Detta är en kvalitativ flerfallsstudie som undersökt hur distansarbetet påverkat organisationskulturen hos företag inom IT-branschen. Detta har gjorts på ett abduktivt arbetssätt där teorin har grundat sig Edgar H. Scheins tre nivåer av organisationskultur samt en samling av för- och nackdelar med distansarbete. Empirin har samlats in via sex stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer där intervjuobjekten arbetat på sex olika IT-fokuserade företag. Genom det abduktiva arbetssättet identifierades fem stycken begrepp som vardera beskrev en egenskap inom distansarbetet. Dessutom hittades samband mellan dessa fem begrepp och hur de påverkade de tre nivåerna av organisationskultur. Detta samband kom att illustreras i en egen analysmodell.

Vi lever i en värld av ständig utveckling och för att vara konkurrenskraftiga behöver organisationer följa med i denna utveckling. En förutsättning för innovationer och förbättringsarbete är förmågan att göra organisationens medarbetare delaktiga i arbetet. I och med Covid-19-pandemin blev distansarbete det nya normala och synen på arbetsplatsen förändrades. Den här studiens syfte har varit att bidra med kunskap om hur ledare och medarbetare ser på möjligheter till delaktighet vid ett flexibelt arbetssätt. Studien bygger på en kvalitativ ansats med intervjuer av ledare och medarbetare i en offentlig organisation. Organisationen som valdes hade nyligen infört ett flexibelt arbetssätt i samband med återgången efter Covid-19 pandemin. I studien framkom sju teman som på olika sätt har betydelse för förutsättningarna att skapa delaktighet i arbetet. Dessa teman var Autonomi, Kommunikation, Relationer och gruppidentitet, Utveckling, Produktivitet, Tillit och Ledarskap. En möjlighet som framkom i studien var ett ökat inflytande över beslut rörande arbetstid och -plats. Studien visar på att en av de större utmaningarna för delaktighet är kommunikation, främst rör detta hybridmöten och avsaknaden av spontana interaktioner. I studien framkommer också att ledare behöver skapa bra strukturer för kommunikation för att främja både de sociala banden och de arbetsrelaterade uppgifterna. Ledare behöver också vara närvarande och uppmärksamma varje medarbetare så att dessa känner sig inkluderade och sedda, även när arbetet sker på distans. / We live in a world of constant change and to be competitive, organizations need to keep up with this development. A prerequisite for innovations and improvements is the organization's ability to involve its employees. With the Covid-19 pandemic, working from home became the new norm and the perception of the workplace changed. The purpose of this study has been to contribute knowledge of how leaders and employees view opportunities for participation when working flexible. The study is based on a qualitative approach with interviews of leaders and employees in a public organization. The studied organization had recently introduced a flexible way of working when returning to the workplace after the Covid-19 pandemic. The study revealed seven themes that in different ways are important for creating employee participation. These themes were Autonomy, Communication, Relationships and Group Identity, Development, Productivity, Trust and Leadership. One possibility for participation that emerged in the study was an increased influence on decisions regarding working arrangements. The study shows that one of the major challenges for participation is communication, mainly concerning hybrid meetings and the lack of spontaneous interactions. The study also shows that leaders need to create good structures for communication to promote both the social ties and the work-related tasks. Leaders also need to be present and pay attention to each employee so that they feel included and seen, even when working remotely. / <p>2022-06-05</p>

När COVID-19 pandemin slog till över hela världen i början av 2020 tvingades företag snabbt agera för att hantera medarbetarna och deras arbete. Denna studie undersöker hur företag hanterade informationssäkerhet när arbete flyttades från kontor till hem, och vilka lärdomar som kan dras för att identifiera framgångsfaktorer och fallgropar vid framtida hantering av krissituationer. En stor utmaning vid övergången till distansarbete var bristen på säkerhetsspecialister och utbildning inom säkerhet, samt en bristande förståelse för de risker som följer med hanteringen av företagsinformation och data. Syftet med studiens frågeställning ”Vilka lärdomar kan dras gällande informationssäkerhet från omställningen från kontor till hemarbete i samband med pandemin?” är att ge företag och organisationer en djupare förståelse och medvetenhet för att undvika tidigare misstag och ta efter andra företags framgångsrika metoder för hantering av krissituationer. Studien har utförts i form av en ansikte-mot-ansikte-undersökning och data har samlats in genom sju semi-strukturerade intervjuer. För att analysera den insamlade data har en tematisk analys genomförts. Resultaten av studien visat att förberedelser, hög medvetenhet och förståelse för säkerhet hos medarbetare, kontinuerlig utbildning, placering av säkerhetsansvariga på rätt plats och ett effektivt samspel mellan chefer och medarbetare markant ökar chanserna att hantera en krissituation utan större påverkan. / When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in early 2020, companies were forced to act quickly to manage employees and their work. This study examines how companies handled information security when work moved from the office to the home, and what lessons can be learned to identify success factors and pitfalls in future crisis management. A major challenge in the transition to remote work was the lack of security specialists and training in security, as well as a lack of understanding of the risks that come with handling company information and data. The purpose of the study's question "What lessons can be learned regarding information security from the transition from office to working from home in connection with the pandemic?" is to give companies and organizations a deeper understanding and awareness to avoid past mistakes and to imitate other companies' successful methods of handling crisis situations. The study has been carried out in the form of a face-to-face-survey and data has been collected through seven semi-structured interviews. To analyse the collected data, a thematic analysis has been carried out. The results of the study showed that preparation, high awareness and understanding of security among employees, continuous training, placement of security officers in the right place and an effective interaction between managers and employees significantly increase the chances of handling a crisis without major impact.

