| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Larsson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
-
Leadership Values for Quality and Health - How does McGregor's X and Y Theory Influences Methodologies and Outcomes?
- 2005
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Quality Management for Organisational and Regional Development : QMOD 2005. - Luleå. ; , s. 691-702, s. 691-702, s. 691-702
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- During the last years the Swedish working life has been characterized by increased levels of sickness absenteeism, stress related health problems and a deterioration of the psychosocial work conditions. Since there are clear local variations concerning health at different workplaces, it is often stated that differences in working environment and work organizational factors constitute an important explanation. Several researchers emphasizes that leadership with a focus on developing human resource practices is a necessary component of high organizational performance. The purpose of this article is to explore if there are patterns in leadership values and methodologies connected to health outcomes and quality aspects. McGregor�s X and Y hypotheses plus three other hypotheses are used as a base for the analyses. Data has been collected by in-deep interviews with the leaders, questionnaires to both leaders and all employees, and human resource accounting figures. The leader views are mirrored with the employee views, by comparing qualitative and quantitative results in a step wise analyses process. Case study organizations are four public and four private organizations in northern Sweden. The study main findings are that leaders with more X hypotheses get lower results concerning employee judged leadership and quality aspects, and to some extent also lower results concerning health outcomes. Clear differences between the studied organizations are noted. One interesting result is that one organization (C1) positively distinguishes concerning quality and health aspects. A conclusion in this study is that Y oriented leaders work more intense with the TQM values continuous improvements, base decisions on facts, co-worker commitment and leadership commitment.
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| 3. |
- Eriksson, Henrik, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of In-Company Quality Awards on Organizational Performance
- 2003
-
Ingår i: Total quality management (Print). - : Informa UK Limited. - 0954-4127 .- 1360-0613. ; 14:2, s. 235-242
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and improved performance has been frequently discussed in the literature. In this paper, the costs and the effects of in-company quality awards on performance are discussed and analysed. The paper covers a survey of Swedish companies that use or have used in-company quality awards to stimulate TQM efforts and thereby to improve performance. The study cannot show any strong evidence of improved performance for units that applied for the in-company quality award. However, in contrast to units that have not applied, some units that have applied for the in-company quality award considered that the results related to performance have improved greatly. One large positive effect perceived by the participating units was increased customer orientation while the largest costs were put on the description of activities and the improvement work itself.
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| 4. |
- Fundin, Anders, et al.
(författare)
-
Challenges and propositions for research in quality management
- 2018
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Production Economics. - : Elsevier B.V.. - 0925-5273 .- 1873-7579. ; 199, s. 125-137
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- From its inception, the field of quality management (QM) has been characterised by practice-driven development. Although QM has reached maturity as a field of research based on empirical enquiry, its practitioners still struggle to adapt QM implementations to reap their benefits. This study aims to identify their challenges to better understand how contemporary QM research addresses them. We propose approaches to bridge the potential relevance gaps between research and practice. A Delphi study of QM practitioners in Swedish private and public organisations, several of which operate globally, generated 49 challenges. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to cluster these challenges into themes, and the literature was reviewed to investigate how each theme has been addressed in QM research. The empirical investigation identified three themes related to future QM challenges—organisations’ adaptability to rapid changes in the business environment, quality as a strategic concern for business owners, and managerial ownership of quality. By analysing these challenges, six propositions for future research were proposed to reduce potential relevance gaps. Future research should focus on how to make QM a strategic concern for owners, and explore how it can contribute to organisational ambidexterity and adaptability. Research should also determine how context influences the way QM is applied, and investigate how it can improve organisational learning and innovation. Finally, research should indicate how top managers can adopt the responsibilities of quality managers, and explore the ways the principal values of QM can be better integrated into organisations.
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| 5. |
-
INNOTRACK: Concluding technical report
- 2010
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- The track structure, rails, switches and crossings account for more than 50% of maintenance and renewal costs for the rail industry. To improve the competitiveness of rail transportation, the cost-efficiency of these areas needs to be addressed.This the background to INNOTRACK, an integrated research project funded by the European Commission’s 6th research framework pro- gramme. Running from September 2006 to December 2009, INN- OTRACK has developed a multitude of innovative solutions in the areas of track substructure, rails & welds, and switches & crossings. The solutions have been assessed from technical, logistics and life cycle cost point of views.This Concluding Technical Report of INNOTRACK includes an overview of the project. It further details implementable results, and clusters them into ”highlight” areas. In addition, the book acts as a ”key” to the vast amount of information from INNOTRACK: All sections refer to project reports where more information can be found.
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| 6. |
- Elg, Mattias, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
-
The Future of Work for Quality Management – Challenges in the Digitalized Era
- 2018
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Purpose Digitalization provides both challenges and opportunities for Quality Management (QM). The purpose of this paper is to identify challenges induced by digitalization on current QM practices, in order to uncover the potential of how QM may support digitalization in organizations. This issue is addressed through an analytical framework that stresses two dimensions: first exploration and exploitation of digitalized QM processes and second value creation, which is performed by the customer or in interaction facilitated by the provider. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a cross-case study design with interview data collected from 33 quality management professionals in four large Swedish organizations. Findings Six different challenges and corresponding roles are proposed for QM: The gardener involved in the design of the many different currently utilized technologies; the bridge-builder - a role that connects implemented digitalized solutions that enable the movement from human-to-human to a human-to-digital interface; the assistant a contributor to better value in the customer sphere for already implemented digitalized solutions; the architect including planning, designs, and reviews together with many different stakeholders; the connector focusing on the continuous management of value-in-use and open up for opportunities for continuous interaction and value-adding; and explorer drawing attention towards the challenges of the existing power structures. Originality/value This paper contributes with empirical evidence on challenges induced by digitalization, an area often discussed but not as often studied empirically. Further, the study identifies challenges of digitalization affecting both exploitative and explorative practices throughout an organisations value-creation process.
