Högskolebiblioteket i Halmstad Publikationer
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Digital Nordic Wellness: Integrating Preventive Health and Sustainable Lifestyles in Sweden's Welfare System, A Qualitative Study.
No full textThis master’s thesis examines how digital health technologies and sustainable lifestyle practices are integrated into Sweden’s welfare system, using a qualitative approach grounded in eight semi-structured interviews with professionals from various sectors. The study reveals widespread engagement with digital wellness platforms and a strong cultural alignment between health and sustainability. However, the integration is uneven due to structural barriers, limited training, and digital exclusion. Respondents expressed a clear desire for a more inclusive and interoperable system that enhances preventive care through digital innovation. This research contributes to the understanding of how Sweden can leverage its digital infrastructure and welfare principles to build a more holistic and inclusive model for preventive health
Control Methods in Hybrid Work
No full textDigitaliseringen och pandemin har förändrat arbetslivet och lett till en ökning av distans- och hybridarbete, vilket utmanar hur organisationer styr och kontrollerar sina anställda. Distansarbete kräver anpassade kontrollmetoder för att säkerställa effektivitet, samarbete och måluppfyllelse, trots fysisk distans. Tidigare studier visar att distansarbete kan försvåra uppföljning och kommunikation, medan rätt styrsystem kan stärka engagemang och prestation. Syftet med denna studie är att beskriva vilka utmaningar som uppstår i verksamhetsstyrningen vid införandet av en hybrid arbetsmodell, samt att analysera hur dessa påverkar organisationers finansiella prestationer. Studien genomfördes med en kvalitativ metod och abduktiv ansats, där semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex chefer och ledare från svenska organisationer utgjorde det empiriska underlaget. Resultatet visar att hybridarbete kräver en anpassning av kontrollsystem där resultatstyrning är mest effektiv, då den fungerar oberoende av fysisk närvaro. Handlingsstyrning tillämpas främst genom daglig dialog och relationsskapande, medan personalstyrning innebär ett större individuellt ansvar, exempelvis för den egna arbetsmiljön vid distansarbete. Studien visar att kontrollmetoder inom hybridarbete påverkar organisationers finansiella prestationer indirekt. Detta sker främst genom faktorer som produktivitet, ansvarstagande och välmående hos anställda snarare än genom strikt övervakning.Digitalization and the pandemic have transformed working life, leading to an increase in remote and hybrid work, which challenges how companies manage and control their employees. Remote work requires adapted control methods to maintain efficiency, collaboration, and goal achievement despite physical distance. Previous studies indicate that remote work can complicate supervision and communication, while well-designed control systems can enhance employee engagement and performance. The purpose of this study is to examine the challenges that arise in management control when implementing a hybrid work model, and to analyze how these challenges affect organizations’ financial performance. The study employed a qualitative method with an abductive approach, using semi-structured interviews with six managers and leaders from Swedish companies as empirical data. The results indicate that hybrid work requires an adaptation of control systems, where results control proves to be the most effective, as it operates independently of physical presence. Action control is primarily applied through daily dialogue and relationship-building, while personnel control involves greater individual responsibility, such as managing one’s own work environment when working remotely. The study shows that control methods in hybrid work environments influence financial performance indirectly, mainly through factors such as productivity, employee well-being, and accountability, rather than through strict supervision. The study concludes that successful management control in hybrid work environments relies on adapted control methods that balance structure with trust, which in turn can enhance productivity and thus improve profitability
Sustainable Leadership in Practice : A qualitative study on how leaders apply sustainable leadership and its connection to reduced work-related stress.
No full textBackground: Sustainability has become a central issue for organizations, with a focus not only on the environment but also on employee health and well-being. Traditional leadership models are often not enough to meet today’s demands, particularly in relation to work-related stress. Research shows that leadership plays an important role in promoting a healthy work environment and preventing stress through clear structures and social support. Creating sustainable workplaces requires both committed leadership and an organizational culture that balances security with development. Purpose and research questions: The purpose of the study is to explore sustainable leadership from the perspective of managers and how such leadership can contribute to reducing work-related stress among employees. The purpose has developed and contributed to new knowledge by presenting a new model for sustainable leadership. Methodology: The study is based on a constructionist ontological perspective, where leadership is viewed as a dynamic and socially constructed process. Epistemologically, the study applies a hermeneutic approach to understanding the managers’ subjective experiences of sustainable leadership and its impact on work- related stress. Method: The study is based on a qualitative research design with an inductive approach and has been inspired by Classic Grounded Theory. The empirical data is based on interviews with seven leaders from different organizations, aiming to capture their experiences and perspectives. Results and Discussion: Based on the collected empirical data, the HÅLL model has been developed. It presents a framework and approach for leaders to apply sustainable leadership, promote employee well-being, and reduce work-related stress. The model is discussed in relation to previous research, and several similarities and differences have been identified. HÅLL also highlights the challenges leaders face in practice and offers a method for addressing these challenges in everyday work. Key words: sustainable leadership, enabling sustainable leadership, implementing sustainable leadership and work-related stress.
