| 1. |
- Berndtsson, Joakim, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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A question of time? Deployments, dwell time, and work-life balance for military personnel in Scandinavia
- 2023
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Ingår i: Military Psychology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0899-5605 .- 1532-7876. ; 35:2, s. 157-168
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years, interest in the different ways in which military employment affects individuals’ work-life balance (WLB) has grown. At the same time, research on military organizations and personnel has increasingly included time-related factors such as deploy-to-dwell (D2D) ratios to help explain adverse health effects of overseas deployments. The aim of this article is to explore connections between organizational systems for regulating deployment frequency and dwell (or respite) time with a particular focus on potential consequences for work-life balance. We focus on personal and organizational factors that shape the nature and outcome of work-life balance, including stress, mental health problems, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. To explore these links, we first provide an overview of research on the impact of deploy-to-dwell ratios on mental health and social relations. We then turn to the regulation and organization of deployment and dwell time in Scandinavia. Here, the ambition is to identify potential sources of work-life conflict and associated effects for deployed personnel. The results provide a basis for further research into time-related effects of military deployments.
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| 2. |
- Brundtland Steder, Frank, et al.
(författare)
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Breaking Away from a White Male Organization? Expert Opinions on Recruitment of Women and Ethnic Cultural Minorities
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- European armed forces still remain predominantly white, male organizations; their societies, however, are becoming more diverse and older. How will these armed forces be able to cope with this challenge? In order to answer this question, in the first semester of 2017, a group of scholars working within the framework of the European Defense Agency conducted an online survey among international experts in human and social sciences, defense managers, policymakers, and journalists specialized in defense issues. The aim of the survey, which followed a previous survey among young people on the attractiveness of the military as a job, was to measure their opinions and ask their suggestions concerning possible ways for increasing diversity in European armed forces. This paper presents some of the results of this multinational online survey.The unique feature of the study is that it is forward-looking and international: experts from various NATO and EU countries were asked how Defense organizations could deal with future challenges of demographic characteristics. The study, therefore, adds to our understanding of possible solutions for ensuring increased diversity in armed forces.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Fors Brandebo, Maria, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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The impact of constructive and destructive leadership on soldier's job satisfaction
- 2019
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Ingår i: Psychological Reports. - : Sage Publications. - 0033-2941 .- 1558-691X. ; 122:3, s. 1068-1086
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to investigate whether constructive or destructive leadership behaviors are the best predictors of soldiers’ experienced meaningfulness of work and general job satisfaction. Data were collected among 300 employed soldiers using a questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions about the immediate leader’s constructive and destructive leadership, meaningfulness of work and general job satisfaction. The results show that the constructive leadership factor inspiration and motivation was the best predictor of both experienced meaningfulness of work and general job satisfaction. None of the destructive leadership factors gave a significant contribution to the models although both the passive and active forms of destructive leadership showed a weak to moderate significant, negative correlation with experienced meaningfulness of work and general job satisfaction.
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| 8. |
- Forsström, Stefan, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Specialanpassade kurser för yrkesverksamma ingenjörer : Erfarenheter och upplevelser
- 2023
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Ingår i: Bidrag från den 9:e utvecklingskonferensen för Sveriges ingenjörsutbildningar. - : Mälardalens universitet. - 9789174856200 ; , s. 348-353
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- I dagens samhälle blir det allt viktigare att fortbilda sig under hela sitt yrkesverksamma liv. För att möta efterfrågan på det livslånga lärandet har Mittuniversitetet utvecklat och genomfört ett antal kurser som riktar sig mot yrkesverksamma ingenjörer. Detta arbete presenterar våra erfarenheter av att ge dessa kurser, med en tyngdpunkt på studenternas upplevelser. Syftet med detta är att bygga upp en vetenskaplig bas för vad vi gör som är bra, men även vad som kan förbättras och förändras. Målsättningen är att göra dessa specialanpassade kurser riktade mot yrkesverksamma ingenjörer så givande och flexibla som möjligt. Våra initiala resultat visar bland annat att studenternas negativa upplevelser ofta var kopplade till antagningsförfarandet och det praktiska genomförandet av kurserna. Man hade svårigheter med att hitta hur man skulle registrera sig på kursen och att tidsramen för registrering kunde vara ett problem. Läroplattformen uppfattades som svår att överblicka och det förekom även viss otydlighet gällande var undervisningen skulle äga rum. Den positiva responsen i utvärderingarna gällde främst det faktiska kursinnehållet, då man ansåg att uppgifter och kursmaterial var givande. Vidare uppskattades kursupplägget, att man kunde kombinera studierna med arbete. Framledes kommer vi att fortsätta med dessa utvärderingar i takt med att kurserna ges, och därefter anpassa vårt mottagande och kommunikationen med studenterna. Även kursupplägget ses över kontinuerligt via den återkoppling vi mottar.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Jonsson, Emma, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Effective Recruitment of Military Women : Developing New Methods
