Background: Implementing ergonomics principles in workplaces requires good knowledge transfer with the participation of professionals, workers, and managers.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate practical ergonomics knowledge transfer to support the participatory ergonomics process that could lead problem identification and the implementation and development of feasible and low-cost solutions.

Methods: This was action research on the type of intervention and conducted in four phases. Accordingly, 106 participants from different organizational levels of a manufacturing company, facilitated by an ergonomist by forming 14 action groups, were involved in practical ergonomics knowledge transfer to identify and solve problems of work divisions. Participant reflections were obtained through interviews and field notes.

Results: The results contributed to the presentation of 145 solutions to improve working conditions by the action groups. Most solutions were low-cost and 57.5% were implemented. The interviews showed the development of a participation culture, learning and institutionalizing ergonomics principles in practice, and improving competence in identifying problems and implementing solutions.

Conclusions: The key findings were achieved by the participatory ergonomics intervention approach through different tactics of participant engagement, including a pushing tactic for intentional learning and a pulling tactic for voluntary learning, which resulted in the improvement of working conditions and promotion of a participatory culture.

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATION

We found that small business enterprises (SBEs) face intra- and extra-organizational barriers in different dimensions related to their work system to practically implement human factors/ergonomics (HFE) knowledge transfer and to achieve its benefits in an industrially developing country. Utilizing a three-zone lens, we evaluated the feasibility of overcoming the barriers identified by stakeholders, especially ergonomists. To overcome the identified barriers in practice, three types of macroergonomics interventions (top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up) were distinguished through macroergonomics theory. The bottom-up approach of macroergonomics, as a participatory HFE intervention, was considered as the entry point to overcome the perceived barriers in the first zone of the lens, which included such themes as lack of competence, lack of involvement and interaction, and inefficient training and learning approaches. This approach focused on improving emotional literacy as a care zone among the small business enterprise personnel.

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT

Background: The human factors/ergonomics (HFE) knowledge transfer process is one of the potential challenges for organizations in industrially developing countries (IDCs), especially in small business enterprises (SBEs).

Purpose: We explored perceived barriers and challenges to the practical implementation of HFE knowledge transfer to SBEs in Iran, as an IDC, to improve their work systems.

Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using a conventional content analysis. To identify perceived barriers, we conducted individual interviews (n = 38) and a focus-group discussion (n = 17) with the participation of the SBEs personnel and the officials of related organizations. Inductive content analysis was used for data analysis. We then categorized the identified perceived barriers (themes) to determine the feasibility of overcoming them.

Results: Regarding perceived barriers, the following nine themes were extracted: lack of competence, resistance to change, technological infrastructure problems, lack of involvement and interaction, using an inappropriate mode of knowledge, lack of culture-building about HFE, inefficient training and learning approaches, lack of scientific management, and extra-organizational problems. Further, a three-zone lens was identified for the extracted themes to check the feasibility of overcoming them.

Conclusions: We identified nine intra- and extra-organizational barriers in the HFE knowledge transfer process to SBEs. We further evaluated the ways of overcoming perceived barriers defined in the three-zone lens to adapt them for building creative workplace culture zones (care, creative, and improvement). We distinguished three types of macroergonomics interventions (top-down, middle-out, and bottom-up) and three supporting strategies, including, knowledge, management and employees, and participatory HFE.

Work is a central part of our lives in many aspects. Half of our awake time is for most of us performed as paid work. At work, we create the values we need to live the life we desire. At work, we are socialized and shaped into the human beings we are. We are all concerned about how our work will be in the future; will we be able to handle the new technology or will we be replaced by a robot? Do we see the new technology as The wolf is coming or God's gift to mankind? This is an existential question and the future work is shaped here and now. This means that we need to get a picture of what is happening so we can act, but we also need a vision of where we want to go. Our mission as a researcher is to find the pathways to the Sustainable work, but in order to to find the way, we sometimes have to take on the role of the wolf and ask the uncomfortable questions.

This study contributes to the literature on whether financial development stimulates technical energy efficiency (TEE) or not, by addressing core biases that creep into the relationship and thereby reducing the ability to draw causal inferences from financial development to TEE. Our approach is based on the instrumental stochastic frontier technique, where biases in the frontier and inefficiency equations are dealt with using external instrumental variables. The legal system origin of the country and life expectancy at birth were used as instruments for financial development and income, respectively. The current study demonstrates substantial bias in income elasticity, the estimate of energy efficiency, and the effect of financial development on energy efficiency. Both income elasticity and energy efficiency estimate risk upward bias. Equally, the effect of financial system development and financial institution development on TEE risk downward bias. Other results show that all aspects of financial institution development stimulate TEE, but access to financial institutions is more important. These results raise caution about future studies' estimates of the effect of financial development on TEE. Though this study has demonstrated the potency of external instruments in dealing with the bias in the coefficient estimates, we consider this might prove to be a luxury solution in some cases due to data limitation, context differences, and theory. In those circumstances, reliance on internal instruments might prove to be the second-best option.

