| 1. |
- Berglund, Martina, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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HTO - a concept of humans, technology and organisation in interaction
- 2020
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Working life of today faces challenges. There is a fast pace in technical and organisational development and continual demands for increased performance. In order to manage the increasing complexity in work systems, there is a need to take a holistic view on operations. One such view is the systems concept of Humans, Technology and Organisation (HTO). The aim of this report is to describe the HTO concept, how it was developed, and how it can be used to develop work and work systems, understand humans at work, and understand contributing factors to organisational performance and individual well-being. The core of the HTO model is human work activity and how it is carried out within a work system consisting of humans, technology and the organisation. Focussing on human work activity generates knowledge about work conditions, needed competences and collective interaction, but also understanding about outcomes of the activities – the systems performance. H, the Humans in the work system, can be understood from different perspectives, for example as biological systems, information processing systems, individuals with unique personal traits and experiences, or as members of social groups. The H can thus in itself be regarded as a sub-system within HTO. In a similar way, T, Technology, includes several facets, such as tangible tools and machinery, intangible IT systems and software, and environmental characteristics that are technologically designed. The same applies for O, Organisation, consisting of both formal aspects (e.g. written work instructions and follow-up systems) and informal aspects (e.g. organisational culture and informal work practice). Applying HTO in practice generates several types of outcomes: 1) HTO to design products shows that it can be beneficial for productivity, quality and individual safety; 2) HTO to analyse and understand complex work may shed light on complex work in practice, the influences between the individual and the work system, and gaps between prescribed, standard work and how it is carried out in practice; 3) HTO to understand safety shows that it is achieved through systems thinking, thus technology needs to be designed to match human capabilities, and HTO barriers should be in place to prevent accidents; and 4) HTO to improve health and productivity may result in workplace redesign, increased individual well-being and business productivity. HTO has several uses, such as a theoretical framework, an analytical tool, and a method for a holistic view on human work, but also as a tool for visualisation and design.
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| 2. |
- Forslund, Magnus, 1969-
(författare)
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Ledarskap för ökad innovationsförmåga : exemplet Småland
- 2019
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ordet innovation har nästan blivit det nya svarta. Fokus ligger på hur företag, offentliga organisationer och ideella föreningar kan bli mer innovativa. Boken presenterar teorier, modeller, metoder och verktyg som i projektet Ledarskap i Småland använts för att hjälpa ledare att öka organisationens innovationsförmåga. Citat och exempel från ledares vardag i framför allt små och medelstora organisationer används som illustrationer. Med begrepp som 0,5-steg och att tända många eldar riktar sig boken i första hand till praktiskt verksamma ledare – i och utanför Småland. Detta är projektets andra bok. Den första heter Småländskt ledarskap – inledande betraktelser.
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| 3. |
- Karlsson, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Resilience through the daily work of first line managers
- 2020
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Ingår i: Contemporary EHF 2020.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organisational resilience can be a source of competitiveness, enabling companies to respond and adapt to unexpected changes, ensuring that a company can thrive whilst dealing with the unexpected. The ability of first line managers (FLMs) to handle their daily work at the operational level in order to maintain a stable production output, while managing the many challenges in the complex industrial context, is key. The importance of how FLMs can handle their role has been confirmed by several researchers – and more research is needed. In this research, two manufacturing companies are participating as they wish to develop their FLMs’ abilities to handle their role as an intermediate position between workers, technical support staff and upper management. The study aims to produce knowledge of how the daily work in the role of FLMs is enacted in the manufacturing context and how resilient action strategies can be developed for both performance and wellbeing. The study follows a collaborative approach in which two manufacturing companies are participating. After an initial workshop and ten in-depth interviews with FLMs the preliminary results indicate that the disturbances of daily work per se were expected by many of the interviewees. Difficulties involved were diminished by developed routines, although the information about those sometimes were difficult to find. Improvement opportunities regarded for example clarification of the role, better collaboration with support functions, more time to spend with operators interacting at shop floor level and expanding proactive action strategies.
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| 4. |
- Karltun, Anette, 1956-, et al.