Forskningen om digitala nomader i turismsammanhang har främst fokuserat på att förstå och definiera fenomenet. Dock finns det begränsad forskning gällande digitala nomader på destinationsnivå. Denna studie belyser digitala nomader och hur de resonerar kring val av destination. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats där åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer utförts samt en netnografisk studie på det sociala forumet Reddit. Därefter har en tematisk analys applicerats på den insamlade empirin. Som resultat har nio teman identifierats. Ur dessa teman har, bland annat, krav och preferenser på en destination, sociala aspekter och ekonomiska anpassningar visat sig relevanta i val av destination hos digitala nomader. En viktig aspekt som framkommit genom samtliga delar i studien är det karaktärsdrag hos digitala nomader som kombinerar jobb och fritid under resan. Som resultat till detta kan det konstateras att detta segment har mer specifika krav på destinationer. Destinationer ska därför fungera både i en social aspekt, som arbetsplats och som en fritidsarena. Avslutningsvis föreslås vidare forskning för att skapa en större förståelse för detta segments resmönster och tillfälliga hemmiljöer. / Digital nomadism in tourism research has focused on understanding and defining this phenomenon. However, little research has been conducted on the connection between digital nomads and their destination choices. Based on a qualitative approach with combined interview and netnographic methods, this paper aims to illustrate digital nomads and the factors influencing e their choice of destination. A thematic analysis was applied to the collected data, resulting in the identification of nine themes. Preferences and demands in a destination, personal finances, and social aspects, amongst others, are some of the factors that have an impact on destination choice for digital nomads. A key characteristic found throughout the study is the leisure and business combination that digital nomads have in their way of traveling. As a result, it can be ascertained that this market segment has precise demands on destinations. Destinations must therefore serve as an arena for remote work, networking, and leisure. Lastly, suggestions for further research are presented in two areas: to create a better understating of this segment’s travel patterns and their use of temporary bases as home environments.

User involvement has been championed as essential for the success of IT projects, both by practitioners as well as academia. Traditionally, user involvement activities between clients and consultants have been conducted in physical closeness. However, maintaining this closeness became increasingly challenging when people were largely required to work remotely during the years of 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on this abrupt change in the physical proximity in the client-consultant relationships we wanted to see how well digital communication media could support user involvement activities in a remote setting and explore potential opportunities and challenges related to the digital substitutes. Our results show that digital communication media make the development of relational aspects in the client-consultant relationship, such as trust, closeness and engagement challenging. On the other hand, when discussing user involvement tasks such as workshops and prototyping sessions, the consultants displayed positive attitudes towards using digital media. Lastly, there are opportunities and challenges that exist within the realm of remote user involvement, all of which depend on contextual factors such as task complexity, information characteristics and lastly the interpersonal needs of a given client-consultant relationship.

Современные трансформации социальных структур, появление новых технологий, информатизация, глобализация формируют необходимость в адаптации и преобразовании деятельности предприятия. Динамическое и непрерывное развитие сегодня являются обязательным условием выживания организации, ответом на процессы, которые происходят во внутренней и внешней среде. В рамках совершенствования организационных процессов особую значимость приобретает проблема управления психосоциальными факторами на рабочем месте. / Modern transformations of social structures, the emergence of new technologies, informatization, globalization form the need for adaptation and transformation of the enterprise. Dynamic and continuous development today is a prerequisite for the survival of the organization, a response to the processes that occur in the internal and external environment. As part of the improvement of organizational processes, the problem of managing psychosocial factors in the workplace is of particular importance.