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| 7. |
- Eriksson, Henrik, 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring Quality Challenges and the Validity of Excellence Models
- 2016
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Operations & Production Management. - 0144-3577 .- 1758-6593. ; 36:10, s. 1201-1221
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose is to identify and explore important quality-related challenges facing organizations, and how current excellence models incorporate these challenges.Methodology: The article is based on a Delphi study in Swedish organizations, 49 challenges were generated and ranked according to importance. The top 10 ranked challenges were compared to the principles of four excellence models.Findings: The excellence models seem to still be relevant since their content matches many of the challenges identified. The MBNQA and the SIQ models were found to have the most comprehensive coverage, while the ISO model had limited coverage.Research Limitations/Implications: Three areas for further research were identified: 1) how QM can evolve in different contexts with varying needs in terms of adaptive and explorative capabilities, 2) the interfaces of QM and sustainability, and ways to understand how customers and stakeholders can be active contributors to improvements and 3) the roles of the owners and board of directors in QM, and how to organize and distribute responsibilities of the QM work.Practical and Social Implications: Three important challenges could be addressed in upcoming revisions of excellence models: 1) making QM a strategic issue for company owners; 2) involving customers in the improvement activities; and 3) developing processes that are robust, while still easily adaptable.Originality/Value: The Delphi study has identified upcoming challenges in the QM area based on input from 188 quality professionals.
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| 8. |
- Eriksson, Henrik, 1973, et al.
(författare)
-
Organisational performance improvement through quality award process participation
- 2005
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 0265-671X .- 1758-6682. ; 22:9, s. 894-912
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose - The purpose of the study is to describe the activities initiated based on participation in a quality award process and with the intention to improve performance.Design/methodology/approach - This study presents a case study of three organisations that have participated in the Swedish Quality Award process. The cases were selected in order to clarify how this award process could be used to improve organisational performance.Findings - Several examples of activities on how to improve organisational performance are provided. Specifically, the areas of customer orientation, process orientation, continuous improvement, committed leadership and participation by everyone have been improved due to the initiated activities. Furthermore, the studied organisations have been successful in their development and communication of visions, and in their empowerment of employees.Research limitations/implications - An interesting area of further research would be to compare different methodologies for performance improvement with one another.Practical implications - Findings from the case studies, and of importance for organisations applying for quality awards, indicate that, if the goal is to get lasting results, it is not sufficient to participate in a quality award process only once. Instead one should participate in the process several times, with enough time in between the applications in order to complete as many as possible of the improvement projects resulting from the evaluations.Originality/value - It is the authors' intention that the guidelines presented in the paper might be helpful for organisations considering a participation in a quality award process.
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| 9. |
- Eriksson, Henrik, 1973
(författare)
-
Organisational value of participating in a quality award process : a Swedish study
- 2004
-
Ingår i: TQM Magazine. - : Emerald. - 0954-478X .- 1758-6887. ; 16:2, s. 78-92
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One way for organisations to support total quality management, and hence try to increase customer satisfaction is to participate in a quality award process. The purpose of this study is to explore the organisational value of participating in a quality award process. The study is based on interviews at 29 organisations that have participated in the process of the Swedish Quality Award. The main conclusion is that most of the organisations consider the process orientation, customer orientation and improvement work to have been improved as a result of the participation in the quality award process. However, there are also obstacles to surmount in order to benefit fully from the process: difficulties in finding resources within the organisation to perform mandatory work and implement identified improvements, and difficulties in applying the circumstantial model used in the quality award process.
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| 10. |
- Schmidt, Bernard, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Context Awareness in Predictive Maintenance
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Current Trends in Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety<em></em>. - Cham : Springer. - 9783319235974 - 9783319235967 ; , s. 197-211
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Maintenance of assembly and manufacturing equipment is crucial to ensure productivity, product quality, on-time delivery, and a safe working environment. Predictive Maintenance approach utilizes the condition monitoring (CM) data to predict the future machine conditions and makes decisions upon this prediction. Recent development in CM leads to context aware approach where in parallel with CM measurements also data and information related to the context are gathered. Context could be operational condition, history of machine usage and performed maintenance actions. In general more obtained information gives better accuracy of prediction. It is important to track operational context in dynamically changing environment. Today in manufacturing we can observe shift from mass production to mass customisation. This leads to changes from long series of identical products to short series of different variants. Therefore implies changing operational conditions for manufacturing equipment. Moreover, where asset consist of multiple identical or similar equipment the context aware method can be used to combine in reliable way information. This should allow to increase accuracy of prediction for population as a whole as well as for each equipment instances. Same of those data have been already recorded and stored in industrial IT systems. However, it is distributed over different IT systems that are used by different functional units (e.g. maintenance department, production department, quality department, tooling department etc.). This paper is a conceptual paper based on initial research work and investigation in two manufacturing companies from automotive industry.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Bäckström, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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A step towards integrated supervisory control of complex machining processes
- 1998
-
Ingår i: Changing the ways we work : shaping the ICT-solutions for the next century : proceedings of the Conference on Integration in Manufacturing, Göteborg, Sweden, 6-8 October 1998. - Amsterdam : IOS press. - 9051994265 ; , s. 817-
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Bäckström, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
-
Integration of real-time quality control and process monitoring
- 2000
-
Ingår i: The 33rd CIRP International Seminar on Manufacturing Systems : the manufacturing systems in its human context : a tool to extend the global welfare : 5-7 June, 2000, Stockholm, Sweden : proceedings.. - Sth. : KTH, Inst.för farkost och flyg. ; , s. 438-, s. 414-419
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)
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| 15. |
- Cai, D. Q., et al.
