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Public health work involves diverse writing tasks to communicate various health messages. Writing is a key competence in public health training, but little is known about the practice in Sweden. This study aims to explore writing practices among Swedish public health professionals through a web-based questionnaire. Our results and presentation offer cross-cultural insight into engaging the public in public health.

Purpose This paper aims to study the effects of different weather conditions on typical concrete work tasks productivity. Weather is one important factor that has a negative impact on construction productivity. Knowledge about how weather affects construction works is therefore important for the construction industry, e.g. during planning and execution of construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey method is used involving means to perform pairwise comparisons of different weather factors according to the analytical hierarchical process (AHP). The survey also contains means to enable assessment of the loss in productivity for typical work tasks exposed to different weather types. The survey targets practitioners involved in Swedish concrete construction projects, and the results are compared with previous research findings. Findings The survey covers responses from 232 practitioners with long experience of concrete construction. The pairwise comparisons reveal that practitioners rank precipitation as the most important followed by wind and temperature. The loss in productivity varies significantly (from 0 to 100%) depending on the type of work and the type of weather factor considered. The results partly confirm findings reported in previous research but also reveal a more complex relationship between weather and productivity indicating several underlying influencing factors such as type of work, type of weather (e.g. rain or snow) and the intensity of each weather factor. Originality/value This paper presents new data about how 232 practitioners assess the effects of weather on construction productivity involving novel means to perform objective rankings such as the AHP methodology., Funding Agencies|Swedish construction industrys organization for research and development (SBUF); Cementa AB

Background: Physical activity (PA) promotes health in adults as well as children. A large proportion of schoolchildren don´t meet the recommendations for PA. Few scientific studies have investigated both effectiveness and feasibility regarding school-based efforts to increase PA. We have evaluated a method we call Physical Activity and Lesson in Combination (In Swedish: Fysisk Aktivitet och Lektion i Kombination, FALK). Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of FALK. Methods: Two schools participated, one constituted control group (C), the other intervention group (I). In addition to the same PA as C-group, the I-group had three FALK sessions of 30 minutes each week. We used pedometers to assess changes in physical activity and interviews to evaluate feasibility. A total of 164 pupils aged 7-9 wore pedometers for a whole week on four occasions over two semesters. The number of steps per day (SPD) and the proportion of pupils with <10,000 SPDs were compared. Interviews were carried out with students, parents, and educators (n = 35) and were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Findings: Pedometer data shows that students who perform FALK sessions are more physically active, and the proportion of students with insufficient PA is smaller, compared to students who don´t have FALK. The interviews show both enabling factors and barriers, but overall FALK is experienced as positive, clear, and flexible. Conclusions: FALK increases PA and is assessed as a useful and feasible practice to integrate PA into theoretical teaching.

Detta kapitel tar sin utgångspunkt i ett hälsofrämjande perspektiv på det nutida och framtida arbetslivet. I kapitlet beskrivs framväxten av hälsofrämjande arbete och idéer om arbetsplatsen som en arena för hälsofrämjande initiativ. Beskrivningen utgår ifrån vad som krävs för att skapa hälsofrämjande arbetsplatser för anställda och chefer och hälsofrämjande organisationer som är hållbara för både anställda och organisationen i stort. I kapitlet beskrivs aktuell forskning om hälsofrämjande organisationer som tar fasta på möjliggörande och hindrande faktorer vid genomförande av hälsofrämjande insatser, liksom insatsernas hälsomässiga och organisatoriska effekter. Därtill innehåller kapitlet resonemang om policyer och ett praktiskt exempel som illustrerar hur idéer och prat om hälsofrämjande i organisationer kan omsättas i konkret handling. Avslutningsvis belyses även delar av den kritik som ibland riktas mot hälsofrämjande initiativ i organisationer, som bland annat handlar om ansvar och att hälsa ges alltför stort utrymme och blir för styrande i organisationer.

Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur elever, vårdnadshavare och pedagoger upplever implementering av ämnesintegrerad fysisk aktivitet (FA) vid en kommunal grundskola. En kvalitativ forskningsansats användes där datainsamling genomfördes genom intervjuer med lågstadieelever, vårdnadshavare och pedagoger (n = 35). Insamlade data analyserades med hjälp av kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultaten visar att det nya arbetssättet kallat Fysisk Aktivitet ochLektion i Kombination (FALK) har upplevts positivt, tydligt och flexibelt. Att arbetssättet uppmuntrar till ökad rörelse och lärande parallellt beskrivs som en möjliggörande faktor. Svårigheter avseende pedagogernas arbetsplanering, tidsåtgång och praktiska utmaningar att kombinera FA med lämpliga läraktiviteter beskrivs som hinder. Förändringar av den yttre skolmiljön och utmanande väderbetingelser är ytterligare hinder. Slutsatsen är att FALK bedöms vara ett användbart och praktiskt genomförbart arbetssätt för att integrera FA i den teoretiska undervisningen.

Purpose This paper aims to study the effects of different weather conditions on typical concrete work tasks productivity. Weather is one important factor that has a negative impact on construction productivity. Knowledge about how weather affects construction works is therefore important for the construction industry, e.g. during planning and execution of construction projects. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey method is used involving means to perform pairwise comparisons of different weather factors according to the analytical hierarchical process (AHP). The survey also contains means to enable assessment of the loss in productivity for typical work tasks exposed to different weather types. The survey targets practitioners involved in Swedish concrete construction projects, and the results are compared with previous research findings. Findings The survey covers responses from 232 practitioners with long experience of concrete construction. The pairwise comparisons reveal that practitioners rank precipitation as the most important followed by wind and temperature. The loss in productivity varies significantly (from 0 to 100%) depending on the type of work and the type of weather factor considered. The results partly confirm findings reported in previous research but also reveal a more complex relationship between weather and productivity indicating several underlying influencing factors such as type of work, type of weather (e.g. rain or snow) and the intensity of each weather factor. Originality/value This paper presents new data about how 232 practitioners assess the effects of weather on construction productivity involving novel means to perform objective rankings such as the AHP methodology., Funding Agencies|Swedish construction industrys organization for research and development (SBUF); Cementa AB

Using virtual internationalization as a key concept, this article adds to the body of experience-based knowledge on how to build partnerships and develop courses within higher education. The purpose of this article is to disseminate knowledge about the collaborative process that took place when Swedish and Canadian universities created an international online course focused on work and health. The article presents the challenges and mitigating strategies during course implementation and preconditions that enabled the co-production of the course. The conclusion provides critical reflections, questions and lessons learned that arose from the instructors reflections in relation to virtual internationalization. The self-reflexive experiences were analysed through the lens of internationalization in higher education and virtual internationalization literature, and the theory of social coordination and bureaucracy to enable an understanding of how we did it our way.

Extensive staff turnover within the statutory social services is a serious problem in Sweden and in other European countries. This study examines which work conditions predict social workers’ willingness to stay in their organisation. A web-based questionnaire was used to gather data. The participating social workers responded to two questionnaires over a one-year period. To identify the social workers who wanted to stay and also remained in the organisation, the group ‘Stayers’ (n = 1,368) consisted of social workers who reported low intentions to quit at T1. The group ‘Leavers’ (n = 1,182) were social workers who had actually resigned at T2. The data were analysed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The multivariate analysis shows that the work conditions that predicted staying in the organisation were low degrees of conflicting demands and quantitative demands, high degrees of openness and human resource orientation in the organisation and a high degree of perceived service quality. The results are discussed in relation to public management and managerial responsibility to create sustainable work conditions that facilitate the provision of good social services for citizens., This work was sponsored by AFA Försäkring (Dnr 140049 and Dnr 150463).

