Generationsväxling i offentlig sektor : En kvalitativ studie om det kommunala arbetet medpensionsavgångar

Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur en medelstor kommun kan arbeta strategiskt med problematiken gällande kompetensförlust samt att vara en attraktiv arbetsgivare inför kommande pensionsavgångar. Vidare syftar studien till att, utifrån resultatet, arbeta fram ett förslag till HR-strategi för den problematik de förestående pensionsavgångarna för med sig. För att få svar på våra undersökningsfrågor har vi utfört en fallstudie i Falu kommun och för denna använt oss av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra personer i chefsposition och en mångfaldskommunikatör, samt en fokusgrupp bestående av fyra medarbetare från HR-avdelningen. Detta gav oss flera perspektiv på problematiken, vilket vi anser stärker tillförlitligheten i resultatet. I efterhand kan vi dock se att ett större antal intervjupersoner hade varit att föredra, detta för att få fler medarbetares tankar och åsikter om ämnet. Emellertid var detta inte möjligt då chefer i kommunen var svåra att få kontakt med.Resultatet visar att uppfattningen om pensionsavgångar är varierande då en av respondenterna menar att det inte är något att oroa sig över, medan övriga respondenter anser att det är en stor utmaning kommunen har framför sig. Resultatet visar även att Falu kommun i dagsläget arbetar strategiskt med ett flertal olika åtgärder för att stärka sitt arbetsgivarmärke externt såsom exempelvis ambassadörskap och talent management, vilket tidigare forskning visar är en nödvändighet för en organisations konkurrenskraft och således attrahera samt behålla medarbetare. Gällande kompetensöverföring visar resultatet att det idag finns en medvetenhet om riskerna för kompetensförluster. Dock utförs ett begränsat arbete för att överföra viktiga kompetenser, åtminstone med syfte att hantera den risk för kompetensförlust som väntas i och med den förestående generationsväxlingen. Tidigare forskning inom området pensionsavgångar visar dock att förlusten av viktiga kompetenser är det största hotet.Vår slutsats av denna studie är att Falu kommun är på rätt väg att hantera den problematik som förväntas uppstå, dock behöver kommunen öka medvetenheten genom kommunikation och intern marknadsföring samt arbeta samman en gemensam syn på pensionsavgångarna i alla förvaltningar. Vi menar även att det är av stor vikt att se över kompetenserna i organisationen och börja agera för att inte mista viktiga kompetenser i och med de förestående pensionsavgångarna. Detta är områden som behandlas i det förslag till HR-strategi vi har arbetat fram.

Movies and meaning : studying audience, fiction film and existential matters

In what ways and under what circumstances can a movie be a resource for individuals and their thoughts about existential matters? This central research question has been investigated using a both quantitative and qualitative approach. First, a questionnaire was distributed amongst 179 Swedish students to provide a preliminary overview of film habits. The questionnaire was also used as a tool for selecting respondents to individual interviews. Second, focus group and individual interviews were conducted, with viewers choosing their favourite movie of all time. In the study socio-cognitive theory and a schema-based theoretical tool is adopted to analyze how different viewers make use of movies as cultural products in an interplay between culture and cognition in three contexts; a socio-historic process, a socio-cultural interaction with the world and inner psychological processes. The viewers in the study seem to be inspired by movies as a mediated cultural resource, promoting the development of a personal moral framework with references to values deeply fostered by a humanistic tradition. It is argued that these findings support theories discussing individualised meaning making, developing ‘self-expression values’ and ‘altruistic individualism’ in contemporary western society.