The relation between the concepts and practices of gender mainstreaming and organisational learning, and its prerequisite for change, is not well understood in either research or practice. Drawing on a participatory design process of a model for assessing the potential of gender equality interventions to change gendered organisations, this study explores the relation between gender mainstreaming and the concepts and practices of organisational learning and learning organisations to improve the capacity of organisations to undertake developmental and organisational change. The findings stress the effect of the organisational context and logics on the level of distinctness in the goals and processes of gender equality work and organisational learning. By highlighting the interrelation between organisational logics in relation to the processes of organisational change, learning and integration, the results thereby revealed how a more formal and technocratic approach creates both potential openings for and barriers to organisational change and learning.

Certified Profession (Kravmärkt Yrkesroll) is a nonprofit association based in Sweden that has been developing methods and strategies for assessing and validating workplace learning within the health care sector since 2003. The association focuses on the work of assistant nurses and nurses’ aides, and on clarifying what kinds of knowledge and skills are needed to ensure that health and social care are performed with a high level of quality. The purpose of this essay is to describe the model and methods used by Certified Profession in assessing and developing experiences, knowledge, and skills among health care workers, particularly among those who work with the elderly. The paper also briefly discusses some general possibilities and challenges involved in this approach.

The EU directive 92/57/EEC focuses on ensuring that health and safety-related matters are taken into consideration during every stage of construction-related work and has been introduced into the regulations of the member countries. In 2006, Sweden was tasked by the European Commission to clarify its implementation of the directive, including which management roles and responsibilities were to come into effect during both the planning and eventual execution of construction work—changes that ultimately were introduced into the national regulations in 2009. Focusing on the accident trends in the construction industry in the years immediately following these regulatory changes, we find that the new management roles and responsibilities had no apparent effect on the accident rates. Furthermore, we argue that there is a need to broaden the analysis regarding the implementation of the EU directive 92/57/EEC to also include nation-specific changes to health and safety management and policy. These qualitative studies should also include a dedicated focus on how changes to management structures and processes may affect the prevalence of occupational diseases specifically.

BACKGROUND: Despite numerous regulatory initiatives to improve health and safety in the construction industry, it still ranks as one of the most accident-prone industries worldwide. A dedicated focus on safety culture has been suggested as a complement to laws, regulations and management systems.

OBJECTIVE: This article explores safety culture research conducted in the construction industry, with the aim to provide insight into the specific themes that tend to be in focus as well as what theoretical and methodological approaches that tend to be favored.

METHODS: Searches in scientific databases were conducted twice. In a first attempt, searches resulted in 54 hits but only two articles fit the scope of the study. A revision of the search phrase resulted in 124 hits. Ultimately, 17 articles fit the scope of the study and were included. The content of the articles was analyzed and sorted thematically.

RESULTS: The results show that four themes are prevalent in the existing literature: 1) unique challenges entail a need for situated applications, 2) models developed to operationalize safety culture, 3) measuring safety culture, and 4) safety management and leadership as key factors.

CONCLUSION:Although research focusing on the construction industry has come to favor certain study designs and definitions of safety culture, further research may be enriched by broadening the theoretical and methodological perspectives. Specifically, researchers should conduct more in-depth qualitative studies that take the complexity of the industry into account, including the interpersonal relations between the actors involved.

The problem of occupational accidents in the construction industry has necessitated a focus on proactive measures such as safety management programs. An example of this is safety parks, i.e. facilities where employees and managers from different construction companies can participate in site-specific activities and train in safety-related matters in a realistic context. Two specific focus areas are often present within these types of safety management programs: hands-on safety training and safety culture development as being within the purview of management. The purpose of this article is to investigate the developers’ intentions with the park in relation to safety culture development. Twenty interviews were conducted with experts in the area of health and safety. Results indicate that the safety park can contribute as a mirror for the companies own operations, with new information and knowledge of how work can be performed with safety being prioritized, to developing communication regarding safety-related matters, and finally the stations at the park may initiate a translation process as to how the lessons learned at the park can be applied to the participants’ own workplaces. All in all, the activities at the park can be said to be normative in nature, i.e. the developers seemingly have a desire to steer the safety culture development in a certain direction. There is a need for further research focusing on the concept of safety culture in these types of programs and, more broadly, in relation to its intended industry-wide effects.

