| 1. |
- Larsson, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Implementing health-promoting leadership in municipal organizations : Managers' experiences with a leadership program
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies. - : Det Kgl. Bibliotek/Royal Danish Library. - 2245-0157. ; 5:1, s. 93-114
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to analyze how line and middle managers experience and describe barriers and enablers in the implementation of a health-promoting leadership program in municipal organizations. A qualitative case study design was applied to examine the leadership program in a case involving implementation of an organizational health intervention. Data were mainly collected using semi-structured interviews with line and middle managers participating in the leadership program. Interviews with senior managers, notes from meetings/workshops, and written action plans were used as complementary data. The interview data were analyzed using a thematic analysis, and the complementary data using a summative content analysis. The findings show that the interviewed line and middle managers experienced this leadership program as a new approach in leadership training because it is based primarily on employee participation. Involvement and commitment of the employees was considered a crucial enabler in the implementation of the leadership program. Other enablers identified include action plans with specific goals, earlier experiences of organizational change, and integration of the program content into regular routines and structures. The line and middle managers described several barriers in the implementation process, and they described various organizational conditions, such as high workload, lack of senior management support, politically initiated projects, and organizational change, as challenges that limited the opportunities to be drivers of change. Taken together, these barriers interfered with the leadership program and its implementation. The study contributes to the understanding of how organizational-level health interventions are implemented in public sector workplaces.
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| 2. |
- Larsson, Robert, et al.
(författare)
-
Managing workplace health promotion in municipal organisations : the perspective of senior managers
- 2016
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Ingår i: Work. - 1051-9815 .- 1875-9270. ; 53:3, s. 485-498
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Previous research indicates that companies manage workplace health in various ways, but more in-depth empirical knowledge of how workplace health promotion (WHP) is managed in public sector organisations is needed.OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore how WHP is managed and incorporated into the general management system in two large Swedish municipal organisations.METHODS: A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Fourteen senior managers were purposefully selected and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Documents were used as supplementary data. All data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.RESULTS: The management of WHP was described as a set of components that together contribute to the organisation’s capacity for WHP. The informants described WHP as dominated by fitness programmes and as following a problem-solving cycle, in which the annual employee survey emerged as an important managerial tool. Achieving feasible WHP measures and appropriate follow-ups were described as challenges. The provision of leadership competence for WHP and use of supportive resources were described as additional components.CONCLUSIONS: The WHP management approach needs to be broadened to include work environment and organisational factors. Further integration with occupational health and safety and the general management system in the organisations is also needed. Keywords: integration, management, occupational health and safety, public sector organisation, workplace health
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| 3. |
- Larsson, Robert
(författare)
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Managing workplace health promotion in municipal organizations
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The workplace is a suitable setting for health promotion, not least due to the amount of time employees spend at work. Previous research indicates large variations in employers' handling of workplace health promotion (WHP) efforts. However, more empirical knowledge of how WHP is handled in public sector organizations is needed.The overall aim of the thesis was to explore how WHP is managed and implemented in municipal organizations. The thesis draws on health promotion as the point of departure, further accompanied with concepts related to organizational change and implementation research.The thesis is based on three studies using different empirical materials. Both quantitative and qualitative research designs were used. In the first study, questionnaires were sent to both top managers and employees in a nationwide random sample of 60 of the 290 municipal social care organizations in Sweden. Data were analysed at the organizational level, linking WHP measures provided by the employer to employee health. In the second study, interviews concerning the management of WHP were carried out with senior managers representing various departments in two municipalities. The third study analysed the implementation of a health-promoting leadership programme, and the interviews made, concerned the experiences of line and middle managers participating in the programme.The results show that the provision of individual- and organizational-directed WHP measures was associated to employee health at the organizational level. Furthermore, the senior managers described WHP management as components contributing to the organization's capacity for WHP. However, they mainly described WHP as providing healthy lifestyle activities, and mapping working conditions and employee health. In the study analysing the implementation of the leadership programme, line and middle managers described employee involvement as an enabling factor, whereas high workload and lack of senior management support were barriers described. Recurrent organizational changes and other politically-initiated projects and routines were also pointed out as competing events in the implementation process.From this thesis, it can be concluded that WHP management is dominated by measures directed towards the individual employee and needs to include more of psychosocial and organizational measures. Finally, the varied organizational conditions for municipal managers as well as the support from senior management and human resources staff needs to be considered and ensured as part of an active and continuous WHP practice.
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| 4. |
- Smedberg, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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Online Stress Management: Design for Reflections and Social Support
- 2016
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 9th International Joint Conference on Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies (BIOSTEC 2016). - : SciTePress. - 9789897581700 ; , s. 117-124
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- An increasing number of people suffer from high levels of stress and experience strong and unhealthy reactions to different stressors. Various kinds of applications for self-help are available on the Internet. However, the technology for stress management purposes is still in its early phase. This paper presents the ideas behind the design of an artifact that combines different technologies and offers support for individual as well as social reflections. The work is anchored in conventional system development methods and interdisciplinary research in the field of e-health. It is based on the holistic idea of combining areas of self-help, evidence-based information and learning through feedback and communication in groups and with experts that have been manifested in a web-based stress management system. The work presented in this paper is a further development towards integration of different technologies and learning aids. It integrates a mobile phone app with a web-based system for people with stress management issues. The proposed system supports social reflections through the possibility to share reflections in various social forums.
