Samverkan mellan föräldrar och skola har troligen förekommit så länge det har funnits utbildning för unga, om än i olika hög utsträckning och med olika utgångspunkter. Utifrån de senaste 80 årens syn på hur och varför lärare och föräldrar ska samverka, beskrivs den nuvarande strukturen för samverkan mellan skola och hem utifrån kritisk realism och Erikssons (2004) principer för samverkan mellan skola och hem. I studien intervjuas fem legitimerade lärare som är verksamma på högstadiet om sina kontakter med föräldrar. Intervjuerna analyseras teoretiskt utifrån kritisk realism. Utifrån dessa intervjuer kartläggs den nuvarande strukturen för samverkan mellan skola och hem, de mekanismer som påverkar strukturen samt tänkbara effekter som den rådande strukturen har på elevers likvärdighet och lärares psykosociala arbetsmiljö. Resultatet visar att lärare och föräldrar samverkar utifrån olika principer, vilket får konsekvenser i en otydlighet i vad de olika aktörerna kan bestämma över. Otydligheten ger utrymme för brister i elevers likvärdighet och påverkar lärares psykosociala arbetsmiljö. För skolledare, lärare och andra verksamma inom skolans värld är det av vikt att förstå vilka mekanismer som påverkar lärare när de samverkar med vårdnadshavare. För lärare kan det underlätta de olika beslut som direkt och indirekt rör elevers likvärdighet. Skolledare behöver förstå vad lärare har att hantera, för att kunna göra skolan till en eftertraktad arbetsplats, dit fler människor söker sig. / Interaction between parents and school has probably existed as long as there has been education for young people, albeit to different extent and with different starting points. Based on the past 80 years’ view on how and why teachers and parents should co-operate, the present structure for interaction between school and home is described based on critical realism and Eriksson’s (2004) principles for interaction between school and home. In the study, five qualified teachers working in upper secondary school are interviewed regarding their contacts with parents. The interviews are theoretically analyzed based on critical realism. Based on these interviews the current structure for interaction between school and home, the mechanisms affecting the structure and plausible effects which the current structure has on the equivalence of students and psycho-social work environment of teachers are mapped out. The results show that teachers and parents interact based on different principles, which results in lack of clarity regarding what the different participants can decide. This lack of clarity may lead to shortcomings regarding the equality of students and the psycho-social work environment of teachers. It is important that principals, teachers and others working in schools understand which mechanisms affect teachers when they interact with parents. For teachers, it may make it easier to make decisions which directly and indirectly involve the equivalence of students. Principals need to understand what teachers have to face in order to make the school a desirable workplace, to which more people are attracted.

The aim of the thesis was to investigate and analyze howproject members at operative level experience industrialproject work. The project goal, alongside the time limits,methods applied, and cooperation, were envisaged to set theprerequisites for the work situation. Four empirical studies,based on both qualitative and quantitative methods, areencompassed by this thesis. In total, 31 companies and 298respondents were involved in the studies. The studies wereperformed in product-development and construction settingswithin the mechanical engineering industry. The analysis showsthat project work is characterized by: 1) Goal-focusedcooperation in flexible and changeable work groups. Demandscompetence for cooperation; interaction and communicationconstantly adjusted to problem-solving processes; and jointactivities for goal definition. 2) Treating time as a resource.A fast pace of work demands shared responsibilities in a team;unconstrained interaction and communication; and socialsupport. Scarce time resources give rise to the risk ofneglecting needs for long-term knowledge development. 3)Development and insecurity. Development makes contingency-basedsupervision and planning needed, together with team-basedplanning and goal formulation. High levels of developmentstimulate knowledge and improvements to routines and practices.Technological development also entails insecurity, whichrequires the ability mentally to cope with flexibility andcontinuous adjustments. <b>Keywords:</b>Project organization, Project work, Projectmanagement, Project team, Product development, Constructionprojects, Psychosocial work environment.

