Mid Sweden University

The way office workers work was greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, when most office workers had to start working from home. Since the restrictions following the pandemic lifted people started going back to their offices, but for many the possibility to work from home remained. Hybrid work, when the office worker can alter between working in the office and from home, is now very common.

Earlier research has shown conflicting results whether office workers’ productivity is affected by working from home or not. Some studies shows that there is no difference in productivity outcomes between people who work from home compared to those who work in offices. Other studies suggest that productivity outcomes are higher among office workers working from home than the ones who only work at the office.

There is a trend among some employers wanting their staff to come back to work in offices full time again. With this study we search to investigate if this is conflicting with productivity output (and by extension economical goals) and if it is in the best interest of the office workers’ health.

This study has two aims:

1. To compare self-rated productivity between office workers who work a small amount of their working hours from home, office workers who work a medium amount of their working hours from home and office workers who work a large amount of their working hours from home.
2. To investigate if and how productivity and health related variables (such as stress/burnout) can be explained by work-life balance, emotional demands, proportion of hours working from home and aspects of the physical work environment (such as disturbing noise).

The study population is office workers who work in a municipality in northern Sweden. They have answered two different surveys, one was based on the COPSOQ III-survey with some additional questions and the other one compiled of questions about the physical work environment and work productivity. The later survey was originally designed and used in their research project in another municipality in northern Sweden. 

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: Globalt har COVID-19-pandemin inneburit stora svårigheter för många egenföretagare. Pandemin har bland annat resulterat i ökad osäkerhet, minskad kundefterfrågan, störningar i leveranskedjor och svårigheter att be-driva verksamheten. De flesta studier om egenföretagare under pandemin har haft ett patogent fokus och riktat in sig på negativa konsekvenser. Därför är det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling att utforska hur egenföretagare använt salutogena interna och externa resurser för att hantera pandemin, både i relation till företaget och till deras eget välmående.

Metod: I avhandlingen har olika metoder för datainsamling och analys använts. I studie I användes en kvalitativ design för att undersöka upplevelser av känsla av sammanhang och generella motståndsresurser hos småföretagsledare i Sveri-ge och Norge under pandemin. Studie II var en kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie som undersökte välmåendet hos egenföretagare i Europa under pandemin, och om deras välmående påverkades av faktorer på fyra socioekologiska nivåer. Studie III hade en mixad design med policyanalys och intervjuer för att få en förstå-else för hur olika statliga ekonomiska stödåtgärder syftade till att stödja svenska och kanadensiska 12 egenföretagares resiliens och förbättra deras förmåga att hantera pandemin. Studie I analyserades genom deduktiv innehållsanalys och studie III genom komparativ policy analys och induktiv innehållsanalys. I stu-die II gjordes analysen med t-test, korrelationer och linjär regression. Resultat:

Resultat från intervjuerna i studie I visade att det var viktigt för del-tagarna att förstå och hantera utmaningarna under pandemin på ett resursrikt sätt och att se meningsfullhet i situationen. I studie II belyste resultaten att de socioekologiska faktorerna resiliens, socialt stöd, att göra meningsfullt arbete och tydliga regler påverkade välmåendet och att dessa faktorer var ännu vikti-gare för de som hade det svårt att bedriva sin verksamhet. Resultaten i studie III visade att egenföretagare i både Sverige och Kanada som inte kunde arbeta på distans var mindre motståndskraftiga under pandemin. Intervjuerna visade också att många egenföretagare i hårt drabbade branscher var missnöjda med implementerade ekonomiska stödåtgärder och upplevde att de var orättvist för-delade. De egenföretagare som hade svårt att bedriva sina verksamheter upp-levde sämre välmående, vilket hade en negativ påverkan på deras företag.

Konklusion: De tre studierna i avhandlingen hade olika fokus men gav tillsam-mans insikter om salutogena interna och externa resurser som bidragit till hur egenföretagare hanterat pandemin. Individuella faktorer som känsla av sam-manhang och resiliens bedömdes vara viktiga för att hantera pandemin väl. Det framkom även att det är viktigt att stödja faktorer på flera socio-ekologiska nivåer, och att det kan vara av extra stor vikt för dem som har svårigheter att bedriva sin verksamhet.Länk till avhandlingen: Self-employed people navigating difficult times - busi-ness challenges and well-being from a salutogenic perspective (diva-portal.org)  

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.

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. When implementing ABWs, consideration must be given to the facilitators and barriers identified in this study during the transition process. The sense of coherence framework appears valuable for gaining a deeper knowledge of managers’ and employees’ experiences during the transition to ABW.

Globally, self-employed people were among the hardest hit by the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and faced hardships such as financial decline, restrictions, and business closures. A plethora of financial support measures were rolled out worldwide to support them, but there is a lack of research looking at the effect of the policy measures on self-employed people. To understand how different governmental financial support measures enhanced the resilience of the self-employed and improved their ability to manage the pandemic, we conducted a mixed-method study using policy analysis and semi-structured interviews. The documents described policies addressing governmental financial support in Sweden and Canada during the pandemic, and the interviews were conducted with Swedish and Canadian self-employed people to explore how they experienced the support measures in relation to their resilience. The key results were that self-employed people in both countries who were unable to telework were less resilient during the pandemic due to financial problems, restrictions, and lockdowns. The interviews revealed that many self-employed people in hard-hit industries were dissatisfied with the support measures and found them to be unfairly distributed. In addition, the self-employed people experiencing difficulties running their businesses reported reduced well-being, negatively affecting their business survival.