(författare)
-
A study of control chart for adjusted processes
- 1999
-
Ingår i: The 26th International Conference on Computers & Industrial Engineering (the 26th C & IE) : December 15-17, 1999, Melbourne, Australia. ; , s. 443-447, s. 443-447
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)
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| 16. |
- Harnesk, Roland, et al.
(författare)
-
How successful Swedish organisations achieve sustaniable health
- 2005
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Management Practice. - 1477-9064 .- 1741-8143. ; 1:3, s. 233-250
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The costs connected to the rapidly increasing sick leaves have risen to alarming levels in Sweden and, for instance, Norway and the Netherlands. To find out how to handle the situation on an organizational level, a case study of two organizations has been carried out, which are recognized and have been awarded for their excellence in methodologies for decreasing the number of sick leaves. One is a small manufacturing company and the other one is a large public health care organization. Both organizations are non-hierarchical with responsibility and authority delegated to different groups. The data collection has mainly been carried out through brainstorming in groups, structured in tree diagrams, complemented by interviews. Important working methods for mangers are low-prestige, visibility and functioning as coaches with activities aimed at building relations. On the basis of the result of this study, suggestions are presented which are considered possible for others to adopt.
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| 17. |
- Isaksson, Raine, et al.
(författare)
-
Measuring quality with a process model
- 2001
-
Ingår i: Building people and organisational excellence : proceedings of the 4th International QMOD Conference : Linköpings universitet 12-14 September, 2001, Sweden: International QMOD Conference (4 : Linköping : 2001). - Linköping : Linköpings universitet. ; , s. 200-205
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
- Isaksson, Raine, et al.
(författare)
-
On the use of process management in the Third World
- 2002
-
Ingår i: Total quality management (Print). - : Informa UK Limited. - 0954-4127 .- 1360-0613. ; 13:4, s. 419-426
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the Third World with a focus on Process Management. Existing examples from developing countries are mostly from emerging economies and very little is found from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Looking into the strength of TQM-drivers as a function of national indicators highlights possible reasons for the lack of TQM. Generally, the drivers are found to be very weak, especially in SSA, and give a low probability for management commitment. In order to test whether process management in a TQM-framework would be feasible, provided there was management commitment, a process view has been overlaid on the functional organisation of a cement plant in SSA. The performance of a more processfocused management is described in a number of case studies. The conclusion is that, technically, First-World process management could function and give good results, but that in practice this will seldom take place due to a lack of management commitment.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Klefsjö, Bengt, et al.
(författare)
-
Six sigma seen as a methodology for total quality management
- 2001
-
Ingår i: Measuring Business Excellence. - : Emerald. - 1368-3047 .- 1758-8057. ; 5:1, s. 31-35
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Six sigma programs are raging through corporations worldwide, with some corporations citing savings in the $US billions resulting from six sigma implementation. Six sigma has both proponents and detractors with some arguing that nothing new is involved and others identifying it as revolutionary. The view espoused herein argues for six sigma as a methodology within the larger framework of total quality management ± a blend of old and new in the sense that the tools of six sigma are often familiar ones, but are applied with an eye that is more strategically focused than historic use of those tools ordinarily indicates.
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| 22. |
- Larsson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
-
Leadership, quality and health: using McGregor's X and Y theory for analyzing values in relation to methodologies and outcomes
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Total Quality Management and Business Excellence. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1478-3363 .- 1478-3371. ; 18:9-10, s. 1147-1168
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sweden has experienced an increase in sickness absenteeism, stress related health problems and a deterioration of psychosocial working conditions. Several researchers have emphasized that leadership with a focus on developing human resource practices is a necessary component of a high organizational performance. The purpose of this article is to explore whether there are patterns in leadership values and methodologies associated with subordinates´ views of leadership, health outcomes and quality aspects. Four public and four private organizations in northern Sweden were studied. McGregor´s X and Y hypotheses, plus three other hypotheses, were used as a base for the analyses. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews with the leaders, questionnaires (completed by leaders and co-workers), and assessment of selected human resource accounting data (sickness absenteeism). The leader views were mirrored with the co-worker views through a comparison of qualitative and quantitative results in a stepwise analysis process. The study´s main findings were that leaders with more X hypotheses get lower results concerning employee judged leadership and quality aspects and, to some extent, lower results concerning health outcomes. The explanatory analyses concerning leadership and health are complex with many influencing factors.
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| 23. |
- Lilja, Johan, et al.