(författare)
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Benefits of the Human-Technology-Organization Concept in Teaching Ergonomics – Students Perspective
- 2018
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Ingår i: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing. - Cham : Springer. - 9783319960791 - 9783319960807 ; , s. 627-636
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The human-technology-organization (HTO) concept has been used for creating systems understanding of ergonomics in three engineering educations at the School of Engineering in Jönköping. Students from courses given in two undergraduate and one graduate program (n = 122) participated in the study, which involved a course evaluation questionnaire to assess the understanding of ergonomics as discipline and HTO as a means for creating systems understanding. The questionnaire included both ranking and personal comments to the questions. The results show that the students in general considered knowledge of ergonomics and HTO as beneficial for their future work and that the HTO concept did contribute to their understanding of workplace ergonomics. However, there was a significant difference between undergraduate and graduate students in all these aspects where undergraduates ranked all these aspects lower than graduates. This was also reflected in personal comments on the questions. Conclusions that can be drawn are that understanding systems is generally difficult and the HTO concept can assist in helping students to overcome these difficulties. However, the differences between the student groups must be explicitly considered as well as increasing students’ awareness of the relevance of ergonomics for engineers.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Karltun, Anette, 1956-, et al.
(författare)
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The work of first line managers – A key to resilience in manufacturing
- 2023
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Ingår i: Applied Ergonomics. - : Elsevier. - 0003-6870 .- 1872-9126. ; 110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- First-line managers (FLMs) have a vital role in developing stable output and organizational competitiveness through their ability to manage front-line operations in daily work. It is also well known that FLMs are strong determinants of good ergonomics and well-being for front-line staff. However, research focusing on how FLMs deal with their important role is lacking particularly regarding empirical studies. The focus here is how they deal with uncertainties and disruptive interruptions and develop more resilient performance in daily work – introduced in this article as resilient action strategies.This research uses two conceptual frameworks on resilient engineering for analysis of FLM's actions in daily work in two manufacturing companies, to explore how resilient action strategies can be organizationally supported. The study combines analysis of front-line activities with multilevel organizational support based on 30 semi-structured in-depth interviews with FLMs and support functions, 21 workshops as well as policy documents of the two companies. The analysis exemplifies how resilience engineering was enabled in practice in the organizations.The study contributes to the empirical understanding of how resilience can be organizationally supported in daily front-line work. Our results show that a developed and consistent infrastructure in companies promotes the emergence of resilient action strategies in front-line work. We propose an extended model for resilient front-line performance enhancement by including coordination as a linking aspect between the earlier suggested resilient potentials – anticipate, monitor, respond and learn. This highlights the importance of both organizational support and coordination between system levels to enable the development of resilient action strategies by FLMs.
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| 7. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Activity – The Core of Human-Technology-Organization
- 2021
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2021). - Cham : Springer. - 9783030746018 - 9783030746025 ; , s. 704-711
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human work activities are at the core of value adding processes creating system performance. The concept of human, technology and organization (HTO) is used in different cases as it offers a framework for understanding and developing work. The aim of this paper is to elucidate the character of work activities and their significance in using the HTO concept. The aspects elaborated on are: the relation between the objectives of the organization and the activity, the organizational context of the activity, the variability of the individual and the work process, the influence of history, the relation between the individual and the activity and finally how activity can be studied. Looking at three short examples from different industries, it can be concluded that the HTO concept is beneficial to use in order to better understand the studied activities in the examples. However, there must be clearly identifiable tasks to really benefit from the HTO concept.
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| 8. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Deboners’ stress in alternatively organized work
- 2011
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Ingår i: Human Factors in Organisational Design and Management - X. - Grahamstown, South Africa : Rhodes University.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The high reported rates of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD)and accidents among butchers and deboners in Sweden have resulted in several initiativesto reduce these. In this study, eight deboners working every second week at a pace lineand every second week at single tables, were examined concerning physical work load(heart rate) and feelings of stress and energy (stress-energy formula and interviews). Ther esults show that the physical work load was highest at single tables but that feelings of stress and musculoskeletal strain were highest at the pace line. The reasons for this are discussed.
