Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Business Administration in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / Call centres have become an important source for organisations to provide efficient information to their customers through cost-effective communication channels. Call centres are defined as a work environment in which the main business is mediated by computer- and telephone-based technologies that allow the effective distribution of incoming calls to available staff, and permit customer–employee communication simultaneously with the use of display screen equipment (DSE) and instant access to information. Working in a call centre is often linked with high stress levels, difficult customers, shift work, high workload demand, absenteeism and high employee turnover rates. The work characteristics of call centres include performance targets where employees are required to achieve set targets, undergo close performance monitoring, performance appraisal systems, limited task variation, repetitive work and limited autonomy. The physical environment in the call centre is often associated with open-plan office layouts and booths where noise levels and workstations are positioned in close proximity to each other. Wellbeing in call centres has become a concern and the research was undertaken to establish what effects the working environment (physical environment and job characteristics) in call centres in the Cape Metropole has on the wellbeing of call centre agents. A quantitative research method was employed in the study. A structured questionnaire was distributed via SurveyMonkey® to call centre agents from four participating call centres in the Cape Metropole. The combined target population of the four call centres was 760. A sample size of 200 was determined by using the Raosoft Incorporated® calculation tool. Although the aforesaid sample size sufficed, a response rate of 275 was received. Questions relating to job characteristics and significance of the work were based on the Job Diagnostic Survey by Hackman and Oldham. Social support questions were based on the instrument developed by Caplan, Cobb, French, Van Harrison & Pinneau in 1975. Job demand questions were based on the instrument developed by Karasek in 1979, and only the section on job demand was used. Performance monitoring and physical work environment were measured by using the questions based on these variables by Sprigg et al in 2003. Emotional wellbeing questions relating to burnout were measured using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. The wellbeing questions relating to vocal health, optical health and auditory health were based on the questionnaires developed by Sprigg et al. in 2003. General health was measured using the “Somatic Complaints” section of the NIOSH Generic Job Stress Questionnaire. Musculoskeletal health problems were measured using the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) developed by Hedge in 1994. Research question 1 addressed the gender perceptions of job characteristics, physical work environment and emotional and physical wellbeing. A T-test was conducted to answer the research question and the results revealed that there was no significant difference in gender perception on job characteristics; however there was a significant difference in perception of the physical work environment and wellbeing. Research question 2 addressed whether there is a significant difference in emotional and physical wellbeing experienced by call centre agents from various industries. A MANOVA analysis was conducted to determine the significance in industries, p = .015, and an ANOVA analysis was conducted that revealed agents working in the online retail as well as financial service industries were more likely to experience disengagement, p = .035. Research question 3 addressed the factors in the workplace environment that contribute to emotional and physical wellbeing problems. An ANOVA analysis was conducted and the results revealed lack of skills variety, p = .014, contributes to exhaustion; lack of autonomy, p = .040, contributes to disengagement; lack of supervisor support, p = .009, contributes to exhaustion, job demands, p = .000, contribute to exhaustion, performance monitoring, p = .036, contributes to exhaustion; and workstation layout, p = .001, contributes to auditory health problems. Research question 4 addressed whether there is a significant relationship between job characteristics, physical work environment and wellbeing. A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted and the results revealed that there is a significant relationship between job characteristics, physical work environment, and wellbeing. It can be concluded that the workplace environment does have an impact on the wellbeing of call centre agents in the Cape Metropole. It is imperative that the management of call centres understand the nature of the job and how the physical environment contributes to job stress; burnout; vocal, auditory, and optical health problems; and musculoskeletal disorders. The researcher recognises that there are essential job characteristics associated with call centre work but that there are elements of the job that can be redesigned to improve the wellbeing of call centre agents. It is recommended that management implement interventions which will redesign those elements within the workplace environment that contribute to wellbeing issues. The findings of this study add to existing literature and knowledge of the workplace environment and wellbeing of call centre agents.