Work from Home (WFH) gained momentum as a result of the pandemic. When large portions of the world were under government mandated lockdowns, and forced to institute WFH, companies began to slowly realize that the WFH model come with significant benefits such as the possibility to reduce office space or obtaining access to talent globally. Employees too are incentivized to WFH as it allows them more freedom in where to live, reduce commuting costs, and allow employees to space out work during the day and better manage energy levels. The thesis investigated cybersecurity and information security risks connected to the WFH model through collecting qualitative data by conducting a systematic literature review to gain background knowledge on the topic which was then used to create the interview guide that was used to carry out semi-structured interviews with four heterogeneous Swedish companies of various sizes, working in different fields. The SLR identified social engineering attacks in general, and phishing attacks in particular, to be the greatest threat to employees working in a WFH model suggesting employee security awareness training to be the key security measure in protecting the WFH model. The semi-structured interviews revealed that companies working in a WFH model have also drawn the same conclusion and have made significant efforts to raise security awareness through employee training programs.

Many companies implemented remote work procedures during the pandemic and for many organizations video meetings have since remained a staple. Remote working has enabled employees to be more flexible with their schedules and technical solutions such as live captioning has been identified as potentially enabling deaf/hard-of-hearing employees during meetings. However with new procedures comes concern about how we potentially can be affected by the changes. Some earlier research has shown that speech intelligibility can be improved by the inclusion of text support, but they also raised the possibility that it could have unwanted adverse effects on cognitive abilities (Zhong, Noud et al., 2022). This study was conducted with this focus, studying the effects of text support on specifically listening effort and comprehension during normal as well as adverse conditions (featuring added noise). To investigate the effects of text support a 2 (Noise, No Noise) x 2 (Text Support, No Text Support) design was used. The participants were shown 16 short videos simulating video meetings and after each video were asked to rate their perceived listening effort as well as a comprehension question about the contents of the discussion. Each of the four conditions were equally represented but the order of the specific video files and conditions that applied were randomised for each participant to mitigate undue effects. The results of the study indicate that the presence of captions decrease effort and raise comprehension in both normal and adverse conditions. Noise was found to strongly effect the listening effort required by participants but no significant effect was found upon comprehension. Some concerns regarding the ecological validity were identified during the course of the study such as only studying energetic noise and unrealistic presentation of captions. However the results are nonetheless believed to be generalizable in most regards and showcase that captions can have a positive influence during video meetings.

Before the pandemic, many public sectors were heavily dependent on American cloud services. When the pandemic broke out, remote work became a necessity, making existing communication systems like Skype, email, and file sharing crucial to support this transition. The joint project dSam (Digital Collaboration Platform for the Public Sector) has investigated and evaluated the market for suitable solutions that are both secure and meet legal requirements. The project was completed in the autumn of 2022 and delivered a report that included the tools tested and met the basic requirements. Organizations would then, in connection with procurement, consider the additional requirements they have for a service adapted to their own operations. The main purpose of this study is to investigate and understand the factors influencing the procurement of digital information systems within the public sector, as well as to gain an understanding of the interaction between people and technology that can provide insights into how behaviors and attitudes can be optimized for successful procurement. The empirical material consists of semi‐structured interviews with authorities, supplemented with observations. These data were analyzed based on Orlikowskiʹs (1992) structuration theory. The studyʹs results identify ten factors that strongly influence the procurement of digital information systems in the public sector. Additionally, a significant research gap regarding theories on IT artifacts is identified. / Före pandemin var många offentliga sektorer starkt beroende av amerikanska molntjänster. När pandemin bröt ut blev distansarbete en nödvändighet, vilket gjorde befintliga kommunikationssystem som Skype, e‐post och fildelning avgörande för att stödja denna omställning. Det gemensamma projektet dSam (Digital samarbetsplattform för offentlig sektor) har undersökt och utvärderat marknaden efter lämpliga lösningar som både är säkra och uppfyller de juridiska kraven. Projektet avslutades hösten 2022 och levererade en rapport som innehöll de verktyg som testats och uppfyllde de grundläggande kraven. Organisationerna skulle sedan, i samband med upphandling, utgå från de övriga krav som organisationerna ställer på en tjänst anpassad för egen verksamhet. Huvudsyftet med denna studie är att undersöka och förstå de faktorer som påverkar upphandlingen av digitala informationssystem inom den offentliga sektorn samt ge en förståelse för samspelet mellan människor och teknik som kan ge insikter om hur beteenden och attityder kan optimeras för att uppnå en framgångsrik upphandling. Det empiriska materialet består av semistrukturerade intervjuer med myndigheter kompletterat med observationer Dessa data analyserades med utgångspunkt från Orlikowskis (1992) strukturationsteori. Studiens resultat identifierar tio faktorer som starkt påverkar upphandling av digitala informationssystem i offentlig sektor. Dessutom identifieras ett betydande forskningsgap rörande teorier om IT‐artefakter.

