Publikationer från Mälardalens högskola
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STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN ORGANIZATIONAL MERGERS : A CASE STUDY OF TWO SMALLER REGIONAL ACTORS
No full textThe purpose of this study is to explore and explain how strategic change management is applied in a merger during the integration phase, with a particular focus on a smaller, regional actor in Sweden. This study employed a qualitative single-case design to explore strategic change management during the integration phase of a merger between two smaller regional organizations. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, and analyzed thematically to capture key dynamics in practice. This study concludes that strategic change management in mergers between smaller, locally rooted organizations is best understood as a relational and context-sensitive process. Rather than following linear models, change is shaped through ongoing communication, participation, cultural negotiation, and emotionally responsive leadership.Syftet med denna studie är att utforska och förklara hur strategisk förändringsledning tillämpas i en fusion under integrationsfasen, med särskilt fokus på en mindre, regional aktör i Sverige. Denna studie genomfördes som en kvalitativ fallstudie med syftet att undersöka strategisk förändringsledning under integrationsfasen i en fusion mellan två mindre, regionala organisationer. Data samlades in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer, dokumentanalys och analyserades tematiskt för att fånga centrala dynamiker i praktiken. Studien visar att strategisk förändringsledning i fusioner mellan mindre, lokalt förankrade organisationer bäst förstås som en relationell och kontextkänslig process. Förändring formas snarare genom kontinuerlig kommunikation, delaktighet arbete, kulturell förhandling och emotionellt lyhört ledarskap än genom linjära modeller.
Improving Production Lines using Value Stream Mapping
No full textThis thesis aims to improve a new production line in the manufacturing industry by applying VSM to identify inefficiencies and recommend actions for optimization. The study seeks to answer the following research questions: RQ1: What factors contributing to inefficiencies in a production line can be identified using VSM? RQ2: What improvements can be recommended to optimize a production line using VSM? The study applied an abductive research approach, combining theory and empirical data in an iterative process. Data collection involved both qualitative and quantitative methods, including observations, interviews, and performance measurements. Using qualitative and quantitative analysis, inefficiencies were identified, and improvement recommendations were formulated. The study's reliability and validity were enhanced through triangulation of multiple data sources. The thesis found that hidden inefficiencies, such as excess inventory, large batch sizes, manual handling and machine bottlenecks occur when setting up a new production line. By applying VSM, these inefficiencies can be identified and adjusted early, leading to reduced lead times and holding costs. Thus, the thesis concludes that the early use of VSM supports lean principles by helping companies reduce waste and improve production flow
Evolving Recruiter Roles and Identities in the Era of AI-Driven Hiring
No full textABSTRACT Date: 2025-06-04Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 crInstitution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen UniversityAuthors: Erik Edman(1997-10-27), William Andersson(1999-11-10), Munir Osman(2000-01-03) Title: Evolving Recruiter Roles and Identities in the Era of AI-Driven HiringSupervisor: Aziza Al GhafriKeywords: AI in recruitment, recruiter competencies, role transformation, socio-technical systems, structuration theory Research question: How is AI reshaping recruiters' roles and competencies within contemporary hiring practices? Purpose: AI’s rapid evolution presents opportunities for integration across a multitude of areas. However, use in recruitment practices remains unexplored. The purpose of this study is to explore how the increasing integration of AI in recruitment processes transforms the roles, competencies, and professional identity of recruiters, considering both opportunities and challenges in the evolving hiring landscape. Method: A qualitative mono-method design was used, employing semi-structured interviews with recruiters complemented by secondary literature. Data were analyzed through a deductive thematic analysis based on Socio-Technical Systems Theory, Structuration Theory, Breaugh’s Recruitment Model, and the Value-Based Adoption Model. Conclusion: AI is reshaping recruitment by automating administrative tasks and shifting recruiter roles toward strategic functions. Recruiters are required to develop new competencies such as data literacy and ethical oversight while maintaining human-centered skills like empathy and judgment. While AI can improve efficiency and reduce biases, challenges remain regarding transparency, fairness, and candidate experience. Organizations must invest in recruiter upskilling and ethical AI use to ensure a balanced and inclusive hiring process where technology complements, rather than replaces, human decision-making