- 2017
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Ingår i: Res Militaris. - 2265-6294. ; :4, s. 1-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sweden is one of the most gender equal countries in the world, but this is not reflected in the representation of women in the Swedish Armed Forces. Women have increased in both numbers and proportion since the transformation to an all-volunteer force in 2010, but the gender distribution is still skewed and women tend to drop out of the selection process for basic military training to a greater extent than men. The 2014 White Paper emphasizes that the Swedish Armed Forces should actively work to increase the proportion of women at all levels in order to achieve a more even gender distribution. This article describes a project that aims to increase the proportion of women who start basic military training in the Swedish Armed Forces. The project aims to identify successful methods and activities that motivate women and optimize their chances of passing the admission test, and basic military training. Women who passed the first step in the selection process for basic military training were contacted by the project. Women who were contacted and participated in activities were positive, stayed longer in the selection process, and looked forward to beginning basic military training.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Jonsson, Emma, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Multifaceted Conscription : A Comparative Study of Six European Countries
- 2024
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies. - 2596-3856. ; 7:1, s. 19-33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although the last few decades have witnessed a shift from conscription to all-volunteer forces in many European countries, recent changes in the European security environment have raised new concerns and prompted several countries to reconsider conscription. However, modern conscription systems have also had to adapt to changing societies and an increasing emphasis on individualistic and neoliberal values. This study aims to examine the various forms of military conscription and illuminate the continuing viability of the conscription model in six European countries: Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Four of these countries have consistently maintained conscription (Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Switzerland), while Lithuania and Sweden have recently reinstated conscription. Although conscription systems differ among these countries, there is overall an increasing emphasis on conscript motivation and female participation. Three key aspects are identified to describe different conscription systems: the proportion of conscripted individuals in the birth cohort, motivation to serve, and the approach to female conscripts. Combining these aspects, the study identifies three types of conscription system in these six countries. This article demonstrates that conscription has evolved and adapted to changing societies and security situations instead of merely retaining its traditional form.
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Malmio, Irja, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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"In Some Situations You Have to Bang Your Head into the Wall in Order to Get Respected" : A Qualitative Study of Female Cadets’ Experiences whilst Studying at the Swedish Military Academy and Serving in the Swedish Armed Forces
- 2019
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Ingår i: Res Militaris. - 2265-6294. ; 9:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One important objective of the Swedish Armed Forces, as expressed in the plan for implementing gender mainstreaming from 2015 onwards, is to increase the number of women in the organization, especially in the higher ranks. Recruiting more women to the Officers’ Programme, while at the same time ensuring that women who have already enrolled as officers will remain in the military, are therefore of utter importance. This article is based on a qualitative study where six recent and present female cadets were interviewed focusing on their experiences of their time in preparing to become officers at the Swedish Military Academy as well as how they perceive a future career with in the Swedish Armed Forces. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the results from which three dimensions emerged : ambition, culture and visibility. Ambition relates to expectations before and during the education, personal grit, perceived demands and family planning. Culture covers traditions, personal treatment and jargon, idealizing of masculinity, as well as servicewomen’s adaptation strategies. The last dimension, visibility, derives from the way females are made visible in the form of “tokens”, and is enhanced through the recruitment and marketing campaigns of the Swedish Armed Forces where women are often singled out as the main focus. Women are made visible because of their sex, not for their achievements. The study suggests that the Swedish Armed Forces should reconsider their focus on women in their internal and external communication. Further suggestions include involving lower-ranking defence employees in the work related to implementing the value system, and seeing to it that its practical application is an integrated part of the education at the Officers’ Programme, while also introducing a mentorship programme for female cadets.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
- Manigart, Philippe, et al.
