The role of entrepreneurial networking on internationalization of a micro-sized Born Global Swedish fashion company : A narrative ethnographic research

Background: In recent studies a lot of attention is drawn to the connection between networking and entrepreneurship. Many scholars consider successful business and networking inseparable. Taking into consideration the topicality of the two notions discussed above the authors of this thesis decided to conduct the research dedicated to these phenomena in the field that interests them most – in the field of Swedish fashion. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to gain a deeper insight into entrepreneur’s experiences to point out the role of entrepreneurial networking in the process of internationalization of a micro-sized Swedish fashion company and to contribute to the research in this field by telling its unique story. Method: To achieve the purpose of the research a narrative ethnographic research was conducted. This research strategy was chosen because it suits the purpose best by giving an opportunity to get fresh insights into the field of entrepreneurial networking from the point of view of the entrepreneur. The data collected has a narrative nature therefore narrative analysis is used to present it. The methods of gathering the data are face-to-face interview and documents. Conclusion: we can define the most important role of entrepreneurial networking on the internationalization process of Odeur as an effective accelerator and a tool to fulfil the knowledge and expertise gaps in certain areas through other actors in the network.

'Moving On' and Transitional Bridges : Studies on migration, violence and wellbeing in encounters with Somali-born women and the maternity health care in Sweden

During the latest decade Somali-born women with experiences of long-lasting war followed by migration have increasingly encountered Swedish maternity care, where antenatal care midwives are assigned to ask questions about exposure to violence. The overall aim in this thesis was to gain deeper understanding of Somali-born women’s wellbeing and needs during the parallel transitions of migration to Sweden and childbearing, focusing on maternity healthcare encounters and violence. Data were obtained from medical records (paper I), qualitative interviews with Somali-born women (II, III) and Swedish antenatal care midwives (IV). Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used. Compared to pregnancies of Swedish-born women, Somali-born women’s pregnancies demonstrated later booking and less visits to antenatal care, more maternal morbidity but less psychiatric treatment, less medical pain relief during delivery and more emergency caesarean sections and small-for-gestational-age infants (I). Political violence with broken societal structures before migration contributed to up-rootedness, limited healthcare and absent state-based support to women subjected to violence, which reinforced reliance on social networks, own endurance and faith in Somalia (II). After migration, sources of wellbeing were a pragmatic “moving-on” approach including faith and motherhood, combined with social coherence. Lawful rights for women were appreciated but could concurrently risk creating power tensions in partner relationships. Generally, the Somali-born women associated the midwife more with providing medical care than with overall wellbeing or concerns about violence, but new societal resources were parallel incorporated with known resources (III). Midwives strived for woman-centered approaches beyond ethnicity and culture in care encounters, with language, social gaps and divergent views on violence as potential barriers in violence inquiry. Somali-born women’s strength and contentment were highlighted, and ongoing violence seldom encountered according to the midwives experiences (IV). Pragmatism including “moving on” combined with support from family and social networks, indicate capability to cope with violence and migration-related stress. However, this must be balanced against potential unspoken needs at individual level in care encounters.With trustful relationships, optimized interaction and networking with local Somali communities and across professions, the antenatal midwife can have a “bridging-function” in balancing between dual societies and contribute to healthy transitions in the new society.

Being a bridge : Swedish antenatal care midwives’ encounters with Somali-born women and questions of violence; a qualitative study