(författare)
-
A two-dimensional perspective on attractive quality
- 2007
-
Ingår i: Total Quality Management and Business Excellence. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1478-3363 .- 1478-3371. ; 18:6, s. 667-679
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Attractive quality has for two decades been accentuated as a strong driver of loyalty, word-of-mouth and saleability. Recent elaborations of the concept of attractive quality however point to obstacles to the development of quality practices, such as engineering methods, to support the creation of attractive quality in practice. One obstacle is the lack of explanations as to why certain aspects of an offer are perceived as an attractive quality. There is a need to understand why attractive quality occurs. This paper aims to address these obstacles by presenting the results of a search for mechanisms claimed to cause attractive quality in literature. As a result, the paper identifies and relates two fundamentally different mechanisms considered important for the generation of attractive quality. The need-based roots of attractive quality point at an explanation in terms of the satisfaction of high-level needs. This is in sharp contrast to the currently dominant explanation of attractive quality as the exceeding of expectations. The two mechanisms are further distinguished and related to each other resulting in the classification of three different types of attractive quality. The three types are designated as 'Surprisers', 'Life Enrichers', and 'Attraction Boosters'. The 'Life Enrichers', which are defined as satisfying high-level needs of the customer, are highlighted as an important and promising area for future research.
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Lilja, Johan
(författare)
-
Quality practice and customer value: strengthening the ideal linkage
- 2005
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Quality management is continuously evolving and the progression so far is frequently described in terms of four stages. According to these descriptions, Total Quality Management (TQM) constitutes the currently highest level, or fourth stage, of quality management. Despite the divergence of views on what constitutes TQM, it is commonly described as a number of diverse activities, here designated as quality practice, performed to display and embody a certain set of values. One of these values, acknowledged as central to TQM, is to focus on the customers. This value basically implies that a TQM organization should adapt its operations to what creates value for its customers. Hence, there is ideally a strong linkage between the application of quality practice and the creation of customer value. In a wider perspective, this linkage fundamentally determines the vital contribution of quality practice to competitiveness. However, this linkage has so far been given poor attention among quality researchers. Furthermore, differences of opinions exist regarding its strength. It has for instance been argued that quality practices commonly included in TQM lack a linkage to customer value, decrease the competitiveness of the organization in which they are implemented, and hinder the organization’s ability to create customer value. The aim of this thesis is accordingly to examine the ideal linkage between quality practice and customer value in order to increase its strength. In accordance to the idea of continuous improvement, the aim is to improve the reflection of the value ‘focus on the customers’ in quality practice. The research process described in this thesis has started by examining and developing the current theoretical foundation and models of TQM concerning customer value, in terms of the theory of attractive quality. Furthermore, an affective conceptualization of customer value has been used as a basis for an initial examination of the ideal linkage. Among the presented results it is indicated that quality practice, including the measures currently used to capture customer perceptions, is more or less restricted to negative motivations of external customers. Negative motivations basically stem from the customers strive to avoid and reduce negative emotional states. The linkage to positive motivations of the external customers is seemingly much weaker or even absent. The indicated focus can be seen as a reflection of early theories of motivation emphasizing negative motivations as the governing principle. Modern theories emphasize, however, both negative and positive motivations. The sole emphasis on negative motivations indicated in current quality practice would imply that external customers prefer to exist in a state of boring neutrality. A dual emphasis recognizes that while our customers want to minimize pain and disappointment, they want to maximize pleasure as well, to make life interesting and stimulating. An extension of quality practice, including the use of multiple output measures, is suggested to increasing the reflection of this duality of customer value in TQM. As a foundation for such an extension, a two-dimensional perspective on the mechanisms involved in the strong positive emotional state associated with attractive quality elements has been proposed. The proposed perspective points at two separate mechanisms in terms of the satisfaction of high-level needs and latent needs
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| 26. |
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| 27. |
- Novak, A, et al.
(författare)
-
On-Line prediction of the tool lLife
- 1996
-
Ingår i: CIRP Annals - manufacturing technology. - 0007-8506 .- 1726-0604. ; 45:1, s. 93-97
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The paper presents a new approach improving the reliability of on-line prediction of tool-life without the need of pre-process data. The ambition has been to develop a robust monitoring strategy feasible fGr practical implementation on a CNC lathe. The tool-life is related to a selected critical point on the tool wear curve. Applied multisensing is based on the cutting force ratio correlated with in-process measurement of the flank wear by a vision system. The acquired process data are evaluated and handled by means of the modified and combined statistical methods. Initial cut is used to monitor the process and to evaluate the model parameters when critical conditions are simultaneously supervised by an additional monitoring method, The process model development, reference value setting and tool-life prediction have been automated as machine tool control features. Traditional tool condition monitoring can be improved by the reduced need of pre-process reference or machinability data, no need of calibrating procedures and, by early prediction of the tool-life with uncertainty of about 15% after 1.5-2.0 minutes of cutting. The efficiency and flexibility of the developed method has been verified by several machinability tests performed under various machining conditions but for the same work material.
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| 28. |
- Wiklund, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
-
A collaboration concept for TQM implementation in small and medium sized enterprises
- 1999
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Applied Quality Management. - 1096-4738 .- 1879-002X. ; 2:1, s. 101-115
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The article presents a concept to implement total quality management (TQM) in small and medium sized enterprises (SME) and is based on a yearlong collaboration between a college and local SME's. An annual course is developed and offered to both company participants and students who work together in project teams and in genuine projects at the companies. The course curriculum is presented and analyzed and the ability of the course to facilitate the companies' long-term quality strategies is discussed. The outcomes of the course, as reported by the companies, show that the collaboration has supported their long-term implementation of TQM.
