Mid Sweden University

Making decisions together in groups takes an important role in society. Everywhere and in many different contexts people meet to make more or less formal decisions. As stereotypes constitute simplified group based perceptions of other people, decision-making groups risk making biased judgments and commit discriminating decisions. Stereotyping often follow the two universal dimensions competence and warmth (Cuddy, Fiske & Glick, 2008). How people´s judgments are affected by stereotypes has mainly been studied on individual level and less is known about how stereotypes and prejudice is communicated and negotiated in group decision-making situations. One approach to study this is to investigate how different contexts may lead to different communication patterns, different experiences, and different decisions.  In this thesis context was varied in two different ways in two experiments. In the first experiment the goal set for the decision-making was varied. A competitive goal was contrasted to a cooperative goal in a group decision task using a sports scenario where the participants had to select members to a relay team. In the second experiment different information was used as a context variable. This was done by varying the information of gender and parenthood status of the applicants in a fictive recruitment scenario. In addition, in both experiments the gender composition in the groups was varied, forming yet another variable that might play a role for how the decision-making was carried out. These three factors were assumed to influence the form of the communication, the content of the communication in terms of stereotyping, and how the decision-making process was experienced. A mixed-method approach was chosen where quantitative and qualitative data were used in conjunction with each other, which was assumed to give a richer picture of the results.

In paper I the form of the communication, as analyzed with interaction process analysis (IPA), did not differ much between the two goals. On the other hand, the content showed more systematic patterns. A competitive goal seemed to lead to both inclusion and exclusion with use of both positive and negative stereotypes. A cooperative goal seemed to lead to inclusion mechanisms and only use of positive stereotypes. In paper II where the aim was to investigate what was experienced as constituting a successful decision-making process it was found that equality of influence was of importance. Furthermore, qualitative analyses of the conversation patterns, by use of the conversational argument coding scheme (CACS), seemed to validate this. The successful groups had a more complex communication pattern than the less successful groups. In paper III, where the information for the decision task was varied in terms of gender and parenthood status of the applicants, it was found that parenthood information triggered a lot of discussion. The participants did not differentiate between mothers and fathers, but they applied attributes of competence and warmth differently to the targets. Furthermore, gender and gender composition seemed to matter as male and female groups applied the attributes differently. Paper IV used data from both experiments in order to investigate how the context variables and gender composition influenced how the decision situation was experienced. The results indicate that the context variables and gender composition interacted with own gender. Men seemed more content in male groups with male targets and a male parent condition while women seemed more content in mixed groups and a female parent condition.

Context seems to play an important role, as it provides the participants in the group discussions with different information, leading to different patterns of stereotyping in the discussions. Also how the decision was experienced seems to be related to the context. Furthermore, group composition seems to function in this way too. The results are discussed in relation to practical implications and suggestions for future research. 

This study explored decision making in small groups. There were 81 participants forming 21 ad-hoc groups of about four members each with the aim of reaching a joint decision. Correlations between participants’ evaluations of satisfaction and group efficiency on the one hand, and perceived equality in the influence over the discussion and the decision on the other hand, revealed associations especially with regard to influence over the decision. Those perceiving equal influence over the decision experienced more satisfaction and efficiency. Conversational patterns in three successful versus three unsuccessful groups (based on the group mean level of evaluated satisfaction and group efficiency) were analyzed by use of Conversational Argument Coding Scheme. Successful groups had more reasoning activities, especially responses and justifications, than did unsuccessful groups.

På Jamtli Historieland i Östersund har ett projekt pågått med syfte att förbättra ungdomars förståelse av att vara flykting. Så här långt har ungefär 600 skolungdomar deltagit. Upplägget har varit att ungdomarna under en dag deltagit i ett rollspel där de fått rollspela en flykting på vägen mot ett nytt land. Efter rollspelet har ungdomarna diskuterat flyktingfrågor och deras upplevelser under dagen. Resultat visar på att ungdomarna direkt efter rollspelet blivit emotionellt påverkade av dagen. Deras upplevelse var också att deras attityder till flyktingar förändrats av att medverka i rollspelet. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur attityder till rasism och social dominans (SDO) förändras genom att deltaga i den här typen av aktivitet. Resultaten visar att flickornas attityder till rasism påverkades och att de uppvisade mindre grad av rasism efter rollspelet. Resultatet för pojkarna var att deras attityder var oförändrade Vad beror detta på? Vilka slutsatser kan vi dra av resultaten?

