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.

The COVID-19 pandemic had disruptive consequences for MENA countries’ agri-food value chains that exacerbated poverty and jeopardized food security. This study examines the relationship between individuals’ perception of contracting COVID-19 and their experience of food insecurity, using longitudinal data from the Combined COVID-19 MENA Monitor Household survey. It also investigates the underlying mechanisms of COVID-19 concerns and explores coping strategies employed by households to identify vulnerabilities in food security. The results provide compelling evidence of a strong association between individuals’ concern about the virus and various dimensions of food security, particularly reduced purchasing power and decreased meal frequency. Notably, this association follows an inverted U-shaped curve, with food insecurity initially increasing as worry grows, but declining after individuals contract the virus. High levels of concern were also linked to significant income decreases and worsening economic conditions. Moreover, individuals with higher concerns were more likely to rely on specific coping strategies, particularly spending savings and obtaining funds from relatives or friends. These findings underscore the need for government interventions during disease outbreaks and economic downturns to focus on alleviating individuals’ worry and fear to facilitate informed decision-making that minimizes food insecurity consequences. Additionally, the findings emphasize the need to strengthen social protection systems during public health and economic challenges to ensure food security for vulnerable populations.

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.

To gain an in-depth understanding of the position of being a young adult and new at work simultaneously, this study examines the doing of age in relation to others in the lives of young adults, rather than focusing on age as a category and/or developmental phase. The study focuses on being a young adult from a critical and relational perspective of age. Based on focus group interviews with young adults, mostly women, working in retail, the aim is to analyse the position of being a young adult while new at work through age-marked relationships. The results reveal how this position can be understood both in terms of security and insecurity. Security arises in the sense of opportunities for learning and leaving responsibilities to older and more experienced colleagues. Insecurity arises in the sense of being exposed to insecure employment, the risk of being allocated less challenging tasks and being judged for failures.

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.

The Swedish construction industry has made major investments in recent years to raise awareness of the importance of working safely. Part of this effort is a safety park built by the Swedish Construction Federation and a number of construction companies, i.e. a facility where those who work in the industry are educated about safety and given the opportunity to jointly reflect on safety-related issues.

Our research group at Luleå University of Technology has followed the park's establishment with the aim of investigating how issues concerning safety culture can and has been integrated into the safety park's activities. The project has been described in three reports. The first is a survey of international research in the field of safety culture, safety work and safety training (see “Safety culture research in the construction industry”, Berglund et al, 2020). The second report presents a survey and characterization of the safety initiatives and safety cultures that exist in Swedish construction companies (see “Safety initiatives and safety culture in the Swedish construction industry”, Berglund et al, 2021). In this third report, which we call Results and recommendations, we present an overall analysis of the park's activities and conclude with a number of proposals for how the safety park can be further developed. 

In the report we can conclude that the safety park is in place and has been operating for just over three years. The park consists of a large number of stations or scenarios in which different situations and work moments are reflected. A visit to the park begins indoors with an introduction where the visiting company is given an initial description of the park's content and purpose, and a number of issues are introduced and discussed. After that, the visit continues outdoors by visiting a selection of stations that are designed according to the park’s educational principle of "see, hear, do and reflect". The choice of stations visited is made in consultation with the supervisor and with the visiting company. The day ends in the same way as it began, indoors, with reflections on lessons learned, and discussions about what the participants should take home to their own company. The park also serves as a display of current developments in the industry, not least in terms of new tools, equipment and materials, all with a focus on improved work environment and safety. The safety park is mainly visited by construction companies and construction students, but also by representatives from other industries. We have interviewed key individuals in the construction industry about the park and most of them testify that their visit was rewarding. Our report concludes with eleven development areas that we believe can help make the already good operations at the safety park even better.