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| 9. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Handbok för första linjens chefer
- 2022
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Från inledningen: Den här handboken vänder sig framför allt till dig som är första linjens chef i tillverkande industri. Första linjens chef definieras här som den första chefsnivån som har personalansvar. Det är den vanligaste chefspositionen och finns i alla företag med minst en chefsnivå. Det är en oerhört viktig funktion! Även forskningen lyfter fram första linjens chef som en nyckelposition för att skapa en väl fungerande och hållbar produktion.Du kanske är helt ny i rollen som chef och då är det här en hjälp till att förstå uppgiften. Eller så är du erfaren chef men ny i företaget, och kan behöva lite tips för att förstå och lyckas i ditt nya jobb. Slutligen hoppas vi erbjuda några guldkorn även för dig som är erfaren chef i ett företag som du känner sedan länge.Handboken vänder sig också till dig som har en roll i samarbete med första linjens chefer. Du kanske jobbar i linjen eller är teamledare, dvs ledare utan personalansvar. Du kanske är andra linjens chef eller har en stödfunktion till produktionen med ansvar för skydd och säkerhet, planering, kvalitetsutveckling, tekniskt underhåll, teknikutveckling, produktutveckling, logistik eller HR-funktioner. Vi hoppas att ni alla kan hitta användbara råd och lärdomar i handboken.I handboken vill vi tydliggöra arbetsinnehållet för första linjens chefer och hur det kan utvecklas. Vi gör det genom att beskriva rollen och arbetet som första linjens chef. Vi lägger också stor vikt vid att beskriva dynamiken och problemlösningen som hela tiden är närvarande. Dessutom vill vi peka på möjligheterna att systematiskt utveckla förutsättningarna för och förmågan att arbeta som chef i första linjen – så att du kan fungera och må bra i uppgiften på ett hållbart sätt eller stötta den personsom har denna roll. En första linjens chef har stor inverkan på både arbetsmiljön och effektiviteten inom sitt område. Även chefens arbetsmiljö är därför av stor vikt för att nå bra resultat inom dessa områden.
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| 10. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Handbook for front line managers
- 2023
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- From the introduction: This handbook is aimed primarily at front line managers (FLMs) in manufacturing industries. Frontline manager is defined here as the first management level with personnel responsibility. It is the most common managerial position and is found in all companies that have at least one management level. It is an extremely important role. Research also highlights the FLM as a key position in the creation of well-functioning and sustainable production.You may be new to the role of being a manager, if so this book will help you to understand your tasks. If you are an experienced manager but new to the company, you will find some suggestions on how to succeed in your new job. Finally, we hope that we can offer some pearls of wisdom for those of you who are experienced managers in a company you have known for a long time.The handbook is also for you who collaborate with FLMs. You may be working in the line or as a team leader, which is a leader without personnel responsibility. You may be a second line manager or have a production support role with responsibility for protection and safety, planning and scheduling, quality development, technical maintenance, technological development, product development, logistics, HR functions or something else. We hope that the handbook will provide you all with useful advice and information.This handbook is intended to clarify the content of FLM’s work and how it can be developed. We do this by describing the role and work of the FLM but also the ever-present dynamics and problem-solving foundin the role. We also want to underscore opportunities for systematically developing the potential for and ability to work as a FLM. To enable you to work and thrive in the role in the long term or support someone else in this role. FLMs have a major impact on both work environment and efficiency within their area. As such, the manager’s work environment is also of great importance for success.
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| 11. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Positioning the study of first line managers’ resilient action strategies
- 2019
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Ingår i: 8th REA Symposium on Resilience Engineering: Scaling up and Speeding up. - : Lnu Press. - 9789188898951
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper introduces a study on the action strategies of first line managers (FLMs) using a resilience perspective and the aim is to position the study in the theoretical field of resilience management and engineering. One important key to an organization's long-term competitiveness are the first line managers’ ability to handle the role as a leader in daily work. In the role of a FLM, there are a lot of conflicting objectives to manage, for example, regarding available resources, subordinates’ views versus superiors’, centralized and/or local control, optimization of cost and capability (quality and delivery). Moreover, at the operational level of detail, FLMs have to balance daily deliveries in relation to development activities, i.e. technical development, product development, implementation of new system and management concepts. Regardless of the complexity in work and organisational change over time, a FLM’s most important task is to contribute to a high and stable production output out of an input that is characterized by variability and disturbances. To do so in a sustainable way, the FLMs must develop action strategies about ways of working and problem solving that systematically facilitate coping with the situation and managing their own workload. We consider this as developing resilient actions strategies that allow the FLMs to handle the upcoming problems without getting problems on their own. In this paper we describe and develop the theoretical underpinnings of the study as well as how we position our own research in relation to the different theoretical strands of resilience management. We further suggest some methodological ideas on how to capture the work and nature of first line managers’ resilient action strategies. The focus in our work will thus be on how FLMs handle and can improve the more or less chaotic mix of activities in daily work in a resilient way.