Les études sur le travail à distance post-COVID-19 portent en grand nombre sur la pérennisation de cette forme d’organisation du travail (Nguyen, 2021) et les conditions qui s’imposent (Chambel et al, 2022). Les définitions du travail à distance sont nombreuses et divergent à certains égards. Cependant, les travaux actuels indiquent que certains postes s’y prêtent mieux que d’autres (Tremblay et Demers, s.d. ; OCDE, 2021). Toutefois, peu de recherches arrivent à faire le lien entre les tâches et caractéristiques des postes à l’efficacité du télétravail. D’où notre question de recherche : Quels sont les effets des caractéristiques des tâches sur l’ajustement au travail à distance ? Notre mémoire vise à évaluer l’efficacité du télétravail en mettant l’emphase sur les tâches et les caractéristiques qui composent les postes de travail. Nous mobilisons la théorie des caractéristiques d’emploi (Job Characteristics Model) et des théories subséquentes, ainsi que la théorie de l’ajustement au travail pour examiner l’efficacité des modalités de travail à distance. Les facteurs qui contribuent à l’organisation des modalités de travail à distance et à leur efficacité sont examinés. Nous estimons que la créativité, le traitement de l’information, la résolution de problème, le travail d’équipe et l’autonomie caractérisent tout emploi à des niveaux et des degrés différents. Ces éléments fondamentaux influencent l’efficacité des télétravailleurs. Ils sont cependant modérés par l’accès des télétravailleurs à des conditions adéquates de télétravail, du soutien des organisations et de la connectivité organisationnelle. L’efficacité du travail à distance influence à son tour les états psychologiques des travailleurs qui sont plus susceptibles de conduire à des résultats de travail favorables. Notre mémoire se base sur une base de données de 893 répondants recueillie par la Chaire BMO en diversité et Gouvernance de l’Université de Montréal. Nos résultats montrent l’existence d’un lien positif entre l’autonomie au travail et l’efficacité du travail à distance alors que la résolution de problème l’influence négativement. Les conditions de travail à distance contribuent à une plus grande autonomie au travail et stimulent la créativité. Le soutien organisationnel facilite le travail d’équipe alors que la connectivité organisationnelle contribue dans la résolution de problème et le traitement de l’information. Du point de vue théorique, notre recherche contribue aux nouvelles connaissances sur les caractéristiques des tâches et améliore le JCM en l’adaptant à un contexte de télétravail, en fonction des nouvelles études. Du point de vue de la pratique, les gestionnaires devraient cibler l’outil à mettre en place en fonction de la tâche à exécuter afin d’assurer l’efficacité de l’organisation du télétravail. / A large number of studies on post-COVID-19 telework focus on the sustainability of this form of work organization (Nguyen, 2021) and the conditions that are required (Chambel et al, 2022). Definitions of remote work are numerous and divergent in some respects. However, current research indicates that some positions are better suited to it than others (Tremblay and Demers, n.d.; OECD, 2021). However, little research is able to link job tasks and characteristics to the effectiveness of telecommuting. Hence our research question: What are the effects of task characteristics on the effectiveness of telework organization? The aim of our dissertation is to assess the effectiveness of telecommuting, focusing on the tasks and characteristics that make up workstations. We mobilize Job Characteristics Model and subsequent theories, as well as Work Adjustment Theory, to examine the effectiveness of telecommuting work arrangements. Factors that contribute to the organization and effectiveness of remote work arrangements are examined. We believe that creativity, information processing, problem-solving, teamwork and autonomy characterize all jobs to varying degrees and levels. These fundamental elements influence the effectiveness of teleworkers. They are, however, moderated by teleworkers' access to adequate teleworking conditions, organizational support and organizational connectivity. Telework efficiency in turn influences workers' psychological states, which are more likely to lead to favorable work outcomes. Our brief is based on a database of 893 respondents collected by the BMO Chair in Diversity and Governance at the Université de Montréal. Our results show a positive link between autonomy at work and the effectiveness of remote work, while problem solving has a negative influence. Remote working conditions contribute to greater autonomy at work and stimulate creativity. Organizational support facilitates teamwork, while organizational connectivity contributes to problem-solving and information processing. As a consequence, our research contributes to new knowledge on task characteristics and improve the JCM by adapting it to a telecommuting context based on new studies. From a practical point of view, managers should target the tool to be implemented according to the task to be performed, to ensure effective telecommuting organization. The aim of this study is to contribute to scientific research by highlighting adjustment to remote work regarding tasks in the context of remote work.