The Passionate Combining Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are portrayed as salient drivers of regional development and for a number of years nascent entrepreneurs have been studied in a large number of countries as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor project and the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics. Scholars have devoted much effort to investigating factors that determine how individuals engage in entrepreneurial activities, with most of the discussion limited to business start-ups. However, since this type of project does not follow identical nascent entrepreneurs over time, limited knowledge exists about their development and whether they stay in this nascent phase for a long time. In practice, it is common for entrepreneurs to run a business and at the same time work in wage work, so-called combining entrepreneurs. In Sweden, almost half of all business owners combine wage work with a business. However, not all combining entrepreneurs will eventually decide to leave the wage work and invest fully in the business. Consequently, much research has focused on the first step of entering entrepreneurship full time, but less has focused on the second step, the transition from the combining phase to full-time self-employment. The aim of this thesis is therefore to contribute to the theory of entrepreneurship by gaining a deeper understanding of combining entrepreneurs and their motives and intentions.   In the context of combining entrepreneurs, the theory of identity, resources and choice overload has been used to examine how entrepreneurs’ age (when starting the business), entrepreneurial tenure (the length of engagement in the side-business), hours spent (weekly involvement in the side-business), involvement in entrepreneurial teams (leading the business with one or more partners) and involvement in networks (business networks) influence their passion for engaging in entrepreneurship while sustaining wage work. Different categories of combining entrepreneurs and their intentions have also been examined.   A survey was administered to 1457 entrepreneurs within the creative sector in two counties in Sweden (Gävleborgs County and Jämtlands County). Since there were no separate mailing lists to only combining entrepreneurs, the survey was sent to all entrepreneurs within the chosen industry and counties. The total response rate was 33.5 percent and of them 57.6 percent combined, yielding 262 combining entrepreneurs who answered the questionnaire. The survey was then followed up with eight focus group interviews and two single interviews to validate the answers from the questionnaire.   The results indicate three types of combining entrepreneurs: nascent – with the intention to leave the combining phase for a transition into full-time self-employment, lifestyle – with the intention to stay in the combining phase, and occasional – with the intention to leave the combining phase for full-time wage work and close down the business. Transitioning fully to self-employment increases with the individual’s age. Also, a positive interactive effect exists with involvement in entrepreneurial networks. The results also indicate that the ability to work with something one is passionate about is the top motive for combining wage work with a side-business. Passion is also more likely to be the main motive behind the combining form among individuals who are older at business start-up, but passion is less likely to be the main motive behind the combining form among individuals who spend more time on the business. The longer the individual has had the side-business, the less likely passion is the main motive behind the combining form, and passion is less likely to be the main motive among those who are part of an entrepreneurial team.

Anmälningspliktens komplexitet : En kvalitativ studie om förskolepersonals upplevelser av anmälningsprocesser

I föreliggande kvalitativa studie var syftet att undersöka hur förskolepersonal upplever och resonerar i anmälningsprocesser samt vilka aspekter de anser vara främjande respektive hindrande för arbetet i dessa. Studiens empiriska material har samlats in genom fokusgruppsintervjuer och individuella intervjuer. Det övergripande resultatet visar att förskolepersonal upplever anmälningsprocesser som komplexa då de måste förhålla sig till omständigheter på såväl en mikro- som en mezzo- och makronivå. Omständigheterna utgörs bland annat av individuella roller och rollkonflikter, gruppdiskussioner och hänsynstagande till kollegor samt rådande samhällsnormer. Det är också den upplevda komplexiteten i anmälningsprocesserna som gör att förskolepersonal resonerar huruvida en anmälan ska göras eller inte. Detta resultat stämmer väl överens med tidigare forskning gjord på området men är något som inte överensstämmer med lagstiftarens intentioner. Resultatet visar vidare på att förskolepersonal anser det som främjande med stöd och rådgivning från kollegor och andra professioner för att få hjälp med arbetet i anmälningsprocesserna.

To achieve safe and respectful maternity care in tertiary level hospitals in Nepal, relatives are a valued addition to the provision of maternity care

Introduction: The White Ribbon Alliance for safe motherhood believes respectful maternity care is the universal right of every childbearing woman. Methods: NHRC in 2012 approved an inquiry of respectful care at facility-based childbirth. Individual-, focus group interviews and content analysis was used for gathering and analysis of data. Findings: The participating women and the SBAs shared similar views, and this was that together the SBAs and relatives ensured the women remained within the comfort and safety zone when giving birth in a tertiary level maternity unit. Conclusion: The SBAs strategy of having relatives provides basic care alongside the provision of medical care by the SBAs is a strategy that Nepal could use to improve the quality of its maternity care without any additional costs. Clinical implication: Prenatal classes might contribute to preparing relatives. Further Research: Further research could evaluate such a strategy in order to determine its effectiveness in reduction of morbidity and mortality.