Social Inequality and Food Insecurity in Sweden : Exploring the Effects of Rising Food Prices on Older People
No full textThis thesis explores the intersection of rising food prices, social inequality, and the lived experiences of older adults in Sweden living on fixed pensions. Despite Sweden’s reputation as a strong welfare state, many elderly individuals are experiencing food insecurity due to the gap between rising living costs and static pension income. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines ten semi-structured interviews with secondary data from national institutions such as PRO, SCB, and the Swedish Pensions Agency. Thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke’s (2017) model, identified five major themes: noticeable food price increases, strategic coping behaviors, emotional and lifestyle impacts, systemic shortcomings, and stigma associated with seeking help. Findings show that older adults particularly women face disproportionate challenges linked to gendered income disparities and limited institutional support. The study emphasizes that while Sweden’s welfare protections are broad, accessibility and adaptability to inflation and cultural barriers remain weak spots. The thesis contributes to debates in public health and social policy by showing how economic stress interacts with welfare gaps in high-income contexts and recommends structural reforms to better protect aging populations
Decision Trust Drivers of Explainable AI : A Qualitative Study in Consumer Credit
No full textArtificial Intelligence (AI) applications are now widely used to score retail loan applications and handle credit risk portfolios. Nevertheless, the “black box” nature of these traditional systems prevents full adoption. A survey did in 2023 by Deloitte, reports 56% of US finance organizations hesitant to adopt AI due to fairness and accountability concerns. This qualitative study inquires how XAI features can reinforce trust among supervisory authorities and consumers in credit decisions. Therefore, study combined (i) systematic literature review, (ii) two consumer credit use cases, and (iii) semi-structured interviews with banking stakeholders. Thematic analysis carried in the study guided by Deloitte’s Trustworthy AI pillars and identified transparency, model reliability and user-relevant explanations as key drivers. Participants expressed preference for explainable models over complex and high accuracy. But expressed requirement for actionable feedback (how to raise credit score) rather than technical justifications. The study synthesized findings into “Trust in XAI” model framework that aligns explanations with stakeholder’s expectations
The Role of Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) Program in Enhancing Social Sustainability Among Immigrant Populations in Sweden (2015–2020) : A Quantitative Study of Linguistic, Economic, and Social Integration Outcomes
No full textThis thesis examines how the Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) program has contributed to social sustainability among immigrant populations in Sweden between 2015 and 2020. The central aim is to assess whether participation in SFI supports better access to the labour market, improved language proficiency, and greater social integration. The study also explores the challenges immigrants face in completing the program and in applying their language skills in both social and professional contexts. A quantitative research approach was used, drawing on descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and cross-tabulations based on secondary data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), the Swedish National Agency for Education, and OECD reports. The findings indicate a significant link between completing the SFI program and better employment outcomes, with program completion associated with greater access to jobs and continued education. The results also highlight the importance of immigrants' pre-migration educational backgrounds in shaping their language learning outcomes within SFI. However, the study also uncovers ongoing disparities tied to gender, regional variations in program delivery, and literacy levels. Dropout rates remain high, and structural barriers continue to hinder equal opportunities for all participants. These issues point to the limitations of a one-size-fits-all model within the broader Nordic welfare framework and suggest a need for more tailored and locally adapted integration policies. By offering a detailed, data-driven evaluation of SFI's role in fostering social sustainability, this thesis adds to the existing body of research and outlines key areas for future policy development and academic inquiry
Mitigating biases in AI systems trained on tabular data
No full textAs Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more common in decision-making systems, bias in AI, causing unfair consequences, becomes an important issue. This thesis aims to investigate and mitigate AI bias by utilizing the open-source fairness tools AI Fairness 360 and Fairlearn together, creating an ensemble system in the Python programming language. The system aims to investigate whether an ensemble approach with multiple AI predictors can reduce bias while maintaining accuracy and performance. The system is designed to be usable without coding skills and incorporates an automatic mode and a manual mode to provide value for users with different levels of field knowledge. It also presents performance evaluations of models to provide useful insight. The project results show that while bias cannot be entirely eliminated, the implemented ensemble approaches