The purpose of this research is to study the impact of temperature, precipitation, and wind speed on in situ concrete wall operations, and its combined resulting effect on project duration. The research presented is anchored in the learnings gained through a literature review on weather effects on construction operations, an analysis of weather data with high resolution, and two field studies of in situ concrete wall operations. These learnings are implemented in a discrete event simulation (DES) model for the analysis of weather impact on project duration. The simulation results show that (1) weather greatly impacts project duration and has to be accounted for when planning operations; (2) there are huge differences between weather seasons that could affect the timing of project start-up; and (3) the height of buildings and threshold values for different types of cranes have to be accounted for when planning lifting operations. The main contribution of this paper lies both in the methods, in which high-resolution weather data can be incorporated in DES models to analyze project duration, and in the actual results of the simulation runs, showing to what level weather variables have to be incorporated in the planning of concrete wall construction.

So what? Our Masters and PhD students within the field of work disability prevention are part of a global economy where challenges and commonalities between nations need to be addressed. International learning collaborations can facilitate student movement from theory (e.g. about different social security systems) to praxis, through interactive knowledge exchange amongst peers (Loisel et al, 2009). An international on-line course can facilitate participation without the need for travel and additional related expenses is a way to foster student equity in higher education. What is the innovation? Our annual 10-week course, “What is fair? International perspectives on equity on work and health”, was first implemented in January 2019. The course, based on cooperation between Mid-Sweden University, University of Waterloo and Mälardalen University in Sweden and Canada, provides the students with unique learning opportunities to work with international peers on course work and group activities while learning about international systems and policy in relation to health, work and equity. Our partnership (with aims to expand) goes beyond the intention to provide an international learning environment; it also includes knowledge exchange between the universities. That is, the partnership includes co-operative development not only between faculty members, but also among pedagogical developers, international relations office administrators and librarians. The outcome? When we meet at the conference, we will have more to tell you about the specific course and experiences gained from faculty members, administrative members but foremost students who have undertaken the course.

Bakgrund Chefer inom offentlig verksamhet kommer ställas inför utmaningar i framtiden som bland annat omfattar; automatisering och robotisering, en ytterligare tilltagande internationalisering med ökat utbyte och migration över nationella gränser, demografiska förändringar med dess konsekvenser för samhällsuppdraget, effektiv användning av skattemedel samt de klimatåtaganden som behöver ske på många nivåer. Tidigare forskning visar på obalanser mellan krav och resurser i chefsarbetet, något som exempelvis kan ta sig utryck i chefsansvar för många anställda med begränsade medel vilket i sin tur kan bidra till en känsla av otillräcklighet. När det gäller högre chefskap i offentlig verksamhet så finns det behov av fördjupad kunskap om organisatoriska villkor och förutsättningar att kunna utöva ett sådant chefskap. Utöver organisatoriska faktorer är det även betydelsefullt att forskningen innefattar studier av chefers individuella förhållningssätt. Hur ser befintliga chefer, som har ambitioner att i framtiden ta sig an ett högre chefsuppdrag, på ett hållbart ledarskap i offentlig verksamhet? Syfte Syftet med studien är att fördjupa kunskapen om chefers förhållningssätt till ett hållbart ledarskap på högre nivå i offentlig verksamhet. Metod Studien ingår i ett projekt som följer genomföra programmets olika teman samlats in i anslutning till samtliga fem programmoduler. Efter programmets slut samlades även enkätdata in. Analysen i denna studie baseras på data från reflekterande texter och intervjuer med deltagande chefer genom en teoretisk tematisk analys baserad på Bolman och Deals (1991/1992) ramverk för förståelse av organisation och ledarskap utifrån fyra perspektiv: human resources (HR), symbolisk, strukturellt och politiskt. Resultat Resultaten från den pågående analysen visar att ett HR-perspektiv är väsentligt för chefernas förståelse av ledarskap på hög nivå. HR-perspektivet handlar om att fokusera på mänskliga behov och att relationer värdesätts. En viktig målsä