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| 29. |
- Wiklund, Håkan
(författare)
-
A statistical approach to real-time quality control
- 1999
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Ingår i: International Journal of Production Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0020-7543 .- 1366-588X. ; 37:18, s. 4141-4156
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Modern manufacturing processes characterized by short series, complex part geometry and high refinement values often demonstrate conditions when traditional quality control (QC) methods do not work properly. This paper presents a prototype system for real-time QC where the developed methods and applications are integrated and post-process quality control is applied only as a complement and for reference measurements. All activities are supervised and fed with information from a developed active data acquisition system. The proposed concept contributes to bridging the gap between traditional post-process control and realtime QC of machining processes.
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| 30. |
- Wiklund, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
-
A Swedish perspective on total quality management in higher education
- 2001
-
Ingår i: Building people and organisational excellence : proceedings of the 4th International QMOD Conference : Linköpings universitet 12-14 September, 2001, Sweden / Su Mi Park Dahlgaard & Jens J. Dahlgaard: International QMOD Conference (4 : Linköping : 2001). - Linköping : Linköpings universitet. ; , s. 225-231
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
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| 33. |
- Wiklund, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
-
Innovation and TQM in Swedish higher education institutions - possibilities and pitfalls
- 2003
-
Ingår i: TQM Magazine. - : Emerald. - 1754-2731 .- 0954-478X .- 1758-6887. ; 15:2, s. 99-107
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Emphasis on quality improvement has been one of the most characteristic features of higher education policy in Nordic and other European countries during the 1990s. In Sweden, the universities’ work with quality management has been evaluated for several years. In January 2001, the National Agency of Higher Education in Sweden introduced a new comprehensive system for quality assessment. The Swedish assessment system stresses that the assessment should have as a corner-stone the specific prerequisites for each university and subject, e.g. business administration and their development strategy. The comprehensive quality assessments of Swedish higher education institutions are discussed together with stimulating innovation and continuous improvement of higher education.
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
- Wiklund, Håkan
(författare)
-
Student-driven improvement work
- 2000
-
Ingår i: Towards best practise. - Köpenhamn : Nordisk ministerråd. - 9289304111 ; , s. 162-
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 36. |
- Wiklund, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
-
Student focused design and iImprovement of university courses
- 1999
-
Ingår i: Managing Service Quality. - : Emerald. - 0960-4529 .- 1758-8030. ; 9:6, s. 434-443
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Customer satisfaction has become a key factor in the strategic work of many universities towards the increasing competition regarding student recruitment. This paper presents a systematic approach to the course development process where focus is put on student atisfaction and learning. The approach consists of a combined usage of several methods, such as quality function deployment and conjoint analysis, that together transform student needs into quantified course attributes. In the paper, a two-semester graduate course has been developed where the combined usage of the applied methods has shown itself to be very powerful when designing services from student satisfaction and learning perspectives. The outcome of the study is a university course where pedagogical and learning aspects have been combined with contents and work approaches with substantial interest for the industry.
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| 37. |
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| 38. |
- Wiklund, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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Widening the Six Sigma concept : An approach to improve organisational learning
- 2002
-
Ingår i: Total Quality Management. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0954-4127 .- 1360-0613. ; 13:2, s. 233-239
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Six Sigma has been established as an approach to improving organizational performance, and many manufacturing companies have reported on their successive work with Six Sigma programmes. Often, the focus of Six Sigma is put on only reducing defects and improving process capability. This paper discusses Six Sigma as a company-wide approach for organizational improvement incorporating organizational learning. Six Sigma programmes have been studied and the fundamental principles of organizational learning have been applied in order to improve the longterm implementation of the programmes. The paper also discusses factors associated with manufacturing work organization and leadership that are essential for improving organizational learning and for stimulating the competence development and motivation among personnel.
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| 39. |
- Bergström, Gustav, et al.
(författare)
-
Evaluating the layout quality of UML class diagrams using machine learning
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Systems and Software. - : Elsevier BV. - 0164-1212. ; 192
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- UML is the de facto standard notation for graphically representing software. UML diagrams are used in the analysis, construction, and maintenance of software systems. Mostly, UML diagrams capture an abstract view of a (piece of a) software system. A key purpose of UML diagrams is to share knowledge about the system among developers. The quality of the layout of UML diagrams plays a crucial role in their comprehension. In this paper, we present an automated method for evaluating the layout quality of UML class diagrams. We use machine learning based on features extracted from the class diagram images using image processing. Such an automated evaluator has several uses: (1) From an industrial perspective, this tool could be used for automated quality assurance for class diagrams (e.g., as part of a quality monitor integrated into a DevOps toolchain). For example, automated feedback can be generated once a UML diagram is checked in the project repository. (2) In an educational setting, the evaluator can grade the layout aspect of student assignments in courses on software modeling, analysis, and design. (3) In the field of algorithm design for graph layouts, our evaluator can assess the layouts generated by such algorithms. In this way, this evaluator opens up the road for using machine learning to learn good layouting algorithms. Approach.: We use machine learning techniques to build (linear) regression models based on features extracted from the class diagram images using image processing. As ground truth, we use a dataset of 600+ UML Class Diagrams for which experts manually label the quality of the layout. Contributions.: This paper makes the following contributions: (1) We show the feasibility of the automatic evaluation of the layout quality of UML class diagrams. (2) We analyze which features of UML class diagrams are most strongly related to the quality of their layout. (3) We evaluate the performance of our layout evaluator. (4) We offer a dataset of labeled UML class diagrams. In this dataset, we supply for every diagram the following information: (a) a manually established ground truth of the quality of the layout, (b) an automatically established value for the layout-quality of the diagram (produced by our classifier), and (c) the values of key features of the layout of the diagram (obtained by image processing). This dataset can be used for replication of our study and others to build on and improve on this work. Editor's note: Open Science material was validated by the Journal of Systems and Software Open Science Board.