The aim of this study is to reveal how hopefulness, stressfulness and physical activity relates to factors that has impact over the learning environment for vocational students. The results show that the grade of hope, stress and physical activity balance with a number of different elements, each of which indicates students' opportunities for success in school. The results also reveal differences according to students’ gender on a number of elements. Through factor analysis, 35 variables concerning the students learning situation were placed into four overall dimensions. These dimensions were. 1. Ability in School. 2. Self-efficacy. 3. The teacher, school and support. 4.Respect, relations and safety. Each of these dimensions exposed significant differences between students who experienced a high degree of hope compared with students who indicated a lower level of hopefulness. Furthermore, students with a lower degree of perceived stress showed a higher degree of hope. Students with a lower degree of stress also had higher results on the dimension ability in school. Students with a higher level of physical activity were more hopeful and they also had a higher belief in themselves as they had higher scores on the self-efficacy dimension. Students with lower levels of stressfulness were also more hopeful. 

The aim of this study is to assess how students from different contexts (upper secondary school and university) experience teacher behavior. The participants, (N=243) responded to a survey consisting of teacher behavior checklist(TBC). The result reveals five dimensions of teacher behavior. These dimensions were 31 European Society of Psychology Learning and Teaching analytic, caring, interactive, coaching and instrumental professionalism. The analysis revealed differences according to gender as female students rated the factors in four of five cases as more important than male students did. There were also differences according to educational level. Upper secondary school students rated the caring dimension with skills such as good listener, relation builder and understanding higher than university students did. University students rated the instrumental professionalism dimension with skills such as technical knowledge and well-prepared higher than the secondary upper school students did. 

The aim of this study was to assess how students perceive teacher behaviors. The participants, responded to a survey consisting of a short version of the Teacher Behavior Checklist (TBC). The result revealed five dimensions of teacher behavior. We named these dimensions Superlative/Superhuman, Pro-social, Professional, Absent, and Insecure. The positive dimensions, superlative and pro-social had the highest overall rankings, and professional came third. The two negative aspects were behaviors that the students associated with negative teacher behaviors. The analysis revealed differences according to gender as female students rated four of the five dimensions as more important. There were also differences according to educational level. Students at Upper secondary school students rated the pro-social dimension with characteristics, such as, good listener, relation builder and understanding higher. University students had lower tolerance for the absent dimension and stressed the behaviors associated with improving critical thinking skills when compared to the younger sample.

This study exposes results from five small studies regarding psychological safety and work. The data consists of semi-structured interviews, focus groups interviews and questionnaires with people working as Human resource (HR) managers, schoolteachers, pilots, care assistants in elder care and firefighters in rescue service. One sub study also consists quantitative data. Each partial study penetrates different aspects of psychological safety. 

Previous research has revealed psychological safety as an important factor for individuals to perform well together with others at workplaces. A psychological safe condition is defined as a condition when one feels included, safe to learn, safe to contribute and safe to challenge the status quo without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized or punished in some way (Edmondson, 1999). Previous research has also revealed that psychological safety affects learning and efficiency at a workplace positively, (Edmondson & Lei, 2014). Psychological safety as also been found to have positive correlations with work engagement (May et al., 2004; Nembhard & Edmondson, 2006; Chinelato et al., 2020; Lee & Ok, 2014). Other studies have revealed that psychological safety indirectly has effects for workplace conditions. Rothmann and Rothmann, 2010, revealed that psychological safety might be seen as a mediator as it has a positive effect on supervisor relations as in turn has a positive effect on work engagement.

