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Projektets syfte har varit att bidra till kunskap om hur Covid-19 pandemin påverkat arbetsmiljö, hälsa och balans mellan arbete och privatliv bland egenföretagare och ledare i små företag i olika europeiska länder samt bidra till fördjupad kunskap om hur norska och svenska små företag kan implementera genomförda statliga stödåtgärder och hantera arbetsmiljö- och hälsofrågor. En ambition har också varit att bidra till kunskap om hur lärdomar om nämnda faktorer kan användas vid framtida kriser. I det AFA-finansierade projektet har genomförts nio delstudier – fyra kvantitativa studier baserade på europeiska och svenska enkätdata, två kvalitativa intervjustudier av norska och svenska egenföretagare och tre med en blandad design. Projektet har resulterat i nio publicerade vetenskapliga artiklar, en licentiatavhandling, deltagande i sju vetenskapliga konferenser, presentationer i några populärvetenskapliga sammanhang och i tidningar och övrig media.Av resultaten framgår att pandemin påverkat norska, svenska, andra europeiska och kanadensiska egenföretagare när det gäller verksamhet, arbets- och livsvillkor samt hälsa och välbefinnande på flera sätt. Även om en delstudie visar på lägre konflikt mellan arbete och privatliv och högre mentalt välbefinnande bland egenföretagare jämfört med andra grupper, visar en annan delstudie på signifikant lägre nivå av livstillfredsställelse bland egenföretagare än anställda under pandemin. Delstudier baserade på ett omfattande europeiskt enkätmaterial visar att företagare som rapporterar att de hanterat sin verksamhet på ett bra sätt har goda hälsoutfall, men att företagare som anser det vara utmanande att driva sina företag under pandemin rapporterar sämre hälsa. Regressionsanalyser i en delstudie av europeiska egenföretagare visar att faktorerna egen motståndskraft, tillgång till socialt stöd, meningsfullhet och tydliga regler för statligt stöd är signifikant associerade med mentalt välbefinnande. För egenföretagare som upplever svårig

I den här studien fördjupas förståelsen av de övergripande utmaningar som personalen inom kommunala arbetsmarknadsenheter (AME) upplever i sitt dagliga arbete. Det finns inga lagstadgade krav på att kommunerna ska bedriva arbetsmarknadspolitiska åtgärder, men genom förskjutningen i det ekonomiska ansvaret för vissa utförsäkrade (Försäkringskassan) och arbetslösa (Arbetsförmedlingen) har kommunerna ekonomiska incitament att engagera sig i arbetsmarknadspolitiken. I studien har data samlats in genom fokusgruppsintervjuer med 45 personer. Deltagare har varit personal inom AME i åtta kommuner. Resultatet visar att personalen måste anpassa sig när omvärlden förändrar förutsättningarna för deras deltagare. AME behöver vara flexibelt organiserat genom att verksamheten är (med)beroende av omvärlden och dess olika (politiska) system. Detta kan ses som ett övergripande systemhinder som AME-personalen möter i sitt dagliga arbete och förståelse för kommunernas roll som yttersta skyddsnät.

The aim of this study is to explore what managers in Small Scale Enterprises (SSEs) changed in their business during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly addressing health issues. A longitudinal qualitative research methodology was used, interviewing 16 managers of SSEs in the Norwegian and Swedish manufacturing and service sector both before and during the pandemic. In this approach, time is designed into the research process, making change a key focus for analysis. The analysis resulted in two main themes, resilience and demanding occupational health and safety conditions, and five sub-themes. Results show how managers in SSEs changed their business during the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of these changes. Although, the enterprises were heavily affected in the beginning of the pandemic, several managers found new solutions for their businesses to maintain and reach new customers. They applied a socially responsible management which addressed different health issues. Crises like the Covid-19 pandemic will have future impact on SSEs making it important to understand how managers in such enterprises address business and health issues. This knowledge may have practical implications for supporting managers in SSEs in how to perform a socially responsible management and maintain occupational health and safety measures. This study shows the importance of doing longitudinal studies about business and health issues among mangers in SSEs. Keywords: Small-scale managers; Covid-19; Longitudinal qualitative research

