupper är åldersmässigt relativt homogena. De träffar varandra inom sektorn regelbundet och avvaktar och följer de andra myndigheternas exempel. Den nya e-logiken utmanar de befintliga maktstrukturerna och myten om expertis genom att externa aktörer får mer makt över verksamhetsutvecklingen än tidigare. För att börja delta fullt ut i dialogen på de virtuella ämnesarenorna krävs sannolikt en förändring i verksamhetskulturen och eventuellt behövs ett generationsskifte. Genom deltagande i några väl utvalda e-projekt kommer lärdomar och insikter som kan ge beslutsunderlag för att gå vidare. Erfarenheterna kan leda till att de institutionaliserade myterna kommer att börja förändras så att det förutspådda paradigmskiftet tar plats. / Internet has been transformed. The new Internet, Web 2.0, is all about interactivity, communication and conversations. Citizens and stakeholders demand transparency and influence. The individuals that contribute their knowledge and views demand insight into how their contribution is used to develop the organization, or they leave the conversation. At the same time the Swedish parliament requires improved efficiency, availability and access to government services. Previous research shows there is a trend towards issue arenas where issues and topics, not organizations, are at the center of communication. The emergence of e-government represents a paradigm shift, from emphasizing standardization and cost-efficiency, to an emphasis on coordinated network building, external collaboration, and customer services. This transformation from bureaucracy to networked governance requires new strategies. To explore these trends and phenomena research interviews have been conducted with representatives for three Swedish government agencies. The empirical findings have then been illuminated with neo-institutional theory and analyzed with governance and communication strategy concepts and theories. The findings show that the three agencies have taken some small steps toward the virtual issue arenas. Some employees participate in social media, but the participation isn’t formalized and knowledge isn’t aggregated within the organizations. The general knowledge of social media is low and there seems to be institutionalized myths affecting the decision environment. Management consists of members of similar age. Top management from different agencies in the sector frequently meets, and the agencies await and follow the other agencies examples. The new e-logic challenges existing power structures, as well as the myth of authority, since external actors gain power over business development. In order to fully participate in the conversation in virtual issue arenas, a change in organizational culture is likely needed, and potentially generational change might be necessary to facilitate the change in culture. Engaging in a few, carefully selected e-projects will enable the agencies to learn and expand the engagement gradually. The accumulated experience may lead to a change in the institutionalized myths, thus enabling the predicted paradigm shift.

As an innovation Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is designed as a tool for clinical problem solving. According to its theory of use EBP will bring a difference for policy makers, for professionals, for researchers and for service users. One question to be asked is whether EBP actually leads to the radical social change it is designed to accomplish. The aim of the study is to describe and analyse the outcome of the effort to establish EBP, with a focus on the case of social work in Sweden. The research questions are: What is EBP? Why are efforts made to establish EBP? What is the outcome of the EBP project? How can the outcome of the EBP project be explained? The case study was conducted on a critical realistic meta-theoretical ground with a focus on explanation of social change with an explicit actor-structure perspective. Methodologically, a narrative synthesis of studies was made. As a complement primary data were collected to fill empirical gaps. The state of things was described before and after the EBP-initiatives. Several helping theories – Kuhn’s theory of paradigm, program theory, neo-institutional theory and theory of diffusion – were used to analyse the empirically mapped outcome of the EBP project. The results show that the import of the original model of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) to social work is a part of a wider social movement in the helping and educational professions. The new model has influenced social work as a discipline, as a field of practice and as a field of policy. There are examples of full-scale implementations of EBP, although EBP has not reached a general status as daily practice. Some obstacles remain. The gradual adaption of EBP corresponds to criteria hold by Kuhn for a paradigm shift. Acceptance of the model has contributed to change the structure and function of social systems. At an organizational level, this change means on-going institutionalization. The innovation is influencing the way institutional actors conduct their work. Although the structural conditions have been optimal, the EBP-model has been debated with heat. The EBP-debate and policy-driven infrastructural efforts have brought a more in-depth examination of the model. So-called coercive, normative, and regulative isomorphisms were used to change organizations. The degree of institutionalization depended on the individuals and the organizations willingness and preparedness to change, to understand, and to put the model into practice. When actors used a less strict version of the original EBP model, the pace of cultural and institutional change slowed down.

As an innovation Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is designed as a tool for clinical problem solving. According to its theory of use EBP will bring a difference for policy makers, for professionals, for researchers and for service users. One question to be asked is whether EBP actually leads to the radical social change it is designed to accomplish. The aim of the study is to describe and analyse the outcome of the effort to establish EBP, with a focus on the case of social work in Sweden. The research questions are: What is EBP? Why are efforts made to establish EBP? What is the outcome of the EBP project? How can the outcome of the EBP project be explained? The case study was conducted on a critical realistic meta-theoretical ground with a focus on explanation of social change with an explicit actor-structure perspective. Methodologically, a narrative synthesis of studies was made. As a complement primary data were collected to fill empirical gaps. The state of things was described before and after the EBP-initiatives. Several helping theories – Kuhn’s theory of paradigm, program theory, neo-institutional theory and theory of diffusion – were used to analyse the empirically mapped outcome of the EBP project. The results show that the import of the original model of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) to social work is a part of a wider social movement in the helping and educational professions. The new model has influenced social work as a discipline, as a field of practice and as a field of policy. There are examples of full-scale implementations of EBP, although EBP has not reached a general status as daily practice. Some obstacles remain. The gradual adaption of EBP corresponds to criteria hold by Kuhn for a paradigm shift. Acceptance of the model has contributed to change the structure and function of social systems. At an organizational level, this change means on-going institutionalization. The innovation is influencing the way institutional actors conduct their work. Although the structural conditions have been optimal, the EBP-model has been debated with heat. The EBP-debate and policy-driven infrastructural efforts have brought a more in-depth examination of the model. So-called coercive, normative, and regulative isomorphisms were used to change organizations. The degree of institutionalization depended on the individuals and the organizations willingness and preparedness to change, to understand, and to put the model into practice. When actors used a less strict version of the original EBP model, the pace of cultural and institutional change slowed down.