Research on psychological safety has been predominantly quantitative. There is a pent-up need for qualitative research with the aim of studying how people in different contexts experience psychological safety. This study consists of five different sub studies that has explored psychological safety in different contexts. Four of them has a qualitative design.   

Methodology

Four studies with a qualitative design were conducted. Each included persons with different occupational categories and had slightly different framing of questions. The Fifth (study II, had a quantitative approach. However, all of them had an overall focus on psychological safety, (Edmondson, 1999).

Thirty-six interviews with human resource managers, fire fighters, hospital health care staff and elder care staff was conducted. Furthermore, 63 teachers answered a questionnaire with questions concerning psychological safety, work engagement and hope. 

Each sub study had its own design and data were collected through in-depth interviews, semi-structured interviews or focus group interviews or questionnaires. The meta-analysis was conducted with a qualitative approach and aimed to find common denominators linked to psychological safety in the five sub studies.

Study I, Semi-structured interviews with six Human Resource managers. The purpose of this sub-study was to gain an in-depth understanding of how HR strategists discuss the various components within psychological safety, how these are connected, and which are handled, and which need to be elucidated more deeply in the HR strategic work.

 Study II, sixty-three secondary upper schoolteachers answered a questionnaire with questions of how they experienced psychological safety, work engagement and hope at work. The goal with the study was to explore how the three factors were related to each other.

 Study III, semi structured interviews with medical doctors and nurses working at a hospital. The aim in this study was to explore how external factors such as working conditions, budget issues and leadership philosophies might have implications for psychological safety.

Study IV, focus group interviews and interviews with nurses and people working with elder care. The study also involved an interview with a first line manager. In this study, the theoretical starting point was linked to social psychological aspects such how, for example, stereotypes risk affecting the psychological safety in a work group.

Study V, semi-structured interviews with eight persons working as firefighters in rescue service teams. The purpose with his sub-study was to gain a deeper understanding of how firefighters experience psychological safety in critical and get a better understanding of how psychological safety emerge in groups and if affects perception of results, cooperation and risk-taking.

Preliminary results 

The results will be finalized at latest in January 2023, when the analyse of the results for study III-V are finished. The results from the first two sub studies are done.  The results of study I reveal that what is perceived as most central to create psychological safety rests on first-line managers. However, to achieve this requires strategies at central level (HR) and continues training of the managers. The results from study II revealed that hope had a significant positive correlation with work engagement while psychological safety did not have that. This indicates that interventions aimed at increasing teachers' hope could be associated with an improvement in their work engagement.

This abstract explores the expectations and concerns associated with ABWs during a transition to ABW in a Swedish municipality (620 employees).

Modern work life is changing rapidly, not at least because of the covid -19 pandemic. In the Post Covid – 19 Era many workplaces have changed towards more flexible work arrangements. This has increased the implementation of so called ABWs, not at least among public sector workplaces.

Previous research has revealed that expectations surrounding ABWs relate to increased collaboration and employee well-being. By providing a variety of work settings, ABWs enable employees to choose spaces that align with their tasks, fostering communication and idea sharing. Furthermore, ABWs are anticipated to enhance employee satisfaction and productivity through increased autonomy and flexibility.

Concerns exist regarding noise distractions, lack of privacy, and effective leadership. Additionally, the absence of enclosed private areas may raise concerns about confidentiality. Leadership are crucial in ABWs to create a culture of trust and collaboration.

In this study we explored qualitative data from around 600 municipality employees who were in the middle of transition from cell-offices to ABW. The employees were handed a questionnaire with questions of how they perceived their work environment from a social, organizational, and psychological perspective. The survey also included three open-ended questions: What expectations do you have for your new workplace? what risks do you see in your new workplace? and, what opportunities do you see with your new workplace?

This paper aims to account for employees' perceptions of moving to an ABW. Overall, understanding and addressing these expectations and concerns are essential for successful implementation of ABWs and to maximize their potential benefits while mitigating potential challenges.