Flexible work arrangements are common worldwide, but knowledge on how to achieve a sustainable work environment is sparse. The aim of this study was to use a participatory approach to identify concrete suggestions and key areas for improvement that were considered relevant, effective, and feasible for promoting good work environment and health at organizational, work group and individual level (O-G-I), among office employees with flexible work arrangements. Eight focus group interviews (including 45 employees) were conducted in a large Swedish government agency in 2017. By using a Tree diagram approach, employees made a total of 279 suggestions for improvements, which were sorted into O-G-I levels and mapped into 18 key areas. We found that 13 key areas addressed organizational level (e.g., improving leadership, policy, job demands, and work efficiency), two key areas addressed group level (create common rules of availability and activity-based working), and three key areas addressed individual level (e.g., individuals’ responsibility to clearly communicate their availability). The participatory process was effective in obtaining concrete suggestions and key areas in need of improvement, which may provide an action plan that can guide organizations in developing interventions to promote good work environment and health in flexible work.

Brännande samhällsutmaningar i form av bland annat segregation, ohälsa och ekologisk obalans skapar efterfrågan på nytänkande lösningar som inte bara följer en ekonomisk logik utan också är socialt och miljömässigt hållbara. I antologin presenteras aktuell svensk forskning om social innovation för hållbar utveckling, med koppling till Agenda 2030. Forskare från olika discipliner och lärosäten belyser detta i förhållande till exempelvis stadsutveckling, arbetslivsinkludering, naturbaserad rehabilitering och skola. Hybridorganisering, samverkan mellan olika aktörer och en ny samhällsekonomisk styrning tas också upp. Tillsammans ger antologins kapitel en bild av det växande forskningsfältet social innovation, med tillämpning mot hållbar utveckling. Därmed diskuteras potentialen i att sammanföra dessa perspektiv för att stärka bidragen till vetenskaplig och praktisk utveckling. 

Social innovation för hållbar utveckling riktar sig till forskare, studenter och praktiker inom innovationsområdet, exempelvis innovatörer, innovationsfrämjare, politiker och tjänstepersoner, samt andra intresserade.Boken är framtagen i samarbete med Mötesplats Social Innovation.

Ships are complex technical systems resulting from large scale and scope projects in which integration plays a key role, particularly because trade-offs have to be made between conflicting objectives. Merchant ships are usually built with a perspective of twenty-five years of service. Ship owners detail their requirements and ship specifications in line with their strategy to remain competitive on specific segments of the shipping markets. Ships serve and organize global trade flows. The rise in environmental regulations and technological changes generate unprecedented uncertainties for ship owners. Ships do not follow the usual systems engineering process, as there is no full-scale prototyping. Rules and standards deeply influence the design of ships and limit the possibilities to 'think outside the box'. The purpose of this paper is to present environmental drivers relating to the operation of the ship which have, or will have, an influence on the way it is designed.

The need for material circularity and sustainability is not limited to human activities on Earth and in fact, has broad implications for the utilization of outer space. With the increased digitalization, global location and observation needs, and connectivity demands for Earth applications, an ever-growing number of spacecrafts being launched into an already “crowded” orbital space at the fast-growing risk of collisions. Sustainability, stewardship, and circularity have been identified as key concepts and enablers for the save and long-term utilization of outer space. However, as research projects related to space sustainability, recycling of spacecraft materials, and space debris mitigation gain traction, a mutual understanding of definitions and concepts is missing and the prospects and viability of circularity in space are unclear. This research attempts to fill this gap with an investigation into the possibilities to re-use spacecraft materials as an alternative to its complete disposal. A review of circularity and sustainability definitions is conducted, and this paper makes an initial effort to examine and map requirements for re-manufacturing, refurbishment, and the re-use of spacecraft materials. A literature review is conducted to identify fundamental concepts to enable circularity. This research reviews best practices and approaches in areas like aviation, electronics, and car manufacturing to thoroughly examine similarities and to create a mapping for the space sector. Following this cross-industry approach, the research surveys academic and industrial topics like spacecraft and satellite mission design, business models and product innovation, and entrepreneurship and space ecosystems to find common patterns within sectors and activities. The paper further presents findings and a preliminary roadmap and future research topics related to circularity in space.

This study explored first-line managers’ leadership behavior profiles regarding their goals for utilizing the garden at residential care facilities for older people. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of first-line managers (n = 12) in Sweden. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis theoretically guided by the Three-dimensional Leadership Model. The results showed that the main leadership behavior profiles were related to the dimensions structure, relation and change. The managers emphasized workplace regulations and goals. They allowed staff to make decisions and encouraged them to see problems and opportunities. 

The depletion of resource reserves will cause stagnation of socio-economic development in resource-based cities. The formation of new sources of economic growth in resource-depleted cities can profoundly change the structure of human activities and affect the environment. The Chinese government has established a list of resource-depleted cities in three batches since 2008 to support these cities in finding new sources of economic growth. The article analyzes the impact of the regeneration process of resource-based cities on ecosystem quality. The paper constructs an inter-city panel dataset covering 281 cities from 2003 to 2018. The article valued the habitat quality of Chinese cities. Habitat quality index and normalized vegetation index were used to measure the long-term and short-term ecological impacts of economic recovery in resource-based cities. Using a difference-in-difference technique, the results show that the central government's economic support for resource-based cities significantly improves the condition of urban ecosystems. However, the long-term ecological effects are still smaller than the short-term changes in ecosystems. The transmission path of support policies affecting the ecological quality of cities depends on the shift in industrial structure and economic scale at the provincial level. In addition, urban-rural differences, regional distribution, and resource endowment also significantly affect the ecological effects of supportive policies.

