One Hundred Years of Inertia: An Exposé of the Concept of the Psychosocial Work Environment in Swedish Policy and Research

The purpose of this article is to describe a broader concept of the psychosocial work environment, a concept that not only is limited to the individual and her immediate environment but also takes into account a broader context that includes production technology as well as work organization and learning. Based on examples from Sweden, we discuss concepts and approaches to psychosocial work environment and how these have changed over time (e.g., how knowledge about the psychosocial work environment is used to understand and discuss health, management, and development—for individuals, groups, and organizations). The knowledge presented is not new; it has been around a long time. The title of the article—One Hundred Years of Inertia—shows some impatience on the part of its authors given that the pace of change in the work environment has not always been great

Academic Entrepreneurship – Gendered Discourses and Ghettos

In this article, based on texts on academic entrepreneurship as well as on interviews with teachers and researchers at two Swedish universities, we explore how global and local discourses of academic entrepreneurship are constructed and gendered. How can gender mainstreaming interventions be introduced in the arena academic entrepreneurship? We show that the entrepreneurial discourse is met by both counteracting and contributory discourses in academia. We also show that texts promoting entrepreneurship pictures of men address both women and men, while pictures of women are only targeted to women, often found in ‘entrepreneurial ghettos’ and conceptualized as in need of support, as less risk-willing and less willing to commercialize their research. A problem addressed in this article is how to design gender mainstreaming interventions without reproducing such stereotypes. We believe the solution is not gender neutrality, but to move back and forth between liberal feminist and more critical constructionist approaches. .In this article, based on texts on academic entrepreneurship as well as on interviews with teachers and researchers at two Swedish universities, we explore how global and local discourses of academic entrepreneurship are constructed and gendered. How can gender mainstreaming interventions be introduced in the arena academic entrepreneurship? We show that the entrepreneurial discourse is met by both counteracting and contributory discourses in academia. We also show that texts promoting entrepreneurship pictures of men address both women and men, while pictures of women are only targeted to women, often found in ‘entrepreneurial ghettos’ and conceptualized as in need of support, as less risk-willing and less willing to commercialize their research. A problem addressed in this article is how to design gender mainstreaming interventions without reproducing such stereotypes. We believe the solution is not gender neutrality, but to move back and forth between liberal feminist and more critical constructionist approaches.In this article, based on texts on academic entrepreneurship as well as on interviews with teachers and researchers at two Swedish universities, we explore how global and local discourses of academic entrepreneurship are constructed and gendered. How can gender mainstreaming interventions be introduced in the arena academic entrepreneurship? We show that the entrepreneurial discourse is met by both counteracting and contributory discourses in academia. We also show that texts promoting entrepreneurship pictures of men address both women and men, while pictures of women are only targeted to women, often found in ‘entrepreneurial ghettos’ and conceptualized as in need of support, as less risk-willing and less willing to commercialize their research. A problem addressed in this article is how to design gender mainstreaming interventions without reproducing such stereotypes. We believe the solution is not gender neutrality, but to move back and forth between liberal feminist and more critical constructionist approaches

Entrepreneurship and Gender Equality in Academia – a Complex Combination in Practice

This article takes as its starting point two current trends in academia – the promotion of academic entrepreneurship and innovation and the promotion of gender equality – and discusses how different gender equality perspectives are interwoven, or not, into academia’s transformation processes towards entrepreneurial universities. On the basis of an analysis of 26 interviews conducted with personnel at two Swedish universities, the article investigates how concepts of academic entrepreneurship and innovation on the one hand and gender equality on the other hand are constructed and filled with meaning as well as how they are entangled and what effects are produced by this way of thinking and acting. Our analysis reveals tensions between the two policy goals, together with tensions within each goal. An overall conclusion is that articulations and ways of speaking about the policy goal of academic entrepreneurship and innovation were to some extent interwoven with the policy goal of gender equality, especially in the broader perspectives on academic entrepreneurship. However, the articulations of strategies and practice of the two policy goals essentially ran parallel, and were not entangled with one another. This is because strategies or substantial initiatives for merging gender equality into the agenda of academic entrepreneurship and innovation were lacking

Researching Lean: Methodological implications of loose definitions

Recently, Lean Production (Lean) has become a prevailing management concept in Sweden. However, previous research seems to show that the Lean concept and the impact of Lean vary considerably between organizations. This paper illustrates some key methodological issues that need to be considered when researching loosely defined management concepts such as Lean. The paper is based on a review of the literature and five comparative Swedish cases studies. Our study indicates that Lean has changed over time and that operationalization and interpretations of the concept vary considerably. This study concludes that future Lean studies should include a thorough assessment of the Lean interventions, study settings, and in particular non-Lean factors mediating the outcomes of Lean-inspired change programs

Generalization of a Real-Analysis Result to a Class of Topological Vector Spaces

In this paper, we generalize an elementary real-analysis result to a class of topological vector spaces. We also give an example of a topological vector space to which the result cannot be generalized.Comment: 6 pages, no figure

Välfärdssektorns projektifiering kortsiktiga lösningar av långsiktiga problem?

In this article we use two immigrant projects to identify similarities and consequences in order to discuss and analyse outwarding collaborative projects in human service organizations as a tool for change. The heavy use of projects in a slimmed public sector originates from projects contradictory promises of flexibility and effectiveness in the New Public Management context. Usually projects are used as a way to get more resources to long-term needs but are seldom implemented as planned in the regular organisation. Seemingly politicians, management and civil servants preferred are focusing on the positive side of projects as means to legitimate the organizations and to bring change by targeting and steering activities. However, they tend to overlook the negative consequences from projects. Citizens and participants experience frustration and distrust. The long-term development in organizations is scarce. Projects are seldom implemented meanwhile as the problems the projects were expected to target still are remaining or even are increasing

Bevara bredden i svensk arbetslivsforskning (debatt)

Det finns positiva tecken på att något ska hända med arbetslivsforskningens villkor. Mer bekymmersamt är att facket och arbetsgivarna vill återskapa ett nationellt centrum för arbetslivsforskning i Stockholm. Vi bör inte fortsätta att reproducera bilden av att svensk arbetslivsforskning försvann när Arbetslivsinstitutet lades ned. Det finns många starka forskargrupper på universiteten ute i landet. Nu är det viktigt att vi ser till att de positiva signalerna blir verklighet på ett klokt sätt så att bredden i arbetslivsforskningen säkras

Erfarenheter från en genusanalys av läget inför den nya gruvan i Pajala

Godkänd; 2011; 20110613 (andbra

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