| 1. |
- Eriksson, Joakim, 1977-
(författare)
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Coping with decisions on deviations in complex product development projects
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A strong need for resource efficiency within manufacturing companies have been driven extensively through pro-active planning and methods which have naturally resulted in an increased amount of strong couplings between product development projects, their activities, and resources. These strong couplings mean a high level of complexity where deviations are likely to occur on a regular basis which can spread quickly and have far reaching consequences. Praxis related to treatment of such deviations in product development projects has not been widely discussed. The subsequent question is therefore How are decisions on managing deviations made in practice?A Practice approach has been adopted in this research and led on to the use of context sensitive research methods in order to collect relevant data. The main amount of data has been gathered through one year of participant observations and document retrieval in a product development project. Also, a large amount of interviews have been used as a method for collecting data.38 deviations have been analysed through the identification of praxis which has been primarily analysed by three theories. The first theory, decision roles, has been used to clarify the different types of uncertainties people within complex product development projects need to manage in practice. The second theory, loosely coupled systems, shows how temporary organizing by loose couplings enables parallel management of both planned and unplanned activities when deviations occur. The third theory, Sensemaking, have been used to characterise processes related to different types of uncertainties.Conclusions are drawn regarding how people acts related to deviations are directly dependent on the types of uncertainties of the context as well as the situation itself. Uncertainties regarding choices, responsibilities, mobilization, and legitimization combined with the temporary organization leads to certain praxis patterns. The patterns can be used by project managers and other decision makers as a way of discussing temporary organization and how process emerge within the organization today, and how they would like resulting processes to be managed when deviations occur.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Öberg, Åsa, 1976-
(författare)
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Striving for meaning - a study of innovation processes
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Traditionally, innovation processes have often focused on creatively solving problems with the help of new technology or business models. However, when describing products in terms of function or visual appearance, the reflection on a less visible dimension, the product meaning, is left out. The perspective of meaning is an alternative path to innovation that pays attention to the reason for using a product, its “why” rather than its “how”. Nevertheless, within the field of innovation management, research on meaning is still in its infancy and lacks well developed frameworks.The objective of this study is to increase the understanding of the dimension of meaning within the innovation processes in companies and - in particular - the practices that support such a process, looking particularly at nine cases where managers sought to develop directions of new product meaning - spanning businesses within manufacturing, consumer goods and fashion.The study shows that companies used practices often opposite to what is described in innovation literature. Rather than taking out and leaving their opinions behind to reach a “beginner's mind”, the managers showed a silent evolving of interest and a conscious exposing of their own personal beliefs. They moved beyond standard procedures of information sharing to a practice of a multifaceted criticizing. Rather than outsourcing the product solutions, a practice of embodying the proposed product meaning was observed. In-depth studies showed that when the participants do not expose their thoughts with conviction, the process of searching to innovate product meaning seems to struggle. The act of exposing does not happen in a moment but when individuals open up and let old interpretations fade away, leaving room for new perspectives. Moreover, these studies showed that external sources, so called interpreters, fuel discussions on product meaning by leveraging a critical ability that includes practices described as asking, giving, daring and playing.The study contributes with an increased understanding of the meaning dimension within innovation management by leveraging theories of hermeneutics, design and leadership. It shows that this type of innovation process is relevant but differs from processes of creatively solving problems. Rather than being driven to find solutions, a meaning perspective includes a process of striving towards new potential product meaning.
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| 4. |
- Andersson Schaeffer, Jennie, 1974-
(författare)
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Communication space : Spatial design in manufacturing industry
- 2011
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main concern of this licentiate thesis is to discuss how built space is used for communication in the manufacturing industry, from a visual communication perspective. The thesis presents and develops the notion of 'communication space' and presents a model to describe the relation between different factors in the communication space. In a multiple case study, six different cases from the manufacturing industry are described and analyzed to highlight how built space is used for communication in a lean production context. Research results on how built spaces such as improvement places, meeting places and a development workshop affect improvement processes and communication are presented. What the studied improvement areas, meeting places and workshop can be said to communicate about the improvement processes is analyzed. The research results show that the built spaces in manufacturing industry are used for communication on two levels, both as places for interaction between employees and as a part of a communication process. The study also shows a relation between architecture from a specific time and the relation to the improvement work in the industrial context. How the results can be used to facilitate communication in the built spaces used for improvement processes in manufacturing industry is suggested in the thesis.