have some potential in removing parts of it. We also suggest improvements to the system, among them are explanations of key concepts, making the tool more informative, and adding more options to specialize model training to target specific biases.När artificiell intelligens (AI) blir vanligare i beslutsfattande system ökar allvarligheten i AI:s skevhet och snedvridning som får orättvisa konsekvenser. Detta kandidatarbete syftar till att undersöka och mildra skevhet i AI genom att använda open source-verktygen AI Fairness 360 och Fairlearn ihop och skapa ett ensemble-system i programmeringsspråket Python. Systemets syfte är att undersöka huruvida en ensemble-metod med flera förutsägande AI-modeller kan mildra skevhet utan att offra precision eller prestanda. Systemet är designat för att gå att använda utan förkunskaper inom kodning och implementerar ett automatiskt läge och ett manuellt läge för att ge användare värde oavsett deras kunskapsnivå inom AI. Det presenterar också utvärderingar av modellernas resultat för att möjliggöra värdefulla insikter. Projektets resultat visar att även om skevhet inte kan elimineras fullständigt, så har de implementerade ensemble-metoderna viss potential att eliminera delar av den. Vi föreslår även förbättringar till systemet, bland annat förklaringar av nyckelbegrepp som ska göra systemet mer informativt och fler alternativ för att specifiera modellträning för att inrikta sig på specifika skevheter
Leadershipcompetencies: Effective project and sustainability success in the real estate industry : Leadershipcompetencies & education, employee motivation and emotional intelligence as the key to successful and sustainable projects
No full textBygg och fastighetssektorn är en av de största branscherna som bidrar till koldioxidutsläpp och energiförbrukning vilket har lett till att en av de kompetenser som efterfrågas är inom hållbarhet. Ledare tvingas att spela magiker på grund av det breda utbudet av ledarskapskompetenser som existerar idag, vilket skapar en lista som anses omänsklig och omöjlig att uppnå. Företagens resultat lider utan passande kompetenser på grund av att ledare är känsliga mot beslutsfattande som är ineffektiva. Det är väsentligt för projektledare att ha en uppsättning av kompetenser för att kunna bidra till projektframgång och för att fortsätta vara effektiva. På grund av detta syftar denna studie till att undersöka vilka ledarskapskompetenser hos chefer och ledare inom fastighetsbranschen som upplevs leda till effektiv projekt- och hållbarhetsframgång samt hur utbildning, medarbetarmotivation och emotionell intelligens upplevs leda till denna framgång. För att möjliggöra denna forskning, har intervjuer genomförts med 6 respondenter med höga chefspositioner inom fastighetsbranschen i Halland och Västra Götalands län. Den insamlade datan har tolkats och analyserats med ett subjektivt synsätt och ett hermeneutiskt perspektiv. Metoden bygger på tematisk analys med en deduktiv ansats samt en kvalitativ metod. Referensramen och empirin utvecklade tillsammans en uppdaterad modell som var grundad på tidigare teorier vilket ledde till studiens slutsatser. Slutsatserna är att kärnkompetenserna kommunikation, ledarskap, förtroende och engagemang samt beteendekompetenserna förstå människor, utforska möjligheter samt utveckla expertis leder till effektiv projekt- och hållbarhetsframgång på ett fördelaktigt sätt. Medarbetarmotivation och emotionell intelligens leder till effektiv projekt- och hållbarhetsframgång på ett framgångsrikt sätt, medan utbildning inte leder till denna framgång på ett fördelaktigt sätt.The construction and real estate sector is one of the largest industries contributing to carbon emissions and energy consumption, which has led to one of the competences in demand being sustainability. Leaders are forced to play magicians due to the wide range of leadership competencies that exist today, creating a list that is considered inhumane and impossible to achieve. Companies' results suffer without appropriate competencies because leaders are sensitive to decision-making that is ineffective. It is essential for project managers to have a set of competencies in order to be able to contribute to project success and to continue to be effective. Because of this, this study aims to investigate which leadership competencies among managers and leaders in the real estate industry are perceived to lead to effective project and sustainability success, as well as how training, employee motivation and emotional intelligence are perceived to lead to this success. To enable this research, interviews have been conducted with 6 respondents with high management positions in the real estate industry in Halland and Västra Götaland counties. The collected data has been interpreted and analyzed with a subjective approach and a hermeneutic perspective. The method is based on thematic analysis with a deductive approach and a qualitative method. The frame of reference and the empirical data together developed an updated model that was based on previous theories, which led to the study's conclusions. The conclusions are that the core competencies of communication, leadership, trust and commitment and the behavioral competencies of understanding people, exploring opportunities and developing expertise leads to effective project and sustainability success in a beneficial way. Employee motivation and emotional intelligence lead to effective project and sustainability success in a successful way, while training does not lead to this success in a beneficial way
Ersättningsstrukturer för VD i svenska börsnoterade bolag - Påverkar kön, ålder och tjänstgöringstid?