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| 12. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Studying resilient action strategies of first line managers [Protocol]
- 2021
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Ingår i: Social Science Protocols. - : University of Edinburgh. - 2516-8053. ; 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: One important key to an organization’s long-term competitiveness is the ability of first line managers (FLMs) to handle their role as a leader in daily work. FLMs main task is to contribute to a high and stable production output according to customer demands from an input that is characterized by instability and variability. To do so, FLMs must develop resilient action strategies – ways of working and daily problem solving that systematically facilitate to cope with instability. In this study protocol we present a methodological approach developed to evaluate and improve these.Methods/Design: The research approach is collaborative and developmental and performed together with two companies. The approach integrates and extends the theory and application of a model on interactive research and a framework on activity analysis. It will be applied using data collection techniques like interviews, diaries, observations, document analysis, and questionnaires. The analysis and development stages will be performed both separate and in collaboration in workshops and the result is planned to end up in the joint writing of a generic handbook on advantageous action strategies for FLMs’.Discussion: This study contributes with a new integration of two methodological approaches which provides a novel way to understand and develop dynamic on-the-job behaviour in work settings.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Eklund, Jörgen, et al.
(författare)
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Hälsa, produktivitet och kvalitet vid arbete med kniv – en interventionsstudie, dnr 120158 : Slutrapport till AFA Försäkring
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Projektet startades enligt plan med insamling och sammanställning av internationella studier och annat underlag. Ett utbildningsmaterial och en metodik för denna har tagits fram i projektet, i samarbete med tre samarbetsföretag inom styckningsbranschen. Tester av utbildningen har genomförts med mycket goda resultat och mycket stort intresse från de deltagande företagen och deras styckare, dvs KLS-Ugglarps, Dalsjöfors Kött i Göteborg samt Scan i Linköping. Vid Scan blev intresset så stort att de under våren 2013 önskade utöka sitt deltagande i tid och med fler styckare än planerat, något som projektet givit dem möjlighet till. Utbildningsmaterial som inkluderar filmer, presentationsmaterial och interventionsmetodiksamt affischer har tagits fram. Resultaten visar att metodiken fungerar och att styckarna genom den återkoppling de får från knivskärpemätutrustningen kan erhålla och bibehålla högre skärpa hos sin kniv. Ett av huvudresultaten från projektet är att polering (trissning) kan återställa knivskärpan och till och med förbättra denistället för slipning samt stålning. Detta innebär att skärkrafterna för styckarna med polering kan minska i storleksordningen 20 %, något som medför minskad belastningsskaderisk, och dessutom minskat knivslitage och knivförbrukning. Detta finns inte beskrivet i forskning eller i praktiska råd för styckare, vare sig i Sverige eller internationellt. Polering ger möjlighet för styckarna att själva i närheten av sin arbetsplats underhålla sin knivskärpa bättre. Vidare uppger företagen att deras kostnader för knivar har minskat påtagligt. Projektet har också identifierat ett antal olika förutsättningar som gör utbildningen mer effektiv. Ett utbildningsmaterial har tagits fram och sprids nu kostnadsfritt via flera aktiviteter och via internet samt hemsidor. Erfarenheter från projektet kommer också att publiceras i en doktorsavhandling som planeras att presenteras under 2015.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Eklund, Jörgen, et al.
(författare)
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Interactive research and HTO as an industry development model
- 2014
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Ingår i: Human Factors in Organizational design and Management - Xi Nordiv Ergonomics Society Annual Conference, Copenhagen 2014. - : Nordic Ergonomics Society. ; , s. 337-342
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Meat cutting has since long shown high frequencies of work-related disorders and injuries. The meat cutting industry initiated an interactive research project to assist the companies in creating a better work environment considering also the profitability. After an initial diagnosis, a broad strategy was formed and four mixed groups focusing personal development, technological developments, work organization and work environment started working. The results from these further initiated focused studies that were performed in close interaction with the industry. During the four year project a continuous reduction of usculoskeletal disorder problems in the industry and other substantial effects were observed.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
- Havemose, Karin, 1959-, et al.
(författare)
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MakerSquare
- 2022
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Ingår i: Förnyelse på Småländska. - Växjö : Linnaeus University Press.
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 19. |
- Hägg, Göran M., et al.
(författare)
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How do different temperatures affect knife force?