(författare)
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Why are young people attracted to the armed forces? A comparison between five countries
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- With the demographic change taking place all over European societies, the number of young people entering the labor market will decline. As a result, European Defense organizations will likely face severe recruitment and retention problems and find themselves in ever more direct competition with the private sector to attract the best candidates. To offset the shrinking base of recruitment, they will have to become more attractive to potential recruits and to increase the number of candidates in previously under-represented segments (for example, women and ethnic-cultural minorities). The paper presents selected results from an online survey carried out between Spring 2015 and Spring 2016 in five countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland) among samples of young people. The paper presents how young people from these countries in general, view their armed forces, what their job expectations are, and what they think the armed forces can offer them. The multinational survey on which the analyses were based is part of a collaborative project conducted within the framework of the European Defense Agency on the impact of demographic change on the recruitment and retention of personnel in European armed forces.
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| 24. |
- Manigart, Philippe, et al.
(författare)
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Why young people are not interested in a job in armed forces
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- With the demographic change taking place all over European societies, the number of young people entering the labor market is declining. As a result, the armed forces of Westernpostindustrial societies are facing severe recruitment problems and find themselves in ever more direct competition with the private sector to attract the best candidates. To offset the shrinking base of recruitment, they have to become more attractive to potential recruits and to increase the number of candidates in previously under-represented segments, particularly women. The paper presents selected results from an online survey carried out between Spring 2015 and December 2016 in 6 countries (Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland) among samples of young people. Following previous papers which dealt with the attractiveness of a military career among young people in general, and women and ethnic-cultural minorities in particular, this paper analyzes various factors that, presently, deter a lot of young women to consider joining the armed forces. The multinational survey on which the analyses are based is part of a collaborative research project conducted within the framework of the European Defense Agency on the impact of demographic change on the recruitment and retention of personnel in European armed forces.
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| 25. |
- Nilsson, Joel, et al.
(författare)
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Professional Socialization During Restructuring : A Study of Workload and Career Time
- 2021
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Ingår i: Armed forces and society. - 0095-327X .- 1556-0848.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article examines the experiences of newly graduated officers and specialist officers, as they recently entered employment in the Swedish Armed Forces. Building on 35 interviews, this article illustrates the dynamics of excessive workload and an unstructured working environment, and how embedded strategies for mentoring and guidance can reduce negative outcomes associated with the workload. The article introduces the concept of career time, reflecting the participant?s propensity to perform unpaid work to pursue a career in the organization. This study reveals tensions between organizational and employee interests, and experiences of exclusion from the officer profession, contextualized drawing on classical theorists Foucault and Habermas. When restructuring organizations, the quest for efficiency can outweigh professional values, such as esprit de corps and taking pride in work and professional identity.
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
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| 28. |
- Oskarsson, Emma, et al.
(författare)
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Work-life balance among newly employed officers : a qualitative study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Health Psychology Report. - : Termedia Sp. z.o.o.. - 2353-4184 .- 2353-5571. ; 9:1, s. 39-48
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: A military career puts great demands on the individual as regards combining working life and private life. The military and the family both demand time, energy, engagement, and commitment from the individual. Finding an appropriate balance between work and non-work might be particularly complex during military training and deployments that require extended periods away from home. The aim of this study was to investigate newly employed officers’ perceptions of work-life balance and its implications for future careers.Participants and procedure: This article is based on 34 semi-structured interviews with newly employed officers and non-commissioned officers in the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF). The interviews were analyzed according to the six-phase approach of coding and theme development by thematic analysis.Results: The analysis resulted in the emergence of three main themes: coping with different loyalties, individual and organizational strategies, and concerns about the future. All officers expressed loyalty to their work and organization, but these perceptions were influenced by significant others in private life. High ambitions in combination with stressful working conditions made organizational supportive strategies important, but these differed between units. Concerns about a constantly high workload and lack of recovery were highlighted, as well as concerns about future career and family building.Conclusions: In order to retain qualified personnel, the SAF should provide support and create conditions that help employees to balance work and non-work. A career in the Armed Forces will inevitably entail a reduced work-life balance, and our results show that the newly employed officers are highly aware of this. To ease the pressure, the SAF could be clearer about the expectations on their new employees.
