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Leadership and Digitalization : A study on the role of leadership in digitalization in the public sector
No full textStudien undersöker ledarskapets påverkan på digital transformation inom offentlig sektor, där ledare står inför utmaningar i att implementera och främja digitala verktyg och processer. I en alltmer digitaliserad värld står ledare inför unika utmaningar när det gäller att implementera och främja digitala verktyg och processer. Genom en kvalitativ metodologisk ansats, som består av semistrukturerade intervjuer med ledare inom den offentliga sektorn, undersöker denna uppsats strategier och ledarskapsstilar som anses lämpliga för att navigera digital transformation. Studien framhäver betydelsen av tillitsbaserat och transformativt ledarskap för att säkerställa medarbetares engagemang och framgångsrik implementering av digitala system. Den betonar vikten av kontextuella faktorer, såsom organisatoriskt engagemang, kontinuerlig utvärdering och genomförande för att leda en effektiv digitalisering. Genom att belysa ledarskapets strategiska och praktiska aspekter försöker uppsatsen bidra till en djupare förståelse för hur organisationer kan navigera och anpassa sig till den komplexa digitala förändringsmiljön. Vidare identifieras nyckelfaktorer som påverkar ledarskapets effektivitet och erbjuder insikter om hur ledare kan stödja och vägleda sina organisationer genom digital transformation. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur ledarskap och ledarskapsstilar påverkar den digitala transformationsprocessen inom den offentliga sektorn. Resultaten visar att ett tillitsbaserat och transformativt ledarskap är betydelsefull för att säkerställa medarbetares engagemang och framgångsrik implementering av digitala system. Studien identifierar även nyckelfaktorer som påverkar ledarskapets effektivitet under digitaliseringsprocesser, som kontext/omgivning, engagemang, kontinuerlig utvärdering och genomförande. Genom att integrera dessa insikter bidrar uppsatsen med en teoretisk och praktisk förståelse för hur ledare kan stödja och vägleda sina organisationer genom den digitala transformationens komplexitet.This study examines the impact of leadership on digital transformation within the public sector, where leaders face challenges in implementing and promoting digital tools and processes. In an increasingly digitalized world, leaders encounter unique challenges regarding the implementation and promotion of digital tools and processes. Through a qualitative methodological approach, which includes semi-structured interviews with leaders in the public sector, this thesis highlights the strategies and leadership styles deemed appropriate for navigating digital change. The study emphasizes the importance of trust-based and transformational leadership to ensure employee engagement and successful implementation of digital systems. It underscores the significance of contextual factors, such as organizational commitment, continuous evaluation, and execution, to lead effective digitalization. By revealing the strategic and practical aspects of leadership, the thesis aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how organizations can navigate and adapt to the complex environment of digital change. Furthermore, it identifies key factors influencing leadership effectiveness and offers insights into how leaders can support and guide their organizations through digital transformation. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of leadership and leadership styles on the digital transformation process in the public sector. The results show that trust-based and transformational leadership are important for ensuring employee engagement and successful implementation of digital systems. The study also identifies key factors affecting leadership effectiveness during digitalization processes, such as context/environment, commitment, continuous evaluation, and execution. By integrating these insights, the thesis provides a theoretical and practical understanding of how leaders can support and guide their organizations through the complexity of digital transformation
Supply chain resilience and critical dynamic capabilities : a balanced scorecard approach
No full textThis study explores the critical dynamic capabilities (DC) needed to ensure supply chain resilience during large-scale disruptions, such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. By utilising the balanced scorecard (BSC) framework, the research connects dynamic capabilities to organisational strategy and key perspectives on financial performance, processes, growth, and learning. Additionally, it considers the customer perspective to meet changes in demand and internal processes, which reveals the importance of operational-level flexibility. Through 24 expert interviews conducted online and in person in Sweden and Finland, the study demonstrates how strategic resources can be transformed into complementary capabilities that enhance supply chain resilience. The findings indicate that developing dynamic capabilities at all levels of the supply chain is a strategic action for achieving supply chain resilience and crucial for managerial action for effectively responding to large-scale disruptions. The research presents a comprehensive approach to building critical dynamic capabilities organised through the BSC framework.CC-BY 4.0</p