SAMMANFATTNING Prehospital sjukvård innebär akuta medicinska insatser som sker utanför sjukhus av hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal. I mötet med patienten ingår det i ambulanssjuksköterskans arbetsroll att värna om patientens integritet samt organisera omvårdnaden så att det främjar patientens välbefinnande och minskar lidande. Faktorer i miljön där vårdandet sker, i den prehospitala sjukvården, påverkar inte bara patienten och dennes anhöriga utan även ambulanssjuksköterskan. Arbetsmiljön inom prehospital sjukvård kan innebära hälsorisker för ambulanssjuksköterskan då arbetet kan vara både mentalt och fysiskt ansträngande eftersom det bland annat förekommer tunga lyft, omedelbar beredskap och ogynnsamma arbetsställningar. Det krävs en förmåga att arbeta under tidspress och att kunna hantera allvarliga situationer.   Syftet med studien var att belysa ambulanssjuksköterskans upplevelse av arbetsmiljörelaterade faktorers påverkan på omvårdnaden i den prehospitala miljön. Studien är en kvalitativ intervjustudie där författarna intervjuade åtta ambulanssjuksköterskor med stöd av en intervjuguide där informanterna fick belysa sina upplevelser och erfarenheter av arbetsmiljön i den prehospitala miljön. Intervjuerna analyserades sedan genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys för att ge en djupare förståelse för det studerade fenomenet. Resultatet visade att det fanns ett flertal faktorer i arbetsmiljön som ambulanssjuksköterskan upplevde påverkade omvårdnaden av patienten i den prehospitala sjukvården. Innehållsanalysen av intervjuerna resulterade i fyra kategorier, kommunikation, erfarenhet och utbildning, ambulansfordonet samt egen säkerhet och hälsa. Kategorierna sammanfattar informanternas upplevelser kring faktorer i arbetsmiljön som kunde påverka omvårdanden samt önskemål om förbättring och utveckling som kan påverka detta. Studiens slutsats innebar att det fanns många faktorer i arbetsmiljön som påverkade ambulanssjuksköterskans utförande av omvårdnad i den prehospitala miljön. Det visade att god kommunikation med kollega, patienter och anhöriga var av stor vikt för att kunna ge organiserad och adekvat omvårdnad. Många upplevde att det fanns ett stort behov av vidareutbildning för kompetensutveckling och förbättring av kommunikation med andra samverkande grupper för att förtydliga syftet med uppdraget och förbättra omvårdnaden till patienten. Det fanns ett behov av att vidareutveckla utrustningen i ambulansen samt utformningen av ambulansen för att minska risken för skador på kroppen. Nyckelord: ambulanssjuksköterska, fysisk arbetsmiljö, psykosocial arbetsmiljö, prehospital sjukvård, omvårdnad. / ABSTRACT Emergency medical service is healthcare that takes place outside the hospital and is performed by specializes nurses. In the interaction between the specialized ambulance nurse and the patient, it is important to address the patients´ well-being and organize the care to prevent the patient from unnecessary suffering. Factors in the environment where prehospital care is taking place are not often studied and is not something that just affects the patient, but also presents risks to the ambulance personnel as working in the emergency medical services can be both mentally and physically exerting. Working in emergency medical service includes heavy lifting, immediate preparedness, unfavorable work environments, and requires the ability to work under time pressure as well as the ability to handle serious situations. The aim of the study was to highlight the ambulance nurses experience of the effects of work environment-related factors on nursing care in the prehospital setting. The study was a qualitative interview study in which the authors interviewed eight ambulance nurses using a questionnaire where informants were able to highlight their experiences in the prehospital setting as well as their experiences of the work environment in the ambulance care industry. The interviews were then analyzed to provide a deeper understanding of the studied phenomenon. The results showed several factors in the work environment that affect the care of the patient in the prehospital setting. The content analysis of the interviews resulted in four separate categories; communication, experience and education, the ambulance vehicle and the workers own safety and health. The categories summarized the informants´ experiences about factors in the work environment and how they can affect these, as well as the desire for improvement and development in order to provide adequate and safe care for the patients. The conclusion of the study implied that there are many factors in the work environment that influence the ambulance nurse in the prehospital setting. Direct communication between the college, patient and their relative was important to be able to organize the care and provide safe medical care. However, many of the ambulance nurses experienced a need for further education and improved communication with other collaborative groups to clarify the purpose of the assignment and to improve the care of the patient. There was also a need for development of the equipment used in the prehospital setting and in the vehicle to prevent damages on the ambulance nurse´s health. Keywords: ambulance nurse, physical work environment, psychosocial work environment, prehospital care, nursing.