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| 29. |
- Segernäs Kvitting, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Prediction of Postoperative Delirium After Cardiac Surgery with A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed, Mini-Mental State Examination and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
- 2022
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Ingår i: Clinical Interventions in Aging. - : Dove Medical Press Ltd. - 1176-9092 .- 1178-1998. ; 17, s. 359-368
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To evaluate if preoperative assessment with A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed (AQT) could increase the accuracy of predicting delirium after cardiac surgery compared to Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and examine if a composite of variables, including cognitive function and depressive symptoms, could be useful to predict delirium. Patients and Methods: Cardiac surgery was performed in 218 patients (mean age 72 years). Preoperative evaluation involved AQT, MMSE and Hospital Anxiety And Depression Scale (HADS). Postoperative delirium was assessed using Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (Nu-DESC) and Confusion Assessment Method-ICU (CAM-ICU). Logistic regression was performed to detect predictors of postoperative delirium and receiver operator characteristic curves (ROC) with area under the curve (AUC) to determine the accuracy. Results: Postoperative delirium occurred in 47 patients (22%) who had lower MMSE scores (median (range), 27 (19-30) vs 28 (20- 30), p=0.009) and slower AQT (median (range), 76 (48-181) vs 70 (40-182) seconds, p=0.030) than patients without delirium. Predictive power measured as AUC (95% CI) was 0.605 (0.51-0.70) for AQT and 0.623 (0.53-0.72) for MMSE. Logistic regression (OR, 95% CI) showed MMSE 27 points (2.72, 1.27-5.86), AQT 70 sec (2.26, 1.03-4.95), HADS-D >4 points (2.60, 1.21-5.58) and longer cardiopulmonary bypass-time (1.007, 1.002-1.013) to be associated with postoperative delirium. Combining these parameters yielded an AUC of 0.736 (0.65-0.82). Conclusion: The ability of predicting delirium using AQT was similar to MMSE, and only slightly higher by combining AQT and MMSE. Adding HADS-D and cardiopulmonary bypass-time to MMSE and AQT increased the predictive power to a borderline acceptable discriminatory value. Preoperative cognitive tests and screening for depressive symptoms may help identify patients at risk of postoperative delirium. Yet, there is still a need to establish useful preoperative tests.
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| 30. |
- Van Baalen, Miriam, 1991-, et al.
(författare)
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’Man växer fort i Försvaret, så länge man klarar av det’ : Befälsuttagna värnpliktigas erfarenheter av utbildning med fullständigt försteg respektive tankar om fortsatt engagemang i Försvarsmakten
- 2024
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Försvarsmakten befinner sig i en tillväxtfas där ökade volymer av värnpliktiga accentuerar den redan ansträngda befälsförsörjningen av organisationen. Organisationen står inför utmaningen att rekrytera bland de värnpliktiga till de olika officersutbildningarna, samtidigt som det också finns ett omgående behov av befäl för att kunna omhänderta och utbilda de totalförsvarspliktiga som utgör framtidens personalstyrka. I samband med återinförandet av värnplikten återintroducerades även kategorierna värnpliktiga plutonsbefäl och gruppbefäl. Syftet med denna studie är att inhämta erfarenheter om den utbildning med fullständigt försteg som dessa värnpliktiga befäl genomgår, liksom viljan till fortsatt engagemang i Försvarsmakten. Tolv värnpliktiga befälsrekryter vid ett förband som återinfört kategorierna intervjuades i fokusgrupper i september 2022 respektive maj 2023. Intervjuerna analyserades genom tematisk analys. Resultaten visar att erfarenheterna varierade, främst beroende på mottagandet och omhändertagandet på kompanierna. Förstegsutbildningen betraktades som övervägande lärorik och av hög kvalitet. Utmaningar uppstod kring otydlighet i roller och befogenheter, bristande kunskap om de nya befälskategorierna inom förbandet samt varierande bemötande. Personliga utmaningar kunde hanteras, medan strukturella hinder ansågs svårare att överkomma. Att inte nyttjas till sin fulla kapacitet skapade frustration, samtidigt som hög motivation och engagemang reflekterades i denna upplevelse. Motivationen att fortsätta engagemanget inom Försvarsmakten påverkades av faktorer relaterat till organisationens erbjudande, jobbets karaktär och omvärldsläge. 'Plats' var en dubbelverkande påverkansfaktor där flexibilitet och mobilitet lockade, samtidigt som avstånd och dess påverkan på det civila livet påverkade attraktiviteten negativt. Motivationsfaktorerna var kopplade till hur man uppfattade olika karriärvägar inom Försvarsmakten. Den vertikala respektive horisontella dimensionen av karriärutvecklingen påverkade intresset för de olika officerskategorierna, medan brist på tidig information skapade osäkerhet kring karriärval och möjligheter. Rapporten avslutas med ett antal rekommendationer ämnade att förbättra effekten av värnpliktsutbildningen ytterligare samt öka motivationen till fortsatt engagemang, vilket i förlängningen kan ha positiv påverkan på den militära förmågan.
