Mid Sweden University

Entering the labour market and conforming to the authority relations that characterize wage labour are central parts of becoming an adult. The aim of this qualitative study is to analyse desirable leadership from the perspective of young adult employees in the retail sector. Informants were asked to define what they view as leadership and describe what they desire leadership to be like. Interviews with 13 young adults (aged 18-28) in the Swedish retail sector, analysed with qualitative content analysis, revealed that desirable leadership meant participation and equal influence. This included the formal exercise of authority, provided that the authority considered the integrity and views of all subordinates. At the same time, leadership based on formal authority was desired. Two themes were identified as desired: leadership through cooperation, democracy and respect; and leadership through competence, command and objective feedback, summarized under the overarching theme of leadership based on professional competence and respect for individuals' integrity.

Many public organizations are striving to develop sustainable workplaces with a focus on employee engagement. Different models are used in different countries and contexts to measure employee engagement. In Swedish public sector workplaces, a model consisting of three components is used: motivation, leadership and strategic management. There is a need to enhance understanding of the model and its relation to employee advocacy. This study aimsto provide greater understanding of employee engagement dynamics in the public sector, including team climate and work-life balance components,and how this relates to aspects of employee advocacy. Statistical analyses of key components were carried out using survey results from 6020 employees and managers in municipal workplaces.The findings highlight significant relations between the components investigated and the employee-advocacy-related measurement employee Net Promotor Score. Based on OLS regressions, motivation emerged as the most influential component, followed by leadership. It was possible to classify the participants into three categories: Promoters, Passives and Detractors.The promoters exhibited higher scores on all components, and managers had higher scores on several components compared to employees. The results confirm that it is important to use a multi-dimensional approach when studying employee engagement in public sector workplaces.

Background: Work is a central occupation that contributes to health, well-being, and participation. The Activity-Based Workplace (ABW) is an increasingly popular office design that provides employees with a variety of work settings. While research on ABWs is growing, there is limited knowledge about how employees experience opportunities for work-related occupations in these environments from a health-promoting perspective. This study explores employees’ perceived opportunities in ABWs using the socio-ecological model as a framework.

Methods: Employees in the Swedish public sector answered a series of questions from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), with the question "What opportunities do you see in your workplace?" selected for analysis. A qualitative content analysis was conducted, guided by the socio-ecological model.

Results: The analysis identified six subcategories within the three levels of the socio-ecological model: intrapersonal (autonomy, well-being), interpersonal (social support, collaboration), and organisational (adapted facilities, an attractive work environment). These aspects illustrate how ABWs can provide opportunities that shape employees' engagement in work-related occupations.

Conclusions: The findings indicate that employees experience key opportunities in ABWs, particularly in relation to autonomy, well-being, and social dynamics. By applying the socio-ecological model, the study highlights how these opportunities exist at multiple levels, influencing employees' participation in their work environment. Understanding these factors can help organisations optimise ABWs to support occupational participation, engagement, and well-being.

Bakgrund Arbetets organisering har genomgått stora förändringar under de senaste decenni-erna, särskilt i relation till COVID-19-pandemin. Under denna period blev distans- och digitala arbetsformer, där en väsentlig del av det betalda arbetet utförs i hemmet, allmänt accepterade och praktiserade. Ytterligare forskning krävs dock om hur flexibiliteten i arbetslivet, och sär-skilt distansarbete, påverkar engagemanget i olika arbetsformer och därmed den könsmässiga fördelningen av insatser i lönearbete och obetalt hemarbete. Syfte och forskningsfrågor Syftet med denna studie är att analysera relationer mellan att arbeta hemifrån och engagemang i hushållsarbete och lönearbete bland kvinnor och män anställda inom den offentliga sektorn i Europa. Följande frågor analyseras: Hur påverkar hemarbete graden av engagemang i hus-hållsarbete och lönearbete? Finns det signifikanta skillnader mellan kvinnor och män i dessa relationer? Bekräftar resultaten idén om att arbete hemifrån förstärker traditionell könsmässig fördelning av arbete mellan kvinnor och män eller motverkar snarare arbete hemifrån denna traditionella fördelning? Metod Analysen baseras på data från den sjätte omgången av Euro-pean Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). Totalt omfattar EWCS svar från över 40 000 an-ställda i 35 europeiska länder och ger värdefulla insikter om olika aspekter av arbetsvillkor och sysselsättning. I denna studie har urvalet begränsats till respondenter anställda inom den of-fentliga sektorn, en grupp som i materialet omfattar cirka 10 000 individer. Denna avgräns-ning möjliggör en analys av hur distansarbete påverkar yrkesmässigt och hushållsrelaterat an-svar för personer som arbetar inom offentlig sektor. Resultat Preliminära resultat pekar på att hemarbete påverkar graden av engagemang i såväl hushållsarbete som lönearbete. Analysen visar att hemarbete för kvinnor är signifikant positivt korrelerat med antal rapporterade tim-mar i lönearbete, vilket tyder på att hemarbete för kvinnor är förknippat med ett ökat engage-mang i betalt arbete. För män påvisas i stället en signifikant positiv relation mellan hemarbete och hushållsarbete, vilket indikerar att män som arbetar hemifrån i högre grad deltar i hus-hållsarbete jämfört med män som huvudsakligen arbetar på arbetsplatsen. Dessa resultat ger en mer nyanserad bild än den som ofta beskrivs i tidigare forskning, där distansarbete beskrivs som en företeelse som vanligen förstärker könsmässiga skillnader i hushållsarbete och lönear-bete. Våra resultat indikerar i stället att arbete hemifrån tycks utmana den traditionella könsmässiga arbetsfördelningen genom att något jämna ut yrkesmässigt och hushållsrelaterat ansvar mellan kvinnor och män.