Industry 4.0 is being investigated all around the world and it brings an entire arsenal of new tech-nology. It is during major technological changes where we have the chance to change old pat-terns. It is through knowledge of the future and discussion that SSAB and IF Metall will be able to steer the technological changes into the desired direction; A direction which promotes economic and environmental sustainability as well as creating an attractive workplace.

There were three objectives with this project. The first objective was to map the current state of maintenance work at SSAB. The second was to develop a future vision within the concept Industry 4.0, which promotes attractive workplaces. The last objective was to evaluate the method used to develop the vision.

The mapping of the current state of maintenance at SSAB is based on interviews and observations. We decided to delimitate us to shift maintenance. The reason to focus on the shift main-tenance unit of SSAB was that because contain many competences and work all over the production area. The result of the mapping is that the work is characterized by variating tasks, personal development and pride. It is also male-dominated and characterized by old traditions, tough jargon and macho culture. In general, we conclude that it is an attractive workplace for those who belong to the current homogeneous group.

The future vision was developed using personas and workshops. Three personas were created to represent the target group. They were used as a basis of discussion for us and for the participants in the three workshops. The goal of the workshops was to generate a high quantity of futuristic and abstract ideas. The ideas were then combined with theories regarding Industry 4.0 and attractive workplaces to form a future vision. To create attractive work content, the future vision focused on placing the worker in the centre of decision-making as a problem solver. This was accomplished by using new technology to provide information to the worker so he or she can make an informed decision: a digital assistant. To enhance the learning capability of workers the vision contained a VR world where the worker can practise different scenarios. The VR can also be used for marketing to attract people from outside the company. The futuristic vision also presented crowdsourcing of experts and tutors to improve the troubleshooting process and shorten the learning period. If an error is too complicated, the worker has the opportunity to connect to an expert using AR to get their guidance. At the beginning of an employment, every worker is enti-tled to a tutor who will assist you on your missions. To make the workplace more attractive and to change the old picture of the steel industry the vision presented three improvement areas. Firstly, clean & bright facilities which will attract a wider range of people. Secondly, centralised office where employees can meet, work and network. Thirdly, new working roles focusing on troubleshooting and sustainable solutions.

Our recommendation is to explore the other maintenance divisions at SSAB and other industries to see if maintenance of acute problems can be centralised over the borders of industries. We also recommend future projects to use participation of managers and workers throughout the implementation process to create higher acceptance and understanding, but also to reduce fear, resistance and promote ownership to the change process.

To improve work productivity and concentration when undertaking daily tasks, such as studying or engaging in mentally difficult activities, some individuals prefer to work in the presence of background auditory noise such as music, nature sounds, or even white noise. We investigated the impact of background white noise on short-term serial recall performance in adults with (n = 66) and without (n = 66) ADHD whereby variation in other traits that could potentially influence performance (anxiety and depression) was controlled. The potential decline of the impact of task-irrelevant sound across trials (e.g., habituation) and serial position effects were also explored. Participants completed the verbal working memory task in the presence of continuous white noise sequences that were occasionally interrupted by a period of quiet (omission deviant), and continuous quiet sequences that were occasionally interrupted by a period of white noise (addition deviant). Addition deviants were more disruptive for non-ADHD individuals than ADHD individuals, while omission deviants were more disruptive for ADHD individuals than non-ADHD individuals. A direct implication of this interaction is, in order to limit distractions, adults with ADHD should refrain from listening to continuous background white noise if there is a likelihood of a break in sound stimulation, whereas adults without ADHD should avoid quiet auditory backgrounds in which a rare or unexpected sound may occur. Further, exploratory findings show the absence of a serial position primacy effect for adults self-reporting ADHD compared to adults without ADHD.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impact distraction by unexpected deviant sounds and vibrations. The hypothesis was that there would be a difference between individuals with low and high ADHD symptom severity in deviance distraction. In a cross-modal oddball task, we measured the impact of to-be-ignored deviating auditory and vibro-tactile stimuli in 45 adults who were 18 years or older, and self-reported ADHD symptoms using the screening tool of the adult ADHD self-report scale (ASRS). Results did not show a difference between groups with low and high symptoms of ADHD in their propensity for distraction in any modality using both frequentist and Bayesian methods of analysis. The impact of the deviating sounds and vibrations on performance were similar between groups. However, the amount of missed trials, which possibly reflects mind wandering or attention away from the focal task, was higher in the high symptom group (0.5 % difference in missing data between groups). The findings indicate a difference in missed responses between groups, despite no differences in the likelihood of distraction being indicated between vibro-tactile and auditory modalities. Overall, the complexity of adult ADHD symptomatology, especially behavioral differences in attentional control is reflected in the results of this study.