This research explores the interplay between sustainable employee engagement (SKR, 2020) and employees’ willingness to recommend (Reichfeld, 2023) in two municipalities. The study forms part of an extensive interdisciplinary research project in collaboration with two municipalities located in the northern part of Sweden. The analysis includes quantitative analyzes of survey responses from questions about sustainable employee engagement and employees' willingness to recommend the municipality as an employer to their acquaintances. In total, the dataset encompasses responses from approximately 11,000 employees and managers in the two municipalities (municipality A 6020, - municipality B, 4991 employees). 

Sustainable employee engagement is construed along three dimensions:  motivation, leadership, and management, - each underpinned by three variables. These dimensions are examined individually and combined in a so-called HME index. Additionally, the study evaluates employees’ perceptions of the social work environment through four inquires, alongside their assessments of workload balance via three inquires. The propensity to recommend is quantified using the so-called net Promoter Score, measured through a singular query regarding employees’ willingness to recommend their employer to acquaintance on a scale of 0-10.

Preliminary findings reveal strong intercorrelations among the motivation, leadership, and management facets, with the tree-factor model elucidating over 75 percent of the variance. Regression analyses further underscore the significant association between employees’ inclination to recommend their employer and their perceptions of sustainable employee engagement, work environment satisfaction and acceptable workload.  Categorizing employees according to the theoretical model of the net Promotor Score scale elucidates nuanced distinctions. Ambassadors, exhibiting the highest propensity to recommend, demonstrate markedly elevated scores across motivation, leadership and management dimensions compared to passively satisfied individuals, who in turn, surpass critics- the cohort displaying the lowest endorsement willingness. Preliminary findings also hint at disparities based on organizational hierarchy (managerial vs non-managerial roles) and gender. Managers tend to exhibit higher ratings across all dimensions except workload satisfaction. Gender-based differentials manifest wherein men are more inclined to recommend their employers and perceive superior leadership compared to women. Moreover, men tend to perceive the social work environment better and workload as more reasonable, whereas women demonstrate higher perceptions of management.  Through Additional studies within the project, encompassing individual interviews and focus group discussions built upon the quantitative findings. We aim to delve deeper into the dynamics of employee engagement and willingness to recommend across different occupational categories within the municipal sector.  We aim to submit an expanded to a full-abstract for potential before May 15th.   

Under 2007 har ett projekt med syfte att studera och utreda sambanden mellan kulturarv, livslångt lärande och social ekonomi. 12 djupIntervjuer har genomförts med enskilda frivillig arbetande personer inom kultursektorn. 30 korta intervjuer har genomförts med syfte att reda ut vilka faktorer som är drivkraften för enskilt engagerade individer. Utvärderingar har genomförts av två stycken aktiviteter genomförda under sommaren i regi av två olika föreningar släktforskarna och konstförneningen. I samband med utvärderingen av aktiviteten besvarades även frågor av hur de medverkande upplever de inre föreningsklimatet uifrån ett jämställdhet och demokrati perspektiv. Deltagarna fick även besvara vilka faktorer som var orsaken till att de engagerar sig i denna typ av aktivitet. Vidare har Fokusgruppsintervjuer har genomförts med styrelsegrupper i fem olika föreningar med inriktning mot kulturarv och i anknytning till Jamtli Historieland. De olika studierna rapporterar var för sig olika resultat som tillsammans ger en bild av hur faktorerna kulturarv, livslångt lärande och social ekonomi påverkar varandra

This study presents results from a group decision task in which groups were assigned either a competitive or a non-competitive goal. A total of 20 groups were tasked with putting together a relay team either with the goal to maximize the chance to win or with the goal to maximize the sense of community. Interaction process analysis revealed that there were more positive reactions in groups with the non-competitive goal. Analysis of the content of the conversations showed all groups to go beyond information given about the target persons. Attributes associated with the stereotype dimensions of competence and warmth were used to characterize the persons who were to be included or excluded on the relay teams. Groups with a competitive goal applied both positive and negative attributes, whereas groups with a non-competitive goal applied only positive attributes. The results suggest that stereotypes are applied to legitimize decisions about inclusion and exclusion.