Abstract for EAWOP Small Group Meeting, Hybrid work environments, Berlin 2025 Impact of Hybrid and Activity-Based Work Environments on Employee Engagement and Advocacy in Public Sector Workplaces: A Longitudinal Study 

Pär Löfstrand*, Erika Wall & Stig Vinberg Mid Sweden University 

Although research on the consequences of hybrid work has grown in recent years, there remains a limited body of studies focusing specifically on the public sector. This is noteworthy, as in many countries, the public sector constitutes a significant portion of the workforce. In Sweden, for example, approximately 1.5 million out of the country’s total workforce of around 5 million are employed in public sector roles. These jobs are often characterized by challenging psychosocial working conditions, which can contribute to health issues and high rates of sick leave. 

The aim of the present study is to explore the perceptions of managers and subordinates on how sustainable employee engagement and employee advocacy is impacted by the shift from traditional cell-office configurations to hybrid and activity-based working environments in public sector workplaces. 

In the Swedish public sector, many organizations measure sustainable employee engagement for shaping public employer policies. Extensive research show that motivation is extensively related to work performance and job satisfaction and used items measure aspects of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Considerable attention has been devoted about the impact of leadership behaviours for well-being and working conditions, as well as organizational outcomes for both managers and subordinates. In addition, research point at challenges related to leadership in the context of hybrid and activity-based work. Also, strategic management, is closely related to aspects as job design and performance management. It is also known that many public sector organizations measure employee advocacy (employee Net Promoter Score) for evaluating individuals’ propensity to recommend their employees to others. From this background, the present study focuses on these concepts. 

Data were collected in a Swedish municipality. The survey included 13 items across five key variables: sustainable employee engagement (measured by nine items related to motivation, leadership, and strategic management), and employee advocacy (measured by four items). The material includes 4 991 employees through two survey waves: the first in October 2023 (T1), prior to the transition, and the second in October 2024 (T2,), approximately 10 months after the shift to hybrid and activity-based working environments. Based on a longitudinal design, an intervention group divided in three subgroups that have implemented this new environment (N=850) are compared to a reference group that has not changed their office solutions (N= 1 800). In addition, comparisons of results (T2-T1) regarding sex, hierarchical position and operations will be performed. Statistical analyses consist of descriptive-, correlation- and regression analysis, and multivariate repeated measures (MANOVA) to examine changes of the study variables over time. Results from the statistical analysis will show differences of changes regarding sustainable engagement and employee advocacy variables between the three studied groups and other sub-groups in the empirical material. 

The results section will present the findings from the statistical analysis of the data, exploring the extent to which employee engagement and advocacy changed after the shift to ABW and hybrid work. The results will be discussed in the context of existing literature of transition processes of hybrid and activity-based working environments, particularly regarding public sector workplaces. Implications for organizational change practices and future research will also be addressed. 

*Corresponding author, par.lofstrand@miun.se 

The present study, employing a mixed-methods approach, explores leaders and sub-ordinates measures of sustainable employee engagement. Further it explores leadership behaviors in the changing work environment of today, where many traditional office spaces have transitioned to work from home (WFH) and or/together with activity- based work environments (ABW) at the workplace.   This study focuses specifically on leadership dynamics and behaviors within the public sector and is part of a broader collaborative research initiative conducted in partnership with two municipalities. 