Flipped classroom and learning strategies

This paper seeks to answer the research question "How does the flipped classroom affect students’ learning strategies?" In e-learning research, several studies have focused on how students and teachers perceive the flipped classroom approach. In general, these studies have reported pleasing results. Nonetheless, few, if any, studies have attempted to find out the potential effects of the flipped classroom approach on how students learn. This study was based on two cases: 1) a business modelling course and 2) a research methodology course. In both cases, participating students were from information systems courses at Dalarna University in Sweden. Recorded lectures replaced regular lectures. The recorded lectures were followed by seminars that focused on the learning content of each lecture in various ways. Three weeks after the final seminar, we arranged for two focus group interviews to take place in each course, with 8 to 10 students participating in each group. We asked open questions on how the students thought they had been affected and more dedicated questions that were generated from a literature study on the effects of flipped classroom courses. These questions dealt with issues about mobility, the potential for repeating lectures, formative feedback, the role of seminars, responsibility, empowerment, lectures before seminars, and any problems encountered. Our results show that, in general, students thought differently about learning after the courses in relation to more traditional approaches, especially regarding the need to be more active. Most students enjoyed the mobility aspect and the accessibility of recorded lectures, although a few claimed it demanded a more disciplined attitude. Most students also expressed a feeling of increased activity and responsibility when participating in seminars. Some even felt empowered because they could influence seminar content. The length of and possibility to navigate in recorded lectures was also considered important. The arrangement of the seminar rooms should promote face-to-face discussions. Finally, the types of questions and tasks were found to affect the outcomes of the seminars. The overall conclusion with regard to students’ learning strategies is that to be an active, responsible, empowered, and critical student you have to be an informed student with possibilities and mandate to influence how, where and when to learn and be able to receive continuous feedback during the learning process. Flipped classroom can support such learning.

Shared decision-making in mental health care : a user perspective on decisional needs in community-based services

BACKGROUND: Shared decision-making (SDM) is an emergent research topic in the field of mental health care and is considered to be a central component of a recovery-oriented system. Despite the evidence suggesting the benefits of this change in the power relationship between users and practitioners, the method has not been widely implemented in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate decisional and information needs among users with mental illness as a prerequisite for the development of a decision support tool aimed at supporting SDM in community-based mental health services in Sweden. METHODS: Three semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 22 adult users with mental illness. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using a directed content analysis. This method was used to develop an in-depth understanding of the decisional process as well as to validate and conceptually extend Elwyn et al.'s model of SDM. RESULTS: The model Elwyn et al. have created for SDM in somatic care fits well for mental health services, both in terms of process and content. However, the results also suggest an extension of the model because decisions related to mental illness are often complex and involve a number of life domains. Issues related to social context and individual recovery point to the need for a preparation phase focused on establishing cooperation and mutual understanding as well as a clear follow-up phase that allows for feedback and adjustments to the decision-making process. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The current study contributes to a deeper understanding of decisional and information needs among users of community-based mental health services that may reduce barriers to participation in decision-making. The results also shed light on attitudinal, relationship-based, and cognitive factors that are important to consider in adapting SDM in the mental health system.

Perceptions of Sustainability and Functional Aspects on Liquid Carton Board Packaging Materials versus Competing Materials for Juice Applications in Sweden

This research explores the downstream perceptions of liquid carton board versus competing materials in packaging applications for juice. The methodology used is focus groups. The context is sustainability and functional performance, and related potential implications for the beverage industry value chain. The purpose is to get a deeper insight and understanding of functionality in relation to juice beverage packaging. The results confirm that there is no optimal packaging for every juice product, but a multitude, depending on the distribution channel, retail outlet, customer preferences, and context of consumption. There are some general packaging preferences, but the main deciding criteria for purchase seem to be the product characteristics in terms of quality, taste, brand, price and shelf life. For marketing reasons, packaging has to be adopted to the product and its positioning, liquid carton board packaging seem to have some functional advantages in distribution and is considered as sustainable and functional among many consumers. Major drawbacks seem to be shape limitations, lack of transparency, and lack of a “premium look”. To improve packaging performance and avoid sub-optimization, actors in the beverage industry value chain need to be integrated in development processes.