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| 5. |
- Andersson Schaeffer, Jennie, 1974-
(författare)
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Spaces for innovation
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Workspace design, as an enabling factor in innovation, is an emerging topic for innovation and design research. However, little research has been done on users’ experience on workspaces for innovation in a manufacturing industrial context. The aim of the dissertation is to develop knowledge and understanding of workspaces for innovation from a user perspective.The dissertation is based on studies done in four manufacturing industries and in one design and innovation consultancy, with a focus on the employees' experience of the physical space in relation to innovation. The research method used was the photo elicitation interview. The 31 participants made photographs that served as a basis for verbal interviews to communicate the relationship they experienced between their workspace and innovation. The analysis and the interpretation of the material, supported by information, cultural and phenomenological theoretical perspectives, intend to contribute to the current scientific discourse in innovation and design.A pattern was found in the results. In the manufacturing industrial companies, the majority of workspaces that users described as supporting or hindering innovation were motifs showing aculture promoting innovation in small steps. Their examples were found to be in close similarity to what previous research describe as characteristics of exploitative innovation. In the design company, the most photographed motifs were workspaces and objects that supported different variations of what previousresearch defines as characteristics for a culture supporting radical, explorative innovation.The dissertation presents results contributing to the research on ambidexterity, with focus on a possible coexistence between different innovation cultures. The results indicate that spatial differentiation creates possibilities for coexistence between the two innovation cultures. Six spatial characteristics were found in the descriptions of the workspaces related to the marginalised explorative culture in the manufacturing companies.The dissertation discusses the possibilities of creating spaces for explorative innovation (SEIs) and space as a tool for innovation. An initial version of a support for design is presented.
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| 6. |
- Axelsson, Karin, 1969-
(författare)
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Entrepreneurship in a School Setting : Introducing a Business Concept in a Public Context
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Entrepreneurship has during the last decades gained an immense interest in academia, politics and practice. It is argued from politics that more entrepreneurs are necessary for the economic development. In addition, nowadays entrepreneurship is also perceived as a solution to social and societal challenges. This drives a need for entrepreneurial people everywhere in society who can cope with the inconstant and uncertain world of today. As a consequence, there are around the world numerous educational initiatives trying to inspire and fuel an entrepreneurial mind-set. Here, educations of all kind become relevant contexts since they provide an opportunity to affect children, youth’s and adult’s interest and attitudes towards entrepreneurship, and as such give a possibility to reach a vast number of people.Sweden is no exception, and in 2009 the Swedish Government launched a ‘Strategy for entrepreneurship in the field of education’ in which entrepreneurship is said to run like a common thread throughout education. The main focus is that self-employment is to become as natural as being an employee. As such the Government took an active stand for implementing entrepreneurship in the school setting on a broad front, from preschool to adult education.This development can be seen as part of New Public Management; a development where concepts from the private sector are lent and transferred to the public sector. Thus, when introducing entrepreneurship in the Swedish educational system, this at the same time means introducing a traditional business concept in a public setting. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis is to increase knowledge of and insights on how a business concept – entrepreneurship – is operationalised and constructed in a public setting.When placing entrepreneurship in new societal contexts other questions arise and complexity intensifies. In this qualitative research, the empirical context in focus are schools. It investigates how entrepreneurship is constructed among teachers in their work. But also how this business concept is included in a non-business setting by studying how the entrepreneurship strategy is operationalised in educational practice.As such the thesis and its findings contribute to the scientific discussions on societal entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education, as well as on strategy and strategising in a public context. The research also aspire to serve inspiration, insights and food for thoughts on discussions and reflections on entrepreneurship within the school practice. This compilation thesis include five papers. To be able to fulfil the aim this research use a broad theoretical base and multiple qualitative research methods. The combination of methods include semi-structured interviews, in-depth interview using the stimulated recall method, focus group interviews, participative meetings, observations, document studies, digital questionnaires, written inquiries, analysing texts and critical incidents questionnaires.