Referring to the well-replicated finding that the presence of to-be-ignored sound disrupts short-term memory for serially-presented visual items, the irrelevant sound effect (ISE) is an important benchmark finding within cognitive psychology. The ISE has proven useful in evaluating the structure, function and development of short-term memory. This preregistered report focused on a methodological examination of the paradigm typically used to study the ISE and sought to determine whether the ISE can be reliably studied using the increasingly popular method of online testing. Comparing Psychology students tested online, in-person and participants from an online panel, results demonstrated successful reproduction of the key signature effects of auditory distraction (the changing-state effect and the steady-state effect), albeit smaller effects with the online panel. Our results confirmed the viability of online data collection for auditory distraction research and provided important insights for the accumulation and maintenance of high data quality in internet-based experimentation.

Purpose: This study aims to explore aesthetic atmospheres and their affordances in urban squares to advance knowledge on the research and design of attractive living environments.

Design/methodology/approach: Descriptions of pleasant and unpleasant experiences of urban squares were collected using qualitative questionnaires with open-ended questions. The theoretical framework and the lens of aesthetic affordances were applied to pinpoint and understand the connections between the place attributes and experiences.

Findings: This study found four distinct aesthetic atmospheres formed by perceived synergies of both the material and immaterial aspects of the environment. It was also found that the atmospheres may shift. A model that shows the aesthetic atmospheres and their potential affordances as layered and emerging is presented.

Research limitations/implications: Everyday aesthetics considered as affordances open new research perspectives for the understanding of what generates attractive living environments – or not.

Practical implications: Aesthetics affordances may provide the design professionals and alike means on how to design places that engender specific aesthetic atmosphere.

Social implications: Gathering and discussing commonplace aesthetic experiences in everyday life may enhance democratic participation in place development among people with different levels of design expertise.

Originality/value: This study combines theories of place with a novel concept of aesthetic affordances to identify distinct aesthetic atmospheres. A holistic overview structure of how the various constituents of aesthetic atmospheres relate to each other provides new ways of studying and understanding urban aesthetic atmospheres.

The co-design of urban places and the role of professional urban designers entails facilitating multidimensional processes to capture people’s dreams of attractive and inclusive future living environments. Nevertheless, many urban designers tend to focus on the material factors rather than the social and cultural ones. Based on findings from a case study and conceptual analysis, a systemic reflexive tool is offered to help scholars and practitioners to comprise the complexities of urban design. The Dreamcatcher tool highlights four perspectives of situated complexity and the synergies between them: place and setting; people and participation; vision and scope; and tools and methods.

Introduction

Recovery is an essential factor in having a natural resistance to stress. When the body is exposed to a physiological or psychological stressor, a stress reaction occurs, and cortisol is released. This can affect the body in the short and long term. Militaries often practice in realistic scenarios to build resistance to stress and have the conditions to cope with actual events. During the exercises, the military is exposed to both physiological and psychological stress for long periods. After exercises, the body needs to recover to rebuild. Recovery is, therefore, an essential factor for the body. However, there is a research gap for long-term extreme exposure to stress in relation to recovery. The purpose of this study was to review the documentation on the relationship between cortisol levels, stress, and recovery for military personnel.

Materials and Methods

A general literature study with a descriptive approach was carried out. Cortisol measured from serum, blood plasma, and saliva was included. Only full-text, peer-reviewed papers found in databases from the last 25 years were used. Diagnoses, drug use, or other issues affecting cortisol secretion were excluded. Four databases were searched, and nine relevant quantitative articles were found. A quantitative content analysis was done, and a descriptive result was generated.

Results 

In the literature study, it became apparent that cortisol levels both increase and decrease in professionals in the military when they are exposed to extreme field exercises with insufficient recovery, causing cortisol levels not to return to their basal levels. The analysis of the included articles gave answers to three questions about the role of recovery in a military context. One study was found where cortisol levels and the recovery period differed between women and men. After field training and a 72-hour recovery period, the men's cortisol levels were back to basal levels, while the women's cortisol levels remained elevated for over two weeks. 

The Conclusion 

The literature review shows the lack of data on the impact of recovery for military personnel. A study containing both women and men in a group setting was found. Results show significantly longer recovery for women, making it an important research gap. As secrecy is often used in the military context, not all information is published. This affects the quality of the studies and the possibility for high transferability and validity. A longitudinal approach with a larger sample size and additional females should be considered in future studies for comparable results. In addition, more measurement points and a systematization would be desirable with cortisols natural deviations taken into account. 