Customer Expectations of AI Chatbot Attributes and Their Influence on Expected Satisfaction in B2C Banking: An Empirical Study : An empirical study on the expectations of relevant constructs in customer operations of AI-powered banking chatbots regarding customer satisfaction
No full textThis thesis examines how customer expectations regarding the four AI chatbot attributes, Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Communication Quality, and Problem-Solving of AI banking chatbots influence Expected Customer Satisfaction in B2C banking. The purpose of this study is to derive practical recommendations for the development and implementation of AI banking chatbots based on the quantitative findings. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected via an online questionnaire to measure the relationship between each of the AI chatbot attributes and expected customer satisfaction. Multiple linear regression revealed that approximately 65.2% of the variance in Expected Customer Satisfaction can be explained by participants’ expectations regarding the four evaluated AI chatbot attributes. Among them, Expected Perceived Usefulness had the strongest influence, emphasizing the importance of features that support routine banking tasks. Expected Communication Quality was ranked second, likely due to positive prior experiences with AI chatbots in non-banking contexts. Expected Problem-Solving followed, suggesting that users may not fully trust chatbots with complex banking issues. The relationship between Expected Perceived Ease of Use and Expected Customer Satisfaction was not statistically significant and therefore not interpretable
Exploring the Conditional Effects of Managerial Trust on Employee Motivation During Organizational Change : A qualitative research using ABI-model to explore trust and motivation in times of change
No full textThe purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of how employees' trust in their immediate managers evolves during periods of organizational change and how this in turn affects motivation in the workplace. This study uses a qualitative research approach by using semi-structured interviews with eleven participants from different organizations, where each has undergone one or more organizational changes. Thereafter, a thematic analysis was performed based on the ABI model of trust as an analytical framework. The findings show that trust in immediate managers plays a crucial role in shaping employee motivation during organizational change. Trust is built or eroded depending on the leader's ability, benevolence and integrity. Where integrity turned out to be the most critical factor. The study concludes that balanced and consistent leadership through these dimensions is crucial to maintaining employee engagement during times of uncertainty.
Keys to engagement : A study on student´s attitudes towards English reading in sixth grade
No full textSyftet med denna studie var att undersöka elevers attityder till engelskspråkig läsning samt vilka faktorer som kan påverka dessa attityder. Datainsamlingen bestod av en digital enkät och gruppintervjuer som genomfördes av elever i årskurs 6. Resultaten visar att majoriteten av eleverna hade en positiv inställning till att läsa engelskspråkig litteratur och ansåg att det var viktigt för framtiden, både för kommunikation, studier och arbetsliv. Faktorer som påverkade attityden var bland annat tillgången till intressant material, läsningens relevans för elevernas vardag samt det stöd de fick i skolan och i hemmet. Studien belyser vikten av att erbjuda meningsfulla anpassade lästillfällen i engelskundervisningen för att stärka elevernas motivation och språkutveckling
Palliativ vård vid livets slutskede : en allmän litteraturöversikt om sjuksköterskors erfarenheter
No full textBackground: Palliative care begins when patients are diagnosed with an incurable illness leading to death. The goal of end-of-life care is to enhance the quality of life and alleviate suffering during the patients final days. A holistic approach is aimed for focusing on the person rather than the disease. Both patients and relatives fear that this is not the casePrevious research shows that patients experience that they are still people and not their disease, therefore want to be treated as a person of value. Aim: The aim of the study was to provide an overview of nurses experience of palliative care at end-of-life. Method: A general litterature review was applied, based on ten articles, six qualitative and four quantitative. Results: Three themes emerged regarding nurses experiences in palliative care at the end-of-life; the importance of communication, the importance of competence and emotional impact. Conclusion: Nurses experience that appropiate competence, good communication and emotional support are crucial at end-of-life care. When these factors are lacking care becomes more difficult, and the quality of care is affected. Effective support for nurses is seen as necessary for them to handle challenges and provide person-centered care at end-of-life.