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| 5. |
- Smedberg, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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Online Stress Management for Self- and Group-Reflections on Stress Patterns
- 2017
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Ingår i: Biomedical Engineering Systems and Technologies. - Cham : Springer. - 9783319547169 ; , s. 387-404
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In today’s society, many people suffer from unhealthy levels of stress. A result of being exposed to a lot of stressors for a longer period of time, and showing strong stress reactions to these, is decreased wellbeing and eventually sick leaves. To intervene at an early stage is therefore important. However, learning about one’s stress reactions and struggling for empowerment can be a challenge. Different types of applications for self-help are available on the Internet, but the ones for stress management are still in their early phase. In this article, we emphasize the social aspects of stress management. We present an artifact designed for analyzing and reflecting upon stress patterns, through both self- and group-reflections. This artifact is a result of further research work towards an integrated holistic stress management platform. The holistic platform includes a mobile application for storing data about events that cause stress reactions and a web-based system in which different actors and functions can complement each other, through self-help exercises, evidence-based information and learning through interaction with peers and experts. The research is based on traditional system development methods and interdisciplinary research in the area of e-health.
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| 6. |
- Weerasekara, Manoja, et al.
(författare)
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Using ICT in Occupational Stress Management : The Views and Experiences of Sri Lankan Stress Experts
- 2019
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the International Conference E-Health 2019. - : IADIS Press. - 9789898533890 ; , s. 163-174
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- ICT supported health intervention is a phenomenon that has grown stronger in recent years. Although eHealth and mHealth care are an expanding area of ICT, the development has not been as significant as in other fields. Successful implementation of eHealth or e-mental health applications requires close collaboration between healthcare practitioners and system developers. Complex and multilayered factors determine healthcare practitioners’ intention to use ICT in their practice. This study aims to understand the Sri Lankan stress experts’ experience and perception of using ICT tools in their stress management practices. Eight stress experts in Sri Lanka were interviewed. Through thematic analysis, we identified three main themes and multiple subthemes. Results show that practitioners used only a limited set of internet resources in their stress management practices and preferred face-to-face consultations over distance/online communication. Overall, they appreciated the immediate benefits of ICT interventions while highlighting disutilities like the risk of misleading information and insufficient access to resources. Moreover, clients were regarded as empowered through increased access to new and more information. They were also encouraged to make their own decisions to a greater extent. However, there were also objections from practitioners who were reluctant to accept the client’s ability to make decisions through self-education. This study can possibly provide a better understanding of the impact of ICT on stress management practices and knowledge to design and develop ICT tools for stress management.
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| 7. |
- Wihlman, Thomas, 1949-, et al.
(författare)
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Innovation Management in Swedish Municipalities
- 2016
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Ingår i: European Journal of Workplace Innovation. - : University of Agder. - 2387-4570 .- 2387-4570. ; 2:1, s. 43-62
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research on public sector innovation is still limited, and increased knowledge of innovation processes is needed. This article is a based on a study of the implementation of innovation policies in Swedish municipalities, and gives a first-hand, empirical view of some of the complexities of innovation in the public sector. The study took place in four municipalities in central Sweden. The municipalities varied in size and organisational forms. Interviews and policy documents were used for data collection.The results showed that the innovation policies were not followed by action, which may be described as not mobilizing dynamic capabilities to create innovativeness. Thus, dynamic capabilities, such as learning and HRM, Human Resource Management, were not used in conjunction with innovation. Particularly amongst senior management there was a negative attitude towards the innovative capacity of their organization. Middle management saw possibilities. However, barriers such as extensive control systems removed the focus from innovation. There was a lack of communication between senior management and middle management regarding innovation. The conclusion was that innovation, as both concept and practice, was not fully embraced by the municipalities.It is suggested that generative leadership, opening up communication within the organisations, especially between employees, could be beneficial, and that a common understanding and definition of the innovation concept is needed. Integration of top-down processes with bottom-up processes, such as employee-driven innovation, is also suggested.
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| 8. |
- Yuwanich, Nuttapol, et al.
(författare)
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Emergency department nurses' experiences of occupational stress : A qualitative study from a public hospital in Bangkok, Thailand
- 2016
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Ingår i: Work. - 1051-9815 .- 1875-9270. ; 53:4, s. 885-897
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Occupational stress has been a health-related issue among nurses for many decades. Emergency department nurses are frequently confronted with occupational stress in their workplace; in particular, they encounter stressful situations and unpredictable events. These encounters could make them feel more stressed than nurses in other departments. Research considering occupational stress from the perspective of Thai emergency department nurses is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore nurses' perceptions of occupational stress in an emergency department. METHODS: A qualitative approach was used to gain an understanding of nurses' experiences and perceptions regarding stress in their workplace. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Twenty-one emergency department nurses working in a public hospital in Thailand were interviewed, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: The findings comprised three themes: (1) perceived stress, (2) consequences of stress, and (3) stress management. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study can be used by hospital management to help them adopt effective strategies, such as support programs involving co-workers/supervisors, to decrease occupational stress among emergency department nurses. Future research that explores each of the themes found in this study could offer a more comprehensive understanding of nurses' occupational stress in the emergency department.
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