Leadership Driving Successful Implementation of Continuous Improvement Programs - A Case Study Using the Path Goal Model

Title: Leadership Driving Successful Implementation of Continuous Improvement Programs - A Case Study Using the Path Goal Model Authors: Johanna Gustafsson, Paulina Hornay Supervisors: Stein Kleppestø, Ph.D., Associate professor, Department of Business Administration, School of Economics and Management, Lund University. Peter Berling, Associate professor, Department of Industrial Management and Logistics, Lund University. Ola Ljunggren Bergeå, Consultant at C2 Management Issue of study: In the complex and ever changing business environment of today, the need for continuous improvements (CI) in organizations is widely recognized. While quality concepts such as Six Sigma and Lean come and go, the implementation of continuous improvement programs is suggested to create a more sustainable approach by integrating small improvements in the everyday work life and culture of organizations (Ahlström, 2015). C2 Management, a Stockholm-based consultancy firm specializing in continuous improvements, has observed large differences in how well their customers succeed in implementing CI programs as part of their quality management initiatives. A pre-study of data from their customers confirmed this observation. This raises questions about what drives the successful implementation of continuous improvements programs? A literature study of factors for successful implementation of CI programs resulted in a list of activities crucial to CI. When asking four case companies what activities they perform in their work with continuous improvement, to some extent they all conduct most of the activities on the list. This raises further questions about successful implementation. Perhaps it is not about what managers do, rather about how they do it? As Kaye and Anderson (1999) states that leadership by all managers is an important driver for maintaining and implementing successful CI programs, the connection between leadership and CI is interesting to investigate. This study will use the Path Goal model to investigate the potential connection between CI and leadership. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to complement the theory of continuous improvements by investigating the potential connection between CI and leadership using the Path Goal model. Methodology: A deductive approach and qualitative method was used in this study. The study was conducted in three parts. Part one was performed as a pre-study to find the purpose of this study. Analyzing CI data from 29 case companies, reviewing literature on CI to find activities for successful implementation of CI programs and conducting semi-structured interviews in four of these companies. Furthermore, a leadership model for CI was selected in order to analyze the connection between CI and leadership. In part two, a case study was conducted investigating leadership styles in the four case companies using surveys. The results from the case study formed two hypotheses. In part three these hypotheses were tested using a triangulation survey for a larger population of companies. Conclusions: The conclusions of this study indicate that leadership providing employees with motivation is a key factor affecting the success of CI program implementation. Furthermore, companies successful in CI seem to have many leadership styles present in their organizations, compared to companies less successful in CI that seem to have no distinct leadership styles. Therefore, indicating that a diverse leadership behavior is another key factor for successful CI. Additionally, this study contributes with empirical evidence supporting the Path Goal model

