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This thesis is based on noise recordings and health evaluations carried out at preschools in the northern part of Sweden. Sound level recordings were made on individuals and by use of stationary devices in dining rooms and play halls. Health evaluations were based on ratings by use of questionnaires and by analyses of cortisol. The average equivalent individual noise exposure was 71 dB(A). The average equivalent noise levels in the dining room and playing halls were 64 dB(A). The hearing loss of the employees was significantly higher for the frequencies tested than in an unexposed control group. Symptoms of tinnitus were reported among 31% of the employees. Noise annoyance was rated as somewhat to very annoying, and the voices of the children were the most annoying noise source. The dB(A) level and fluctuations of the noise exposure were significantly correlated with the number of children per department. Stress and energy output were pronounced among the employees. About 30% of the staff experienced strong burnout syndromes. Mental recovery was low as indicated by noise fatigue and high levels of stress after work. Increased cortisol levels during work were associated with higher number of children present at the department. An essential finding of the thesis was that noise and noise sources may impair the pedagogic work, thereby increasing the work load of employees. It is concluded that noise exposure in the preschool, isolated or in combination with other stressors, plays a fundamental role in the building up of acute as well as long term stress. An intervention study implementing six acoustical and seven organizational measures was tested, aimed to improve the noise situation in the departments. Acoustical measures improved the noise situation as well as the rated noise experiences better than the organizational measures. / Avhandlingen baseras på ett samarbete med förskoleverksamheten inom Umeå kommun och har innefattat medverkan från 101 pedagoger i delstudie 1 och 24 pedagoger i en delstudie 2. Studie 1 som redovisas i tre delarbeten, I, II och III, har innefattat personburna och stationära bullermätningar i lekhallar och i matsalar. Påverkan på upplevelser samt hälsoeffekter av ljudmiljön har analyserats via frågeformulär och analyser av kortisol. Kontroll av hörselstatus har genomförts via audiometrisk screening. Studie 1 innefattar analys av bullrets effekter på såväl hörselrelaterad (Delarbete I) som stressrelaterad ohälsa (Delarbete II). Olika typer av åtgärder för att förbättra ljudmiljön och minska den bullerrelaterade ohälsan redovisas i delarbete III. Delarbete IV fokuserar på hur samverkan mellan buller och arbetsorganisation kan påverka den stressrelaterade ohälsan. Genomförda analyser av buller visar på förhållandevis likvärdiga bullerexponeringsnivåer förskolor och avdelningar emellan. Skillnaderna i exponeringsnivåer veckodagar emellan var små, skillnader mellan individer var däremot stora. Påtagliga skillnader i exponeringsnivåer förelåg som väntat under arbetsdagen. I synnerhet den personburna bulleranalysen pekade på en bullerexponering med påtagliga inslag av variation och transienter i exponeringen. Ljudmiljön karaktäriserades av medverkande pedagoger som den enskilt mest besvärande arbetsmiljöfaktorn. Barnens röster och ljud från deras aktiviteter klassificerades som de mest besvärande bullerkällorna. Personalen uppvisade sämre hörtrösklar för samtliga testade frekvenser jämfört med svensk ej bullerexponerad referenspopulation. De försämrade hörtrösklarna var relativt låga och föranledde inte i något fall remittering till hörselklinik. Prevalensen för tinnitus var 31 %, vilket motsvarar en överfrekvens på 15-20 %, jämfört med svenskt normalvärde. Ljudtrötthet efter arbetsdagens slut utgjorde ett uttalat symptom bland pedagogerna liksom försämrad sömnkvalitet och förhöjd sömnighet vid uppvaknande. Analyser av arbetsbelastning baserat på skattning och kortisolmätningar, indikerade höga energiuttag under arbete och inslag av utpräglad stress, och i flera fall utbrändhet. Signifikanta samband mellan upplevd dålig ljudmiljö, maskering av tal, försämrade förutsättningar för det pedagogiska arbetet och därmed ökad ohälsa kunde påvisas. Ljudmiljön, såväl nivåer som fluktuationer påverkades på ett uttalat sätt av antalet barn på avdelningen. Detta utgjorde också den enskilt viktigaste faktorn för att förbättra såväl ljudmiljön som den till ljudmiljön relaterade hälsan. Akustiska åtgärder visade sig genomgående mer framgångsrika för att förbättra ljudklimatet än organisatoriska åtgärder.

Women and men face differences in how they experience the work environment concerning health and safety and their needs within the workspace. Depending on age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, women and men face different stigmas, thus impacting their difficulties within their work environments. Owing to this knowledge, the purpose of this research was to explore this difference in the workplace and understand how women experience the workplace differently. Specifically, from a perspective of embodiment and the needs, women are often inclined to have as a result of biology in the workplace. This insightful study explored the personalisation of embodiment by examining the diversified understanding of embodied needs of women that existed within different levels of an organisational hierarchy and had varied roles that required different levels of skills, manual labour, and knowledge. Using qualitative interviews and a phenomenological approach, the realities of these women with different embodied needs, and embodied stages were explored. The central insight being that while women may suffer the same injustices in the workplace and share the same biology, their embodied needs and experience still vary and cannot be painted with the same brush. Through this qualitative insight, key themes such as pregnancy and maternal needs, workplace accommodations, women clinic services and women workplace accommodations were identified as components of the female embodied needs. This exploratory study brought light to this understanding by exploring the varied experience of 12 participants.