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| 31. |
- Weber, Megan, et al.
(författare)
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A Principal Component Analysis of Swedish Conscripts’ Values and Attitudes towards their Military Education
- 2015
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Ingår i: Res Militaris. - 2265-6294. ; 5:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By identifying components relevant to conscripts' success in and positive attitudes towards the military, we may be able to make it a more attractive employment option for current and future age-cohorts, thus solving the recruitment crisis not only in Sweden, but in several other European countries that have recently made the shift from conscription to an all-volunteer force. Precisely, this study aims to identify and examine conscripts' values and attitudes towards their mandatory tour of duty. The objective of this study is to analyze the components important to Swedish conscripts in order to determine what components should be included or emphasized in future military education programmes. Data were collected from 55,239 conscripts between 2002 and 2010 (when conscription was suspended in Sweden), using an anonymous course evaluation questionnaire. Data from 2002-2005 were combined and used as a baseline to compare against data from later years. Principal component analysis was conducted and resulted in 3 components being extracted for each year (except 2008, a year for which only 2 components were extracted). Those components were individual development, group cohesion, and competence/ state of readiness. The study's most important conclusion was that conscripts' attitudes and values were in line with those of younger generations and that a focus on these values may lead to the development of more attractive educational and career opportunities for today's youth.
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| 32. |
- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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A Diary-Based Case Study in the Development of Unit Cohesion during Basic Training in the Swedish Air Force
- 2019
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Ingår i: Res Militaris. - : Res Militaris. - 2265-6294. ; 9:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Military training is regarded as a life-changing experience and military service provides a vigorous set of norms and behaviour models. Esprit de corps, morale and cohesion are concepts that are strongly connected with the military context. The aim of this case study was to get a clearer insight into the social life and unit cohesion of Swedish Air Force recruits. Based on a digital diary approach, an exploratory design was used to collect data during military basic training. Four voluntary participants wrote a weekly diary throughout their nine-month basic training. Results indicate that the development of unit cohesion among recruits was a prominent feature during military basic training. They further show that an understanding of the development of unit cohesion could be based on the following four themes : positive adaptation to a new environment, constructive group development, qualitative leadership and challenge. These findings underline the importance of good leadership and positive group dynamics in fostering unit cohesion. Further studies should address the dark side of cohesion, where the military can develop norms and behaviours that are too strong and could be negative, leading to a conflict with the goals of the Armed Forces.
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| 33. |
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| 34. |
- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Job satisfaction among Swedish soldiers : Applying the Job Characteristics Model to newly recruited military personnel
- 2018
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Ingår i: Military Psychology. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0899-5605 .- 1532-7876. ; 30:4, s. 302-310
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A professional military organization was introduced in Sweden in 2010. This means that the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) need to attract and employ soldiers, and to retain them within the organization. This scenario creates new types of challenges in manning the organization. The transition to an all-volunteer force puts job satisfaction in focus in order to retain personnel. This cross-sectional study of the relations between working conditions and job involvement among 300 recently employed soldiers showed that the dimensions of the Job Characteristics Model related significantly to job satisfaction and work motivation and (negatively) to turnover intentions from the SAF. The results further showed that all the critical psychological states contributed independently to the variance in the outcome variables.
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| 35. |
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| 36. |
- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Motivation och identitet
- 2017. - 1
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Ingår i: Rustad för risk. - Lund : Studentlitteratur AB. - 9789144113838 ; , s. 69-89
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 37. |
- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Officer recruitment in Sweden : Enhancing the process
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In the recruitment process for the three-year officer program (OP), it is a big dropout in the period from application to the start of the program. Because of this is, the OP has not been fully manned since 2008. To supply the Swedish Armed Forces with a sufficient number of officers are a priority and henceforth the SAF have a need for increasing the numbers of officers. Furthermore, a large number of retirements within the officer corps have also reduced the numbers of officers. In order to increase recruiting efficiency and increase the proportion of individuals who complete the entire recruitment process to OP, a project was launched at the Swedish Defence University designed to evaluate the recruitment into, and dropouts from the OP. Results carried out under the project shows that the earlier people jump out of the recruitment process, the older and more academically educated, they tend to be. Further, the results show that personal contact from officers and cadets already in the system has a positive relation on people’s willingness to complete the recruitment process. The project implemented a different recruitment strategy in 2016, the outcome showed that the percentage of applicants who started the program was higher than before, and the dropout rate was lower than ever.
