Publikationer från Högskolan i Gävle
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Swedish private-sector employees’ experiences of promoting and hindering factors for working while having mental health problems: A qualitative study
No full textObjectives: The workplace is an important arena for identifying and managing early symptoms of mental health problems. This study aimed to explore how private sector employees at risk of sickness absence due to mental health problems experienced promoting and hindering factors for working. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 employees with mental health problems (≥3 on the General Health Questionnaire or who answered yes to a question on self-predicted sickness absence in the coming year due to common mental disorders). Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The analysis resulted in three themes: influence of life stage on working while having mental health problems; managing mental health problems in the social and organizational context; and preserving one's identity and agency when working while having mental health problems. Promoting and hindering factors occurred at the individual, group, leader and organizational levels. Promoting factors included social support from colleagues, a trusting relationship with the first-line manager, and engaging in leisure-time physical activity. Hindering factors included perceiving the cause of symptoms to be primarily outside work leading to delayed access to help, a cold or noisy work environment, and schedule mismatch. Conclusion: Promoting and hindering factors occurred at multiple levels. Fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment where there is space for enjoyment can help employees manage mental health problems at work. Other promoting factors include having an active and present manager, reasonable production goals, and leisure-time physical activity. Employees who perceive the cause of their symptoms to be related to their private life tend not to seek help from the workplace, despite the impact on their work. This should be considered in the development of future interventions. Our study supports a life-course perspective on the understanding of how employees experience promoting and hindering factors for working while having mental health problems
Differences in academic self-efficacy related to sports background.
No full text Personer med en hög självtillit (self-efficacy) har en hög tilltro till sina förmågor att lyckas med målsättningar. De tenderar både att sätta svårare mål och att utföra de beteenden som krävs för att nå dem. Att lyckas med målsättningar ökar i sin tur självtilliten både inom den aktuella domänen, generellt och inom andra domäner. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka om det finns någon skillnad i akademisk självtillit relaterat till idrottsbakgrund. 176 högskolestudenter fick fylla i ett självskattningsformulär gällande akademisk självtillit. Deltagarna delades in i tre grupper, beroende på deras tidigare idrottsutövande; icke-idrottare, individuella idrottare och lagidrottare. Grad av självtillit jämfördes mellan grupperna med hjälp av ett Kruskal-Wallis icke-parametriskt test. Ingen skillnad i akademisk självtillit kunde uppmätas mellan någon av grupperna. Resultaten visade inte att idrottande under tonåren skulle ha någon påverkan på akademisk självtillit. People with a high self-efficacy have a high level of belief in their capabilities to succeed at goals. They tend to both set more difficult goals and perform the required behaviors to achieve them. This increases self-efficacy both in the current domain, in general, and in other domains. This study aims to investigate whether there are differences in academic self-efficacy related to background in sports. 176 college students were asked to complete a self-assessment questionnaire regarding academic self-efficacy. Participants were divided into three groups: non-athletes, individual athletes, and team athletes. Levels of self-efficacy were compared between the groups using a Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test. No difference was found between any of the groups. The results did not indicate that sports participation during adolescence has any impact on academic self-efficacy
Solar stills with thermoelectric cooling: a systematic review of design modifications and performance enhancements
No full textThe present review focuses on the issue of freshwater shortage and growing global request for freshwater, which requires a serious need for original technologies, predominantly solar stills combined to thermoelectric cooling (TEC) to improve desalination competence. The originality of this paper lies in directing a methodical review to analytically inspect design optimizations and performance enhancements in solar stills engaging TEC. Therefore, it goes beyond the prior efforts by resolving the insistent encounters of low productivity and energy inefficiency of conservative systems and discovering the developments made by the combined solar stills and TEC. Similarly, this review emphasizes appraising the helpfulness of different layouts and materials used in these systems through energy and exergy analyses. Important results elucidate that integrated