Abstract The purpose of this study was three-fold: to analyze how the work-relatedness of well-being has been constructed by the presently prevailing work stress approach, to develop better ways of conceptualizing the work-relatedness of well-being on the basis of cultural historical activity theory, and to test these new conceptualizations with empirical data from two nursing homes for the elderly. An analysis of the development of work stress theory and previous studies of nursing homes showed that their foundations lie in the paradigmatic person – environment formulation which inhibits taking into account the activity of the individual, the changing of the work process and the specific context in which stress is experienced. With respect to work-related well-being two activity-theoretical hypotheses were developed: the object-dependedness of work-related emotions (object-dependent well-being) and the increased physical and psychological work load as a result of disturbances in the flow of work (disturbance load). An empirical analysis of the historical development of the two nursing homes showed how the function of the nursing homes had changed several times and continued to do so. The analysis also suggested that changes in the work-related well-being of the employees followed the developmental phases of the work activity. The second empirical analysis showed how the employees' explanatory models of both tiring- and strength- giving events were related to several historical, present and possible future aspects of the object of their work. Signs of individual motive development could be detected in the interviews. The third empirical analysis of videorecorded morning routine episodes showed how the current institutional script carried out by the employees collided with the residents' own script resulting in resident resistance which increased the physical and psychological workload of the employees. Focusing on disturbance load may uncover important sources of emotional distress and physical tiredness among employees. Understanding work-related well-being also as qualitatively developing object-dependent well-being points to the need to create a dialogue between the development of the collective activity and the object and motive development of individual employees.

No description available.

Schipperfrakturen finden sich nur selten im archäologischen Knochenmaterial. Dies verwundert, da in prähistorischer und historischer Zeit in Europa umfangreiche Erdbaumaßnahmen erfolgten. In dem Beitrag wird ein Fall aus dem sächsischen Gräberfeld um St. Kilian in Höxter (8. Jh.; Teegen/Schultz 2003) vorgestellt. Differentialdiagnosen werden diskutiert. / Clay-shoveller’s fractures are rarely known in the osteoarchaeological record. Due to large earth movements during prehistory, this type of fracture seems to be underrepresented. In this paper, a case from the Saxon cemetery around St. Kilian at Höxter (8. cent. AD; Teegen/Schultz 2003) will be presented. Differential diagnoses will be discussed.

Organisationsvärlden har under flera år stått inför utmaningen att anpassa sig efter den ökade digitaliseringen som sker i samhället, men när COVID-19 pandemin började sprida sig i världen i början av år 2020 fick många oförberedda företag ändra sina rutiner drastiskt. Studien syftar till att undersöka om och hur ledarskapssrollerna i kreativa team förändras av ett skifte från fysisk till virtuell arbetsmiljö. För att kunna besvara studiens frågeställning har en kvalitativ metod i form av fysiska intervjuer, intervjuer via videosamtal samt intervjuer via mejl använts. Totalt medverkade 12 respondenter på två olika företag, varav fyra av respondenterna hade olika ledarbefattningar och resterande var medarbetare med kreativa roller. Den insamlade datan har transkriberats och analyserats med hjälp av en innehållsanalys. Denna innehållsanalys resulterade i sex olika kategorier; ledarskap, kommunikation, gruppdynamik, motivation, produktivitet och kreativitet. Resultatet visade att ledarna på flera sätt anpassat sina ledarskapsroller efter skiftet från en fysisk till en virtuell arbetsmiljö men även att medarbetarna behövt anpassa sig på olika sätt. Ett virtuellt ledarskap kräver enligt studien mer struktur, tydlighet och medvetenhet än ett fysiskt ledarskap, samtidigt som medarbetarna också fått ett ökat ansvar och självledarskap. Medarbetarna kunde exempelvis i högre grad ses själva planera och överse det dagliga arbetet, samt ta mer egna initiativ till kommunikation och problemlösning. / For many years, organizations have tried to adapt to the increasing digitalization in the world. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread around the world in the beginning of 2020, many unprepared companies had to change their routines drastically. The purpose of this study is to examine whether and how leadership roles in creative teams are affected by a shift from a physical to a virtual work environment. In order to answer the research question a qualitative method with physical interviews, video interviews and interviews through email has been used. A total of 12 respondents participated from two different companies. Four of the respondents had management positions and the remaining were co-workers with creative roles. The collected data has been transcribed and analyzed using a content analysis method. This content analysis method resulted in six different categories; leadership, communication, group dynamics, motivation, productivity and creativity. The findings suggest that the leaders have adapted their leadership roles in several different ways since the shift from a physical to a virtual workplace, and that the co-workers’ roles also have been affected. Based on the results, a virtual leadership seems to require more structure, explicitness and awareness than a physical leadership. The co-workers were also given more responsibility and an increased self- leadership. They planned and reviewed their own daily work, as well as took more initiative when it came to communication and problem solving.

Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att identifiera vad olika ledare gör för att främja medarbetarnas hälsa när medarbetarna både arbetar på kontor och på distans. Problemformulering: Vad gör ledare för att främja hälsan för medarbetarna under hybridformer? Metod: Det här är en tvärsnittsstudie som behandlar fenomenet hälsofrämjande ledarskap under hybridformer med en deduktiv forskningssats och där datainsamling har skett genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer. Slutsats: Studien visade vad ledare gör för att anpassa sitt ledarskap för att kunna främja hälsan för sina medarbetare under hybridformer. Ledarna i vår studie kompletterade varandra genom olika strategier och tillvägagångssätt för att kunna besvara problemformuleringen. / Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to identify what different leaders do to promote coworkers' health when coworkers work both in the office and remote. Statement of problem: What do leaders do to promote coworkers' health in hybrid forms?  Method: This is a cross-sectional study that deals with the phenomenon of health-promoting leadership under hybrid forms with a deductive research approach and where data was collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews. Conclusion: The study identified what leaders do to adjust their leadership in order to promote health for their coworkers. The leaders in our study complemented each other through different approaches in order to answer the statement of problem.

Dagens arbetsliv håller på att förändras och coronapandemin påskyndade processen med distansarbete och digitaliseringen i arbetslivet. För att kunna prestera på distans underlättar det med ett bra självledarskap, men vi vill även undersöka sambandet mellan självledarskap och upplevelsen av distansarbetet.  Syfte och Frågeställningar Syftet med studien är att undersöka relationen mellan anställdas självledarskap och upplevelsen av arbetsmiljön under distansarbetet, för att belysa hur organisationer kan åtgärda och förbättra situationen för medarbetarna under vidare distansarbete. - Hur ser sambandet ut mellan anställdas självledarskap och upplevda arbetsmiljön under distansarbete? - Hur upplever de anställda sin psykosociala och fysiska arbetsmiljö under distansarbetet? - Hur kan organisationer förbättra självledarskapet och arbetsmiljön för sina anställda på distans? Material och metoder Studien baseras på en kvantitativ metod, där en webbaserad enkätstudie ligger till grund för analysen. Huvudresultat Generellt utövades ett högt självledarskap, oavsett bakgrund. Studien visar att de med ett högre självledarskap hanterade balans mellan arbete och fritid bättre. De har även lättare att strukturera och prioritera sina arbetsuppgifter under distansarbetet samt uppskattar de att vara mer tillgängliga för familjemedlemmar. Organisationer bör vid fortsatt distansarbete ta hänsyn till individuella aspekter hos de anställda, då valfriheten i att välja sin arbetskontext främjar både måendet och självledarskapet. Vidare bör organisationer uppmärksamma den brist på delaktighet och sociala kontakt med kollegor som de anställda upplever sämre. / Today's working life is changing and the corona pandemic accelerated processes of teleworking and digitalisation in working life. To be able to perform at a distance, it facilitates good self-leadership, but we also want to investigate the connection between self-leadership and the experience of distance work. Purpose and research questions The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between employees' self-leadership and the experience of the work environment during telework, to shed light on how organizations can remedy and improve the situation for employees during further telework. - What is the connection between employees' self-leadership and perceived work environment during telework? - How do the employees experience their psychosocial and physical work environment during the telework? - How can organizations improve self-leadership and the work environment for their employees remotely? Materials and methods The study is based on a quantitative method, where a web-based questionnaire study is the basis for analyzes. Results In general, a high level of self-leadership was exercised, regardless of background. The study shows that those with higher self-leadership handled the balance between work and leisure better. They also find it easier to structure and prioritize their work tasks during the distance work and they appreciate being more accessible to family members. When continuing telework, organizations should take into account the individual aspects of the employees, as the freedom of choice in choosing their work context promotes both the mind and self-leadership. Furthermore, organizations should pay attention to the lack of participation and social contact with colleagues that employees experience less.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur distansarbetare upplever förändringar i den fysiska- och psykosociala arbetsmiljön under covid-19-pandemin, med ett särskilt fokus på förändringar i balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv. Studien är baserad på kvalitativ metod. Datamaterialet samlades in via åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer och analyserades via en induktiv tematisk analys som resulterade i tre huvudteman och två till tre underteman. Resultatet visade att respondenterna upplevde förändringar i både den fysiska- och psykosociala arbetsmiljön och att distansarbetet bidragit till mindre vardagsstress och högre flexibilitet. Respondenterna hade däremot svårt med gränsdragningen mellan arbetslivet och privatlivet och de saknade den sociala interaktionen med arbetskollegorna. Respondenterna upplevde även att de blivit mer stillasittande och att de hade bristfällig ergonomisk arbetsutrustning. Det framkom även en tydlig brist på riktlinjer, utbildningar och utvärderingar gällande arbetsmiljön och balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv. Vidare önskar respondenterna en kombination av distansarbete och att arbeta fysiskt på arbetsplatsen i framtiden. / The purpose of the present study was to examine how teleworkers experience changes in the physical and psychosocial work environment during the covid-19 pandemic, with a special focus on changes in Work-Life Balance. The study is based on a qualitative method. Eight semi-structured interviews were analyzed by inductive thematic analysis, which resulted in three main themes and two to three sub-themes. The results indicated that the respondents experienced changes in both the physical and psychosocial work environment and the telework has contributed to reduced everyday stress and greater flexibility. However the respondents experienced difficulty with drawing the line between work and private life and a realization of the importance of social interaction with work colleagues. They experienced increased sedentary and inadequate work equipment. There was also a clear deficiency of guidelines, training and knowledge regarding physical and psychosocial work environment, as well as balance between work and private life. In the future the respondents wish to have a combination of telework and physical work at the workplace.

