| 1. |
- Bernhard, Iréne, 1953-, et al.
(författare)
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Automation of Digital Public Services : Challenges when Working with Automated Systems and Striving for Inclusion of End-Users
- 2019
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Ingår i: Uddevalla Symposium 2019. - Trollhättan : University West. - 9789188847409 ; , s. 91-105
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The increasing use of automated systems for decision making and decision supportin public administration is forming new practices and challenging public values. Automated decision-making systems are mainly used in administrative systems but require end-users of services to submit relevant data in correct ways to make the services functional. However, not all potential or intended users of these services have the competence and capacity to use them. There is a pressing need to uncover and analyze how professional staff at public agencies respond to users' problems caused by digitalization in general and automation in particular for those who have problems using the services since there is a legal requirement to provide impartial public services. The case study presented in this paper builds on a bottom-up qualitative study including in-depth interviews and observations at two Swedish authorities, the Swedish Public Employment Agency and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, in two Swedish municipalities. The main contribution by the case study shows how challenges that the professional staff face when they have to support everyone when the main management method is to use automated systems. The first way of addressing risk of exclusion is improved personalized support by the professional "street-level" bureaucrats, and the second is the important support also provided by other citizens and users of the services that enhances inclusion. The study indicates the importance of forming new support structures when public services are digitalized with ambitions to be more efficient.
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| 2. |
- Bernhard, Iréne, 1953-, et al.
(författare)
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Understanding Women Entrepreneurs' Encounters with an Increasingly Digitalized Workplace
- 2019
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Ingår i: Uddevalla Symposium 2019. - Trollhättan : University West. - 9789188847409 ; , s. 73-89
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study aims to explore how women entrepreneurs encounter and learn to use ICT at work in response to calls for further research regarding ICT and small businesses, especially women entrepreneurs' adaptation to an increasingly digitalized workplace. Qualitative methods were applied including a total of 13 interviews in two phases with 11 women entrepreneurs, and observations of the irdigital presence. Findings indicate the benefits of digitalization of small businesses, although the women entrepreneurs also emphasize digital disadvantages such as negative online comments and reviews and digital stress. Informal learning and self development were practiced. In order to remain competitive, the women entrepreneurs were aware that they constantly have to learn new things to capture the potential and keep up the pace in digitalizing their workplaces. The importance of recruiting young digitally skilled employees was strongly highlighted.
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| 3. |
- Högberg, Karin, 1982-, et al.
(författare)
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In an urban food desert : A study of mobile farmers markets and social entrepreneurship in Washington, DC
- 2019
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Ingår i: Uddevalla Symposium 2019. - Trollhättan : University West. - 9789188847409 ; , s. 205-216
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Food deserts, i.e., socially distressed neighborhoods with little access to healthy food, constitute a growing concern in the United States. In this pilot case study, we explore a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a more equitable and sustainable local food system in the Washington, DC area from a social entrepreneurship perspective. In total, six interviews with employees at the non-profit organization were carried out between September 2017 and January 2019. Additionally, quantitative data from sales and education programs has been used as supplementary data sources. The paper contributes to the literature of social entrepreneurship by analyzing how mobile farmers markets are developed and organized through the theoretical lens of social entrepreneurship.
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| 4. |
- Jobe, William, et al.
(författare)
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The Effects of Using Work-Integrated Learning in Higher Education on Student and Startup Employability, Networking, and Entrepreneurship
- 2019
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Ingår i: Uddevalla Symposium 2019. - Trollhättan : University West. - 9789188847409 ; , s. 235-247
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper explores the results and perceived effects from an IT project management course given in Informatics at University West in Sweden. The 10-week course requires students to manage and execute real-world projects as a form of work integrated learning (WIL). For the past three years, the course has been performed in cooperation with the Innovatum Startup program offered by the Innovatum Science Center in Trollhättan, Sweden. Each year Innovatum Startup hosts a match making session where the startup companies present their projects and propose concrete projects that the university students can choose as their real-world project. This paper presents the results regarding the startups' and students' satisfaction with the course as well as the outcomes of the students' work for the startups and the effects on the students' future employability, networking and entrepreneurship. The results are based on surveys given to the participating students and startup companies. The findings show a high level of student and startup satisfaction with the WIL collaboration and the findings reaffirm similar research that WIL courses benefit student employability and networking. However, the findings do not show a significant impact on entrepreneurship.
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| 5. |
- Lundqvist-Westin, Wilma
(författare)
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Development of an International Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies : Perspectives from Prospective Students and Employers
- 2019
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Ingår i: Uddevalla Symposium 2019. - Trollhättan : University West. - 9789188847409 ; , s. 351-371
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper aims to get a reflective understanding of what prospective students and potential host organisations regard as pros and cons of a new International Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies (WIPS), that is to be implemented jointly by University West (Sweden) and the University of the Western Cape (South Africa). Furthermore, the paper thereby also aspires to contribute to the theoretical discussion regarding work integrated learning (WIL) and contradictions between theory and practice, as well as academia and the real world. More specifically, the paper examines; (1) What are the positive and negative thoughts of prospective students regarding the Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies? (2) What are the positive and negative thoughts of potential host organisations regarding the Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies? (3) How do the respondents see the contradictions between theory-practice and the academia-real world in relation to the Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies?This paper is built on two parts, one is the creation and evaluation of the new WIPS master and the second part highlights previous research in the field of WIL and theoretical contradictions. It is a qualitative small-n study of Sweden and South Africa. Through focus group interviews with students and semi-structured interviews with organisations, it is shown that the interest in the programme is high. A majority of both prospective students and potential host organisations would like to be a part of this new master's programme. The reason is the combination of work and studies, which is valuable for both the students and the host organisations. The programme aims to better prepare students for the labour market, which the students' desire and the organisations are sure of. However, the Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies faces a challenge regarding being acknowledged as a third place-based design to overcome the theoretical contradictions. Respondents are still separating theory and practice as well as the academia and the real world, even if some can see and acknowledge the integrating aspects between the contradictions.
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| 6. |
- S. Gustafsson, Mariana, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Automation of income support in the public social services : a case study of an innovation that is still struggling
- 2019
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Ingår i: Uddevalla Symposium 2019. - Trollhättan : Högskolan Väst. - 9789188847409 ; , s. 187-204
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Digitalization of public services has been high up on the political agenda in Sweden, with considerable efforts that accompany other initiatives to reform and modernize production of welfare services and their administration. Digital solutions are used to build both technical and organizational innovations in public services, as well as in bureaucratic decision-making. The “Digital first principle” is guiding the European policies in the field and is also central in the Swedish digitalization strategy for public administration. This means that the contact between the citizens, the companies or other society actors, and the public sector authorities shall initially and to largest possible extent occur digitally. A digital innovation that is currently spreading among Swedish municipalities is automatizing social assistance services mainly addressing income support for vulnerable citizens. In a context of nationally highly regulated income support schemes, the municipalities manage the digitalization of services highly differently, coping with inherent tensions in relation to their local autonomy. We have conducted a long-term case study following such an implementation case in a medium size Swedish municipality. Based on interviews, observations and workshops we can conclude that the implementation is hampered since it is not focusing on the core to coach for self-support and that it even made the system less transparent. This indicates that the principle ‘digital first’ has to be embedded into the core focus of the service and not address shallow interfaces.
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