Det drivs många utvecklingsprojekt inom offentlig sektor, men det saknas kunskap om hur dessa projekt kan bidra till ett hållbart utvecklingsarbete. Syftet med avhandlingen är att förstå och förklara hur resultat och kunskap från utvecklingsprojekt kan integreras i den ordinarie verksamheten i offentliga organisationer och bidra till långsiktiga effekter, som har ett värde för brukarna, organisationen och de anställda. I forskningen saknas en etablerad begreppsapparat för att studera hållbar utveckling i organisationer. En utmaning har därför varit att identifiera och analysera tidigare forskning, för att därigenom definiera begreppet hållbart utvecklingsarbete och viktiga förutsättningar för ett sådant arbete. Den teoretiska referensramen baseras på ett institutionellt perspektiv: nyinstitutionell organisationsteori kombineras med Giddens struktureringsteori och sociologisk professionsteori, som synliggör spänningar mellan konkurrerande styrformer som byråkrati, marknad och professionalism. Avhandlingen utgår från en interaktiv forskningsansats och består av två empiriska delar: en  kvantitativ enkätstudie som inkluderar 348 utvecklingsprojekt inom vård och omsorg samt en kvalitativ flerfallstudie av fyra utvecklingsprojekt. Studierna visar att olika faktorer främjade projekten på kort och lång sikt. Tydliga projektmål, styrning och kompetent projektledning hade betydelse för de kortsiktiga projektresultaten, men mycket begränsat påverkan på den långsiktiga hållbarheten. Istället var det ett aktivt ägarskap, och andra faktorer kopplade till ledningen i mottagarorganisationerna, som tydligast främjade ett hållbart utvecklingsarbete. Studierna visar även hur konflikter och motstånd i projekten påverkade förutsättningarna för långsiktig hållbarhet. Det gällde konflikter mellan olika yrkesgrupper, mellan ledning och professionella samt mellan byråkratiska och professionella styrformer. En slutsats är att en analysmodell för hållbart utvecklingsarbete behöver komplettera ett organisatoriskt och institutionellt perspektiv med ett professionsperspektiv. / There are many development projects in the public sector, but there is a lack of knowledge about how these projects can be made sustainable. The aim of the thesis is to explain how project results and knowledge can be integrated into public organizations and contribute to long-term effects and value for clients, organizations and employees. The scientific literature lacks an established conceptual framework for studying sustainability in organizations. Therefore, it has been a challenge to identify and analyze previous research in order to delineate and define the concept of sustainable change in organizations. The research is based on an institutional perspective: neo-institutional theory in combination with Giddens' structuration theory and sociological profession theory, which reveal tensions between three competing logics of control, i.e., bureaucracy, market and professionalism. The method is inspired by an interactive research approach and comprises two empirical parts: a quantitative survey study, including 348 development projects in health and social care, and a qualitative multi-case study of four development projects. The studies showed that different sets of factors supported short-term project success and long-term sustainability. Project-related factors, such as goal setting and project management, had little impact on sustainability. Instead, it was primarily active ownership, and other factors related to management of the recipient organization, that influenced the routinization of project results. The studies also exposed several conflicts and tensions that affected project sustainability. There were conflicts between occupational groups, between management and professionals, and between the logic of rational, bureaucratic management and the logic of occupational professionalism. Thus, understanding sustainable change in organizations requires a professional perspective to complement the organizational and institutional perspectives.

For a person who has been diagnosed with a disability at some point in their life, their ability to be an active democratic citizen in our information society changes. This thesis examines what kind of challenges the Swedish public libraries and librarians faces in their day-to-day work connected to the specific group of users with vision-related disabilities and discusses and analyze public librarians' perception of what digital skills means to them.  In the combination of people with visual impairments and their digital needs and competence development and on the actual conditions and challenges existing at the Swedish public libraries regarding digital services for people with visual impairments, the study identifies several challenges for both parties. The study results present an insecurity among librarians regarding the expectations to adjust and help with digital guidance, when they still are feeling insecure about what kind of digital competence expects of them.  During the qualitative interviews, a shared experience of anxiety, uncertainty, and an uneven level among the library staff regarding basic digital competences and where the "boundary" is revealed. The uneven level of digital competence is highlighted as problematic, as the patrons are assumed to be treated differently on repeated visits to the public library. The study identifies several challenges that would further encourage both the individual, the profession, the institution as well as society and research to study further. New knowledge in a library context has been identified and needs to be studied in a broader and more comprehensive research study.