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| 38. |
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| 39. |
- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Perceptions of Officer Training Among Newly Employed Officers and Specialist Officers in the Swedish Armed Forces : A Qualitative Study
- 2021
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies. - : Scandinavian Military Studies. - 2596-3856. ; 4:1, s. 50-61
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Professional officer training in Sweden has gone through some major changes in the last 30 years. The current officer system is a two-category system, where officers complete the three-year academic Officers’ Programme, and specialist officers complete 18 months of vocational training at the Swedish Armed Forces’ training schools. The aim of this study was to investigate newly graduated officers’ and specialist officers’ perceptions of their officer training. Results showed that their perceptions could be covered by three overriding themes: identification, vertical versus horizontal career paths and the perceived relevance of the officer training. Furthermore, the respondents’ officer identification seemed to have developed before officer training, and the individual motivators concerned deliberate choices of becoming either an officer or a specialist officer. Coaching was crucial to both officers and specialist officers. However, the officers stated that coaching came at an early stage of their basic military training, whereas specialist officers were coached at a later stage in their career. The implications for the Swedish Armed Forces is that identification and career path are issues that need to be addressed early in a soldier’s military career, and that officer training needs to be more focussed on defining career paths, especially for specialist officers.
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| 40. |
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| 41. |
- Österberg, Johan, 1969-
(författare)
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Preparatory Military Training : An Experiment in Integrating Minorities in the Swedish Armed Forces
- 2017
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Ingår i: Res Militaris. - 2265-6294. ; 2:5, s. 1-12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Preparatory Military Training (PMT) project, a labour market programme, resulted in 2012 from a collaboration between the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) and Public Employment Service (PES), with the former in the lead role as organizer. The project wanted to attract long-term unemployeds of non-EU immigrant extraction and prompt them to undertake ten weeks of training and practice in SAF facilities on a voluntary basis. The SAF's aim was essentially to incite them to enlist at a later stage so as to benefit from their expertise in non-European languages and cultures on international missions, and also to strengthen the SAF's image as an attractive employer. Implementation results showed that while PMT failed to attract as many participants as anticipated and to generate a significant number of later enlistments, it was successful in most other respects : the Swedish military managed to reach out to a much sought-after recruitment target group, and saw its image improve in the eyes of participants who were overall very satisfied with it, notably with the military part of the training. The Public Employment Service, for its part, regarded it as one of the most successful labour programmes ever conducted in Sweden as most participants found jobs or pursued further studies upon completion of PMT. Yet, the programme was discontinued after 2014, not least because of another round of military downsizing. But the recent reinstatement of conscription in Sweden will likely make the findings derived from it useful in making the armed forces more representative of society's diverse composition.
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| 42. |
- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Pridobivanje častnikov - izboljševanje procesa : Officer Recruitment - Improving the Process
- 2018
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Ingår i: Sodobni vojaški izziv / Contemporary Military Challenges. - Ljubljana : Generalštab Slovenske vojske / General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces. - 2232-2825 .- 2463-9575. ; 20:2, s. 23-35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The only way to become an officer in Sweden is to complete the three-year Officers’ Programme (OP). In the selection process for the OP, there is a large gap between the number of applicants and the number of individuals who start the programme. One consequence of this is that the OP has not been fully manned since 2008, thus leaving the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) with a shortage of officers. Manning the SAF with sufficient officers with the right qualifications is a priority, and henceforth the number of cadets must increase. Therefore, in 2014, a project was launched with the aim of examining recruitment to and selection for the OP, as well as identifying success factors and areas of improvement. An additional ambition was to introduce measures intended to increase recruiting efficiency based on the results, and the proportion of individuals who enter the OP.The project led to the implementation of a different recruitment strategy in 2016 and 2017. Early in the selection process applicants were contacted by cadets already studying on the OP, and were invited to an information meeting at the Swedish Defence University. Those who were selected to start the OP were also contacted by their future platoon commanders, who provided useful information. The outcomes show that the numbers of cadets starting the OP increased, and the dropout rate during the selection process was lower than before.