På egen risk? - Om ansvaret för personskador vid löpar- och hinderbanetävlingar

Damage in sport is a quite unexplored area of law. It is primarily the situations when an athlete sues another athlete for damage or when a spectator or third party sues an athlete or organizer of sports events for damage that’s been treated in case law and legal research. This essay regards another situation, namely when an athlete raises a claim against an organizer of sports contest. The focus is on running and obstacle racing and intends to investigate what responsibility an organizer of these competitions has for personal injury that a participant incurred during their competition. Upon registration for this type of competitions, the participant accepts the organizers' terms and conditions. In every competition included in this study these conditions stipulates that all participation is at your own risk. Since the contract between the organizers and the participants is a consumer contract, it is interesting to ask whether the conditions should be adjusted and how the responsibility for personal injuries should be distributed. Contractual freedom and that agreements shall be held are important in property law, so is the principle of loyalty and consumer protection. First, it can be noted that in any case, when an organizer, employee or official intentional or by gross negligence causes a participant personal injury, the “at your own risk” clauses shall not be applicable. Even in other situations, I’ve found a couple of arguments for an adjustment of these clauses. The main argument is that it regards personal injury, consumer relationship and that the terms and conditions are unilaterally formulated by the organizers for their own benefit. Also, the fact that certain risks lie entirely within the organizer's sphere of power can be invoked as a basis for adjustment. Cases and research related to the situation this paper deals with is missing. To investigate how responsibility for organizer of running or obstacle races should be formulated after an adjustment of their terms have general principles of contract law and case law of similar situations or other claims against an organizer of sporting events been studied. The responsibility an organizer has for participant's personal injuries can be found to be a fault liability. The fault liability rule means that an organizer is responsible for damage caused by the fact that the safety at the competition are lower than normal standard or that the organizer failed to attempt to prevent common and serious injury. Furthermore, the organizer has a responsibility to warn for risks that are not obvious and inherent with the sport. If there is proximate cause between an organizer's breaking of this fault liability rule and a participant's personal injury, the participant may receive compensation from the organizer. Participation is therefore not at your own risk.Skadestånd vid idrott är ett ganska outforskat område. Både i domstolspraxis och juridisk forskning är det främst situationerna då en idrottare riktar anspråk mot en annan idrottare eller då en åskådare eller utomstående riktar anspråk mot en idrottare eller arrangör av idrottsevenemang som behandlats. Den här uppsatsen handlar om en annan situation, nämligen då en idrottare riktar anspråk mot en arrangör av idrottstävling. Uppsatsen är inriktad på löpar- och hinderbanetävlingar och avser att utreda vilket ansvar en arrangör för dessa tävlingar har för personskador som en deltagare ådrar sig under deras tävling. Vid anmälan till den här typen av tävlingar godkänner deltagaren arrangörernas tävlingsvillkor som i samtliga tävlingar som ingår i den här studien föreskriver att allt deltagande sker på egen risk. Utifrån att avtalen mellan arrangörerna och deltagarna är att se som konsumentavtal är det intressant att ställa sig frågan om villkoret bör jämkas och hur ansvaret för personskador ska fördelas. Avtalsfrihet och att avtal ska hållas är viktiga utgångspunkter i förmögenhetsrätten, så är också lojalitetsprincipen och konsumentskyddet. Först kan konstateras att i alla fall då en arrangör eller funktionär eller anställd hos denne uppsåtligen eller av grov vårdslöshet orsakar en deltagare personskada ska på egen risk-klausulerna inte anses gällande. Även i andra situationer är det mycket som talar för att klausulerna bör jämkas. Främst är det faktumet att det handlar om personskada, konsumentförhållande samt att tävlingsvillkoren är ensidigt formulerade av arrangörerna till deras egen fördel. Också det faktum att vissa risker ligger helt inom arrangörens maktsfär kan åberopas som grund för jämkning. Praxis och forskning som berör den situation den här uppsatsen behandlar saknas. För att utreda hur en arrangör av löpar- eller hinderbanetävlingars ansvar bör formuleras efter en jämkning av deras villkor har därför allmänna avtalsrättsliga principer och praxis från liknande situationer eller då annan riktat skadeståndsanspråk mot en arrangör av idrottsevenemang studerats. Ansvaret som en arrangör då har för deltagares personskador kan konstateras vara ett culpaansvar. Utifrån detta har jag formulerat en culpanorm innebärande att en arrangör ansvarar för skador som orsakats av att anordningarna vid tävlingen inte uppgår till gängse beskaffenhet eller att arrangören underlåtit att försöka förhindra vanligt förekommande och allvarliga skador. Vidare har arrangören ett ansvar för att varna för icke-uppenbara risker med tävlingen. Föreligger adekvat kausalitet mellan en arrangörs vårdslöshet enligt denna culpanorm och en deltagares personskada kan deltagaren erhålla ersättning från arrangören. Deltagandet sker då alltså inte på egen risk