- 2015
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Ingår i: The Ergonomics Open Journal. - : Bentham Open. - 1875-9343. ; :8, s. 27-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Meat cutters have long since claimed that knife forces increase with lower meat temperatures. This study was performed to find out what effects the meat temperature has on cutting forces. In addition, the same issue was addressed for pure fat. One hundred and forty four samples of lean meat and of fat respectively were collected and put overnight inone of three refrigerators with temperatures 2, 7 and 12°C, 48 in each. These samples were cut while measuring cutting forces in an Anago KST Sharpness Analyzer machine. The results show that there were no significant differences in knife forces concerning lean meat at the three temperatures. However, the force in pure fat at 2°C was significantly increased by 30% compared to the other temperatures. The forces in fat were generally three times higher than for lean meat, regardlessof temperature.
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| 20. |
- Hägg, Göran M, et al.
(författare)
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Knife force differences when cutting meat at different temperatures
- 2012
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Ingår i: NES2012. - Stockholm : KTH Royal Institute of Technology. - 9789163711497
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- IntroductionMeat cutters in abattoirs is a group with high risks for musculoskeletal disorders. A major reason for this is that they exert high hand forces over a great part of the day when cutting meat. Though meat is refrigerated due to hygienic demands, meat temperature can vary. Meat cutters have claimed that knife forces increase with lower temperatures. This study was performed to find out what effects the meat temperature has on cutting forces. In addition, the same issue was addressed for pure fat.MethodTo be able to do cuts in meat under controlled conditions while measuring cutting forces, a machine, Anago KST Sharpness Analyzer, was used. The machine normally runs a knife at constant speed through a standardized textile ribbon while the force exerted on the ribbon is recorded over time. For this investigation, the ribbon was replaced by a wooden fixture with a 10 mm wide slot where the knife could pass and where meat samples could be fixed.Meat obtained from hind loin and fat tissue of pork was cut into 5 cm long, 4 cm wide and 2 cm thick samples. The meat fibre orientation was aligned with the long axis of the sample. When fixated in the fixture and the machine was started, the knife made a 4 cm long cut through 2 cm thick meat or fat.One hundred and forty four samples of meat and as many of fat were collected and put overnight in one of three refrigerators with temperatures 2, 7 and 12 °C, 48 in each. Well sharpened standard knifes were used for the tests. The knife was changed after 24 cuts. During the procedure samples were taken directly from the refrigerator and put into the fixture and tested immediately. The sample order was generally 2, 7, 12 °C to avoid systematic effects of a gradually blunter knife.ResultsThere were no significant differences in knife forces at the three meat temperatures. The forces for fat were in average about three times higher than the meat forces. There was no significant difference between forces in fat at 7 and 12 °C. However there was a strongly significant difference between these two groups and the 2 °C fat group. The force was about 30% higher compared to the forces at 7 and 12 °C in fat.ConclusionIn the range 2-12 °C there are no differences in meat. For fat there are no differences in the range 7-12 °C while the force increases about 30% when going from 7 to 2 °C.
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| 21. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-
(författare)
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Arbetsledare, säkerhet och störningshantering i byggindustrin : En intervjustudie
- 2022
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Inledning: Föreliggande rapport utgör en redovisning av en mindre intervjuundersökning som genomfördes under 2020. Undersökningen var avsedd att vara inledningen på ett delprojekt i projektet ”Branschintervention som metodik för en bättre arbetsmiljö” med fokus på arbetsledares roll och deras villkor gällande att skapa en bra och säker arbetsmiljö. Efter den första pandemivågen under våren 2020 genomfördes de här rapporterade intervjuerna under sen vår och försommar då smittspridningen hade gått ner. När sedan smittspridningen steg med andra vågen av pandemin och restriktionerna gällande fysiska möten på arbetsplatser skärptes avbröts delprojektet då detta krävde fysiska möten för att kunna utvecklas och genomföras som planerat. Under ett efterföljande möte med styrgruppen för projektet 2021-04-20 beslutades att avsluta detta delprojekt pga. pandemin och de restriktioner som denna medfört.Syftet med den här avrapporterade undersökningen var alltså att lägga en grund till fortsatt utvecklingsarbete för att hitta metoder att förbättra säkerheten i byggindustrin genom att utveckla arbetsledarnas arbete.