A modern person spends most time closed inside houses, offices, schools and other institutions, and if he feels unwell or experiences accute health and comfort effects, his every day life can be highly influenced both mentally and physically. Most symptoms of illnesses or indispositions appear in people living or working inside buildings for no apparent reason. Having left the building, health problems often diminish or even disappear. The complaints mostly include irritation of eye mucous membranes, upper and lower airways and skin, hypersensitiveness, mental and physical fatique, stomach upset and diziness. It is known as a ``sick building syndrome``. ``Sick building syndrome`` (SBS) results into significant decrease of human performance and frequent absences. However, it can lead to worse interpersonal relations, often connected with lower productivity of labour. ``Sick building syndrome`` has been known for many years. Its occurence is numerous but the cause for it have not yet been revealed. More negative factors seem to coincide. The positive moment is that many people are aware of the problem so many new SBS studies and publications have appeared recently. This diploma thesis consists of two parts. The first one, theoretical, and the other is practical. The practical part is focused on research work. The goal of my thesis was to compare a modern air-conditioned building with an older one, without air-conditioning while observing the SBS symptoms which appeared in office occupants in České Budějovice. I also investigated public awareness of this problem together with other issues related. I consider the findings very contributive to professionals in this field, the National Institute of Public Health and common population interested in the problem.

The primary aim of this study was to explore the relevance that serving and former SAPS members who hold an academic doctorate degree attach to such a degree in the SAPS occupational environment. From a qualitative standpoint, data was collected through phenomenological in-depth individual interviews with serving and former SAPS members who hold an academic doctorate degree. In addition, a comprehensive review of the relevant national and international literature was conducted to obtain a better understanding of this phenomenon. A thematic data analysis process was followed to analyse the collected data. Various objectives were fulfilled in the completion of this study:  The relevance of an academic doctorate degree, as experienced by serving and former SAPS members, in their occupational environment was explored, identified and described.  The value that SAPS doctorate graduates add to the SAPS was explored, identified and described.  Recommendations were made regarding the optimal, efficient and effective utilisation of doctorate SAPS graduates in the occupational environment of the SAPS. The findings of this study indicate that holding a doctorate degree in the SAPS generally adds value to the various aspects of policing. However, it was found that not all doctorate graduates in the SAPS are appropriately placed and placement is not necessarily influenced by graduates’ academic qualifications. Based on the findings of this study, a framework for the appropriate placement of doctorate graduates in the SAPS was developed. This framework could serve as a management tool to sensitise SAPS management to the relevance of an academic doctorate degree. In addition, this framework could act as a management tool guiding the SAPS management regarding the correct placement of academic doctorate graduates in the organisation. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of the relevance of a doctorate degree in the SAPS, thereby contributing to new knowledge related to this phenomenon. / Police Practice / Ph. D. (Police Science)

Emotional intelligence has attracted a considerable amount of attention over the past few years specifically with regard to the nature of the underlying construct and the reliability and validity of the psychometric tools used to measure the construct. The present study explored the reliability and validity of a trait measure of EI in relation to an ability measure in order to determine whether the tools can be considered as measuring conceptually valid constructs within an occupational environment. The study also examined the overlap with a trait measure of cognitive thinking styles to determine the potential for separating the trait and ability EI into two unique and distinguishable constructs. Participants included 308 employees from four different workforces within a diverse South African consulting firm. The results of the study identified a number of psychometric concerns regarding the structural fidelity of the instruments as well as concerns about the cultural bias evident in both measurement instruments. Evidence for the discriminant and incremental validity of the two instruments was, however, provided and recommendations are made for the reconceptualisation of trait EI as an emotional competence and ability EI as an emotional intelligence. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Emotional intelligence has attracted a considerable amount of attention over the past few years specifically with regard to the nature of the underlying construct and the reliability and validity of the psychometric tools used to measure the construct. The present study explored the reliability and validity of a trait measure of EI in relation to an ability measure in order to determine whether the tools can be considered as measuring conceptually valid constructs within an occupational environment. The study also examined the overlap with a trait measure of cognitive thinking styles to determine the potential for separating the trait and ability EI into two unique and distinguishable constructs. Participants included 308 employees from four different workforces within a diverse South African consulting firm. The results of the study identified a number of psychometric concerns regarding the structural fidelity of the instruments as well as concerns about the cultural bias evident in both measurement instruments. Evidence for the discriminant and incremental validity of the two instruments was, however, provided and recommendations are made for the reconceptualisation of trait EI as an emotional competence and ability EI as an emotional intelligence. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)