Background: Violence against women is associated with serious health problems, including adverse maternal and child health. Antenatal care (ANC) midwives are increasingly expected to implement the routine of identifying exposure to violence. An increase of Somali born refugee women in Sweden, their reported adverse childbearing health and possible links to violence pose a challenge to the Swedish maternity health care system. Thus, the aim was to explore ways ANC midwives in Sweden work with Somali born women and the questions of exposure to violence. Methods: Qualitative individual interviews with 17 midwives working with Somali-born women in nine ANC clinics in Sweden were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The midwives strived to focus on the individual woman beyond ethnicity and cultural differences. In relation to the Somali born women, they navigated between different definitions of violence, ways of handling adversities in life and social contexts, guided by experience based knowledge and collegial support. Seldom was ongoing violence encountered. The Somali-born women’s’ strengths and contentment were highlighted, however, language skills were considered central for a Somali-born woman’s access to rights and support in the Swedish society. Shared language, trustful relationships, patience, and networking were important aspects in the work with violence among Somali-born women. Conclusion: Focus on the individual woman and skills in inter-cultural communication increases possibilities of overcoming social distances. This enhances midwives’ ability to identify Somali born woman’s resources and needs regarding violence disclosure and support. Although routine use of professional interpretation is implemented, it might not fully provide nuances and social safety needed for violence disclosure. Thus, patience and trusting relationships are fundamental in work with violence among Somali born women. In collaboration with social networks and other health care and social work professions, the midwife can be a bridge and contribute to increased awareness of rights and support for Somali-born women in a new society.

Medarbetarundersökningens roll i chefernas arbetsmiljöarbete : En kvalitativ studie hos Trafikverket

En god arbetsmiljö är en lagstadgad rättighet för arbetstagaren enligt Arbetsmiljölagen. Arbetet med att säkerställa en god arbetsmiljö kallas arbetsmiljöarbete och är en nyckelfaktor för att skapa hälsosamma och attraktiva arbetsplatser. Medarbetarundersökningar är en undersökningsmetod i det systematiska arbetsmiljöarbetet men kan också användas i syfte att ta reda på medarbetarnas uppfattningar om sin arbetssituation med målet att skapa verksamhetsförbättringar. I denna studie har syftet varit att undersöka vilken roll som medarbetarundersökningen spelar i chefernas arbetsmiljöarbete. Studien undersökte hur cheferna arbetar med arbetsmiljöarbete och hur arbetet med resultatet från en medarbetarundersökning genomförts. Studien genomfördes på en funktion med tre organisationsnivåer och bygger på 12 kvalitativa intervjuer med funktions-, avdelnings- och enhetschefer. Studien visar att medarbetarundersökningen spelar en viktig roll i chefernas arbetsmiljöarbete på alla organisationsnivåer både som diskussionsunderlag i ledningsgrupper och i dialogen med medarbetarna samt som bevis på att genomförda arbetsmiljöinsatser fungerar. Enhetscheferna använder både medarbetarundersökningen och andra undersökningsmetoder i sitt arbetsmiljöarbete.

HR-funktionens förändrade roll : En studie om linjechefers uppfattning av HR-funktionen i Falu och Avesta kommun

Traditionellt har HR-arbetet främst varit fokuserat på administrativa uppgifter och inte ansetts vara tillräckligt effektivt och värdeskapande. För att HR-arbetet ska bli mer strategiskt behöver funktionen organiseras så att den tillgodoser dessa behov (Boglind et al, 2013). Vi menar att HR-funktionens relation till ledare och linjechefer är avgörande för hur framgångsrikt deras arbete blir. Syftet med detta arbete är därför att undersöka hur chefer uppfattar HR-funktionens förändrade roll och vilken typ av stöd de förväntar sig av den. Vi vill också undersöka om uppfattningen av HR-funktionen skiljer sig åt beroende på hur den är organiserad. Undersökningen är baserad på en multipel fallstudie utförd på Falu och Avesta kommun. Totalt har tretton djupintervjuer genomförts, där fem personer representerar HR-avdelningarna och åtta personer representerar linjecheferna. Falu kommun började genomföra en HR-transformation vid årsskiftet 2013/2014, Avesta kommun har inte genomfört en HR-transformation utan har funktionen uppdelad i två team. Av empirin framkommer att linjecheferna i båda kommunerna har en ganska vag uppfattning om HR-funktionens organisation och trots de strukturella skillnaderna mellan kommunerna efterfrågar linjecheferna något mer. I Avesta är samtliga respondenter överens om att en samsyn kring HR-funktionens arbetsuppgifter inte finns på grund av att en tydlig strategi för HR-funktionen saknas. Cheferna i Avesta efterfrågar ett arbete med personalfrågor från grunden samt ett mer strategiskt arbete. I Falun visar empirin att linjechefer och HR-personer har olika åsikter kring huruvida det finns en samsyn. Även om flera linjechefer i Falun anser att HR-funktionen fungerar bättre efter transformationen efterfrågar samtliga en kontakt med en specifik HR-person istället för att kontakta ett HR-center. Trots att de organisationer vi studerat har HR-funktioner som skiljer sig åt i storlek och struktur kan vi konstatera många likheter. Vi drar därför slutsatsen att de problem som linjecheferna beskriver inte är relaterade till HR-avdelningens organisering, utan snarare kan kopplas till en obalans i HR-arbetets inneboende dualitet som uppstått i och med ett mer strategiskt fokus. Vi anser att båda kommunernas HR-funktioner bör ha en tydlig och kontinuerlig dialog med linjecheferna för att maximera värdeskapandet dem emellan. Sammanfattningsvis menar vi att kommunerna bör lägga fokus på att identifiera vilka aspekter av personalarbetet som är värdefulla och unika för just deras organisation samt arbeta strategiskt utifrån dessa.