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| 7. |
- Eriksson, Helena, 1965-
(författare)
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Att utveckla algebraiskt tänkande genom lärandeverksamhet : En undervisningsutvecklande studie i flerspråkiga klasser i grundskolans tidigaste årskurser
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis is to develop and explore teaching possible to promote algebraic thinking together with young, multilingual students six to twelve years old. One underlying assumption for the aim is that algebraic thinking can be developed by students participating in learning activities that are characterized by collective mathematical reasoning on relations between quantities of positive whole and rational numbers. Two overall research questions support this work: (1) What in students work indicate algebraic thinking identified in learning activities and as experiences of algebraic thinking? (2) How can learning models manifest in learning activity, in what ways do learning models change and enhance, and which characteristics of learning actions are enabled? Data was produced by interviews and from research lessons with students in lower grades in a multilingual Swedish school. The research lessons were focused on learning activity as suggested by Davydov (1990, 2008/1986), aimed at developing theoretical thinking – here algebraic thinking. They were staged in two research projects conducted as networks of learning studies. In these learning studies, the group of teachers iteratively designed and revised learning activities whereby the students could identify mathematical knowledge and collectively solve mathematical problems. The findings in the articles signal that learning models were developed as rudimentary, preliminary, prototypical and finally symbolic. Rudimentary models were grounded in algebraic thinking when the students analysed problem situations and identified the problem. Preliminary and prototypical models were developed by initiating and formalising actions understood as algebraic thinking. Different tools were initiated by the students and the teachers. These tools were formalised by the students. The students used algebraic symbols and line-segments to think together when comparing different quantities (Article 2). They carried out operations using unknown quantities when reflecting on additive and multiplicative relationships (Article 3). The students also used algebraic symbols to reflect on subtraction as non-commutative (Article 3). The different tools they used interacted on different levels of generalisation (Article 1). Algebraic thinking grounded the students reflections but interacted with, for example, fractional thinking in their arguments during the development of their learning models (Article 4). The different ways of thinking interacted in arguments when developing the rudimentary, the preliminary and the prototypical models. However, in the conclusion of their collective reasoning and in the development of the symbolic learning models, these different ways of thinking were intertwined in the same arguments (Article 4).As a conclusion, the four articles signal that learning models including algebraic symbols developed in a learning activity can be used by newly-arrived immigrant students to reflect on structures of numbers.
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| 8. |
- Eriksson, Per Erik
(författare)
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Videography as Design Nexus : Critical Inquires into the Affordances and Efficacies of Live-action Video Instructions
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is about live-action instructional videos (LAVs). By addressing design problems with respect to the how-to video genre, the thesis asks fundamental questions about mediated instructional communication efficacies and the factors that either obstruct or augment them. The analysis presented in this thesis is based on the notion that videography is a design nexus and key focal point of the connections that make live-action video instructional efforts possible. This Design Nexus is explored by defining and illuminating key ontological dimensions, medium specificities and the video users’ cognitive capacities. This is to acknowledge that the users of instructions in this thesis are center stage, both as biological and cultural beings.The methods used in this thesis and its associated papers are eye-tracking, video observations, questionnaires, self-reports, focus group interviews and YouTube analytics. Hence, both numerical data and non-numerical data are analyzed in this study.The results of the analyses indicate that pre-production planning is key in live-action video instructional endeavors, but not at the expense of the videographer’s status as designer. Moreover, the analyses show that users’ cognitive processing and visual decoding depend on the power of the live-action format to show actual human behavior and action. Other presented evidence seems to infer that LAV-instructions are a little less demanding if users apply a focused decoding style when interacting with them. Nevertheless, physiological engagement of this kind is likely not to fully compensate for users’ psychological engagement.This thesis contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of humans’ abilities to interpret the actions of others via medial means. By relating this to video medium-specific affordances, this thesis also furthers important efficacy distinctions and boundary conditions. This understanding is considered important for live-action video makers and designers of visual instructions as well as scholars who need to develop better methods to assess users’ behavioral engagement when they interact with digital instructional media.