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| 22. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Contextual conditions influencing the scheduler's work at a sawmill
- 2010
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Ingår i: Production planning & control (Print). - London : Informa UK Limited. - 0953-7287 .- 1366-5871. ; 21:4, s. 359-374
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This case study addresses the issue of how contextual conditions influence scheduling work in practice at a sawmill in Sweden. Based on observations and interviews, activity analysis was used to study the work activities of the main scheduler. It is shown how the contextual conditions related to constraints, either in the technical system and the technical scheduling tools used by the scheduler or in the social system, delimit the possible ways for the scheduler to perform his work. It is furthermore illustrated how the scheduler sometimes used the contextual conditions as a means to control the sawmill production. Moreover, the presence of the numerous uncertainties in the production process is shown. Finally, the study demonstrates that the scheduler's thorough knowledge, experience, and skills of both the technical and the social systems had immense influence in his ability to perform during daily scheduling work.
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| 23. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Joint Context-Sharing Introductory Course for Four Different Master Programs
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 10th International CDIO Conference, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, June 16-19, 2014. - : CDIO.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The School of Engineering in Jönköping offers four master programs with in total about 100 students, relatively evenly distributed among those four programs. The school has made a thorough revision of all its programs, largely to improve the influence by the principles of CDIO with a start of the new curricula at fall semester 2013. For the master programs this meant that a new joint introductory course for all master students should be set in operation. The aim with this paper is to present the basic rationale behind the course, how it was set in operation and the students’ and teachers’ experiences of the first trial as well as planned modifications for next year’s course. The profile of the research at the school is to advance the knowledge concerning the product realization process in small- and medium sized manufacturing companies and the different master programs support this profile. It was thus decided that the introductory course should demonstrate the same profile by a project performed by the students. Moreover, the course should support the development of a community of master students that know each other regardless of the master program they are following in order to enlarge the opportunities for networking and bringing different experiences together. The course should be appropriate as an introduction course for the four master programs, specializing in industrial design, product development, information engineering or production systems. The course should thus provide understanding also for other stages in the product realization process that are related to but not included in the own education, both regarding the process, the leadership and the research methods used. The design of the course was done by the program managers together with the examining teacher in group dynamics and leadership, thereby involving five teachers. The course examination volume is 9 credits (out of 120 for a whole master program), divided into three parts, the content of the product realization process (3 credits), the group dynamics and leadership development (3 credits) and the research and inquiry methodology knowledge (3 credits). The course was structured and taught by lectures, exercises, seminars and project work. Projects groups were formed including at least one student from each program. The examinations were done by a poster and model exhibition regarding the content of the product realization process, an individual reflective assignment regarding the leadership and group development process during the project and an individual written exam regarding the research and inquiry methodology part. The course is just finished, the exhibition has been held and the teacher group is correcting and grading the exam and the assignments. A plenary oral evaluation has been held where the students confirmed that some goals were reached and some were not. Moreover, the examination results of the course is not fully known yet but will be reported in the paper. The experiences among the teacher group are multifaceted but largely positive and next year’s course is looked forward to.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Karltun, Johan, 1954-
(författare)
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On Stage : Acting for development of businesses and ergonomics in woodworking SMEs
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis reports findings and results from studies of development work and change processes in the secondary woodworking industry. The purpose with the research is to increase the knowledge on how companies can initiate change and to increase their ability to change. The dual aim of improving both business and working conditions served as a guiding condition for the research. Case studies and action research were performed in small companies, mainly with less than 100 employees and in some cases less than 20 employees.The thesis encompasses six papers addressing different topics within the framework of development work and change processes. Topics elaborated are how performance concerning the ergonomic situation in a company can be measured and how the content and process of ISO 9000 implementation as well as standardisation influence system performance and working conditions. Furthermore, a framework for how change is enacted in SMEs and its effects on ergonomic considerations is suggested. A methodology for initiating change efforts in complex and ambiguous problem situations is presented. Finally the different expert and participant roles in an organisational change effort are elaborated and analysed with reference to experiences from previous case studies and theory.Together, the papers and the thesis emphasize the importance of action and work activities as a base for change. It is in the conflicting work activities or work conduct of differing perspectives where many of the drivers of change can be found. I also argue that this is a main reason to give good working conditions utmost importance for organisation performance. Further, I conclude that the six papers together contribute to a theoretical basis for developing small firms and attractive workplaces. It is indicated that the results are relevant to small manufacturing firms, while neither organisational structure nor resources available are the same as in larger companies. Moreover, the organisational size has a number of implications on aspects like visibility, available theoretical knowledge, vulnerability, formalisation, institutionalised organisational inertia etc. that will alter the demands on the change process. Many of the results are not limited to woodworking industry; the technical content of the ergonomics problems will however be different in other firms.
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