<p>The aim of the thesis was to investigate and analyze howproject members at operative level experience industrialproject work. The project goal, alongside the time limits,methods applied, and cooperation, were envisaged to set theprerequisites for the work situation. Four empirical studies,based on both qualitative and quantitative methods, areencompassed by this thesis. In total, 31 companies and 298respondents were involved in the studies. The studies wereperformed in product-development and construction settingswithin the mechanical engineering industry. The analysis showsthat project work is characterized by: 1) Goal-focusedcooperation in flexible and changeable work groups. Demandscompetence for cooperation; interaction and communicationconstantly adjusted to problem-solving processes; and jointactivities for goal definition. 2) Treating time as a resource.A fast pace of work demands shared responsibilities in a team;unconstrained interaction and communication; and socialsupport. Scarce time resources give rise to the risk ofneglecting needs for long-term knowledge development. 3)Development and insecurity. Development makes contingency-basedsupervision and planning needed, together with team-basedplanning and goal formulation. High levels of developmentstimulate knowledge and improvements to routines and practices.Technological development also entails insecurity, whichrequires the ability mentally to cope with flexibility andcontinuous adjustments.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>Project organization, Project work, Projectmanagement, Project team, Product development, Constructionprojects, Psychosocial work environment.</p>

Background: The high levels of sickness absence and disability pensioning experienced during the 1990's and 2000's have become both socially as well as financially burdensome for society. Sickness absence implies a costly loss of production for society and large groups of individuals are risking to become marginalised on the labour market. Sickness absence is both a public health and an economic problem. Thus from both a human approach as well as from an economic perspective it is urgent to increase knowledge about what influences individual behaviour when it comes to sickness absence and return to work. Objectives: The overall aim of the thesis is to elucidate the decisive factors for explaining sickness absence. Three different aspects of sickness absence were considered, i.e. factors leading to sickness absence, factors preventing sickness absence and factors leading back to work ability and work when being sickness absent. This is done using a frame of reference involving broadly defined areas of work, health and social insurance related factors. Material and methods: Study I analyzes the outcome of unemployed sick-listed individuals. A total of 280 individuals from the county of Värmland were followed through register data between the years 2000 to 2001. Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the occurrence of short and long term economic incentives. Study II has a longitudinal design and explores determinants of return to work. Sick-listed individuals with a stress-related psychiatric diagnosis from the county of Värmland were analyzed over a period of three years (2000-2003) using logistic regression. The data comprised 911 individuals. Study III is a cross-sectional study using questionnaire data from the county of Värmland from year 2004. A total of 3123 persons either working or being self employed were analyzed on determinants of work presence through logistic regression. Study IV had a cross-sectional design and used questionnaire data from five counties in central Sweden. The data, from 2004, comprised 10536 individuals being employed, i.e. not self-employed, and with self reported physical and mental medical conditions. Logistic regression was mainly used in the analysis and the focus was on risk factors for long term sickness absence. Study V comprises cross-sectional data retrieved at three separate occasions between 1991 and 1994. It includes 8839 individuals from five counties in western Sweden with sickness absence spells over 60 days. The data was analysed through bi-variate probit regression with a focus on effects of vocational rehabilitation on return to work. Results: The results from study I were interpreted as that both short and long term economic incentives matter for the outcome of sickness absence through the interaction of different insurance systems. The principal findings from study II was that age, gender and factors implying less favourable health characteristics and thereby lower work capacity, reduce probabilities of returning to work after long term sickness absence. Considering study III determinants of work presence were found to vary between sexes and whether the determinants were counteracting long or short term sickness absence. Factors interpreted as job control counteracted short term absence. Sense of coherence was found to be an important determinant of work presence for women. In study IV long term sickness absence was found to be related to the level of ill-health. Moreover it was concluded that work environment factors as job strain, job satisfaction, physical work environment were important factors for explaining sickness absence in a population with impaired health. The results from study V indicated that vocational rehabilitation is a potentially effective instrument for improving the individual's work ability and chances of return to work. That no signs of prioritizing selection of rehabilitation participants to those likely to return to work with or without rehabilitation measures, i.e. "managerial creaming", were found was also considered as important results. Conclusions: This thesis shows that we need different models and approaches to improve knowledge about the various aspects of sickness absence as entry into absence, return to work or into disability retirement. It also has the implications that sickness absence behaviour can be influenced. Largely depending on what long term path is chosen for welfare policy at the political level it should be acknowledged that other means, improving working conditions and promoting rehabilitation rather than reducing benefit levels and narrowing the eligibility criteria for the insurance benefits are at hand.