TEC can meaningfully increase freshwater productivity, with reported gains of more than 570%. Effectiveness enhancements are ranged between 11.2 and 76.4%. Furthermore, the incorporation of nanofluids, mainly copper oxide nanoparticles at a 0.08% concentration, has improved freshwater productivity by 81% and exergy efficacy by 112.5%. Further benefits are stated by presenting hybrid designs that incorporate photovoltaic panels, phase change materials (PCMs), and heat pipes. Specifically, the hybrid designs afford the possibility of continuous 24-h operation at reduced freshwater production cost of less than $0.031 per liter. Referring to energy and exergy analyses, it can be assured that TEC can play an essential role in minimizing exergy destruction and maximizing thermal gradients within the system. Thus, it can be determined that TEC-integrated solar stills can offer a wonderful solution for sustainable freshwater production to tackle the progressive water scarcity issue. However, some other barriers are still existed that related to high energy consumption and economic viability that must be resolved. Future investigation should therefore put efforts toward developing optimal designs of TEC-integrated solar stills to ensure a balance between performance, cost, and scalability to enable broader implementation
Mål och KPI i lager : En fallstudie om hur mål och KPI:er påverkar organisatoriska följder
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of how goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) are used in a warehousing context and how they influence behaviours, priorities, and perceived goal conflicts between speed, quality, safety, and a sustainable working life. Method: The study is a qualitative case study based on eight semi-structured interviews with managers and employees in a warehouse operation. The material was analysed using thematic analysis and informed by theories on management by objectives and KPIs, the SMART framework, enabling and coercive bureaucracy, incomplete performance measures, and principal–agent theory. Results & Conclusion: The results show that the KPI system is perceived differently across organisational levels. Management emphasises clear goals and states that safety and quality should take precedence over speed, while operational roles experience that tempo measures and performance follow-up dominate in practice. This creates pressure and a risk that quality, safety, and invisible work are downplayed. The effects of KPIs depend on how they are communicated and followed up: dialogue-oriented use is perceived as supportive, whereas a one-sided focus on numbers is experienced as controlling. Contribution of the thesis: Theoretically, the study illustrates how established management control theories are expressed in a warehousing context and how goals and KPIs are linked to behaviours and goal conflicts. Practically, it points to how warehouse operations can better balance speed, quality, and safety through learning-oriented follow-up and increased employee involvement in KPI-related work. Suggestions for future research: Future studies could compare different warehouses or companies and, through quantitative or longitudinal designs, examine relationships between KPI demands, motivation, stress, sickness absence, staff turnover, and performance over time.Syftet: Syftet är att öka förståelsen för hur mål och nyckeltal (KPI:er) används i en lagerverksamhet och påverkar beteenden, prioriteringar och upplevda målkonflikter mellan tempo, kvalitet, säkerhet och ett hållbart arbetsliv. Metod: Studien är en kvalitativ fallstudie baserad på åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med chefer och medarbetare i en lagerverksamhet. Materialet har analyserats tematiskt med stöd av teorier om målstyrning och KPI:er, SMART-principen, enabling och coercive byråkrati, ofullständiga prestationsmått och principal–agent-teori. Resultat & Slutsats: Resultaten visar att KPI-systemet uppfattas olika i organisationen. Ledningen betonar tydliga mål och att säkerhet och kvalitet ska gå före tempo, medan produktionsnära roller upplever att tempomått och uppföljning i praktiken dominerar. Detta skapar press och risk att kvalitet, säkerhet och osynligt arbete trängs undan. Effekterna beror på hur KPI:er kommuniceras och följs upp, dialog upplevs som stödjande, ensidigt fokus på siffror som kontrollerande. Examensarbetets bidrag: Teoretiskt visar studien hur styrningsteorier tar sig uttryck i en lagerkontext och hur mål och KPI:er hänger ihop med beteenden och målkonflikter. Praktiskt pekar den på hur lagerverksamheter kan balansera tempo, kvalitet och säkerhet genom lärande uppföljning och ökad delaktighet i KPI-arbetet. Förslag till vidare forskning: Vidare studier kan jämföra olika lager eller företag och med kvantitativa eller långtidsstudier undersöka samband mellan KPI-krav, motivation, stress, sjukfrånvaro, personalomsättning och resultat över tid
Of demographics, technology, and geography: The social determinants of energy consumption patterns and user behaviour in Saudi Arabia’s residential sector