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Per Erik
(författare)
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Videography as production nexus : digital film cameras, media mangement and the distribution of creativity
- 2013
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is about new digital moving image recording technologies and how they augment the distribution of creativity and the flexibility in moving image production systems, but also impose constraints on how images flow through the production system. The central concept developed in this thesis is ‘creative space’ which links quality and efficiency in moving image production to time for creative work, capacity of digital tools, user skills and the constitution of digital moving image material. The empirical evidence of this thesis is primarily based on semi-structured interviews conducted with Swedish film and TV production representatives.This thesis highlights the importance of pre-production technical planning and proposes a design management support tool (MI-FLOW) as a way to leverage functional workflows that is a prerequisite for efficient and cost effective moving image production.
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| 10. |
- Florin, Ulrika, 1964-
(författare)
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Från idé till gestaltningsförslag : fallstudie från Projekt Konstpaus
- 2010
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Populär sammanfattning I vårt samhälle finns många offentliga konstverk. Dessa verk har kommit till på olika sätt men gemensamt är att konstverken i de allra flesta fall upphandlats med utgångspunkt i någon form av skiss. Skissen föregår det kommande konstverket och tjänar som underlag för beslut om upphandling av verket i full skala. Kunskapen om hur skisser kan tydas varierar och dessutom förekommer flera typer av skisser som var för sig fordrar olika sorters insikter av betraktaren (beslutsfattaren) för att kunna tolkas. Det övergripande temat för avhandlingen är kommunikationsprocesserna i relation till utvecklingen av 12 konstnärers gestaltningsförslag, tävlingsbidrag, samt hur juryns bedömning av dessa ser ut. Studien är baserad på material insamlat från de deltagande konstnärernas processer i Projekt Konstpaus, ett projekt delfinansierat av EU. Syftet med studien är att öka förståelsen för hur konstnärer utformar sina gestaltningsförslag, samt hur dessa förslag används och värderas. För att göra detta har tävlingsbidragen analyserats och konstnärerna intervjuats. Konstnärliga gestaltningsprocesser har synliggjorts liksom kommunikationen mellan beställare och konstnär.Bland annat har det framkommit att det finns en större potential att förmedla ett komplext gestaltningsinnehåll till en jury med stöd av digitala skisser, än vid användande av traditionella skisser. Det har visat sig att det kommande konstverkets kvaliteter blir synliga, men också att de brister som finns i gestaltningen tydliggörs i 3D- skisserna. Liksom teknologier tidigare i historien haft sin påverkan på bildutvecklingen, tolkningen och seendet har också övergången till digitala skisstekniker denna inverkan. Det har också visat sig att den text som tillhör respektive tävlingsbidrag haft avgörande betydelse för utfallet av jurybedömningen. Muntliga och skriftliga presentationer, bilagor och brev har påverkat juryn i sina beslut.Studien har också visat hur konstnärer kan tolka och förmedla resultat av en inventering och genom sina skisser förmedla dessa tolkningar. Konsten som tolkare av miljö, tid och tanke, kan gestalta information om en plats och i och med detta också fungera värnande för ett samhälles identitet i olika faser av en utveckling.Studien har bidragit med en djupare inblick i konstnärliga gestaltningsprocesser och hur de kan beskrivas samt i och med detta också en fördjupad förståelse i allmänhet av kreativa processer.
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