A major part of the European Union’s (EU) project Sustainable Intelligent Mining System (SIMS) is investigating the development of diesel-free/carbon-neutral underground mines in order to ensure sustainable underground mining in the future. Replacing diesel machines with electric vehicles in underground hard rock mines has been widely acknowledged by the mining industry worldwide as a critical step to improve working conditions by reducing diesel exhaust related contaminants, to reduce mine ventilation electrical power cost by reducing mine airflow quantity, and to reduce mine greenhouse gas emissions. All of these are major requirements to achieve sustainable future underground mining practices. A field trial of Epiroc’s 2nd generation of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) at Agnico Eagle Finland’s Kittilä mine was conducted during 2019 – 2020. Vehicles tested were MT42 mine truck, ST14 Load-Haul-Dump (LHD), and Boomer E2 jumbo drill rig. This paper outlines the improvement of the working conditions observed in the field trial, and the opinions of the mine personnel at Kittilä mine on using BEVs instead of diesel machines. Measurements of atmospheric contaminants and air temperatures taken during the field trial clearly demonstrated a significant improvement of working conditions when BEVs were operating as opposed to diesel machines. This field observation was supported by the opinion of the majority of the Kittilä mine workers. However, some remaining concerns must be addressed before BEVs can replace diesel machines.

By exploring the potential effects of digitisation on graphic design methods, this thesis aims to highlight some of the tacit knowledge possessed by graphic designers and to show that this knowledge can both be externalised and made communicable. Beginning with an interview study where professional designers’ views were gathered and analysed, the work continued through a participatory study where designers’ knowledge was highlighted in a documented design project. Finally, alternative ways of externalising knowledge were employed in an exhibition, displaying the creative outcomes of this thesis. The work shows that the hitherto largely hidden knowledge of graphic designers can be uncovered and made more communicable, strengthening designers’ professional identity and making the field more accessible to students. Furthermore, using versatile approaches in a design project can encourage conceptual development and even professional enjoyment, as well as increasing historical awareness.   

The thesis uses an experimental approach to research method design and thus contributes to the development of graphic design research methodology. As such, in addition to expanding our understanding of graphic design knowledge, this work will enable a deeper exploration of methods, identity, and the definition of the profession’s taxonomy.

This paper aims to study graphic designers' views on knowledge, considering the challenges faced by the field today. Expressing thoughts about what is needed for a graphic designer to build professional confidence, interview respondents mentioned topics like historical knowledge as well as feedback and presentation skills. To facilitate the navigation of the ever-changing graphic design landscape and to build a solid professional identity, externalising tacit knowledge is a key issue. The study finds that graphic designers mainly talk about their design work when presenting to clients, primarily with the aim of convincing them to accept new proposals. A case can therefore be made for the necessity of developing graphic designers' skills when it comes to explicating design processes with the aim of making it clear to non-designers what it actually is that a graphic designer knows and does, as well as building a stronger theoretical foundation for the profession.

In recent decades, Egypt has experienced rapid internal migration movements triggered by urbanization, socioeconomic development, and environmental changes. From a literature perspective, few scholarly studies have empirically examined the drivers and welfare impacts of internal migration in Egypt, despite the increasing recognition of its inextricably links to urban sustainability. The present study utilized data from two waves of an Egyptian Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS) conducted in 2012 and 2018 and consisting of 63,909 observations to examine factors that determine internal migration decisions and their subsequent welfare effects. The results of the two-stage Heckman selection model indicate that both the determinants of internal migration decisions and welfare outcomes differ appreciably depending on migration stream as well as the socioeconomic characteristics of the migrants. In particular, females were found to be more likely to migrate from rural to urban areas, lending support to the growing literature on the “feminization of migration” in developing countries. The OLS regression results, after correcting for self-selection, make a strong case for the positive welfare gains from internal migration in Egypt. Specially, we found that the welfare gains for older and female migrants are much higher than other age and gender groups. A comparison of the welfare effects between different migration streams shows that all migratory movements were associated with positive and statistically significant welfare gains, except for rural-to-urban migration that was surprisingly found to be associated with significant welfare loss for the migrants. Urban-to-urban migration was found to have the strongest welfare enhancing effects on all migrant groups. The empirical findings underline a number of research and policy implications for a sustainable management of internal migration in Egypt and other countries with similar internal migration trends.