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- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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The motivation to serve in the military among Swedish and Norwegian soldiers : a comparative study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Defense Resources Management. - 2068-9403 .- 2247-6466. ; 11:1, s. 30-42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The geographic location of Sweden and Norway, combined with a deteriorated security situation in the Nordic Region and a renewed focus on national defense, makes the development of their armed forces a hot topic. In Sweden, after years of downsizing, the Armed Forces are now building up again, and the NATO member Norway has the strategic location bordering the Barents Sea in the North. These circumstances underline the importance of the motivation to serve among enlisted personnel in order to ensure a sufficient manning of the armed forces. A qualitative interview study was conducted with enlisted soldiers in Sweden and Norway with the aim of studying the motivation to serve among this population. A thematic analysis was used and results show that the motivation to serve could be understood from the following three themes: The Military as a Stepping Stone, International Mission, and Geographical Location and Benefits.
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- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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The Path to Job Satisfaction : Applying the Theory of Purposeful Behavior to Military Conditions
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Defense Resources Management. - Romania. - 2068-9403 .- 2247-6466. ; 8:1, s. 27-42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between, on one hand,personality and performance orientation and, on the other, job satisfaction andturnover intentions, using Barrick’s et al. theory of purposeful behavior. Using aquestionnaire, data about job satisfaction, performance orientation and turnover intentions were collected from 300 newly recruited Swedish soldiers. A path analysis gave partial, but not full support to the assumptions behind the theory of purposeful behavior model. No relationships were found between the personality traits of emotional stability and conscientiousness, nor to either performance orientation or directly to job satisfaction. On the other hand, performance orientation showed a consistent relationship to perceived levels of the job characteristics, which mediated the path between the person-related variables and the outcome variables.Performance orientation also showed a strong direct relationship to general job satisfaction, which, in turn, was strongly related to turnover intentions.
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- Österberg, Johan, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Views on an officer career : the relationship between personality, leadership expectations and perceived qualities
- 2024
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Ingår i: Current Issues in Personality Psychology. - 2353-4192 .- 2353-561X. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background:The Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) have had difficulties in recruiting a sufficient amount of cadets to the officer program during the period with an all-volunteer force.Participants and procedure:Data were collected from different officer programs. 318 respondents fostered in the all-volunteer force (AVF) system completed the questionnaire and a cross-sectional design was used where cadets received a questionnaire at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of their training.Results:The results show that the informants perceived a clear distinction between leadership challenges in the short and long term. The cadets rate their practical knowledge/experience and gaining trust as most challenging in the short term, and personnel supply and reorganization in the long term. Younger cadets rate leadership challenges higher than older cadets do, which is in line with maturing as a human being and gaining more experience. Results based on personality were consistent with previous studies. Two of the future challenges for cadets, short-term leadership and knowledge challenges, showed associations with extraversion and neuroticism.Conclusions:The results illustrate important topics to be stressed during the three year long officer program, in order to prepare cadets both with knowledge and skills but also with confidence and trust. This is of particular importance as the need to increase the number of cadets graduating from the academic officer program is growing. It implies that more and more cadets will be recruited directly from the basic military training, i.e., being young with relatively low military and leadership experience.
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- Österberg, Johan, 1969-
(författare)
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We want you as our new recruit : Prerequisites for recruitment to and retention in the Swedish Armed Forces
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of this thesis was to study the prerequisites for the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) in order to recruit sufficient numbers of suitable individuals to the organization, and to retain those within the organization.The thesis comprises three studies (Study 1-3) where Study One comprises data gathered, with a longitudinal design, when Sweden relied on conscription for the manning of the Armed Forces. Results show that those wanting to do international military service assessed themselves higher for required qualities than those individuals not volunteering for international military service. Study Two shows that job satisfaction, according to Hackman and Oldham´s Job satisfaction model, is higher when job characteristics are good, and they in turn affect the Critical Psychological States, as proposed by Hackman and Oldham. Study Three indicates that there is a relation between performance orientation, job characteristics, job satisfaction and retention. In sum, this thesis suggests that there are different incentives for recruiting and retaining personnel to a conscripted force, and an all-volunteer force. Furthermore, the thesis indicates that an all-volunteer force concept is not the best way of manning the armed forces, for Sweden and countries with similar society, size and likewise a critical geopolitical position.
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