Over the past two decades, chirality induced spin selectivity (CISS) has emerged as its own field of research. As a phenomenon, it reveals how the shape of molecules interplay with electron dynamics, showcasing how a helical molecule acts as a filter for electron spins, and thus, provides valuable insights into the correlation between molecular structure and electron properties. The interpretation is that the influence of the helical molecular structure, along with spin-orbit interaction and non-equilibrium conditions causes the charge-carrying electrons to become spin-polarized. Consequently, the structure of these molecules effectively filters electrons based on their spin direction. In this project, we investigate the time evolution of the probability densities for each spin as well as the spin polarization in a simplified model of the helical molecule under non-equilibrium. The problem is treated both analytically for a simpler case and numerically for a more general one. In the more general case, the solutions are divided into two parts, namely 1) The unperturbed system, to determine the properties of the system, and 2) The perturbed system, to investigate consequences of different types of perturbations. Two types of sources of perturbation were considered, namely metals, both magnetic and non-magnetic, and external electric fields, where these are assumed both constant and time-dependent, such as harmonic or decaying. The results from the analytical and numerical models turned out to give essentially the same results, however a larger molecule than the very smallest was required to display the expected symmetry of spin polarization between helicities. The properties of the unperturbed system were consistent withprevious research, and the perturbations had a varying effect, with the magnetic metals producing distinct changes to the spin polarization while the electric field mostly shifted the total charge.

Objective: General practitioners (GPs) played a crucial role in limiting the impact of the COViD-19 pandemic, and many GPs experienced they did not have the prerequisites to provide adequate care. However, GPs developed approaches that helped them to provide care to patients through various job crafting strategies. The aim of this study is to identify how job crafting strategies were deployed by GPs at the beginning of the COViD-19 pandemic in Sweden and the significance of the strategies on their work situation. Design: A qualitative design with semi-structured interviews. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis with job crafting as the conceptual framework for the analysis process. Setting: Primary healthcare in five healthcare regions in sweden. Subjects: Fourteen GPs participated in individual interviews. Results: In their endeavours to organise and provide care, GPs shaped the task, relational and cognitive boundaries of their work. GPs felt proud about finding new ways of working when given room to manoeuvre. Intensified collaboration between healthcare professionals made GPs more confident in their clinical work. GPs expressed that they consequently felt stronger in their professional role through what they accomplished in the organisation of care. Conclusions/Implications: The results suggest that the job crafting strategies GPs used were meaningful to them in clinical practice. Knowledge about how GPs’ job crafting strategies were deployed might be useful for healthcare organisations in preparing for future health crises. Taking advantage of GPs’ experiences and strategies is considered important for promoting sustainable working conditions for GPs in the future.

In this programme, we map and examine local labour market programmes (LLMPs) at the municipal level in Sweden. This includes their institutional structure and organisation, as well as the experiences of participants in the programmes, using a longitudinal approach with the aim to improve LLMPs. The long-term goal is to increasing the inclusion of LLMP participants in working life. To answer the programme’s questions, data will be collected and analysed within the four work packages. In each work package, a mixed-method approach is applied with a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The programme is informed by three overarching general theoretical approached, tying together institutional ethnography, intersectional studies of structural inequalities on different levels, and the role of emotions in everyday work. At the organisational level (WP 1), we will investigate the circumstances under which LLMPs are performed and negotiated by those involved. Here, the internal organisation, activities and methods are the focus. This approach will result in knowledge about the characteristics of these organisations and the factors promoting the inclusion of underrepresented groups in working life. By examining the activities in LLMPs (WP 2), we will be able to determine how their institutional structure differs between regions in Sweden, how the different municipalities work with labour market policy, how they translate national policy into the local context, how they organise their work and which initiatives they choose to adopt. By examining the individual experiences of those who are directly affected by such incentives (WP 3), knowledge and understanding will be obtained of the connections between experiences and labour market policies. This will give important insights into the functioning of local programmes and of the opportunities to create entry into the labour market. Furthermore, in WP4 we will develop and test an effect evaluation of work methods u