Satisfação de clientes em instituições sem fins lucrativos : um estudo de caso : avaliando as percepções dos públicos envolvidos

Este trabalho de conclusão aborda a satisfação de clientes em uma organização sem fins lucrativos. Através de um estudo de caso, procedeu-se uma avaliação qualitativa por meio de observação participante do pesquisador, percepções dos professores e acadêmicos envolvidos no atendimento prestado pelo Serviço de Nutrição do Centro Universitário Franciscano- UNIFRA, e também dos usuários finais do serviço. Objetivou-se, assim, avaliar como a satisfação de clientes é gerenciada neste serviço, usando-se as variáveis de pesquisa: estratégia, sistemas e pessoas como norteadoras das investigações efetuadas. Com o intuito de atingir os propósitos do estudo, o público envolvido no atendimento, composto por coordenador do serviço e professores, foi ouvido por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas. No público constituído de acadêmicos que prestam o atendimento e usuários do serviço foi utilizada a técnica de entrevista de grupos focalizados. Para o tratamento dos dados coletados procedeu-se a sua descrição, análise e interpretação. A análise dos resultados foi apresentada em blocos que contemplam: estratégia, sistemas e pessoas. As opiniões emitidas pelos públicos consultados e a observação do pesquisador apontaram acertos e oportunidades de melhoria no serviço prestado, dando indicativos de dimensões importantes para o gerenciamento da satisfação de clientes deste serviço.

Combining collaborative and content-based filtering to recommend research papers

The number of research papers available today is growing at a staggering rate, generating a huge amount of information that people cannot keep up with. According to a tendency indicated by the United States’ National Science Foundation, more than 10 million new papers will be published in the next 20 years. Because most of these papers will be available on the Web, this research focus on exploring issues on recommending research papers to users, in order to directly lead users to papers of their interest. Recommender systems are used to recommend items to users among a huge stream of available items, according to users’ interests. This research focuses on the two most prevalent techniques to date, namely Content-Based Filtering and Collaborative Filtering. The first explores the text of the paper itself, recommending items similar in content to the ones the user has rated in the past. The second explores the citation web existing among papers. As these two techniques have complementary advantages, we explored hybrid approaches to recommending research papers. We created standalone and hybrid versions of algorithms and evaluated them through both offline experiments on a database of 102,295 papers, and an online experiment with 110 users. Our results show that the two techniques can be successfully combined to recommend papers. The coverage is also increased at the level of 100% in the hybrid algorithms. In addition, we found that different algorithms are more suitable for recommending different kinds of papers. Finally, we verified that users’ research experience influences the way users perceive recommendations. In parallel, we found that there are no significant differences in recommending papers for users from different countries. However, our results showed that users’ interacting with a research paper Recommender Systems are much happier when the interface is presented in the user’s native language, regardless the language that the papers are written. Therefore, an interface should be tailored to the user’s mother language.