Men and women becoming parents are supposed to have equal opportunities in working life. However, inequality and discrimination are not easily avoided. The aim of this study was to investigate how argumentation related to parenthood and careers takes form in group discussions of a fictional recruitment situation, and how stereotypes such as competence and warmth are manifested in such discussions. Thirty-five ad-hoc groups of university students were asked to make a choice between three candidates for a consultancy position. The first two candidates were a man and a woman, while the third alternately was described either as a man or a woman described as having a newborn child. Parenthood was sometimes seen as reducing competence, but it was more often viewed as adding to competence. Parenthood was also considered to add warmth to the organization. Interestingly, all groups avoided relating the parenthood issue to gender. Three conversation patterns were found, differing in the amount of elaboration of the topic of parenthood and work. It was concluded that the most elaborated kind seems to foster a situation where implicit norms are made visible more easily.

This study explores the interconnected dynamics of employeeship, motivation, leadership, management, and ambassadorship within the contemporary public workplace. Employeeship, a concept embodying commitment, accountability, and proactive participation, forms the foundation of a thriving organizational culture. Motivation, a driving force behind individual and collective performance, emerges as a critical factor influencing employeeship. Effective leadership, characterized by inspiration, guidance, and a strategic vision, serves as a catalyst for fostering a culture of employeeship and motivation.

Ambassadorship extends beyond organizational boundaries, emphasizing employees as brand advocates, influencing external perceptions. Robust assessment mechanisms play a key role in gauging employees' contributions, identifying areas for improvement, and aligning organizational goals with individual aspirations.

This study underscores the symbiotic relationship among these elements, positing that a harmonious blend can cultivate a resilient and high-performing workforce. As organizations navigate the evolving landscape of work dynamics, understanding and optimizing these facets contribute to a holistic approach that fosters employee engagement, work satisfaction, and sustained organizational success.

The study includes data from around 10000 employees and leaders in two Swedish municipalities. Preliminary results indicate that there is a strong correlation between the studied factors: motivation, leadership, management, and ambassadorship. However, the data also reveal differences according to factors such as gender and position (leader – employee). This study also raises theoretical questions and suggests improvements of the assessment methods often used to measure employee satisfaction in the Swedish public sector.

Under vårterminen 2021 genomfördes ett program ”Lära att lära”,

vars syfte var att låta studenter på psykologprogrammet leda grupper

med förstaårsstudenter på andra program, så kallad peer-learning.

Programmet bestod av sju träffar a´ två timmar som genomfördes

digitalt via Zoom. Under träffarna arbetade grupperna under ledning

av psykologstudenterna med att utveckla hjälpsamma strategier och

förhållningssätt i relation till sina studier och sin studiesituation.

Teoretiska ramverk utgjordes av olika komponenter i så kallad

självreglerat lärande. Utvärderingen av programmet visade att

deltagarna i stor utsträckning upplevt att programmet bidragit med

värdefull kunskap och gynnat utvecklandet av färdigheter och

förmågor med relevans för deltagarnas akademiska studier.

Sammantaget bidrar projektet med kunskap och insikter kring några

av de pedagogiska möjligheter och förtjänster peer-learning kan bidra

med.