Systematic work environment management : experiences from implementation in Swedish small-scale enterprises

Small-scale enterprises face difficulties in fulfilling the regulations for organising Systematic Work Environment Management. This study compared three groups of small-scale manufacturing enterprises with and without support for implementing the provision. Two implementation methods, supervised and network method, were used. The third group worked according to their own ideas. Twenty-three enterprises participated. The effects of the implementation were evaluated after one year by semi-structured dialogue with the manager and safety representative. Each enterprise was classified on compliance with ten demands concerning the provision. The work environment was estimated by the WEST-method. Impact of the implementation on daily work was also studied. At the follow-up, the enterprises in the supervised method reported slightly more improvements in the fulfilment of the demands in the provision than the enterprises in the network method and the enterprises working on their own did. The effect of the project reached the employees faster in the enterprises with the supervised method. In general, the work environment improved to some extent in all enterprises. Extensive support to small-scale enterprises in terms of advise and networking aimed to fulfil the regulations of Systematic Work Environment Management had limited effect especially considering the cost of applying these methods.

Distriktssköterskors upplevelser och erfarenheter av patientundervisning till personer med diabetes – utifrån ett personcentrerat förhållningssätt : En kvalitativ studie

Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva distriktssköterskors upplevelser och erfarenheter av patientundervisning till patienter med diabetes samt att identifiera aspekter som kan relateras till ett personcentrerat förhållningssätt. Metod: Deskriptiv design med kvalitativ ansats med semistrukturerade intervjuer användes vid datainsamlingen. Vid urvalet användes strategiskt urval. Nio intervjuer utfördes med distriktssköterskor på sex olika vårdcentraler i Mellansverige. Vid analysen användes kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Distriktssköterskorna önskade mer kunskap om invandrares kost- och motionsvanor. Distriktssköterskorna uttryckte att det var roligt och spännande med patientundervisning och att det var viktigt att de var engagerade. Distriktssköterskorna ville arbeta mer i team och de upplevde att de hade för lite tid avsatt för patientundervisning. De ansåg att de arbetade personcentrerat men det var svårare att arbeta personcentrerat vid gruppundervisning än vid enskild undervisning. Slutsats: Distriktssköterskor bör ha god kunskap om kulturella skillnader hos patienter med diabetes. Distriktssköterskorna upplever brist på tid- och resurser och önskar samarbeta mera i team. Det är viktigt med ett personcentrerat förhållningssätt där distriktssköterskorna utgår från den enskilda individen. En distriktssköterska som är engagerad och trivs med sitt arbete kan lättare klara av det ökade trycket och arbetsbelastningen.