Dificuldades no processo de ensino: aprendizagem em matemática no 1. e 2. graus

Este estudo trata das dificuldades que os professores de matemática encontram na sua prática diária de sala de aula, dificuldades estas que sempre existiram e parecem persistir apesar das tentativas de solucioná-las. O trabalho desenvolveu-se através de entrevistas, ob servações de aulas e reuniões de área. Os maiores problemas apontados foram: formação do professor, conteúdo programático, aprendizagem, avaliação e dificuldades dos alunos. Cada um destes itens foi aprofundado sempre que necessario. Procurou-se esclarecer todos e com isto encontrar caminhos. Após caracterizá-los, passou-se às dificuldades dos alunos; são enfocadas apenas as mais significativas, segundo os professores. Foi aplicado um teste onde muitas delas se confirmaram. Concluiu-se que a prática da matemática em nossas escolas continua ineficiente. O seu ensino não acompanha as necessidades da sociedade, os professores tendem a abandonar a profissão por causa dos baixos salários, os alunos são reprovados em massa e abandonam seus estudos, os livros apenas acrescentam ou retiram conteúdos, as escolas continuam formando alunos passivos e pouco criticos em relação à matemáti ca. Muitas tentativas ainda serão feitas mas nao se pode contar com a certeza do retorno porque o professor não é valorizado e nem ouvido quando se trata de apresentar propostas. Os poucos resultados positivos observados partiram deles que sempre procuram soluções práticas e não dispendiosas para resolver seus problemas. Finalizando o trabalho foram apresentadas sugestões dos professores e se acredita que muitas produzem resultado positivo em pouco tempo.

Competências operacionais em redes de manufatura: uma análise sob a perspectiva coevolucionária

Esta tese tem como objetivo principal investigar como ocorre a disseminação de competências operacionais entre matriz e unidades fabris de redes de manufatura. Este objetivo principal se desdobra em cinco objetivos secundários: (i) Definir o conceito de competência operacional; (ii) Identificar os possíveis fatores que influenciam a disseminação de competências operacionais em rede de manufatura sob a ótica de seus atores; (iii) Identificar as possíveis inter-relações entre esses fatores que possam favorecer a disseminação de competências operacionais em uma rede de manufatura, sob a percepção dos atores; (iv) Investigar e analisar como as organizações interagem para promover o reforço ou a criação de competências operacionais entre suas diversas unidades, observando sua dinâmica e a interação entre os atores; (v) Analisar como a combinação entre fatores internos (nível micro) e fatores externos (do ambiente competitivo) influenciam e são influenciados por essa dinâmica. Para tanto, apresenta-se uma pesquisa qualitativa no campo de Estratégia de Operações baseada na Teoria da Coevolução, dividida em dois estudos. O primeiro estudo, de cunho exploratório, procura identifica os antecedentes da disseminação de competências. Através da condução de um focus group e posteriormente entrevistas semi-estruturadas com Executivos de Operações, foi possível elencar os principais fatores que influenciam o processo de disseminação de competências. O segundo trabalho é um estudo de casos múltiplos, conduzido com 4 redes de manufatura. Pode-se observar que a coevolução das unidades fabris e disseminação de competências é um processo gradativo, possui fatores motivacionais cumulativos, envolve atores de dimensões distintas e com velocidade de absorção distintos. A partir dos achados, foi possível identificar que a maturidade da construção de competências operacionais evolui ao passo do nível de maturidade que a manufatura se encontra.

Impact assessment and quality analysis of corporate social responsability (CSR) programs of mining companies and their contribution to sustainable development in the communities they operate: case study Tenke Fungurume Mining SA in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Purpose – This case study presents an impact assessment of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs of the TFM Company in order to understand how they contribute to the sustainable development of communities in areas in which they operate. Design/Methodology/Approach - Data for this study was collected using qualitative data methods that included semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions most of them audio and video recorded. Documentary analysis and a field visit were also undertaken for the purpose of quality analysis of the CSR programs on the terrain. Data collected was analyzed using the Seven Questions to sustainability (7Qs) framework, an evaluation tool developed by the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) North America chapter. Content analysis method was on the other hand used to examine the interviews and FGDs of the study participants. Findings - Results shows that CSR programs of TFM SA do contribute to community development, as there have been notable changes in the communities’ living conditions. But whether they have contributed to sustainable development is not yet the case as programs that enhance the capacity of communities and other stakeholders to support these projects development beyond the implementation stage and the mines operation lifetime need to be considered and implemented. Originality/Value – In DRC, there is paucity of information of research studies that focus on impact assessment of CSR programs in general and specifically those of mining companies and their contribution to sustainable development of local communities. Many of the available studies cover issues of minerals and conflict or conflict minerals as mostly referred to. This study addressees this gap.