Reumapotilaan purentafysiologia ja unen laatu

Reumatauteihin liittyy monia suun ja purentaelimistön muutoksia. Viime vuosina reumapotilailta on tutkittu sekä TMD-temporomandibular-disorders-oireita, synoviaalinivelnesteiden koostumusta, seerumien immunologisia muutoksia ja uniongelmia että univaikeuksista kärsivien potilaiden ja suun alueen sytokiinejä ja hormonitasoja. Tutkimuksen päätutkimuskysymykset ovat: Onko näillä tutkimuksilla yhteyksiä keskenään? Onko reumapotilaan unenlaatu heikko johtuen taudin patofysiologiasta, ja johtuvatko mahdolliset univaikeudet samoista patofysiologisista syistä kuin reumataudin eteneminen nivelissä? Mikä on purentafysiologisten ongelmien yhteys uniongelmiin? Opinnäytetyö on kirjallisuuskatsaus. Aineistona on käytetty PubMed/Medline, Medic, Käypä hoito ja Terveysportti tietokantoja sekä alan kirjallisuutta. Päätutkimuskysymysten lisäksi on selvitetty suun alueella vaikuttavia reumatauteja, näiden aiheuttamia purentafysiologisia ongelmia ja tunnistusmenetelmiä. Kirjallisuuteen pohjautuen leukanivelen aktiivisissa reumatulehduksissa keskeinen sytokiini on TNF-α, tuumoritekijä-alfa, jolla on havaittu aktiivinen rooli myös unen patofysiologiassa. Useissa tutkimuksissa uniongelmien ja reumatautien välillä on havaittu yhteyksiä. Tutkimukset antavat viitteitä siitä, että unen tehokkuus, sleep efficiency, on reumataudeissa alentunutta, melatoniinin vapautuminen tapahtuu aiemmin kuin verrokeilla, unenaikaiset jalkojen liikkeet, periodic movements of the legs, ovat reumapotilailla lisääntyneitä, ja syväunijakso, slow wave sleep, lyhempi. Myös kuukautiskierrolla on havaittu yhteyksiä unenlaatuun. Parhaaksi kuvantamismenetelmäksi leukanivelen alueen tulehdusten havainnointiin suositellaan kirjallisuudessa tällä hetkellä pääasiassa magneettikuvausta sekä suun avausmittauksia. Myös rahinan määrällä ja seerumin glutamaattitasoilla on havaittu indikaatioarvoa kulumien ennustamiseen

How reserve selection is affected by preferences in Swedish boreal forests

It is important to consider the preferences of the various stakeholders involved when evaluating effective reserve selection, since it is largely their preferences that determine which of a given set of potential reserve networks that actually is "the best". We interviewed eight conservation planners working at the county administrative boards in each of the eight administrative counties covering boreal Sweden to establish weightings for different structural biodiversity indicators by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The subjective weightings were applied in a reserve selection model based on a goal programming (GP) approach. The structural indicators were derived from the Swedish National Forest Inventory (NFI) and used as proxy for biodiversity potential. A biodiversity indicator score, based on the values of those indicators, was maximized. The model adjusted this score ensuring that all indicators were represented in the selection, and further also adjusted the influence of the indicators based on the subjective weightings. We evaluated the GP approach by comparing it to a simple linear programming (LP) formulation, only maximizing the indicator richness. In all cases the model was limited either by a budget or an area. The biodiversity potential in young forests are often neglected within present conservation policies, however, the proportion of selected forest under 15 years was relatively high in all our cost-effective cases, varying between 32% and 60% using the individual planners subjective weightings, compared to 80% when using a simple LP model. The proportion of selected forest over 100 years varied between 69% and 85% in the area-effective cases using the subjective weightings, compared to 80% when using a simple LP model. Middle-aged forest was not favored in any of the selections, although they make up a substantial part of the total area. We conclude that there are differences in how conservation planners prioritize the indicators, and depending on how specific biodiversity indicators are weighted the age distribution of the selected reserves differs. This demonstrates the importance of considering how to establish appropriate weightings. It is also important to consider the, at least in our case, substantial difference in how common the different indicators are to ensure that the weightings get their intended impact on the selections. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Considering future potential regarding structural diversity in selection of forest reserves

