Syftet med litteraturstudien är att undersöka organisatoriska och sociala faktorer som påverkar arbetsmiljön för produktionsnära chefer och tjänstepersoner i den internationella bygg- och anläggningsindustrin.

Resultaten visar att även om många studier fokuserar på individers upplevda psykosociala arbetsmiljö finns problemen och möjligheterna att hitta i termer av handlingsutrymme, krav, resurser och stöd, det vill säga i den organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljön. Litteraturen kan delas in i tre övrgripande teman: copingsstrategier för stress, utbrändhet, och balans mellan arbete och privatliv. Forskningen om copingstrategier visar att organisatoriska förutsättningar i form av feedback och resurstilldelning för beslutstagande är viktigt för individers hantering av stressrelaterade problem. Studier om utbrändhet eller utmattningssyndrom som det numera benämns i svensk kontext pekar på att handlingsutrymme är en viktig faktor för att inte drabbas av utmattning. Slutligen, studier om balansen mellan arbete och privatliv visar på att organisatoriska omständigheter spelar en stor roll för att hitta just en balans, exempelvis genom att införa rutiner för hur tillgänglig en chef ska vara utanför normal arbetstid och se över chefers arbetstid så att det inte blir frågan om övertidsarbete under långa perioder.

En slutsats som kan dras är att arbetsgivare behöver ta hänsyn till den sammantagna bilden av kraven för dessa grupper då deras omständigheter kan kräva särskilda insatser i arbetsmiljöarbetet.

Syftet med denna delrapport är att dels beskriva byggprocessens mest centrala delar, dels beskriva platschefernas arbetssituation i bygg- och anläggningsindustrin.

Den första delen av delrapporten redovisar byggprocessens generella delar utifrån den beskrivning som görs av denna i Hansson, m.fl. bok ”Byggledning Produktion” (2021). Den andra delen där två platschefers arbetssituation redovisas bygger på två intervjuer med en platschef från ett byggprojekt och en platschef från ett anläggningsprojekt. Resultaten visar att platscheferna uppvisar ett stort intresse för sina respektive arbeten men att det samtidigt ställs höga krav på dem som individer i fråga om arbetsprestation och till viss del arbetstid och tillgänglighet.

The mining industry is undergoing a transformation driven by the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, implementing autonomous trucks, drones, positions systems, and similar technologies. This article, drawing on experiences and observations from several studies conducted in the mining industry, explores the impact of these technologies on mining work. It identifies eight key potential changes in working conditions. Firstly, routine and dangerous tasks are increasingly automated, reducing physical strain but potentially leading to job displacement and increased maintenance demands. Secondly, operators and managers are shifting toward handling disturbances and training algorithms, as AI takes over decision-making processes. Thirdly, managers are responsible for more capital with fewer people, potentially altering managerial roles and spans of control. Fourthly, the global connectivity of operations makes the world both larger and smaller, with a universal language blurring boundaries. Fifthly, work becomes location-independent, allowing for remote operation and management. Sixthly, the distinction between work and private life blurs, with increased availability expected from operators and managers. Seventhly, technology expands human senses, providing real-time data and situational awareness. Eighthly and lastly, the pervasive collection and retention of data create a scenario where one’s history is inescapable, raising concerns about data ownership and privacy. These changes necessitate a strategic response from the mining industry to ensure socially sustainable technology development and to attract a future workforce.

This study examines differences in leadership behaviors and in the perceived work environment between older and younger managers in a large Swedish mining company. The leadership behaviors and work environment of young managers in the mining industry will become more important in the future due to the changes taking place in the industry. Such changes include the older generation of managers reaching retirement age, while the industry generally finds it difficult to recruit a younger generation of employees. Moreover, rapid technology-centered transition, such as the green transition of the mining industry, is underway which may put young managers in particular under pressure. Meanwhile, research on young managers in the mining industry more broadly is sparse. Data for this study was mainly gathered via a questionnaire, complemented by data from interviews. The questionnaire included 48 validated self-rate questions on background variables, social and organizational working conditions, health, and leadership behavior. The survey was answered by 216 managers (response rate: 63%). Interviews were carried out with ten young managers (35 years or younger). The study found no statistically significant differences between younger and older managers with regards to workload, working hours, health, and work satisfaction. We found that older managers rate themselves higher, at a statistically significant level, for change-oriented leadership behaviors. However, when age is analyzed together with other variables that are significantly different between the two groups, only managerial experience and managerial positions show statistically significant associations with change-oriented and healthy and effective leadership behaviors. The interviews indicate that the young managers encounter challenges that are related to their experience and training, but few are related to their age. Given the influence of managerial experience on leadership behaviors, leadership training appears to be an important area of intervention, and conditions must be improved to enable change-oriented leadership among managers in the mining industry, with a greater focus on young managers.

The mining industry is facing a technological shift with Industry 4.0 creating new conditions for mining. This is often referred to as Mining 4.0. To succeed through the technological shift, the industry need to handle several challenges wisely, such as how to utilise the new digital technology to promote sustainable work environments, how to recruit skilled workers to the industry, and how to manage organisational challenges as a result of the technological shift. This scoping literature review examines a large field of literature on how Mining 4.0 might affect the mining industry in areas such as work environment, competences, organisation and society, and what can be done to promote sustainability going forward. The paper also identifies several areas that have not been explored in previous research. These include empirical studies on the effects of the technological shift brought about by Mining 4.0 on work environments, and how to attract younger generations to mining to ensure sustainability in the industry going forward.

Digitalization and automation technology offer new possibilities to increase productivity and obtain higher levels of autonomy in mining operations. Introducing autonomous systems into mining is not only a technical problem in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, nor a problem of safety in human-automation interactions. The systems also need to be designed and developed so that they foster healthy and attractive working environments. The design and development phase of new mining technology has not been extensively studied previously. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated technology developers’ basic assumptions about humans and their interactions with the technology they develop. We conducted five semi-structured workshops within an EU funded project concerned with developing digitalization and automation solutions for the mining industry. The data suggests that many critical functions will still be under human control in future mining systems. The results also indicate increased complexity in the interaction between autonomous systems and humans as the technology becomes more advanced. As a result, we suggest that a human perspective, based on sociotechnical principles, should not only be considered in implementing the technology at mines but also in the early conceptual phases of developing and designing the technology. This will ensure healthy and attractive work environments in the future mining industry.

The study is exploratory in nature, and the empirical material is used to explore the effects of the pandemic on the work environments of managers. Results are based on interviews in combination with a self-reported data regarding how the managers allocated their work time during a work week. The results are then summarized into six hypotheses for how the pandemic affected the work of managers: 1) the workday was densified due to remote meetings; 2) "double work" during meetings became the rule, rather than the exception; 3) meetings became more focused; 4) meetings became more accessible; 5) the manager became less operational; and 6) a new work culture was created.