Ética na pesquisa em Administração

Ethics on scientific research is approached and often discussed in several areas of knowledge connected to health. In the Administration area there are very few studies which approach the topic of ethics on research. The present paper tried to fill in this gap in the production of knowledge about the topic, investigating how the ethical principles found in the literature and in the codes of conduct are noticed and taken into account in Administration research activities developed by acting researchers in Administration Post Graduation Programs. Theoretically speaking, the study was based mainly on the approaches by Creswell (2007) and Bell and Bryman (2007), which discuss the research ethical principles. Methodologically speaking it was all about an exploratory kind of study, with qualitative research approach. Upon data collection, personal interviews were made aiming at its depth and focus groups were formed. The first stage had interviews with four experienced researchers who took part on a teaching and researching event and on the second stage we used the focus group technique. The focus groups were done in four college institutions along with the post graduation programs in Administration in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba and Pernambuco, in Brazil. The results suggest the existence of general principles and parameters for the scientific research recommended in the literature and on official resolution. However, in the Administration area, there are only a few recommendations of good practices when it comes to submitting articles for scientific publications but we found no guidance with ethical principles and parameters which cover all the activities in the scientific research and which specifically meet the research particularities in Administration. The main ethical dilemma pointed by the researchers refers to ethical questions which arise at the time of data collection and on disclosing the results. Most researchers do not know the guidelines and the ethical norms on ethics about research that we have in our country neither do they send in their projects to the research ethics committee. When dilemma arises, they decide the ethical question based on their values and common sense. These elements confirm the thesis that the researcher s procedure in the research activities in Administration is predominantly signed by personal values or by common sense and less by ethical principles, whether by not knowing the normative instruments related to ethics or by disagreeing with any disciplining rules on ethical behavior in the research

Estudo psicossocial das perdas dentárias na terceira idade

The present study seeks to understand tooth loss by investigating the social representations in the daily life of elderly individuals, thus characterizing itself as a comparative and analytic research. It is known that tooth loss is a common occurrence in elderly individuals, interfering at the psychosocial and biological levels, through its functional, esthetical and social implications. The area of oral health in Brazil is lacking studies on this topic, especially with respect to the psychosocial aspects of the elderly. The Theory of Social Representations and the Central Nucleus Theory were selected for theoretical-methodological support. The Free Association of Words Test was used, whose inducing stimulus were the words tooth loss , in which each subject was asked to associate 3 words, to respond to a questionnaire related to socio-economic conditions and containing an investigation of tooth loss, access to odontological services and the need for dental treatment, and to undergo a focus group interview. The study sample consisted of 120 individuals 60 years of age or over, resident in Natal, RN, Brazil and participants of the Live Together to Live Better group of the Basic Health Unit of Felipe Camarão Residential District and Unati (Open University of the Elderly); an interview was performed with 36 subjects. Data analysis was performed by Evoc 2000, SPSS/99, Graph Pad and Alceste softwares. The results demonstrate that the central nucleus of the social representations of tooth loss for the Live Together group emerged from the difficulty in eating categories, showing a relation between physiologic necessity, desire and pleasure from eating, not to mention the pain that resulted from justifying the tooth loss. Besides the central discourses, the following peripheral elements were gathered: difficulty in adapting to the prosthesis, treatment and difficulty in speaking. All of these categories, except the last, also comprised the class themes of the group interview. For the Unati group the central nucleus emerged from the socio-economic difficulties categories, demonstrating a narrow relation between poverty, access to health and education and esthetics, confirming in the discourse of common sense, the association between tooth loss and aging. At the margin of the central discourses was collected the peripheral element difficulty in adapting to the prosthesis, found both in the Live Together and Unati groups, which expresses the resistance of the subject to this new situation and the failure of the rehabilitation treatment in the sense of reviving the memory of their natural teeth. All of these categories also constitute the class themes of the of the group interview. Thus, through the study of the social representations, we can reveal a reality in the perspective of the social subjects, contemplating the multiple facets of the social-cultural reality experienced by these individuals