This study investigates the association between individuals’ concern about contracting COVID-19 and their compliance with recommended preventive and mitigation measures, namely wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing and handwashing, in the context of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The empirical analysis is based on a panel dataset from the Combined COVID-19 MENA Monitor Household Survey, which was carried out in Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Egypt. Applying a probit estimation technique, a positive and statistically significant association was found between the level of COVID-19 worries and individuals’ compliance with the mitigation measures. Notably, the results revealed that this association followed a “first-up-then-down” trend, showing that compliance with the three mitigation measures rose as individuals’ worries about contracting the virus increased, and then markedly decreased after they had been infected. Sociodemographic characteristics contributing to lower levels of compliance included being male, being over 60, having lower levels of education and having a lower household income. A cross-country analysis revealed remarkable differences between the five countries, with the strongest association between COVID-19 concerns and adherence to mitigation measures observed in Tunisia and Sudan, and the weakest association seen in Jordan and Morocco. Policy implications are outlined for effective risk communication and management during disease outbreaks and public health emergencies to encourage appropriate public health behaviours.

This paper investigates the problematic nature of ambulance paramedics’ wellbeing and applies the conceptualizations and theoretical perspective of public value (PV) to understand and potentially improve their experience. It synthesizes previous discourse from public accounting and public management and applies it to NHS ambulance services which have been prominent in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic but are currently under-researched in public management literature. The authors suggest a future interdisciplinary research agenda.

As all technologies come to pass, change by innovation is needed both ways, exploiting current knowledge to do better and exploring new knowledge to do differently. Due to years of continuous improvement (CI), exploitation of current knowledge in production development is rather well investigated, exploration is less. It could be argued that not utilizing the potential explorative operator contributions to production innovation is a lost opportunity to increase a company’s innovation capability. Simultaneously, operators are facing great changes when manufacturing is adopting to digitalization and sustainability challenges enhancing the need for production innovation. This study focused on a team of operators through a workshop series of five sessions about explorative activities in a format using structured and semi-structured interviews. The study provided a basis for constructing a model for positioning operators’ both digital and explorative maturity level. Through the empirical data and the model, the conclusion is illustrated as alternative pathways to reach a desired level of operator maturity. It was concluded that approaching digital and explorative maturity for operators should be done as a two-step process. Increasing both maturities simultaneously, as with the studied team, showed difficult due to the digital and explorative maturity being co-dependent. The suggested two-step process contributes to a better understanding of prerequisites and opportunities for operators to participate and contribute to production innovation in digitalized work environments, ultimately increasing the company’s innovation capability.

Manufacturing companies constantly strive towards better quality and more cost-efficient production. This development is mainly managed through continuous improvement, somewhat limiting the organization to incremental changes. Meanwhile, existing literature emphasizes the need of managing both incremental and radical innovations to face dual market demands. This paper present proposals that can support an increased understanding of the context in which innovation management could be applied to further improve capabilities of a production organization, towards ambidexterity. Topics of proposals are 1) definitions of innovation in production, 2) innovation management with continuous improvement, and 3) alternative perspective on types of innovations.

Based on the meaning-making of women geoscientists in their descriptions of work and career experiences, this article explores the gendering of geoscience by analyzing women's hard work as a theoretical concept. Our findings show that the gendered requirements for women in geoscience involve “doing” various forms of hard work, including making one's work visible, asserting one's physical performance, and building social relations. Thus, hard work is found to be gendered in terms of being a perceived requirement shared by female geoscientists. It is a requirement that entails compensating for not being male in masculine organizations and simultaneously prevents women geoscientists from fully engaging in core geoscience work tasks. Hence, by gendering hard work and theoretically defining hard work as the work of the “other”, the study expands the theoretical understanding of the concept by suggesting that women's hard work is gendered and social rather than productive.

This article reviews the expanding research field of gender in industrial mine work and organizations. The findings show that the literature provides nuanced insights into the prevalence of men and masculinities in industrial mine work as related to masculine mining ideals and patriarchal family structures, gendered practices and processes within mining organizations, the strategies of marginalized identities, and counterproductive attempts to increase equality and diversity in mining. Signs of potential change were also identified in the form of empowered women in mining and alternative mining masculinities. Articles focused on women and mining in specific organizations and national contexts dominate the field, with a more heterogeneous array of articles that empirically and theoretically expand on the earlier literature. Few studies elaborate on intersectionality, various forms of masculinity and the doing of gender within various professions and occupations in mining organizations. Future research should expand the theoretical framework of gender in mining organizations and broaden its empirical base through comparative approaches, quantitative and mixed methodologies, and a renewed focus on the dominant group in mining organizations, i.e., men.

Over the past 20 years, the Swedish government and national authorities have organized a structure for knowledge governance in order to implement an evidence-based practice (EBP) for social services. Since the idea of a knowledge governance has not been implemented as expected, it was considered important to develop regional collaboration and support structures (RCSSs) as a link between national and local authorities. In this article, we discuss changes in ideas on knowledge governance at the national level, and also changes in expectations on RCSSs function in knowledge governance of the Swedish social service. Changes in governance also change the prerequisites for implementation of EBP. Therefore, it is important to further examine and analyse ideas on knowledge governance at the national level and whether they change over time. The empirical data consists of official documents and interviews with representatives of key actors at national level. A qualitative content analysis of the interviews was then performed and also an analysis of the official document was used to describe the changes on knowledge governance. This article shows that ideas on knowledge governance has changed over time, from an emphasis on top-down governance towards a more dialogue-based governance. This shift in governance ideals also appears to have had an impact on expectations regarding RCSSs, through an increased emphasis on their collaborative function in relation to both national and local levels. The knowledge governance and the function of the RCSSs appear to be fragile, as this collaboration is based on voluntary partnership and networks.