A rich structural diversity in forests promotes biodiversity. Forests are dynamic and therefore it is crucial to consider future structural potential when selecting reserves, to make robust conservation decisions. We analyzed forests in boreal Sweden based on 17,599 National Forest Inventory (NFI) plots with the main aim to understand how effectiveness of reserves depends on the time dimension in the selection process, specifically by considering future structural diversity. In the study both the economic value and future values of 15 structural variables were simulated during a 100 year period. To get a net present structural value (NPSV), a single value covering both current and future values, we used four discounting alternatives: (1) only considering present values, (2) giving equal importance to values in each of the 100 years within the planning horizon, (3) applying an annual discount rate considering the risk that values could be lost, and (4) only considering the values in year 100. The four alternatives were evaluated in a reserve selection model under budget-constrained and area-constrained selections. When selecting young forests higher structural richness could be reached at a quarter of the cost over almost twice the area in a budget-constrained selection compared to an area-constrained selection. Our results point to the importance of considering future structural diversity in the selection of forest reserves and not as is done currently to base the selection on existing values. Targeting future values increases structural diversity and implies a relatively lower cost. Further, our results show that a re-orientation from old to young forests would imply savings while offering a more extensive reserve network with high structural qualities in the future. However, caution must be raised against a drastic reorientation of the current old-forest strategy since remnants of ancient forests will need to be prioritized due to their role for disturbance-sensitive species

Turkiets väg mot EU - Villkoren, målen och problematiken med ett eventuellt turkiskt medlemskap

Turkiet har sedan tidigt 1900-tal velat närma sig Europa och allt sedan den Europeiska Unionen bildades har landet velat komma in i gemenskapen som en likvärdig medlem i förhållande till de övriga medlemsländerna. I december 2004 tog EU: s representanter ett revolutionerande beslut som berörde Turkiets framtid inom unionen. Efter flera år av kritik, uteslutande och förnekande från EU: s håll beslöts det att Turkiet får från och med 2005 börja förhandla om ett EU-medlemskap. Turkiets väg mot Europa har varit allt annat än rak. Ända sedan det Osmanskariket och dess framfart i Europa har det funnits motsättningar från europeiskt håll gentemot Turkiet och dess medborgare. Turkarna blev ?barbarerna i söder? och detta har satt sina spår genom historien fram till idag. Skillnader har alltid funnits mellan de kristna europeiska länderna och det muslimska Turkiet, men sedan tidigt 1900-tal har krafter inom Turkiet velat förändra det politiska systemet för att efterlikna det Västerländska. Efter den västinspirerade Atatürk´s utropande av den nya turkiska republiken 1923 gick landet från att ha varit en religionstyrd, traditionell dynasti under ledning av en sultan till en sekulariserad, modern och Europasträvande stat. Turkiet ville så tidigt som 1959 komma med i EG men den första formella ansökan kom inte förrän 1987, vilken dock avslogs. Sedan dess har EU alltid deklarerat att landet haft för stora nationella problem för att komma med i unionen. Dessa har berört politik såväl som ekonomi och EU har krävt att dessa områden måste åtgärdas för att förhandlingar om medlemskap skall kunna inledas. Detta i sin tur har lett till att Turkiet har genomfört reformer i landet för att tillmötesgå dessa krav. Nu när Turkiet tillåtits att inleda förhandlingar menar EU att detta beror på att landet fullgjort sitt arbete med att uppfylla EU: s krav. Många är dock skeptiska om förhandlingarna verkligen aktualiserats på grundval av dessa reformer i och med att det fortfarande råder bristande demokrati och hög fattigdom i landet. Dessa skeptiker menar därför att det finns andra orsaker bakom EU: s plötsliga välvilja gentemot Turkiet

A Digital Society for All? – Meanings, Practices and Policies for Digital Diversity