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.

Background

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic presented major difficulties for many self-employed people because it caused pressures such as decreased customer demand, production stagnation, disruptions in supply chains and increased uncertainty. The vast amount of the studies of self-employed people during the pandemic have focused on traditional pathogenic effects. Hence, overall aim of this thesis is to explore how self-employed people experienced and used internal and external salutogenic resources to navigate the pandemic, from a business challenge and an individual well-being perspective. 

Methods

Different methods of data collection and analysis were employed in the thesis. For study I, a qualitative design was used to explore whether a sense of coherence was experienced, and any general resistance resources were used by small business managers in Sweden and Norway during the pandemic. For study II, a cross-sectional quantitative design was employed to investigate the well-being of self-employed people in Europe during the pandemic and whether their well-being was influenced by factors representing four socio-ecological levels. Lastly, study III applied a mixed-method design including comparative policy analysis and interviews to gain an understanding of how different governmental financial support measures aimed to aid the resilience of Swedish and Canadian self-employed people and improve their ability to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Study I was analysed through a deductive content analysis, study II was analysed using independent sample t-tests, correlations and linear regression, and study III used comparative policy analysis and inductive content analysis. 

Results

Findings from the interviews in study I demonstrated that it was important for the participants to comprehend and manage challenges during the pandemic in a resourceful manner, and to see meaningfulness in their situations. In study II, the findings highlight that the socio-ecological factors of resilience, social support, doing useful work and experiencing rules as clear affected the self-employed people’s well-being, and that these factors may be even more important for those who had difficulties running their business. Study III found that self-employed people in both Sweden and Canada who 10 were unable to telework were relatively less resilient during the pandemic. The interviews revealed that many self-employed people in hard-hit industries were dissatisfied with government financial support measures and found them to be unfairly distributed. In addition, the self-employed people who experienced difficulties running their businesses reported reduced well-being, which had a negative effect on their business survival. 

Conclusion 

While the three studies in this thesis had different foci, they collectively provide insights into the internal and external salutogenic resources that influenced how self-employed people navigated the pandemic. A sense of coherence, resilience and well-being were deemed important for handling the pandemic well, for both the individuals and their businesses. The research also indicated the interconnectedness between self-employed people and their businesses. For instance, financial difficulties may lead to increased stress and pressure to make decisions to sustain the business. Reduced well-being, in turn, made it harder to adapt and adjust positively to adversity. The importance of supporting factors at multiple socio-ecological levels was also highlighted, and these may be particularly important to those who had difficulties running their businesses.

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 svårigheter att driva företaget under pandemin är faktorerna socialt stöd och tydliga regler för statligt stöd av särskild betydelse för deras välbefinnande.Genomförda studier av norska och svenska företag visar att för flera företag adderar en kritisk händelse som en pandemi till en redan hög arbetsbelastning bland egenföretagarna, vilket kan ha negativa effekter på verksamheten och hantering av arbetsmiljö- och hälsofrågor. De intervjuade personerna rapporterarviiiatt de förändrat och breddat sin ledarroll under pandemin med fokus på att finna nya lösningar för sina företag och stödja sina medarbetare när det gäller risker för ohälsa och oro kopplat till pandemins effekter. Flera av de intervjuade cheferna anger att de med ett salutogent förhållningssätt kunnat hantera pandemin på ett bra sätt och att denna inte märkbart påverkat deras verksamhet eller dem själva negativt.När det gäller egenföretagarnas och chefernas attityder till de ekonomiska stödåtgärderna tyder dessa på en bristande överensstämmelse mellan småföretagens behov under Covid-19-pandemin och hur samhället tillhandahåller resurser genom olika stödsystem. Resultaten visar också att många egenföretagare och chefer i små företag inte sökt och erhållit statligt finansiellt stöd. Den genomförda intervjustudien av svenska och kanadensiska chefer bekräftar dessa resultat där många egenföretagare i hårt drabbade branscher angav att de var missnöjda med åtgärderna och fann dessa vara orättvist fördelade. Ett resultat var också att egenföretagare i de båda länderna som inte kunde distansarbeta var mindre motståndskraftiga under pandemin på grund av ekonomiska problem och olika restriktioner.I rapportens avslutande del redovisas praktiska och forskningsmässiga implikationer med koppling till arbetsmiljö- och hälsoaspekter och statliga åtgärder under kriser som en pandemi. Insatser är av särskild betydelse för egenföretagare och små företag, som utgör en dominerande andel i privat sektor i de flesta länder. Fortsatt kvalitativ och kvantitativ forskning, särskilt med en longitudinell ansats, är viktig för att få lärdomar inför framtida kriser.

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.