A focused review on numerical computation in wire arc additive manufacturing for high strength low alloy steels : past insights and potential opportunities
No full textWire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) has emerged as a transformative technology in Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM), offering significant advantages for fabricating large, complex metal structures that are often difficult or economically unfeasible to produce using traditional methods. Despite its cost-effectiveness and design flexibility, WAAM continues to rely heavily on trial-and-error attempts to achieve high-quality results, leading to significant time, effort and financial costs, particularly when producing large-scale parts. High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steels, known for their superior strength-to-weight ratios, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, have become essential in industries where high performance is critical, such as aerospace, automotive and construction. The integration of HSLA steels into WAAM presents unique challenges that require precise predictions of material behavior and process dynamics. Recent advancements in numerical computation have significantly enhanced the understanding and optimization of WAAM process and have been disseminated in various publications. However, existing research on dedicated topics is often fragmented and lacks sufficient integration, which limits the potential for comprehensive insights. This review synthesizes the state of the art in research from 2020 to mid-2025, with a particular focus on integrating numerical computation, HSLA and WAAM. Through the application of staggered scaling methods, significant strides have been made in predicting critical outputs such as temperature distribution, residual stresses, part distortion and microstructural evolution at the grain level. Building on past insights, emerging research trends are focusing on more advanced methods to further optimize the WAAM process. One exciting direction is the use of Hybrid Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs), which integrate neural networks, governing physical laws, analytical models and data-driven methods to offer more accurate and efficient process control. Although still in its early stages, this methodology provides an opportunity to address existing gaps in material performance and process optimization. By leveraging past insights and emerging computational methods, future research holds the potential to significantly advance the industrial adoption of HSLA-WAAM, enabling the production of parts with unprecedented design flexibility, customized material performance and enhanced reliability. This could reshape the manufacturing landscape and position manufacturing modelling and MAM as cornerstones of next-generation manufacturing technology.CC BY 4.0</p
Tracing Change in Social Media Use : A Qualitative Longitudinal Study
No full textThis study reveals a significant shift in how users perceive and engage with social media over time. Our analysis is based on qualitative longitudinal research carried out over ten years, involving a small group of participants in 2012, 2017, and 2022. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted using stimulated recall allowing for retrospection and reflection. Through this methodology, we trace the shifting perceptions of social media users, from initially embracing these platforms for quick, fun, and social activities, to later recognizing their potential intrusiveness and seeking strategies to manage their use. We outline three central trajectories that illustrate shifts in social media use across time: from public performance to private interaction, from producing to consuming and from fun to problematic. For HCI and social media studies, these findings underscore the need to prioritize user agency, ethical design practices, and longitudinal research endeavors to understand the evolving impacts of social media.CC BY 4.0</p
Stroke survivors perceived psychosocial health after a stroke : A literature-based study of stroke survivors' experiences after a stroke
No full textBackground: Stroke is a sudden disruption in the brain circulation that leads to oxygen deprivation and brain tissue damage, resulting in neurological impairments. It can cause motor and cognitive deficits, speech difficulties, swallowing problems, and emotional challenges. Stroke is categorized into ischemic and hemorrhagic types. Treatment involves acute interventions and long-termrehabilitation to improve physical function and life’s quality.Aim: The aim of this study was to describe stroke survivors’ experiences of psychosocial health after a stroke. Method: The chosen method was an integrated synthesis of qualitative research inspired by meta-synthesis. Results: A stroke can affect a stroke survivor’s life in many different ways. The experiences arethat psychosocial health, health as well as relationships with other