Bakgrund Att vara chef i offentlig sektor beskrivs ofta som både utmanande och komplext. Tidigare forskning visar också på obalanser mellan krav och resurser i chefsarbetet, något som exempelvis kan ta sig utryck som chefsansvar för många medarbetare. Dessutom innebär chefsarbete i offentliga sektor även krav på sig att hantera olika intressenters krav och att bedriva en kostnadseffektiv och i övrigt väl fungerande verksamhet. Detta medför också krav på öppenhet mot media och medborgare avseende en effektiv användning av skattemedel. När det gäller högre chefskap i offentlig sektor så finns det behov av fördjupad kunskap om förutsättningarna att kunna utöva ett sådant chefskap. Detta kunskapsbehov innefattar bland annat förståelse för högre chefskap bland befintliga chefer som har ambitioner att i framtiden ta sig an ett högre chefsuppdrag i en offentlig organisation. Utöver personliga egenskaper och individuella förhållningssätt till ledarskap är det betydelsefullt att forskningen även belyser organisatoriska villkor och förutsättningar för högre chefer i offentliga organisationer, vilka bland annat har att hantera skilda styrlogiker såsom byråkrati, marknad och politik. Syfte Syftet med studien är att fördjupa kunskapen om chefers förståelse och uppfattningar om organisatoriska förutsättningars betydelse för högre chefskap i offentliga organisationer. Metod Denna studie ingår i ett projekt som följer genomförandet av ett chefsprogram med det övergripande målet att säkra chefsförsörjningen på direktörs-, förvaltnings- eller verksamhetsnivå i fyra samverkande offentliga organisationer (två kommuner och två regioner). I projektet genomförs två delstudier där den ena fokuserar på organisatoriska förutsättningar för chefskap i offentlig sektor, och där den andra fokuserar på chefers individuella förhållningssätt till hållbart ledarskap. I detta konferensbidrag presenteras resultat från delstudien som fokuserar på organisatoriska förutsättningar. Studien är en fallstud

Kapitlet syftar till att beskriva hur en mer tillitsbaserad styrning och ledning kan gestalta sig inom socialtjänstens verksamheter genom en analys av individ- och familjeomsorgen i Nyköpings kommun. Resultaten visar att grunduppdraget, det vill säga det ansvar som verksamheten förväntas ta gentemot medborgarna utifrån lagstiftningen har stort utrymme i styrningen snarare än mål, som de för tillfället styrande politikerna formulerar. Kvantitativa mått kompletteras med kvalitativa verksamhetsbeskrivningar och kontinuerlig dialog om verksamhetens kvalitet, brister och utvecklingsbehov. Ansvarsavgränsningar som inte gynnar klientens bästa kan motverkas genom hur ekonomistyrningen används. Här framstår det som väsentligt att undvika konkurrens, incitament och repressalier i styrningen som leder till fokus på den egna enhetens ekonomi snarare än verksamhetens kvalitet. Styrning och ledning som söker säkerställa förmåga, integritet och hjälpvillighet hänger intimt samman med arbetsmiljöfrågorna. När organisationen identifierar och åtgärdar reella hinder som försvårar ett professionellt socialt arbete är det tydligt att organisation tar ansvar för både verksamhetskvalitet och arbetsmiljö. Att säkerställa integritet och hjälpvillighet innebär också en konsekvent hållning till principer och värderingar som speglar ett offentligt ämbetsmannaetos. Via öppenhet och dialog i organisationen är det de gemensamma värdena som bidrar till ett gemensamt ansvar för verksamhetens kvalitet och en hållbar arbetsmiljö., Forskningsantologi från Tillitsdelegationen., Hållbar socialtjänst - relationen mellan arbetsmiljö och verksamhetsstyrning