Student Thesis Level: Master’s Thesis in Business Administration Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) networking : A case study on why members join CSR network and why are they sharing their knowledge

Purpose – This research focuses on finding the reasons, why members from different sectors join a cross-sector/multi-stakeholder CSR network and what motivates them to share (or not to share) their knowledge of CSR and their best practices. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the largest cross-sector CSR network in Sweden. The sample base of 15 people was chosen to be able to represent a wider variety of members from each participating sectors. As well as the CEO of the intermediary organization was interviewed. The interviews were conducted via email and telephone. Findings – The findings include several reasons linked to the business case of CSR such as stakeholder pressure, competitive advantage, legitimacy and reputation as well as new reasons like the importance of CSR, and the access of further knowledge in the field. Further reasons are in line with members wanting to join a network, such as access to contact or having personal contacts. As to why members are sharing their CSR knowledge, the findings indicate to inspire others, to show CSR commitment, to be visible, it leads to business opportunity and the access of others knowledge, and because it was requested. Reasons for not sharing their knowledge would be the lack of opportunity, lack of time and the lack of experience to do so. Originality/value – The research contributes to existing studies, which focused on Corporate Social Responsibility and cross-sector networking as well as to inter-organizational knowledge sharing in the field of CSR.

The effects of Kanban in software development teams : a study of the implementation at Sandvik

In software development organizations there is sometimes a need for change. In order to meet continuously increasing demands from their customers, Sandvik IT Services- SITS, at Sandvik in Sweden, required improving the way they worked with software development. Due to issues like a lot of work in progress and lot of simultaneous tasks for individuals in the teams that caused stress, it was almost impossible to address the question of working with improvements. In order to enable the improvement process Kanban was introduced in the software development teams. Kanban for software development is a change method created by David J. Anderson. The purpose of this thesis is twofold. One part is to assess what effects Kanban has had on the software development teams. The other part is to make a documentation of the Kanban implementation process at SITS. The documentation has been made on the basis of both company internal resources and observations of the Kanban implementation process. The effects of Kanban have been researched with an interview survey to the teams that have gone through the Kick start of the Kanban process. The result of the thesis is also twofold. One part of the result is an extensive documentation of the implementation process of Kanban at SITS. The other part is an assessment of the effects that Kanban has had at SITS. The major effects have been that the teams are experiencing less stress, more focus on quality and better customer collaboration. It is also evident is that it takes time for some effects to evolve when implementing Kanban

Methods and background characteristics of the TOHNN study : a population-based study of oral health conditions in northern Norway

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the Tromstannen - Oral Health in Northern Norway (TOHNN) study was to investigate oral health and dental-related diseases in an adult population. This article provides an overview of the background of the study and a description of the sample characteristics and methods employed in data collection. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional population-based study including a questionnaire and clinical dental examination. METHODS: A randomly selected sample of 2,909 individuals (20-79 years old) drawn from the population register was invited to participate in the study. The data were collected between October 2013 and November 2014 in Troms County in northern Norway. The questionnaire focused on oral health-related behaviours and attitudes, oral health-related quality of life, sense of coherence, dental anxiety and symptoms from the temporomandibular joint. The dental examinations, including radiographs, were conducted by 11 dental teams in 5 dental offices. The examination comprised of registration of dental caries, full mouth periodontal status, temporomandibular disorders, mucosal lesions and height and weight. The participants were grouped by age (20-34, 35-49, 50-64 and 65-79) and ethnicity (Norwegian, Sámi, other European and other world). RESULTS: From the original sample of 2,909 individuals, 1,986 (68.3%) people participated, of whom 1,019 (51.3%) were women. The highest attendance rate was among women 20-34 years old (80.3%) and the lowest in the oldest age group of women (55.4%). There was no difference in response rate between rural and urban areas. There was a positive correlation between population size and household gross income (p < 0.001) and education level (p < 0.001). The majority of Sámi resided in smaller municipalities. In larger cities, most participants used private dental health care services, whereas, in rural areas, most participants used the public dental health care service. CONCLUSION: The TOHNN study has the potential to generate new knowledge on a wide range of oral health conditions beneficial to the population in Troms County. Due to the high participation rate, generalization both nationally and to the circumpolar area ought to be possible.