Job crafting kan definieras som medarbetares sätt att själva forma och förändra sina arbeten, för att optimera tillgängliga resurser och hantera utmaningar i arbetet. Job crafting har tidigare kopplats till många positiva effekter för individer, till exempel arbetsengagemang och arbetstillfredsställelse. Ett stödjande ledarskap, autonomi i arbetet och samarbete mellan olika professionsgrupper är exempel på vad som kan främja job crafting i vården. Men kunskap om hur individuella förutsättningar, så som exempelvis arbetserfarenhet, bidrar till medarbetares strategier att försöka forma och förändra sina arbeten är ännu begränsad. Övergripande syfte i denna pågående studie är att undersöka hur individuella förutsättningar samspelar med hur individer job craftar på sätt som främjar deras hälsa. Studien kommer särskilt fokusera hur arbetserfarenhet samspelar med job crafting, men även samspel mellan familjeliv och professionstillhörighet kommer att analyseras. Djupintervjuer har genomförts med sexton medarbetare med olika professioner på fem olika vårdenheter. Respondenternas erfarenhet i det nuvarande arbetet varierar mellan sex månader och 43 år. De preliminära resultaten indikerar olika job crafting strategier och motiv till dem bland respondenter med längre och kortare arbetserfarenhet. Med kortare arbetslivserfarenhet fokuseras att lära sig sitt nya yrke samt att bygga relationer med kollegor för stöd och erfarenhetsutbyte. Mer erfarna respondenter fokuserar mer på att vårda sina sociala relationer och på meningsskapande förändringar i arbetet, för att trivas och må bra i arbetet snarare än att utvecklas professionellt. Respondenter med familjer fokuserar förändringar de gör i arbetet på att få en bra balans mellan arbete och privatliv. Gemensamt för respondenterna, oavsett profession och hur mycket arbetserfarenhet de har, är att de förändringar de gör i arbetet oftast är kopplade till att deras patienter ska ha det så bra som möjligt., QC 20240115

Sammanfattning Bakgrund: Ett vanligt problem bland äldre personer på särskilda boenden är undernäring, som påverkar både fysisk och psykisk hälsa. Minskat näringsintag bland äldre personer är förknippat med undernäring och oönskad viktminskning. Sjuksköterskan är omvårdnadsansvarig och att identifiera orsaken till bristfälligt näringsintag bland äldre kan vara fördelaktigt för att främja näringsintaget. Syfte: Syftet var att översiktligt beskriva faktorer som främjar näringsintaget hos äldre personer på särskilt boende. Metod: Allmän litteraturöversikt där sex artiklar med kvalitativ metod, fyra artiklar med kvantitativ metod och en med mixad metod analyseras. Resultat: Det framkom tre teman som identifierades som viktiga för att främja näringsintaget hos äldre personer på särskilt boende: att värna om sinnesintryck, att skapa en familjär atmosfär och att erbjuda berikade mellanmål. Slutsatser: Äldre personers näringsintag avgörs av flera olika faktorer och behöver förstås ur flera perspektiv då deras preferenser och behov är individuella. Sjuksköterskans och övrig vårdpersonals engagemang och intresse är viktig för att bidra till äldres upplevelser av god livskvalitet, välbefinnande, värdighet och främjat näringsintag på särskilt boende. Nyckelord: måltid, näringsintag, särskilt boende, äldre personer

Lokala arbetsmarknadsprogram – Utmaningar av och för en inkluderande arbetsmarknad

I Timrå kommun har kommunstyrelsen beslutat att kommunen ska arbeta utifrån ”tillitsbaserad styrning”, där individ- och familjeomsorgen (IFO) inom socialförvaltningen arbetat med att utarbeta en gemensam strategi och ett arbetssätt som syftar till att omsätta kommunens styrmodell i praktiken. I praktiken innebar detta att enheterna inom IFO, som traditionellt arbetat enskilt, skulle utarbeta samverkansformer för utformning av stödinsatser till individer för att gå från försörjningsstöd till egen försörjning. För detta krävs samarbetsformer mellan enheterna. Som stöd för arbetet beslutade cheferna inom IFO att använda sig av IT-verktyget Loop-me i utvecklingsarbetet. Projektet har haft en interaktiv och praktiknära forskningsdesign, där enhetschefer och verksamhetschef inom individ- och familjeomsorgen (IFO) i socialtjänstförvaltningen tillsammans med forskarna arbetat tillsammans med teoretiska resonemang, tolkningar och diskussioner i kontinuerliga möten under projektets gång. Projektet har synliggjort de förutsättningar som krävs, och de utmaningar som uppstår när en organisation ska gå från en styrmodell som liknas vid New Public Management (NPM) till en mer ”tillitsbaserad styrning”. Det har i praktiken inneburit att både chefer och medarbetare tvingats omformulera sina ansvarstaganden, där mer handlingsutrymme lämnas åt medarbetarna, där det krävs ett annat ledarskap än tidigare. Genom IT-verktyget Loop-me har personalen kontinuerligt lämnat loopar där de reflekterat kring sina upplevelser och ageranden i olika situationer. På så vis har data inkommit kontinuerligt vilket möjliggjort för cheferna att snabbt få indikationer på vad som sker, diskutera det med forskarna och att tillsammans finna vägar framåt. Detta har skapat förutsättningar för en ökad samsyn och förståelse för helheten i utvecklingen av samarbetsformer mellan enheterna inom IFO, vilket blir avgörande när orsakssambanden inte är givna och flera vägar till lösning behöver övervägas och även prov