Jämförande analys av Markowitz och Mertons portföljoptimeringsmodeller under simulerade marknadsförhållanden med hjälp av verkliga data
No full textThis thesis examines two well-known models in portfolio theory: the Markowitz mean-variance optimization model and the Merton continuous-time stochastic framework. Markowitz’s model proposes selecting the highest return at a given point and also limiting risks. It overlooks the influence of an investor’s time, income or consumption preferences. In contrast, the Merton model normally lets investors adjust their allocation and consumption over time through Brownian motion, stochastic differential equations and the Hamilton Jacobi Bellman equation. We simplify the Merton solution to a single period with fixed parameters so it can be compared directly with Markowitz. Based on daily returns on four assets, ten thousand simulated market paths for each model, using a fixed Merton portfolio and similarly for Markowitz portfolio and evaluate them with both standard CAPM regression, recording alpha, beta and R-squared. Markowitz portfolios display low market beta,indicating weak alignment with benchmark returns. In contrast, portfolios derived from the simplified Merton model exhibit tighter and more centered distributions of alpha and beta, suggesting greater stability even after collapsing the dynamic structure into a static form
Mass Balance of Heavy Metals in a Wastewater System : A case study for enhancement of sludge quality in Eskilstuna, Sweden
No full textThis study investigates the heavy metal (HM) mass balance within Ekeby Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Eskilstuna, Sweden, and its upstream sewage network. The aim was to trace and connect sources of HM accumulated in sludge to assess and identify opportunities for reduction, as a foundation for compliance with the REVAQ certification, which is required for applying sludge as a fertilizer on arable land. The eight analyzed elements are Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Silver (Ag), Zinc (Zn), and Mercury (Hg). As this is an empirical study, empirical pollution data were collected from official environmental reports of 17 industrial actors out of 220, alongside data from literature for the HM sources, households, and excessive water. These sources contribute to 0.3%, 51.7%, and 14.7%, respectively, of the total HM mass flow of the incoming wastewater. Unidentified upstream sources, therefore, add up to 14.7% of incoming HM mass flow. The model was developed in excel and STAN (Substance Flow Analysis) software further revealing sludge HM composition from, households (51%), unidentified upstream sources (15%), excessive water (15%), organic waste (3%), internal unidentified sources (2%), and industry (0.3%). Cd, Cr, Ni, and Hg show over 50% of HM mass coming from unidentified sources. Cd was the only HM substantially exceeding the REVAQ thresholds, by over 100%, while the other analyzed HMs are below or near the threshold value. Cd is therefore the most critical HM to reduce in the sludge. The study further concludes that improved monitoring for both the upstream sewage network and within the WWTP will reduce unidentified mass, resulting in clearer opportunities and actions for minimizing HM in the sludge that supports the compliance of the REVAQ certification
ELECTRIFIED LOGISTICS AND PRODUCTION SITES : Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solutions for EV fleet of buses at Svealandstrafiken
No full textWith the integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid come opportunities, but also challenges. Enabling electric vehicles to feed electricity back to the grid is of great significance to both the stability of the grid and the economy of the user. Successful V2G deployment hinges on regulatory support, technological improvements and cross-industry collaboration, offering a synergistic link between the energy and transport sectors. Pilot programs have demonstrated V2G feasibility, particulary in influencing consumer behavior and enhancing grid stability. In this work, Svealandstrafiken electric bus fleet is analysed to provide a charging schedule to mitigate peak demands in the power grid. The power demand of electrical area Stockholm (SE3) is examined and utilized to create average values for February, May and December. Electricity prices from Nord Pool are studied to calculate the cost of vehicle to grid technology. Despite the rigid schedule Svealandstrafiken has for its buses, by using vehicle to grid, it can shave down peaks in the power grid by up to 9.9 MW and make economical savings in different scenarios. ELOG