Bakgrund Flera studier gjorda under senare år visar att socialtjänsten framträder som särskilt problematisk vad gäller den organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljön med bland annat hög arbetsbelastning, rollkonflikter, låg grad av personalorientering liksom bristande öppenhet och dialog i organisationerna. Arbetsmiljöproblemen i socialtjänsten visar sig också genom hög personalomsättning, stressrelaterad ohälsa och sjukfrånvaro, vilket också får betydelse för socialtjänstens förmåga att tillhandahålla välfärdstjänster av hög kvalitet. Mot denna bakgrund är det motiverat att studera hur en mer hållbar organisatorisk och social arbetsmiljö i socialtjänsten kan åstadkommas. Syfte Syftet med studien är att undersöka relationen mellan styrsystem och arbetsmiljöarbete med fokus på hur verksamhetsstyrningen bättre kan harmoniera med och integrera arbetsmiljöfrågor. Metod Studien är en kvalitativ fallstudie av individ- och familjeomsorgen i en kommun i Stockholm-Mälarregionen. Valet av fall gjordes utifrån forskningsprojektets avsikt att identifiera goda exempel på socialtjänstverksamheter som strävar efter att skapa goda arbetsvillkor och en hållbar arbetsmiljö. Datainsamlingen baseras på semistrukturerade intervjuer med kommunpolitiker, chefer på olika nivåer, socialsekreterare, fackliga företrädare och personer som arbetar med verksamhetsstöd såsom personalarbete (HR) och verksamhetsutveckling. Sammantaget har 18 personer intervjuats. Policy- och styrdokument (t.ex. verksamhetsplaner) och olika typer av personal- och arbetsmiljöstatistik används som kompletterande data. Intervjumaterialet har analyserats genom en tematisk analys. Resultat Resultaten visar att styrningen och ledningen av socialtjänsten har ett tydligt fokus på verksamhetens syfte och brukarnas behov, vilket innebär att socialtjänstlagen och andra lagar som reglerar verksamheten ges en framträdande plats i verksamhetsstyrningen. I resultaten framkommer också betydelsen av att kunna utföra ett "gott socialt

Purpose: Research describing unsuccessful and failed organisational health interventions (OHIs) tend not to be published in scientific journals as often as successful interventions demonstrating effectiveness. However, valuable knowledge could be drawn from these studies. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review is to identify and analyse explanations and lessons learned from studies reporting of non-effective OHIs. Design/Methodology: A literature search of OHIs aiming to improve employee health at the organisational level (e.g. change of work organisation) was conducted. Four databases were used (e.g. Web of Science), and the search terms related to ‘OHI’, ‘implementation’, ‘failure’, and similar terms. The literature search was limited to original studies in peer-reviewed journals, published in English-language between 1996 and 2016 (June). Results: Ten OHI studies are included in the review. The preliminary results show that explanations reported are related to implementation failures, and attributable to lack of employee participation and ownership. Lack of managerial support, competing projects, and organisational change are other explanations reported. Limitations: The literature search resulted in a limited number of studies indicating the scarcity of “unsuccessful” OHI studies in scientific journals. Another limitation is that grey literature is not included in this review. Research/Practical Implications: The findings contribute to expanding researchers’ and practitioners’ knowledge regarding development and implementation of OHIs based on lessons from unsuccessful studies, thus providing implications for future OHI studies. Originality/Value: This literature review takes a non-traditional perspective and aims to identify and analyse lessons learned from OHI studies not demonstrating clear effects on employee health.

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

Objectives Systematic reviews of organisational health interventions (OHI) show that processes, contexts, stakeholder roles and implementation often are poorly reported in OHI studies. However, this knowledge is a valuable complement to outcome-related knowledge and can contribute to a deeper understanding of the OHI, its effects or failures. The present study aims to analyse how line and middle managers describe enablers and barriers in the implementation of a health-promoting leadership programme in municipal organisations. Methods A qualitative case study design was applied to examine a health-promoting leadership programme as a case of OHI implementation. The leadership programme was implemented in two municipal organisations with the intention to change leaders’ behaviours’ into more health-promoting ones by providing on-the-job leadership training (based on transformational leadership and the Job Demands–Resources Model) aiming to improve leadership behaviours’ and employee health. Semi-structured interviews with line and middle managers were conducted (n=11). Interviews with senior managers (n=5), meeting notes, and action plans were used as supplementary data. The interview data were analysed using a thematic analysis. Results The line and middle managers describe the leadership programme as a new approach in leadership training as it address employee participation. Similarly, they describe employee involvement as a crucial enabler in the implementation of the leadership programme. Other enablers include action plans with clear goals, experiences of organisational change among employees, and integration of programme content into existing routines and structures. The line and middle managers also point out barriers in the programme implementation, and describe high workload, lack of senior management support, weak programme intensity, competing projects and organisational change as such barriers. Conclusion The enablers and barriers found in this study needs

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.