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| 40. |
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| 41. |
- Heshmati, Mohsen, 1987, et al.
(författare)
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Dependency of cohesive laws of a structural adhesive in Mode-I and Mode-II loading on moisture, freeze-thaw cycling, and their synergy
- 2017
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Ingår i: Materials and Design. - : Elsevier BV. - 1873-4197 .- 0264-1275. ; 122, s. 433-447
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years, adhesive bonding has found its way to construction applications such as bridges. Given the harsh conditions that such structures are usually exposed to, it is necessary to account for environmental factors, particularly moisture and temperature, in the design phase. Cohesive zone modelling has attracted much attention in the last decade as a promising method to design adhesive joints. Despite this interest, the effects of moisture and thermal cycles on cohesive laws have not been investigated to the knowledge of the authors. In this paper, we present a method to directly measure the environmental-dependent cohesive laws of a structural adhesive loaded in pure Mode-I and Mode-II. Special consideration is given to overcome issues such as the time-consuming nature of moisture ingression and specimen dimensions, which could be problematic due to the size-limitations of conditioning equipment. The accuracy of this method was verified through simulation of the experiments using the finite element analysis. The effects of exposure to 95% relative humidity, immersion in saltwater and distilled water, and freeze-thaw cycles in the presence or absence of moisture were investigated. The results indicate the damaging effects of combined saltwater and freeze-thaw cycles which were clearly reflected on the shape of the cohesive laws.
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| 42. |
- Kans, Mirka, 1971, et al.
(författare)
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Service-based business models in the Swedish railway industry
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1355-2511 .- 1758-7832. ; 29:5, s. 68-87
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The purpose is to describe new business opportunities within the Swedish railway industry and to support the development of business models that corresponds with the needs and requirements of Industry 4.0, here denoted as Service Management 4.0. Design/methodology/approach: The study is an in-depth and descriptive case study of the Swedish railway system with specific focus on a railway vehicle maintainer. Public reports, statistics, internal documents, interviews and dialogues forms the basis for the empirical findings. Findings: The article describes the complex business environment of the deregulated Swedish railway industry. Main findings are in the form of identified business opportunities and new business model propositions for one of the key actors, a vehicle maintainer. Originality/value: The article provides valuable understanding of business strategy development within complex business environments and how maintenance related business models could be developed for reaching Service Management 4.0.
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| 43. |
- Bergquist, Bjarne, et al.
(författare)
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Testing for motivation to engage in improvements : a conceptual framework and an initial empirical test
- 2014
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Ingår i: Total Quality Management and Business Excellence. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1478-3363 .- 1478-3371. ; 25:11-12, s. 1224-1235
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework for testing the motivation to engage in improvement work. The framework is based on Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB), that we suggest can be used to facilitate the implementation of improvement programmes. By using the model and probing intentions, attitudes, norms and perceived ability related to improvement work, we believe hindrances for implementation of improvement programmes will be exposed. When operationalising the framework we developed a survey instrument based on TPB and then made an initial empirical test by distributing it to 124 employees (response rate 67%) of three manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises. Factor analysis and regression were used to analyse the survey and follow-up interviews with employees and managers were used to validate the results. This initial test of the instrument showed that it has sound measurement properties, indicated by clear factor structure and good internal consistency. Interview data also validated that the instrument was able to capture important aspects related to implementation of improvement work. Based on the result, we conclude that TPB may be useful for guiding management actions. However, since our study only draws on a limited empirical sample, future research is needed to test the contextual validity.
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| 44. |
- Bäckström, Ingela, 1963-
(författare)
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Quality Management for Sustainable Health : Methodologies, Values and Practices taken from Swedish Organizations
- 2006
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In many Western countries today, not least in Sweden, there are a lot of organizations that have great problems with sickness absence. The costs connected to the high rates of sickness absence have also risen to alarming levels. Healthy co-workers and healthy organizations are obvious goals for many leaders, but this is not always so easy to establish. Work practices and leadership that are beneficial to co-worker health are thus vital to identify. Studies have shown relationships between company-wide implementation of quality programs and improved co-worker satisfaction along with low co-worker turn over; in other words, co-worker health along with improved customer satisfaction and financial results. Despite the great problems concerning sickness absence, there are organizations that have been awarded prizes for excellence in leadership, internal partnership, working environment, and profitability. The overall purposes of the research described in this thesis are to examine and describe how management and leadership can establish sustainable health among the co-workers and examine how the leadership for sustainable health is related to Quality Management. The in-depth purpose is to examine which aspects within the values derived from the quality movement are those that primarily influence the co-workers’ perceived health. The results presented can be described in three parts and are results from four case studies carried out in five different organizations. Three of the organizations have received awards for establishing good working environment, good financial results, and low sick leaves among their co-workers; the fourth received an award for the successful implementation of quality programs. The first part consists of results from case studies in three different organizations and describes how organizations can work to achieve sustainable health among their co-workers, with practical examples. The results are methodologies, values and organizational structure, which it is considered possible for other organizations to adopt in their efforts to achieve good working conditions resulting in fewer sick leaves. The second part is an attempt to investigate if leadership for sustainable health is related to Quality Management. Methodologies, leadership values, organizational structure, and general values found in organizations which have achieved sustainable health are analyzed in the light of Deming’s 14 points, and a correlation is indicated. There is also correlation found between the TQM values and the co-workers’ perception of their health. The third part examines which of the aspects within the values grown from the quality movement are those that influence the co-workers perceived health. The results show significant correlation between the values and the co-workers’ perception of their health. Aspects found within the value “Top management commitment” were named; Empathy, Presence and Communication, Integrity, and Continuity. Within the value “Let everybody be committed” the aspects; Development, Influence and Being informed were found. These aspects are described in more detail and also in one model per value. The result implies that the TQM values; “Top management commitment”, “Improve continuously” “Let everybody be Committed” and “Focus on customers” are important for achieving healthy organizations and sustainable health among co-workers.