Background Globally the COVID-19 pandemic presented major difficulties for self-employed people such as financial decline, restrictions and business closures. A plethora of financial support measures was rolled out worldwide to support them, but there is a lack of research looking at the effectiveness of the policy measures on small businesses. The aim of the study was to compare policies addressing government financial support in Sweden and Canada to get an understanding of how different governmental financial support measures enhanched self-employed people's resilience and improved their chances to manage the pandemic. In addition, individual interviews with Swedish and Canadian self-employed people were conducted to get an understanding of how they experienced the support measures and how these measures factored into their resilience during and after the restrictions had ended. Methods We conducted a mixed-method study encompassing document analysis and semi-structured interviews with self-employed people in Sweden and Canada. The constant comparative method guided the data analysis and documentary and interview data were analysed together. Three categories were formed: Welfare protection and effects, Self-employed well-being and Agility during COVID-19, based on their ability to represent the overall sense of the phenomena. Results Key results were that self-employed people in both countries unable to telework, were less resilient during the pandemic due to financial problems, restrictions and lockdowns, and that this negatively affected their well-being. Conclusions Potential future policy responses in Sweden and Canada to support self-employed people during crises or adversity should consider the diversity among small businesses and tailor programmes towards viable businesses in greatest need of support, such as those in businesses unable to telework. Key messages • Self-employed people in Sweden and Canada unable to telework, were less resilient during the pa

The scientific social service – how a social media platform can turn the everyday work into science. Here the aim is to describe and reflect on how the value-creating science method and its digital tool Loop Me (social media platform) have been implemented in a research project. The research project aimed to explore collaboration processes and working methods that social services designed for internal and external collaboration in relation to labour market integration and reduced income support. A further aim within the research project was to understand how collegial learning unfolded. Common to both researchers and practitioners was a desire to try an interactive research method that gave the opportunity to understand how the collaboration- and development process developed over time through employee reflection in relation to given assignments/situations. The article thus does not focus on the research questions in the project, but on the usability of the method and the type of data that was the basis for various qualitative analyses within an organisational working life context. The researchers and practitioners have chosen to adapt the method somewhat to work for the specific context in which the research study was carried out. We reflect on what we adapted, why and how, and conclude that the method leaves room for context-specific adaptations, which previous studies on interactive research methods have shown to be significant for implementation.

Background: The self-employed are at increased risk of negative well-being outcomes when facing adversity such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies that examine socio-ecological factors that may protect their well-being are warranted. Methods: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of European self-employed people (n = 1665). The WHO-5 Well-being Index was used to examine the impact on well-being of factors at four socio-ecological levels. Independent sample t-tests, Pearson correlations and linear regression were applied to analyse differences between groups of self-employed and interactions between variables using SPSS. Results: Well-being and the socio-ecological factors of resilience, social support, useful work and finding the rules clear were positively correlated with well-being. For self-employed who reported that it was challenging to run their business during the pandemic, social support and finding rules clear were of significantly greater importance to their well-being. Conclusions: The findings highlight that the socio-ecological factors of resilience, social support, doing useful work and finding the rules clear affect well-being. The results also indicate that it is vital to consider factors at multiple socio-ecological levels to improve the well-being of the self-employed during adversity.