No full textDriven by increased exposure to climate change hazards and energy price reforms, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is keen to transform its energy-intensive building sector, with air-conditioning (AC) accounting for 70% of the energy used in buildings. While much past research has focused on technological solutions, this study investigates some of the critical AC usage patterns and energy conservation behavior in the Saudi residential sector. Harnessing a novel and original public survey with spatial granularity, this study explores socio-demographic, economic, and behavioral determinants of AC usage, thermostat preferences, and energy conservation attitudes. The study identifies household income and energy expenditure as among the more influential predictors of user behavior. Lower-income households are significantly less likely to use AC extensively, which may indicate potential equity and affordability concerns, while higher-income groups exhibit extended usage patterns, particularly year-round use and daily operation exceeding 18 h. Education, dwelling type, and ownership status are also influential factors, though with a modest effect. Regional differences, particularly in Makkah and Riyadh, reveal further contextual variations in behavior. AC switch-off and thermostat adjustment attitudes reflect a mix of economic constraints and habitual behavior. Drawing from these findings, the study underscores the need for integrated policy frameworks that combine efficiency measures with targeted behavioral interventions
The importance of free play for children's inclusion andexclusion from the perspective of preschool teachers
No full textStudiens syfte är att undersöka om och hur förskollärarna uppfattar att fria leken påverkar barns inkludering och exkludering. Förskolan erbjuder barnen lärande, där barnen utvecklas både kognitivt och emotionellt. För att barnen ska kunna utvecklas mångsidigt kräver det förskollärarens engagemang och delaktighet i barns läroprocess, förklarar förskollärarna. Det innebär att vuxna ska vara närvarande och ge barnen möjlighet att få inflytande och kunna påverka lekens innehåll så att de känner sig inkluderade. Detta lyfts fram både i tidigare forskning och i förskolans läroplan. Vi förskollärare studenter har valt oss en kvalitativ metod till vår studie i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med följande frågor. För att samla in datamaterialet har vi använt oss av ljudupptagning och anteckningar. Det innebär att vi har transkriberat för att kunna bearbeta och analysera. Under denna studie har det presenterats forskning som handlar om förskollärarens pedagogiska roll och uppfattning om den fria leken i förskolan. Denna forskning redogörs under avsnitten Bakgrund och tidigare forskning. Det valdes teoretiska perspektiv som ansågs vara lämpliga för att använda i analysdelen och koppla till studiens resultat. Teoretiska perspektiven inriktar sig på förskollärarens roll som fungerar som en stödjande vuxen i barnens fria lek för att främja barnens delaktighet och inkludering och begränsa exkludering. Resultaten visar att förskollärare har gemensam syn på fria lekens betydelse och hur det påverkar barns inkludering och exkludering. De lyfts fram vikten av förskollärarens närvaro och miljöns tillgänglighet. De anser att förskollärarna är barnens verktyg och förklarar att det är viktigt och deras uppdrag att stötta och vägleder barnen i sitt eget lärande. Miljön spelar stor roll för att barnen ska kunna bli delaktiga och inkludera sig i aktiviteter. Förskollärarna tydliggör att deras delaktighet och engagemang påverkar barnens inkludering och delaktighet.
Place Branding and Marketing for Attracting Investors : A Case Study of Älvkarleby Municipality
No full textAim: The purpose of this study is to examine how small municipalities can use place branding as part of a strategy to attract international investments. The study identifies the challenges, opportunities, and strategies that small municipalities can apply to strengthen their brand and increase their attractiveness to foreign investors. Methodology: Älvkarleby Municipality has been selected as the case study. The research is based on a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The theoretical frameworks applied are Anholt’s Competitive Identity Framework and Freeman’s Stakeholder Theory. Findings & Conclusion: The findings reveal that Älvkarleby has a strong local identity rooted in nature, fishing, and industrial heritage. Despite this strong local identity, limited resources, infrastructural constraints, and weak digital communication hinder international visibility. The municipality’s strengths such as green energy and its strategic geographical location compared to other small municipalities are not fully utilized in external marketing efforts. The study concludes that small municipalities need to combine digital communication, cultural authenticity, collaboration, and strategic planning, strengthen their attractiveness and contribute to sustainable local development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Contribution of the Study: The study has both theoretical and practical contributions. The theoretical contribution lies in applying place branding theories to small municipalities. The practical contribution highlights the importance of strategic communication and collaboration to attract international investments. Reflections on the Study and Suggestions for Future Research: As the study is limited to a single municipality, future research could include more municipalities and apply quantitative methods to broaden the scope and strengthen the findings. Keywords: Place branding, small municipalities, investments, Älvkarleby, sustainable development