1. Problematize prevailing safety cultures at more stations in the park.

2. The educational model is good and can be utilized in more stations.

3. All visits should have a clear and specific company profile.

4. All visitors should have a task to perform when returning to the company.

5. Stations must be up-to-date and reflect realistic situations.

6. The safety park should be a centre for learning, development and innovation.

7. The safety park can be a showroom for new technology and good equipment.

8. Gender issues should be integrated into the work of the security park.

9. The importance of management for safety culture should be emphasized more.

10.The safety park can become a resource for training foreign workers.

11. The safety park should follow up and document their experiences.

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.

Introduction

Public perception of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to six other major public health problems (alcoholism and drug use, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, lung cancer and respiratory diseases caused by air pollution and smoking, and water-borne diseases like diarrhea) is unclear. We designed a survey to examine this issue using YouGov’s internet panels in seven middle-income countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in early 2022.

Methods

Respondents rank ordered the seriousness of the seven health problems using a repeated best-worst question format. Rank-ordered logit models allow comparisons within and across countries and assessment of covariates.

Results

In six of the seven countries, respondents perceived other respiratory illnesses to be a more serious problem than COVID-19. Only in Vietnam was COVID-19 ranked above other respiratory illnesses. Alcoholism and drug use was ranked the second most serious problem in the African countries. HIV/AIDS ranked relatively high in all countries. Covariates, particularly a COVID-19 knowledge scale, explained differences within countries; statistics about the pandemic were highly correlated with differences in COVID-19’s perceived seriousness.

Conclusions

People in the seven middle-income countries perceived COVID-19 to be serious (on par with HIV/AIDS) but not as serious as other respiratory illnesses. In the African countries, respondents perceived alcoholism and drug use as more serious than COVID-19. Our survey-based approach can be used to quickly understand how the threat of a newly emergent disease, like COVID-19, fits into the larger context of public perceptions of the seriousness of health problems.

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.

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.

The energy sector is a main driver of African growth, particularly in regions with geopolitical conflicts like Sudan and South Sudan. The oil and gas industry notably influences these regions' economy, politics, humanitarian situation, and social stability. This study seeks to investigate how the Khartoum War affected the energy sector of both Sudan and South Sudan, particularly looking at the disruptions caused by recent conflicts and their impact on oil production, economic stability, and environmental conditions. The study employs a multi-disciplinary approach, utilising different sources such as regional legal agreements, government reports, academic articles, and press releases from international organisations. The key methodology includes qualitative analysis of several documents and quantitative assessment of production data and economic reports. The study's key findings show a significant decline in oil production and transportation due to the shutdown of key oilfields and pipelines, intensifying economic and humanitarian crises. Additionally, the damage to oil infrastructure has presented serious environmental risks, highlighting the delicate balance between resource management and regional stability. In conclusion, the study's findings underscore the intense impact of the Khartoum War on the energy sector of Sudan and South Sudan, and the urgent need for policy recommendations to mitigate these effects and foster sustainable development.

Metal cutting industry, a key sector in manufacturing, is grappling with the transition to a "net-zero industry" to mitigate climate change and reach sustainable practices. Rare and exclusive materials make recycling and reusing cutting tools more pressing and necessitate efficient circular material flows. The purpose of this research is to explore how collaboration can facilitate circularity in the cutting tool industry. It examines the involvement of stakeholders and their roles in achieving a circular lifecycle for cutting tools. To investigate the interaction between metal cutting tools suppliers and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), this study used a mixed-methods approach that includes data from literature, interviews, and document study. Empirical data is gathered to investigate the factors driving circularity and to identify important participants in the lifecycle of cutting tools. The study revealed challenges to the current situation including underutilization of tools due to the absence of a standardization process and subjective operator judgment, as well as lack of traceability of the tools both internally at SMEs and between the stakeholders. Moreover, by mapping the current actors, the study found cutting tool traceability, undirected decision-making throughout tool lifecycles, and limited awareness of circularity dimensions are key challenges. To handle these challenges. 9Rs circular economy framework used to investigate the possible role of collaboration emerges as a vital enabler for circularity, with SMEs playing a significant role. Moreover, the involvement of machine operators, often overlooked actors, is found to be crucial in influencing circular outcomes. Digital solutions and collaborative strategies that involve CNC machine suppliers and intermittent refurbishing business are pivotal in overcoming the challenges identified, namely, traceability and human subjectivity in tool condition assessment. The study demonstrates that technology providers, intermediary refurbishing businesses, SMEs and other stakeholders operating in the metal cutting tools sector must be involved throughout their lifetime to avoid suboptimal results, exchange information, and inspire industrial actors to support the circular economy.

