Background: Employees are undertaking a vital role in challenging the organizational practices that are contributing to the issues in contemporary society. Prior research has noted the generational shift in workplaces as an increased share of Millennials are bringing their values of sustainability to work. Employees engaging in actions to generate social change, also known as employee activism, is assumed to have either adversary or advocacy impact for organizations. Yet, what factors affect Millennials in practicing employee activism for change towards sustainability has not been proposed, thus this research will help to understand the perspectives of employees to advance current knowledge.  Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore Millennials’ engagement in employee activism that as a result contributes to a sustainability change in Swedish workplaces. Method: The research uses an interpretivist lens to inspect nine employees' experiences through semi-structured interviews. The research compliments as well as extends existing knowledge through an inductive approach. Conclusion: The findings indicate several enablers and/or inhibitors on three levels. Firstly on a personal level, based on an individual's personality and attitude. Secondly, in terms of interpersonal relationships, relations within the workplace was recognized as a factor. Thirdly, on an organizational level, the structure of a company and employment were also deemed as affecting significantly the activism behaviors. In addition, the findings also suggest a rising recognition of the concept among employees as well as the steps that led to improvements in organizational practices.

Lucretia Coffin Mott, in an era filled with events the significance of which reverberates today, spoke publicly about issues of societal and ethical concern. This study focuses on her work as a nineteenth-century female Quaker minister who through public speaking educated adults about the following: abolition of slavery, rights of women, and peaceful ways to address injustice. Separate chapters explore each of these three vital issues. Lucretia Mott ranks as a pioneer female public speaker. At a time that barred women's speaking in public, she spoke about significant issues. Her speaking admitted her to the company of American women who pioneered in speaking publicly. These endeavors to speak to "promiscuous" audiences, those comprised of adult males and females, also admitted her to the company of women who endured criticism, insults, and peril. Through a process of education, these women changed history and shaped culture. Lucretia Mott's Quaker perspective, her way with spoken words, and her womanhood distinguished her work as an educator in public forums and settings that ranged from religious meetings to the lyceum and conventions called to consider issues of national import. What could have prepared this Quaker minister--active in public domains for more than fifty years--for a place among the pioneers who advocated and practiced the right of women to speak purposefully in public forums? Lucretia Mott's commitment to the Society of Friends enabled her to be a pathfinder both in education and on important issues. Therefore, Chapter Two presents an exploration of Quaker history, spirituality, and practices to inform for purposes of historic educational analysis and interpretation. References in historical works to noteworthy innovations that originated from efforts by Quakers in American society and to successes in business sparked this inquiry. This study examined her speeches to see how they reflected Quaker principles and practices and her work as a pioneer public speaker who educated about societal and ethical issues. The study concludes that her work was energized because she knew her history, she questioned her world and she lived her faith. / Ph. D.

This essay compares the figurative language of Bob Dylan’s albums The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964) and Highway 61 Revisited (1965), with a focus on how Dylan remained engaged with societal injustices and human rights as he switched from acoustic to fronting a rock ‘n’ roll band. The essay argues that Dylan kept his critical stance on social issues, and that the poet’s usage of figurative language became more expressive and complex in the later album. In the earlier album Dylan’s critique, as seen in his use of figurative language, is presented in a more obvious manner in comparison to Highway 61 Revisited, where the figurative language is more vivid, and with a more embedded critical stance. / Uppsatsen jämför det figurativa språket i Bob Dylans skivor The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964) och Highway 61 Revisited (1965), med ett fokus på hur Dylan fortsatte vara engagerad inom samhällsfrågor och mänskliga rättigheter när han gick över från akustisk solomusik till att leda ett rockband. Uppsatsen argumenterar för att Dylan behöll sin kritiska syn på samhällsfrågor, och att poetens användning av figurativt språk blev mer expressivt och komplext i det senare albumet. I det tidigare albumet är Dylans kritik, som den framstår i hans användning av figurativt språk, presenterad mer direkt i jämförelse med Highway 61 Revisited, där det figurativa språket är mer levande och innehåller en mer förtäckt kritik.

The thesis takes a research through design approach to identify the potential of a storytelling board game concept to raise awareness about societal challenges. Knowledge of existing serious game examples illustrating the social issues, designing a board game prototype iteratively, and evaluating with co-creation sessions helped to comprehend the potential of the subject. The thesis, with an iterative process, focuses on one case study, designing a board game called “Can you survive?”. The game uses storytelling to relay stories about refugees’ hardships caused by language and communication barriers to its players. The research process was supported by several co-creation workshops, including game playing and focus group sessions, to advance the board game in terms of making it more impactful and evolving the rules while gathering insights about the game and the players’ thoughts about the game topic. As a result of the research process, the final version of the board game was designed. The study demonstrates that a board game using narrative elements can be a cooperative tool to communicate societal issues with the goal of raising awareness. The results show the players agree that the game drives them to understand the challenges based on the subject and develop different points of view. Even if the case study focuses only on the experience of the ups and downs of the language barrier refugees deal with, it may also be applicable to some other social issues. The study also shows that co-creation sessions to test the prototype with the target groups brought unconsidered perspectives that advance the game mechanics and help to make it more impactful. Having a limited amount of research and design about storytelling game concepts illustrating the serious topics by using board games, this thesis offers that serious game design researchers should consider the storytelling board games aimed at raising attention on societal issues since it helps players to engage, motivate and create empathy. Moreover, it stresses the possibility of serious game design concepts to be used to promote awareness of social problems, not only for training or education purposes.

No description available.