people can be affected.The analysis and interpretation of the articles resulted in two themes: A process of adjustment and The importance of the surroundings. These themes were further divided into four subthemes: The importance of recovery for psychosocial health, A changed existence, Support from healthcare staff, peers and family, and The significance of animals and the stroke group. Conclusion: It is important to offer the possibility to talk to someone within the healthcare after discharge. When returning home there is a new everyday life waiting for stroke survivors. Theyhave to adjust to a new way of coping with everyday routines as well as memory loss and fatigue affecting daily life.Stroke beror på en blödning eller en propp i hjärnan vilket leder till att syretillförseln till hjärnan påverkas. Hur omfattande sjukdom är och vilka delar av kroppen som drabbas är individuellt samt kan drabbar strokeöverlevare i alla samhällsklasser inte bara i Sverige utan i hela världen. En strokeöverlevare påverkas både känslomässigt, psykosocialt och fysiskt av en stroke. Uppsatsen baseras på kvalitativa artiklar. Syftet med studien var att beskriva strokeöverlevares upplevelser av psykosocial hälsa efter en stroke. Resultatet visar att strokeöverlevare (en person som drabbats av stroke) upplever att deras känslomässiga och psykosociala hälsa påverkar återhämtningen. Några uttryck för detta är positiv inställning till att lära sig att klara vardagssituationer igen och att sätta rimliga mål för att klara vardagen var givande vilket förbättrade den psykosociala hälsan. Det förekommer också rädslor för att råka ut för en stroke igen eller stress och oro för att klara vardagssituationer eller möten med andra människor vilket påverkar psykosocial hälsa till det sämre. Resultat har visat sig att det finns ett behov av att prata med någon efter en stroke. I omvårdnaden kan sjuksköterskan erbjuda samtalsstöd för att prata om sjukdomen, uppmuntra till att ta stöd av familjen eller söka kontakt med de som har liknande erfarenheter. Samtalsstöd har saknats i många fall. De som haft någon att prata med antingen i grupp eller enskilda samtal upplever att deras psykosociala hälsa påverkats till det bättre. Djur har också haft betydelse för att minska osäkerheten och skapa trygghet efter en stroke. Strokeöverlevare upplever att det finns brist på uppföljning från sjukvården och att resursbrist medfört bristande rehabilitering efter utskrivning från sjukhuset vilket försämrar det psykosociala hälsan. Examensarbetet bidrar till att öka sjuksköterskans förståelse för hur bemötande, uppföljning, information, inställning, djur och evidensbaserad omvårdnad av strokeöverlevare påverkar deras psykosocial hälsa. Den ökade förståelsen kan sjuksköterskan ta med sig i sin omvårdnad
Integrated vision-based seam tracking system for robotic laser welding of curved closed square butt joints
No full textThis study presents a vision-based closed-loop tracking system designed specifcally for robotic laser beam welding of curved and closed square butt joints. The proposed system is compared against 11 existing solutions reported in the literature, which employ various sensor principles for the same application. The system employs a non-contact, non-intrusive machine vision approach, seamlessly integrated into the laser beam welding head to mitigate challenges associated with sensor forerun. Key features include an of-axis LED illumination, an optical flter, and a movable actuator, facilitating real-time image processing and closed-loop control during the welding process. Experimental validation was conducted on stainless-steel plates with complex closed square butt joints. The system achieved a mean absolute joint-to-beam ofset of 0.14 mm across four test cases, with a maximum ofset of 0.85 mm, demonstrating its robustness and precision. Comparative analysis underscores the proposed method’s advantages, showcasing its potential for industrial applications in laser beam welding of geometrically challenging joints.CC BY 4.0</p
Who’s account(able)? : Making sense of Instagram in vocational teaching practices
No full textWhile social media in an educational context has interested researchers for a long time, its use in vocational education constitutes a sparsely explored field of research. In this study, we explore how three vocational teachers in Sweden make sense of Instagram in their teaching practice through interviews and analyses of their Instagram accounts over time. Technological frames are used as a theoretical lens to explore how teachers perceive the nature, the strategy, and the use of Instagram at an individual level. Results show that initiatives, motivations, and approaches clearly differ among the teachers and that questions about accountability and expectations on the teacher and the accounts remain vague. Contributions include demonstrating how vocational teachers make sense of Instagram and how it can be linked to different levels of engagement that are rooted in diverse perceptions of how their role and their practice can be supported. CC BY</p
‘Design justice’ and transformative pedagogy : Experiments in globally connected learning with the global classroom for democracy innovation