Background: A Swedish study found that more than 16% of general practitioners (GPs) had exhaustion in spring 2021. A knowledge gap remains about the impact of COVID-19 related individual work and managerial factors on exhaustion among Swedish GPs. This study therefore explores the association between exhaustion and COVID-19 pandemic related individual work and managerial factors among Swedish GPs who managed COVID-19 patients, compared to those GPs who did not. Methods: Cross-sectional data was drawn from the Longitudinal Occupational Health survey in Health Care Sweden study, which included a representative sample of practicing doctors in Sweden. The sample consisted of 6699 doctors with a response rate of 41.2%. This study constitutes a sample of doctors who reported working in primary care facilities at the time of data collection reaching 1013 GPs. The Burnout Assessment Tool was used to assess the level of exhaustion. Questions were also asked about pandemic related, individual work and managerial factors. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: The results showed that moral and emotional distress, excess workload and perceived unsatisfactory management (supportive, work environment and clinical management) increased the risk of GPs who managed COVID-19 patients reporting exhaustion. Furthermore, the results showed that satisfactory management can to some extent protect against the negative effects of moral and emotional distress and excess workload. Conclusions: COVID-19 related individual work and managerial factors had a significant impact on the mental health of GPs who managed COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and in preparation for future major crises that have a high impact on healthcare, there is a need to investigate the measures that can be taken to enable GPs to carry out their work, while maintaining their health.

Syftet med presentationen är att beskriva och reflektera kring hur metoden värdeskapande vetenskapande och dess verktyg Loop Me (social mediaplattform) har implementerats i ett forskningsprojekt. Värdeskapande vetenskapande har utvecklats vid Chalmers, ursprungligen för att främja verksamhetsutveckling på vetenskaplig grund inom utbildningssektorn. Vi använde metoden i ett projekt som syftade till att kartlägga samverkansprocesser och arbetssätt som socialtjänsten utformade för intern och extern samverkan i relation till arbetsmarknadsintegration och minskat försörjningsstöd under pandemin. Ett vidare forskningssyfte var att synliggöra eventuellt kollegialt lärande. Gemensamt för både forskare och praktiker var en önskan om att prova en interaktiv forskningsmetod som gav möjlighet att förstå hur verksamhetsprocessen utvecklades över tid genom medarbetarreflektion i relation till givna uppdrag/situationer. Presentationen kommer därmed inte fokusera på forskningsfrågorna i projektet utan på metodens användbarhet och typ av data som låg till grund för olika kvalitativa analyser inom en organisatorisk arbetslivskontext.

Most studies have shown that self-employed people have higher levels of life satisfaction than employed people due to high levels of job satisfaction, work flexibility, and job control. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many self-employed people experienced economic strain and worried about the situation of their employees and survival of the company. The aim of this study was to examine the level of life satisfaction among self-employed people during the COVID-19 pandemic in different welfare regimes. Analyses were mainly based on Eurofound’s “Living, Working and COVID-19” online survey. Fieldwork took place between April and June 2020 in 27 EU countries. The results showed that there was a significantly lower level of life satisfaction among self-employed people than employed people during the pandemic. This was in contrast to analyses from approximately one year before the pandemic, which showed that life satisfaction was higher among self-employed people. The main reasons for this lower level of life satisfaction among the self-employed during the pandemic were worse household financial situation and more worries about their job. Analyses of life satisfaction among the self-employed in different welfare regimes indicated that self-employed people in the Nordic welfare state regime largely kept their relatively high level of life satisfaction during the pandemic, but this was not the case for self-employed people in other welfare regimes.

Background Covid-19 is one of the worst crises in modern working life with a direct negative impact on many enterprises and organizations. The aim of this study is to explore what managers in Small Scale Enterprises (SSEs) changed in their business during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly addressing health issues. Methods A longitudinal qualitative research methodology was used, interviewing 16 managers of SSEs in the Norwegian and Swedish manufacturing and service sector both before (round 1) and during the pandemic (round 2). In this approach, time is designed into the research process, making change a key focus for analysis. Results The analysis resulted in two main themes, resilience and demanding occupational health and safety conditions, and five sub-themes. Results show how managers in SSEs changed their business during the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of these changes. Although, the enterprises were heavily affected in the beginning of the pandemic, several managers found new solutions for their businesses to maintain and reach new customers. They applied a socially responsible management which addressed different health issues. Conclusion Crises like the Covid-19 pandemic will have future impact on SSEs making it important to understand how managers in such enterprises address business and health issues. This knowledge may have practical implications for supporting managers in SSEs in how to perform a socially responsible management and maintain occupational health and safety measures. The managerial implications from this research are that they need to be flexible, reorientable and, at the same time, be loyal to the core business. This study shows the importance of doing longitudinal studies about business and health issues among mangers in SSEs.