No full textStudien syftar till att undersöka hur verkställande direktörers (VD) kön, ålder ochtjänstgöringstid påverkar deras ersättningsstruktur, med ett särskilt fokus på skillnader mellanandelen fast och rörlig ersättning. Tidigare internationell forskning har visat på att dessafaktorer kan påverka verkställande direktörers riskbenägenhet och i förlängningen deraspreferenser för olika ersättningsformer. I den befintliga forskningen återfinns en avsaknad avstudier med ett fokus på Sverige. Studien har sin utgångspunkt i befintlig litteratur och tidigareforskning som visar på att yngre, manliga och nyare VD:ar tenderar att föredra en högre andelprestationsbaserad och rörlig ersättning. Det teoretiska ramverket utgörs av upper echelonstheory och agency theory. Genom att fokusera på den identifierade kunskapsluckan så ämnarstudien bidra till en ökad förståelse för hur personliga egenskaper hos VD:ar påverkarersättnings- och incitamentsstrukturer i svenska bolag. Resultaten kan användas av företag ochstyrelser i utformningen av mer anpassade och effektiva ersättningssystem.The aim of this study is to examine how CEOs gender, age, and tenure influences thecompensation structure that is used within Swedish listed companies. The study has a particularfocus on the differences between fixed and variable pay components.Previous international research has shown that all these factors can affect CEOs riskpreferences and consequently, their own personal preferences for different forms ofcompensation. However, there is a lack of studies with a specific focus on Sweden in theexisting studies and literature. This study is grounded in prior research which indicate thatyounger, male, and newly appointed CEOs tend to prefer a higher proportion of performancebased and variable compensation. The theoretic framework for this thesis is made up of twoestablished theories, the upper echelons theory and agency theory.By addressing this identified knowledge gap, the study aims to contribute to a deeperunderstanding of how CEOs’ personal characteristics influence compensation and incentivestructures in Swedish listed companies. The results can be used by companies and boards ofdirectors
Psykosociala faktorer bakom intentionen att använda prestationshöjande preparat bland gymutövare : En kvantitativ studie om attityder, subjektiva normer och moralisk frikoppling, kopplat till dopingintentioner
No full textThe purpose of the study was to investigate how psychosocial factors such as attitudes, subjective norms and moral disengagement affect the intention to use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in gym contexts. The present study is a quantitative cross-sectional design where data was collected via digital surveys. A total of 97 gym visitors participated, both men and women aged 20–68 (M=30.9), all of whom were regularly physically active and trained at the gym. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the theory of moral disengagement, and previous research, two following hypotheses were formulated: a) moral disengagement mediates the relationship between attitudes and the intention to use performance-enhancing drugs, and b) moral disengagement mediates the relationship between subjective norms and the intention to use performance-enhancing drugs. Two mediation analyses were used to test the hypotheses.The results did reject the idea that moral disengagement mediates the relationship between attitudes and the intention to use PEDs, because no significant indirect effect was found. However, did the results show a significant indirect effect between subjective norms and intention via moral disengagement. This indicates the fact that subjective norms and moral disengagement mechanisms interact and together affects the intention to use PEDs in a gym context.Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur psykosociala faktorer som attityder, subjektiva normer och moralisk frikoppling påverkar intentionen att använda prestationshöjande preparat (PEDs) i gymkontexter. Föreliggande studie är en kvantitativ tvärsnittsdesign där data samlades in via digitala enkäter. Sammanlagt deltog 97 gymbesökare, både män och kvinnor i åldrarna 20–68 (M=30.9), där samtliga var regelbundet fysiskt aktiva och tränade på gym. Baserat på Theory of Planned Behavior (TBP), teorin om moralisk frikoppling och tidigare forskning ställdes två hypoteser a) Moralisk frikoppling medierar relationen mellan attityder och intentionen att använda prestationshöjande preparat, och b) Moralisk frikoppling medierar relationen mellan subjektiva normer och intentionen att använda prestationshöjande preparat. Två medieringsanalyser genomfördes för att testa hypoteserna. Resultatet förkastar idén om att moralisk frikoppling medierar sambandet mellan attiyder och intention att använda PEDs, då ingen signifikant indirekt effekt påvisades. Däremot visade resultatet en signifikant indirekt effekt mellan subjektiva normer och intention via moralisk frikoppling. Detta indikerar att subjektiva normer och moraliska frikopplingsmekanismer samspelar och tillsammans påverkar intentionen att använda PEDs i en gymkontext