I denna delrapport redogörs för resultat och tolkningar från publicerade studier och intervjuer med medarbetare mellan februari 2024 och februari 2025 i Sundsvalls kommun.

Den första delen medarbetarengagemang och rekommendationsvilja baseras på analyser av mätningen av Hållbart Medarbetar Engagemang (HME) och rekommendationsvilja (net Promotor Score, eNPS).

I den andra delen, Hur pratar medarbetare om medarbetarengagemang, presenteras resultat med utgångspunkt i intervjuer med grupper av medarbetare från olika verksamheter inom kommunen. Fokus i dessa intervjuer var att försöka fånga och skapa en förståelse om hur medarbetarna upplever faktorerna motivation, styrning, ledarskap samt rekommendationsvilja. Syftet var att försöka beskriva de underliggande resonemangen bakom faktorerna som mäts i HME - undersökningarna.

I den tredje delen Intervjuer med första linjens chefer presenteras analyser av enskilda intervjuer med sex chefer från olika verksamheter.

I del fyra Vad kan arbetsgivaren göra för att du skall stanna kvar? presenteras resultat från intervjuer med olika medarbetargrupper med fokus på medarbetarskap och arbetsgruppens syn på kommunen som arbetsgivare.

Rapporten avslutas med ett sammanfattande slutord där möjligheter och utmaningar beskrivs, avsnittet avslutas med förslag på personalpolitiska åtgärder. För teoretiska resonemang hänvisas till publicerade artiklar.

I den slutrapport som planerar att presenteras i januari 2026 fördjupas resultat, teoretiska resonemang och förslag för framtida åtgärder.

Each year, approximately 1.2 million employees in the Swedish public sector participate in an employee survey designed to assess various dimensions of their work environment. This survey includes questions that examine employee motivation, perceptions of leadership, and understanding of governing documents, with each factor addressed through three specific questions, totaling nine questions in all. This study took a two-pronged approach. In Part I, we focused on validating the quantitative measures of the survey, while Part II, which will be detailed here, employed focus group interviews with various work groups to explore how employees discuss these questions. The results from Part I demonstrated that the measures are reliable. They further revealed that motivation and leadership were the most significant predictors of employees' likelihood to recommend their workplace. Other factors, such as team climate and work-life balance, also played a role in this decision. In Part II, which will be presented at the EAWOP conference, we aimed to uncover how different work groups discuss the topics covered in the survey. We conducted semi-structured focus group interviews with 12 work groups from different areas within the public sector, including schools, kindergartens, social care, elder care, and administration. Each focus group included 3-6 employees and was facilitated by two researchers: one led the discussion, while the other observed and posed additional questions when necessary to delve deeper into certain topics. The findings provide insights into how different work groups articulate motivational factors, their perceptions of leadership, and their engagement with governing documents. Based on these studies, we suggest that combining quantitative employee surveys with qualitative methods enhance our understanding of work life conditions. Additionally, how employees "talk the talk"—or how they frame and discuss these issues—emerges as an essential aspect of understanding workplace dynamics.

Background 

The Activity-Based Workplace (ABW) is an increasingly popular office design that aims to facilitate new ways of working. Research focusing on the effects of ABWs on various outcomes is growing but there is a lack of studies looking at how managers and employees perceive the transition to ABWs from a salutogenic health-promotion perspective. This study aims to explore how managers and employees experienced a transition period to ABWs through the lens of a sense of coherence. 

Methods A qualitative design was applied through semi-structured interviews with six managers and focus group interviews with nine employees working in the public sector in Sweden. A content analysis of the interviews was conducted using Aaron Antonovsky’s sense of coherence concept, with the three main aspects of comprehensibility, meaningfulness and manageability acting as a theoretical framework for the analysis. 

Results Six sub-categories within the three main SOC categories were identified in the material and considered important to the participants during their transition to the ABW. The sub-categories were divided into facilitating factors and barriers to obtaining a sense of coherence. The identified factors were: information and preparation, clear rules, adaptability, leadership, social relations and health and well-being. 

Conclusions The analysis showed that the managers and employees were exposed to factors which may have acted as both facilitators and barriers to a sense of coherence during the transition to the ABW. The analysis also indicated that it is important that the work environment be comprehensible, manageable and meaningful during this period. When implementing ABWs, consideration must be given to the facilitators and barriers identified in this study during the transition process.