Covid 19-pandemin har påverkat och accelererat arbetslivets och arbetets förutsättningar på en rad olika sätt (Amankwah-Amoah et al., 2021; Kniffin et al., 2021). Övergången från analoga till digitala arbetsformer, en påtaglig förändring i balansen mellan arbete och fritid samt ett ökat fokus på hur fysiska miljöer utformas och utnyttjas är exempel på områden som ställer nya forskningsfrågor, inte minst ur ett ledarskapsperspektiv. Vilka nya krav och utmaningar ställer dessa nya sätt att organisera och leda arbete på ledare och chefer?Denna studie utforskar olika enhetschefers upplevelser av övergången från traditionella cellkontor till aktivitetsbaserat arbetssätt i en kommunal verksamhet. Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka kontextuella och individuella aspekter som tillskrivs betydelse för genomförandet av denna förändring av kontorsutformningen sett ur et ledarskapsperspektiv. Studien ingår i ett större samverkansprojekt mellan arbetslivsforskare och kommunal verksamhet. Föreliggande analys baseras på 6 enskilda intervjuer med enhetschefer i kommunen under tiden för övergången till det aktivitetsbaserade arbetssättet. Studiedesignen syftar till att nå fördjupad kunskap om vilka utmaningar dessa medarbetare inom kommunen upplever under processen i övergången från cellkontor till en aktivitetsbaserad miljö. Materialet ligger till grund för en kvalitativ analys av hur dessa medarbetare upplever och förstår utmaningar och svårigheter i denna övergång samt hur man ser på arbetets förutsättningar i relation till den nyligen genomförda organisationsförändringen.Resultat och slutsatserIntervjuerna kommer genomföras under våren 2024 och resultaten kommer presenteras på konferensen.

Denna studie utforskar olika personalgruppers upplevelser av övergången från traditionella cellkontor till aktivitetsbaserat arbetssätt i en kommunal verksamhet. Studien ingår i ett större samverkansprojekt mellan arbetslivsforskare och kommunal verksamhet. Föreliggande analys baseras på tre fokusgruppsintervjuer med (I) personer som haft ledande positioner i kommunen under tiden för övergången till det aktivitetsbaserade arbetssättet; (II) chefer och (III) medarbetare. Studiedesignen gör det möjligt att nå fördjupad kunskap om hur olika grupper inom kommunen skapar förståelse för processen av övergång från cellkontor till en aktivitetsbaserad miljö. Transkripft från fokusgruppsintervjuerna ligger till grund för en tematisk analys av hur de olika grupperna upplever och förstår övergången från cellkontor till aktivitetsbaserat kontor och hur man ser på arbetets förutsättningar i relation till det nyligen införda aktivitetsbaserade arbetssättet. Teoretiskt tar vi vår utgångspunkt i hur Weick (1995)1 beskriver människors meningsskapande (sense-making) när man i organisationen möter tidigare okända situationer. I sådana situationer uppstår en process av meningsskapande där medarbetare i interaktion med varandra skapar en förståelse för den tidigare okända situation som uppstått. Resultaten av analysen indikerar preliminärt att det aktivitetsbaserade arbetssättet förstås som främjande av samtal och interaktioner mellan olika personer och grupper inom kommunen. När personalgrupper som tidigare suttit fysiskt separerade från varandra nu blandas tycks öppenhet och samarbete i viss mån underlättas. Genom att samarbeta med kommunala aktörer har forskargruppen fått insikter som kan bidra till fördjupad förståelse för arbetsmiljöer i offentlig sektor. Fortsatt forskning och ytterligare samarbete mellan forskare och praktiker kan ytterligare fördjupa förståelsen för hur dessa förändringar påverkar arbetsvillkoren inom offentlig sektor.

This study had the aim to analyze group interactions with a focus on how the dialogue within thegroup and in the group's decision-making process was influenced in three different decisionmaking experiments. Results revealed that contextual factors played an important role.

Tanken är att idrott ska vara till för alla, av alla. Idrotten fyller också andra funktioner än enbart bollsparkande och skidåkande, särskilt utanför städerna. Vi kommer i denna artikel att presentera resultat från två olika studier. I den första behandlas frågan om hur styrelserna i några mindre idrottsföreningar hanterar dilemman mellan olika intressen. Är det så att alla får vara med eller finns intressen och grupper som exkluderas? Den andra studien handlar om hur dessa dilemman hanteras i beslutande organ om förutsättningarna systematiskt varieras, i fråga om hur målet för verksamheten definieras och ifråga om hur könssammansättning ser ut. Studierna har finansierats med medel från CIF och EU:s strukturfonder (Mål 1).