No full textThe Global Classroom for Democracy Innovation (GCDI) explores the impact that critical design frameworks like ‘design justice’ can have on student experiences and capacity building. Positioning students and civil society partners as co-creators and co-designers, while designing spaces that invite lived experience and facilitate collaborative work, can offer new pathways to reanimate the higher education learning environment. These experiences, particularly when engaging with “wicked problems”, can also be transformative. However, higher education systems, along with any intervening design frameworks, must be folded into an iterative praxis to ably support justice-oriented work. This paper is based on our experiences managing an internationally collaborative learning project spanning four continents and offers practical insights for educators interested in reimaging the function and form of higher education
Child-to-Parent Violence in Sweden : Validation of the Abusive Behavior by Children- Indices (ABC-I) and the Prevalence of Abusive Behavior
No full textPurpose Child-to-parent violence (CPV) is an increasingly important social issue, with most research concentrated in a few countries, highlighting a need for more research on the subject. In this study, we therefore validate the Swedish version of the Abusive Behavior by Children-Indices (ABC-I), a self-report tool with subscales for verbal aggression, coercive behavior, and physical aggression. We also explore the prevalence of CPV among Swedish adolescents. Methods Using data from a self-report survey conducted among a stratifed sample of adolescents in southern Sweden (N=5310; 53.2% female; Mage=16.17, SD=1.6), we validated the three-component structure of the ABC-I using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). We also analyzed diferences in the prevalence of various types of abuse and aggression by sons and daughters against mothers, fathers, or either parent using Pearson’s chi-square test. Results The Swedish version of the ABC-I shows predictive and concurrent validity in capturing CPV across genders and age groups, although caution is advised when interpreting the verbal aggression scale. The overall prevalence of any form of abusive behavior toward parents was 15% (5% for physical abuse, 4% for verbal abuse, 11% for coercive behavior). Violence against mothers was more common than against fathers, with daughters being more aggressive and abusive, particularly toward mothers. Conclusions We argue that the Swedish version of the ABC-I constitutes a valuable tool for assessing CPV. The relatively high prevalence of overall CPV underscores the need for further research in order to develop efective prevention strategies and interventions.FundingOpen access funding provided by Malmö University. This research was supported by a grant from Forte, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare.</p
A Study of Quality Deficiency Costs : Analysis and Improvement of Deviation Management Processes
No full textDenna rapport undersöker och analyserar kvalitetsavvikelsehanteringsprocessen inom en verksamhet som arbetar med hydraulik- och vätsketeknik för att identifiera och minska kvalitetsbristkostnader. Studien genomfördes genom en kombination av intervjuer, observationer och dokumentstudier vid fallföretaget. Syftet med denna studie är att ge fallföretaget en djupare förståelse för sin nuvarande avvikelsehanteringsprocess och mätning av kvalitetsbristkostnader. Studien resulterade i en identifiering av brister i processägandeskap, informationsflöden och systemstöd, vilket leder till ineffektivitet och missade möjligheter att reducera kostnader. Rekommendationerna inkluderar implementering av standardiserade arbetsflöden, större fokus på visuell styrning och digitala systemstöd för att bibehålla spårbarhet samt öka flödet i processen och samordning i hanteringen av kvalitetsavvikelser. Studien föreslår också hur uppföljningen av kvalitetsbristkostnader kan förbättras. Resultatet visar på betydande potential för kostnadsbesparingar och kvalitetsförbättringar genom införandet av dessa åtgärder.This report examines and analyzes the quality deviation management process within a company specializing in hydraulics and fluid technology to identify and reduce quality deficiency costs. The study was conducted through a combination of interviews, observations, and document studies at the case company. The purpose of this thesis was to provide the case company with a deeper understanding of its current deviation management process and the measurement of quality deficiency costs. The study identified deficiencies in process ownership, information flows, and systemsupport, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for cost reduction. The recommendations include implementing standardized workflows, emphasizing visual management, and integrating digital systems to maintain traceability while enhancing processflow and coordination in quality deviation handling. The study also suggests ways to improve the follow-up on quality deficiency costs. The findings highlight significant potential for cost savings and quality improvements through these measures