People’s belief that one or more environmentally friendly items that are added to a set of conventional items can reduce the total environmental impact of these items (the negative footprint illusion) could lead to unwanted environmental consequences. An averaging bias seems to underpin this illusion: people make their estimates based on the average of the environmental impact produced by the items rather than the accumulated sum. We report four studies that used various priming manipulations to explore whether people’s preoccupation to think in terms of an average can be eliminated by fostering a summative mindset. The results demonstrate that participants avoid succumbing to the negative footprint illusion when the critical judgment task is preceded by tasks that engender a summation judgment. Our evidence indicates that the negative footprint illusion can be tempered when a primed concept (summation) is used adaptively on subsequent judgments, thereby correcting for bias in environmental judgments.

The development of immersive virtual reality (IVR) applications for design reviews is a major trend in the design field. While many different applications have been developed, there is little consensus on the functionalities necessary for these applications. This paper proposes a classification scheme for IVR functionalities related to design reviews (DRs), combining conceptual-to-empirical and empirical-to-conceptual strategies. The classification scheme consists of eight class categories (Input, Representation, Navigation, Manipulation, Collaboration, Edit, Creation, and Output), 22 class subcategories, and 55 classes. The classification scheme has been validated by analysing several commercial IVR applications for DRs. As part of the classification scheme development, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was utilised to review 70 articles that develop IVR applications for DRs. The results from systematic literature reviews suggest the development of solutions that integrate several class categories, are better connected to current design workflows, include various design information, support a DR planning cycle, and support distributed work. The proposed classification scheme helps to orient the future development of IVR applications for DRs and provides a framework to systematically accumulate evidence on the effect of such applications on DRs.

Adopting a theoretical perspective that acknowledges both formal and informal learning as crucial and emphasises reproductive and developmental learning as complementary, this article analyses and discusses temporary agency nurses’ experiences of working and learning, focusing on conditions for workplace learning. This provides opportunities to address questions about conditions for the integration of work and learning in a work situation characterised by flexibilization and individualisation. More specifically, among individuals moving between different organizational contexts rather than working at ‘a’ (single and stable) workplace provided by the employer. By presenting findings based on a thematic analysis of 21 interviews with individual temporary agency nurses working in Swedish health care, both opportunities and challenges for workplace learning is highlighted. While opportunities for informal learning linked to the movement between various client organizations as well as to nursing as common ground and as valued and recognized competence, is identified, at the same time, challenges connected to both formal and informal learning, are also illuminated. Regarding informal learning, challenges in terms of varied and general support and feedback as well as scarce opportunities and low expectations for the temporary agency nurses’ participation in development work in daily work/at client organizations, is identified. The findings thus also illuminate a risk for temporary agency nurses adjusting to prevailing working conditions rather than engaging in developmental learning. Regarding formal learning, challenges in terms of few opportunities for planned learning activities, is identified. All in all, the findings illuminate conditions for workplace learning for temporary agency nurses as clearly dependent not only on the offers of specific temporary work agencies and client organisations, but also on temporary agency nurses’ interest in and views regarding responsibility for learning, and thus highly varying.

Emerging technologies for smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 require investments in technologies and competence for the manufacturing firm to stay in business. While upgrading the installed base is necessary to meet the future requirements, such investments may come with challenging sustainability dichotomies that calls for innovative solutions. This paper presents an investigation of small automation technology solution providers enabling advanced upgrading of their customers’ production systems. Upgrading existing manufacturing technology could contribute to efficient resource management, addressing 10R processes (i.e. Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle, and Recover), as well as enhanced resilience for the manufacturing company.

Professional business-to-business sales work and relations tend to be interlinked with structures and symbols of certain forms of masculinity. From interviews held with office staff employed by a large male-dominated company in the Swedish base industry, this study explores how the gendering of sales work is enabled and contested in relation to the practices and processes of specific organizations. The presented findings show how negotiations of “good sales” involve contestations of specific gendering practices and of the value of sales work, sales relations and underlying organizational values and control. As a result, homosocial behaviors and masculine ideals associated with the salesperson no longer hold privileged positions in organizations. However, it was the individual salespersons and their behavior that were put forward as the primary problem rather than the organizational practices and processes providing men with power, space and subjectivity. Thus, the negotiations of sales work and relations seem to lead not to disruptions but to a restructuring of masculinities and to a reshaping of organizational inequalities in a company.