När regler förändras: Hur bostadsrättsföreningar påverkas av den tvingande övergången till K3 : En kvalitativ studie ur ekonomiska förvaltare och revisorers perspektiv
No full textTitel: När regler förändras: Hur bostadsrättsföreningar påverkas av den tvingande övergången till K3. En kvalitativ studie ur ekonomiska förvaltare och revisorers perspektiv Nivå: Examensarbete (Kandidatexamen) inom företagsekonomi Författare: Emil Arvids och Alicia Thunström Handledare: Desirée Ödén Datum: 2026 - Januari Syfte: Syftet med den här studien är att studera vad en tvingande övergång från en regelbaserad redovisningsstandard (K2) till en principbaserad standard (K3) innebär för bostadsrättsföreningar samt vilka fördelar och utmaningar övergången medför ur ekonomiska förvaltare och revisorers perspektiv. Metod: Studien tillämpar en kvalitativ metod där vi genomfört 8 semistrukturerade intervjuer med ekonomiska förvaltare, revisorer samt en styrelseledamot. Samtliga intervjuer har spelats in, transkriberats och analyserats med hjälp av tematisk analys. Resultat och slutsats: Resultatet visar att en övergång till K3 sannolikt kommer leda till ökad komplexitet, högre krav på professionella bedömningar och ökade kostnader för bostadsrättsföreningar. Samtidigt upplevs övergången som positiv hos revisorer och ekonomiska förvaltare som menar att övergången kan bidra till ökad jämförbarhet, transparens och en rättvisare bild av föreningarnas ekonomi. Examensarbetets bidrag: Studien bidrar med ökad kunskap om hur tvingande redovisningsregelverksbyten påverkar bostadsrättsföreningar och liknande associationsformer, samt belyser ekonomiska och praktiska konsekvenser av övergången ur ekonomiska förvaltares och revisorers perspektiv. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Framtida forskning kan undersöka bostadsrättsföreningars styrelsers perspektiv samt analysera de långsiktiga ekonomiska effekterna av övergången till K3
Efficient finite difference modeling of infrasound propagation in realistic 3D domains: Validation with wind turbine measurements
No full textWe present a high-fidelity simulation tool for accurate acoustic modeling across a wide range of applications. The numerical method is based on diagonal-norm Summation-By-Parts (SBP) finite-difference operators, which guarantee linear stability on piecewise curvilinear multi-block grids. Realistic three-dimensional atmospheric and topographic data are directly incorporated into the simulations, and the solver is implemented in CUDA to achieve high computational efficiency. Verification is performed through convergence studies against highly resolved benchmark problems in both two and three spatial dimensions, while validation is carried out using high-quality infrasound measurements from two modern wind farms in Sweden. The results show that modern, large-scale wind turbines generate infrasound levels significantly higher than those reported for older, smaller turbines. These findings advance the understanding of the acoustic characteristics of contemporary wind turbines and provide important guidance for assessing their potential environmental and societal impacts
The effects of extramural English reading on phraseology in L2 writing: A key phrase frames approach
No full textForeign/second language (L2) learners worldwide are increasingly exposed to English outside the classroom through self-initiated, extramural English (EE) activities. Among the diverse types of EE activities, reading stands out as a particularly important activity for students. In particular, it has been shown to foster L2 learner's phraseological knowledge (e.g., phrasal verbs and collocations). This study explores whether the effects of EE reading extend to longer multi-word units by examining discontinuous four-word sequences with a variable slot occupied by fillers (e.g., the most ∗ aspect), known as phrase frames (p-frames). The present study used the Swedish Learner English Corpus (SLEC), which comprises L2 English texts written by junior and senior high school students, to extract texts from learners who read in English every week vs. those who do not. Subsequently, we used a novel method for identifying p-frames that are key to the reading and non-reading groups, respectively, and examined the variability of fillers and structural characteristics of the identified key p-frames. The results show that key p-frames of the reading group are characterized by higher variability than those in the non-reading group. There were very limited differences between the groups at the level of the structural categories, but specifically for the function word frames, the reading group are characterized by p-frames that involved a noun phrase with a post-nominal modifier (e.g., the ∗ of a). In contrast, the non-reading group included more embedded clauses in their texts. Pedagogical implications for the role of language exposure through self-initiated reading are discussed