| 11521. |
- Lagrosen, Yvonne, 1966-, et al.
(författare)
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The relationship between quality management and employee health : exploring the underlying dimensions
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management. - Olney, Bucks , UK : InderScience Publishers. - 1746-6474 .- 1746-6482. ; 5:2, s. 109-123
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The first purpose of this study was to verify the relationship between workplace health and quality management, particularly the values ‘leadership commitment’ and ‘participation of everybody’ whose importance previous research has pointed to. The second purpose of the study was to examine the constituents and mechanics of the relationships between health and those values. A case study was carried out in a Swedish manufacturing company using data triangulation in the form of in-depth interviews and focus-group interviews on three levels. The findings show that the perceptions of the quality management values were significantly correlated with the employees’ perception of their health. This finding substantiates earlier studies indicating a relationship between quality and health. Important dimensions of ‘leadership commitment’ and ‘participation of everybody’, regarding health, were identified and described in models. The paper provides additional understanding of the connection between quality management and health, particularly regarding the role of leadership.
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| 11522. |
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| 11523. |
- Lahtinen, M. H., et al.
(författare)
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The impact of thermomechanical pulp fiber modifications on thermoplastic lignin composites
- 2021
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Ingår i: Composites Part C: Open Access. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-6820. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cellulose and lignin are abundant renewable biopolymers that can be used for the manufacture of new, environmentally friendly materials. The objective of this study was to produce composites of kraft lignin, which were reinforced with cellulosic thermomechanical pulp (TMP) fibers. Furthermore, the fibers were chemically modified resulting in cross-linking or increased hydrophobicity. Ideally, these modifications improve interaction between the components in the composite. The effects of the modifications on the tensile strength and thermal properties of the composites were investigated, and the interactions between components were examined by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. When the fibers were cross-linked with polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (PEGDE), the tensile strength properties of the composite were significantly improved. Depending on the amount of PEGDE added, tensile strength was increased by 16–34%, and Young's Modulus by 6–18%, but at the same time the strain at break remained the same. Similarly, by using PEGDE, the amount of free plasticizer (PEG) could be reduced, which also improved the water-resistance of the composite. According to scanning electron microscopy, all chemical treatments improved the compatibility of the fibers with the lignin matrix. However, the increase in compatibility was highest when the fibers were cross-linked with a combination of glyoxal and neopentyl glycol (GL/NPG) or by increasing hydrophobicity through acetylation (AC), although the tensile strength properties were the best in case of cross-linking with PEGDE.
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| 11524. |
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| 11525. |
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| 11526. |
- Lakew, Nathan, 1979-
(författare)
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Being-human in the world of digital artifacts: holistic rethinking of design practices
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis conducts a philosophical, theoretical, and practical exploration of digital technology design to examine how digital technologies can fulfill our two-facet of existentiality – identified in the thesis as belonginess and novelty. By belonginess, I identify human’s innate need for a feeling of connectedness and harmony with the self, others, and the natural world. The word novelty implies the human interest in exploration, invention, and desire for new experiences. This research suggests that contemporary digital technologies are largely novelty need-oriented, while our belonginess need is either ignored or its growth curtailed. The research question presented in this thesis is how and why can design enable digital technologies to mediate aligned existentiality? With this broad question, I will argue that an alignment between digital technologies and our two-facet of existentiality can be met through refocused design practices. Strong arguments have been forwarded that novelty focused digital technologies can reduce our existential needs of belonginess. Digital technologies are leading consumerist commodities associated with creating unrelenting demand for new experiences. The search for constant stimulation and novelty has resulted in a fragmented and alienated state of being-human where the only way of feeling a sense of belonging comes from consuming more novel experiences. As contemporary everyday life is increasingly intertwined with digital technologies, their effect on our way of being-human becomes even more notable. Against this background, the research attempts to ‘bring back’ our needs of belonginess to an equal footing with novelty in digital technologies. I have examined the current digital technology design’s philosophical, theoretical, and practical foundations to refocus design, from its too strong focus on developing novelty experiences to mediating aligned existentiality. With the aim of refocusing the design role, a theoretical framework based on holism has emerged that could provide design a background to focus on mediating aligned existentiality. Primarily ivinformed by three thinkers – Marin Heidegger, Karl Marx, and John Dewey – the proposed holistic theoretical framework aims to provide design with a basis to (1) embed belonginess values in digital technologies (2) redirect digital technologies from alienating values such as consumerism, and (3) provide a mediating materiality for digital technologies to advance aligned existentiality while in use. The thesis further illustrates the proposed holistic dimensions – philosophy, theory, and practice – using three empirical materials. I argue that the proposed holistic foundation for design is also aligned with how digital technologies are being used in the everyday lifeworld. Consequently, by freeing design from its traditional responsibility of making technically savvy and novel artifacts and refocusing its role to mediating aligned existentiality, design can itself be used to support our being-human in the world of digital artifacts.
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| 11527. |
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| 11528. |
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| 11529. |
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| 11530. |
- Lakew, Nathan, et al.
(författare)
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Secondary design - As a supplementary knowledge base for HCI design
- 2015
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Ingår i: 2015 Americas Conference on Information Systems, AMCIS 2015. - : americas conference on information systems.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Traditionally, the HCI design is greatly influenced by active knowledge harnessed during requirement elicitations. However, as the world of ICT moves towards user-centric computing with a need for evolving features, designers face challenges from heterogeneous users with complex needs, accessing technology with myriads of communication mediums. In response, this paper explores peoples' inherent desire and way of engagement with other entities which guides us towards design that is not pre-determined by experts, but by users' response to changes (secondary design). Secondary design is analyzed in an empirical case study of the implementation of new Learning Management System in higher education institution by following end-users appropriation response for a period of 20 months, and conducting more than 30 interviews. The analysis shows that secondary design is not 'unfaithful use of technology' but a sensible practice with known triggers and effective re-designing processes aiming to fit new features with practices and identities.
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