Bakgrund: År 2019 avslutades Covid-19 pandemin, sjukvården var några av de som blev mest drabbade av denna kris och som var med i kampen om att bekämpa viruset. Arbetsmiljön i form av den fysiska och psykiska delen påverkades inom sjukvården under denna svåra krissituation. Det förelåg brister inom vården redan innan pandemin och det blev därför en utmaning för sjukvården att hantera pandemin. Detta är något som ingår i chefernas arbete, att enligt svensk lag hantera arbetsmiljö på arbetsplatsen. Föreliggande studie undersöker hur arbetet kring den fysiska och psykiska arbetsmiljön har hanterats av sjukvårdschefer i tre olika faser, före-, under- och efterfasen. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap när det kommer till sjukvårdschefernas arbete med arbetsmiljön avseende Covid-19, där de centrala faserna är under- och efter-fasen och före-fasen bidrar med en kontext. Delarna av arbetsmiljön som undersökts är den fysiska och psykiska arbetsmiljön. Undersökningen bidrar med ökad förståelse för hur kriser som Covid-19 pandemin påverkar arbetsmiljön inom sjukvården och hur sjukvårdscheferna hanterararbetsmiljön. Metod: Metoden som används i föreliggande studie är den kvalitativa metoden. Författarna genomförde semistrukturerade intervjuer tillsammans med tio enhetschefer på sjukhusorganisationen för att samla in den primära datan för studien. Empiri och slutsats: Studien visar att den fysiska och psykiska arbetsmiljön var mest utsatt i under-fasen av pandemin med viss utsatthet även i efter-fasen där man nu försöker hjälpa de berörda inom personalgruppen med olika typer av stöd, till exempel krisstöd. Det visade sig att den fysiska och psykiska arbetsmiljön var hanterbar i före-fasen trots att arbetsmiljön redan då var under press. I efter-fasen försöker man komma tillbaka till ett normalläge såsom det var innan pandemin. / Background: In 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic ended, healthcare was some of the most affected by this crisis and was involved in the fight against the virus. The physical and psychological aspects of the work environment were affected in healthcare during this difficult crisis. There were already shortcomings in healthcare before the pandemic, so it became a challenge for healthcare to manage the pandemic. This is something that is included in the work of managers, to manage the work environment in accordance with Swedish law. The present study examines how the work on the physical and psychological work environment has been managed by healthcare managers in three different phases, before, during, and after the pandemic. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to contribute knowledge about the work of healthcare managers regarding the work environment with regard to Covid-19, where the central phases are the during and after phases, and the before phase contributes a context. The parts of the work environment investigated are the physical and psychological work environment. The study contributes an increased understanding of how crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic affect the work environment in healthcare and how healthcare managers manage the work environment. Method: The method used in the present study is the qualitative method. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with ten unit managers at the hospital organization to collect the primary data for the study. Empirics and conclusion: The study shows that the physical and psychological work environment was most vulnerable during the during-phase of the pandemic, with some vulnerability also in the after-phase where efforts are now being made to provide support to healthcare workers. It turned out that the physical and psycological work environment was manageable in the before-phase despite the fact that the working environment was already under pressure. In the after-phase, the goal is to return to a normal state as it was before the pandemic.