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.

This doctoral thesis explores how place design may move towards human-inclusive place design, where neither the place nor the human are in the centre. The concept of humaninclusive place design, developed in this thesis, rather suggests a dynamic interplay between human- and place-centred perspectives. The rationale behind this aim is the observation that despite the ambitions to create pleasant places for people to live and spend time in, place design generally remains a rather place-centred activity. The problem with this is that the human experience of how places feel risks to be neglected. This means for example that techno-rational, functional features are put before human experiences. There is a tendency to design places prioritizing how they look rather than how they feel, everyday people tend to be left out, and the various professional tend to focus on their own areas of interest. Furthermore, the lack of post occupancy analysis in terms of human experience of the place means that the valuable knowledge on what is experienced as pleasant or not, gets lost. The afore-mentioned issues are in thesis understood as layered fragmented gaps that form complexities. Taking these complexities related to people, places and processes as the points of departure for making contributions towards human inclusive place design, this thesis applies a dialogue approach that brings theory and practice into dynamic conversation with each other. This allows for generating synergised learnings from various perspectives. The main theoretical perspectives include urban design, reflective practice, situational awareness, everyday aesthetics and affordances. The empirical material comes from collaborative processes, workshops and interviews with place design practitioners, everyday people and researchers.

In addition to the concept of human-inclusive place design, this thesis presents four interconnected results and contributions: (1) material and immaterial aspects of complexity related to people and places, (2) novel tools, defined as instruments of attentiveness for reflecting and sensing, (3) a general model for situational awareness in design and (4) a tentative taxonomy of affordances. The knowledge developed in this thesis strengthens the understanding of collaborative place design and designing by exploring the synergies between and within place and people to introduce concepts and tools to provide both practical and theoretical insights about what pleasant living environment can mean in a given context and how it may be created. It is proposed that through attentive analysis of the current situation, various material and immaterial perspectives can be discovered and utilised to inspire the participating actor’s thinking, doing, and sensing.

Collaborative design is a complex practice in which designers and non-designers cometogether and do something. Navigating collaboration is tricky, and this paper tacklesquestions, reflections and opportunities in doing ethics in collaborative design. We arguethat the ethical designer behaviour is one led by virtue, reflectivity and conscious ‘checkins'.These traits set the stage for mutual learning and co-produced knowledge between allinvolved in a collaborative act. Through literature readings and reflections from a casestudy, we offer a prototypical tool to guide designers in doing ethics in collaborativesettings. The tool does not suggest a list of how-tos, but rather, opens ways of thinkingdeeply about ethics-in-action and how designers may approach situated ethicalentanglements.

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.

Global businesses are transforming towards capturing more value from services, a business model transition called servitization. Digital servitization can help create and maintain a competitive advantage, as well as offering opportunities to tackle major challenges related to environmental pressures and rapidly changing market conditions. This study aims to bridge the gap between the theory of digital servitization and its implementation in the maritime shipping sector. This paper presents a multi-case study that explores the status, perceived challenges, and enablers for the adoption of digital servitization. Empirical data were collected from interviews with 13 companies and analyzed using the PESTEL and DPSIR frameworks. The results are presented across three categories based on the PESTEL framework: organizational context, global priorities, and sustainability. This study contributes to theory by providing empirical insights from the status of digital servitization in the maritime shipping industry. Also, it identifies challenges and needs that can support the transition towards digital servitization and the development of more sustainable solutions. Future research avenues are suggested to advance digital servitization in other industrial sectors.

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.

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.