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| 45. |
- Capaci, Francesca, et al.
(författare)
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Simulating and Analyzing Experiments in the Tennessee Eastman Process Simulator
- 2015
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Ingår i: ENBIS-15.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In many of today’s continuous processes, the data collection is usually performed automatically yielding exorbitant amount of data on various quality characteristics and inputs to the system. Moreover, such data are usually collected at high frequency introducing significant serial dependence in time. This violates the independent data assumption of many industrial statistics methods used in process improvement studies. These studies often involve controlled experiments to unearth the causal relationships to be used for robustness and optimization purposes.However real production processes are not suitable for studying new experimental methodologies, partly because unknown disturbances/experimental settings may lead to erroneous conclusions. Moreover large scale experimentation in production processes is frowned upon due to consequent disturbances and production delays. Hence realistic simulation of such processes offers an excellent opportunity for experimentation and methodological development.One commonly used process simulator is the Tennessee Eastman (TE) challenge chemical process simulator (Downs & Vogel, 1993)[1]. The process produces two products from four reactants, containing 41 measured variables and 12 manipulated variables. In addition to the process description, the problem statement defines process constraints, 20 types of process disturbances, and six operating modes corresponding to different production rates and mass ratios in the product stream.The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of the TE process with an appropriate feedback control as a test-bed for the methodological developments of new experimental design and analysis techniques.The paper illustrates how two-level experimental designs can be used to identify how the input factors affect the outputs in a chemical process.Simulations using Matlab/Simulink software are used to study the impact of e.g. process disturbances, closed loop control and autocorrelated data on different experimental arrangements.The experiments are analysed using a time series analysis approach to identify input-output relationships in a process operating in closed-loop with multivariate responses. The dynamics of the process are explored and the necessary run lengths for stable effect estimates are discussed.
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| 46. |
- Liwång, Hans, 1974, et al.
(författare)
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Quantitative risk analysis – Ship security analysis for effective risk control options
- 2013
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Ingår i: Safety Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-7535 .- 1879-1042. ; 58:1, s. 98-112
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study reviews ship security assessment. The objectives are to explore the possibilities for quantifying and performing a more thorough ship security risk analysis than that described in the International Ship and Port Facility Security code and to evaluate to what extent this more detailed analysis increases ship security and facilitate the effective selection of risk control options.The study focuses on Somali-based maritime piracy, using piracy on the Indian Ocean as a case study. Data are collected using questionnaires and interviews with civilian and military security experts who possess firsthand experience of piracy off the coast of Somalia. The data are collected specifically for this study and describe and quantify the threat’s capability, intent and likelihood of exploiting a ship’s vulnerability. Based on the collected description of the threat, the study analyzes and describes: probability of detection by pirates, probability of successful approach, and probability of successful boarding.The performed work shows good agreement between calculated probabilities and frequencies in the cited incident reports. Also, the developed scenarios describe the most important influences on the analysed areas. The research therefore shows that the proposed risk-based approach, which uses structurally collected and documented information on the threat, can increase ship security by assisting in selecting risk control options. The approach also allows for a better understanding of the causal relationship between threat and risk than that provided in today’s security analysis by ship owners, for example. This understanding is crucial to choosing effective and robust risk control options.
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| 47. |
- Nyström, Monica E., et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the potential of a multi-level approach to improve capability for continuous organizational improvement and learning in a Swedish healthcare region
- 2018
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Ingår i: BMC Health Serv Res. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1472-6963. ; 18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Eldercare and care of people with functional impairments is organized by the municipalities in Sweden. Improving care in these areas is complex, with multiple stakeholders and organizations. Appropriate strategies to develop capability for continuing organizational improvement and learning (COIL) are needed. The purpose of our study was to develop and pilot-test a flexible, multilevel approach for COIL capability building and to identify what it takes to achieve changes in key actors' approaches to COIL. The approach, named "Sustainable Improvement and Development through Strategic and Systematic Approaches" (SIDSSA), was applied through an action-research and action-learning intervention. Methods: The SIDSSA approach was tested in a regional research and development (R&D) unit, and in two municipalities handling care of the elderly and people with functional impairments. Our approach included a multilevel strategy, development loops of five flexible phases, and an action-learning loop. The approach was designed to support systems understanding, strategic focus, methodological practices, and change process knowledge-all of which required double-loop learning. Multiple qualitative methods, i.e., repeated interviews, process diaries, and documents, provided data for conventional content analyses. Results: The new approach was successfully tested on all cases and adopted and sustained by the R&D unit. Participants reported new insights and skills. The development loop facilitated a sense of coherence and control during uncertainty, improved planning and problem analysis, enhanced mapping of context and conditions, and supported problem-solving at both the individual and unit levels. The systems-level view and structured approach helped participants to explain, motivate, and implement change initiatives, especially after working more systematically with mapping, analyses, and goal setting. Conclusions: An easily understood and generalizable model internalized by key organizational actors is an important step before more complex development models can be implemented. SIDSSA facilitated individual and group learning through action-learning and supported systems-level views and structured approaches across multiple organizational levels. Active involvement of diverse organizational functions and levels in the learning process was facilitated. However, the time frame was too short to fully test all aspects of the approach, specifically in reaching beyond the involved managers to front-line staff and patients.
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| 48. |
- Richter Sundberg, Linda, et al.
(författare)
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Reaching beyond the review of research evidence : a qualitative study of decision making during the development of clinical practice guidelines for disease prevention in healthcare
- 2017
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Ingår i: BMC Health Services Research. - : BioMed Central. - 1472-6963. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The judgment and decision making process during guideline development is central for producing high-quality clinical practice guidelines, but the topic is relatively underexplored in the guideline research literature. We have studied the development process of national guidelines with a disease-prevention scope produced by the National board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) in Sweden. The NBHW formal guideline development model states that guideline recommendations should be based on five decision-criteria: research evidence; curative/preventive effect size, severity of the condition; cost-effectiveness; and ethical considerations. A group of health profession representatives (i.e. a prioritization group) was assigned the task of ranking condition-intervention pairs for guideline recommendations, taking into consideration the multiple decision criteria. The aim of this study was to investigate the decision making process during the two-year development of national guidelines for methods of preventing disease.METHODS: A qualitative inductive longitudinal case study approach was used to investigate the decision making process. Questionnaires, non-participant observations of nine two-day group meetings, and documents provided data for the analysis. Conventional and summative qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data.RESULTS: The guideline development model was modified ad-hoc as the group encountered three main types of dilemmas: high quality evidence vs. low adoptability of recommendation; insufficient evidence vs. high urgency to act; and incoherence in assessment and prioritization within and between four different lifestyle areas. The formal guideline development model guided the decision-criteria used, but three new or revised criteria were added by the group: 'clinical knowledge and experience', 'potential guideline consequences' and 'needs of vulnerable groups'. The frequency of the use of various criteria in discussions varied over time. Gender, professional status, and interpersonal skills were perceived to affect individuals' relative influence on group discussions.CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that guideline development groups make compromises between rigour and pragmatism. The formal guideline development model incorporated multiple aspects, but offered few details on how the different criteria should be handled. The guideline development model devoted little attention to the role of the decision-model and group-related factors. Guideline development models could benefit from clarifying the role of the group-related factors and non-research evidence, such as clinical experience and ethical considerations, in decision-processes during guideline development.
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| 49. |
- Tofique, Muhammad Waqas, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Development of the distributed dislocation dipole technique for the analysis of closure of complex fractures involving kinks and branches
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This paper presents the development of the distributed dislocation dipole technique (DDDT) for the analysis of crack surface closure of crack cases involving kinks and branches. Crack cases in which closure occurs are analyzed by reformulating the Bueckner's principle taking the contact stresses at the contacting portions of the crack surfaces into account. Stress intensity factors corresponding to opening and sliding mode of deformation at the crack tips are computed. Three test cases involving kinked and/or branched cracks with at least one of the crack segments undergoing crack surface closure when subjected to remote tensile loading are analyzed. The results obtained from the DDDT are compared to those obtained from the Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis of the same crack cases. This comparison shows that the computation of stress intensity factors for the crack cases involving crack surface closure are less acurate compared to fully open crack cases. However, the stress intensity factors are still computed to an accuracy of within 2 percent if the Jacobi polynomial expansions of at least the sixth order are used to represent the crack surface opening and sliding displacements. Higher order Jacobi polynomials lead to increased accuracy.
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| 50. |
- Westerlund, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Managing the initiation and early implementation of health promotion interventions : a study of a parental support programme in primary care
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 31:1, s. 128-138
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Mental health problems are increasing among children and adolescents worldwide, and parental support programmes have been suggested as one preventive intervention. However, the actual impact and low rates of adoption and sustainability of prevention programmes have proven to be a concern, and thus, further studies on their implementation are needed.AIM: This study focused on the initial implementation of the International Child Development Programme (ICDP) in primary care. The aim was to investigate the involved actors' views on factors likely to affect implementation and the strategies used to manage them.DESIGN: A case study design with a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires and interviews was used.METHODS: Eighty-two professionals at different positions in the involved organisations participated. Directed content analysis was used for analyses, focusing on perceived levels of importance and the manifestation of implementation factors.FINDINGS: Interviews and questionnaires provided descriptions of factors influencing the initial ICDP implementation. Uncertainty on how to manage important factors and vague change strategies was reported. Discrepancies in the perceived levels of importance versus manifestation were found regarding several factors, including hands-on support, time and resources, communication and information, a comprehensive plan of action, follow-ups, and external and internal collaborations. Manifested factors were a need for change, motivation and the ICDP's compatibility with existing norms, values and practices.CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a parental support programme in a complex setting will benefit from being preceded by a thorough examination of the intervention and the target context and the development of clear implementation strategies based on the results of that examination. This study provides insights into how and by whom knowledge on implementation is applied during the launch of a health promotion programme, and these insights might help increase the rate of adoption and the use of such programmes and thereby increase their effectiveness.
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