The concept of digital divides has been on the agenda in research and policy making for at least the last 20 years. But it is still, a challenge to grasp this concept that is so elusive and transforming. Inclusion, access and equality are still key values for democratic governance and must be addressed in particular when forming and contributing to a digital government. This paper seeks to intervene in current debates on digital divides and digital inclusion by analyzing two cases of responses among street-level public administration in relation to e-government services in Sweden. The case studies are strategically chosen and conducted in national agencies and in local public libraries. Three lines of contributions are discussed, firstly the importance to care for equality secondly the need to see the non-users, and thirdly to discuss the potential of putting focus on digital diversity

Den specialiserade socialtjänsten – Sex socialarbetares åsikter om helhetssyn i relation till generalisering och specialisering i organisation och arbetssätt

The aim with this study is to describe and analyze social workers opinions related to generic and specialized social work regarding clients with multifaceted problems. The questions are; how is the social service in X-town organized regarding specialized and generic based social work; what benefits and disadvantages do these have according to the social workers; what impact do generic versus specialized social work have on the holistic approach towards clients and how do these affect the organization of the social service. An inductive method with semi-structured interviews was used and six social workers in a small municipality in the southern part of Sweden participated in the study. The material was analyzed using the theoretical concepts holistic approach, coordination, collaboration, five organizational models and new institutionalism in the shape of isomorphism and legitimacy. The results of the study are that the social service in X-town is a multi-specialized organization and there for is in need of a well-functioning cooperation between the departments to maintain a holistic approach in the work with its clients. The opinions of the social workers in this study are comparable with the general views of specialization as the most rational option when organizing the social services. 90 percent of the social services in Sweden are organized based on specialization. This indicates that a multi-specialized organization is an adaption to the general views and will therefore receive legitimization from the society

Bioaccessibility, bioavailability and toxicity of commercially relevant iron- and chromium-based particles: in vitro studies with an inhalation perspective

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Production of ferrochromium alloys (FeCr), master alloys for stainless steel manufacture, involves casting and crushing processes where particles inevitably become airborne and potentially inhaled. The aim of this study was to assess potential health hazards induced by inhalation of different well-characterized iron- and chromium-based particles, i.e. ferrochromium (FeCr), ferrosiliconchromium (FeSiCr), stainless steel (316L), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and chromium(III)oxide (Cr₂O₃), in different size fractions using in vitro methods. This was done by assessing the extent and speciation of released metals in synthetic biological medium and by analyzing particle reactivity and toxicity towards cultured human lung cells (A549).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The amount of released metals normalized to the particle surface area increased with decreasing particle size for all alloy particles, whereas the opposite situation was valid for particles of the pure metals. These effects were evident in artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF) of pH 4.5 containing complexing agents, but not in neutral or weakly alkaline biological media. Chromium, iron and nickel were released to very low extent from all alloy particles, and from particles of Cr due to the presence of a Cr(III)-rich protective surface oxide. Released elements were neither proportional to the bulk nor to the surface composition after the investigated 168 hours of exposure. Due to a surface oxide with less protective properties, significantly more iron was released from pure iron particles compared with the alloys. Cr was predominantly released as Cr(III) from all particles investigated and was strongly complexed by organic species of ALF. Cr₂O₃particles showed hemolytic activity, but none of the alloy particles did. Fine-sized particles of stainless steel caused however DNA damage, measured with the comet assay after 4 h exposure. None of the particles revealed any significant cytotoxicity in terms of cell death after 24 h exposure.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is evident that particle and alloy characteristics such as particle size and surface composition are important aspects to consider when assessing particle toxicity and metal release from alloy particles compared to pure metal particles. Generated results clearly elucidate that neither the low released concentrations of metals primarily as a result of protective and poorly soluble surface oxides, nor non-bioavailable chromium complexes, nor the particles themselves of occupational relevance induced significant acute toxic response, with exception of DNA damage from stainless steel.</p

The employer's perspective: employment of people with disabilities in wage subsidized employments

The aim of this article is to examine employers' perspectives of the conditions of employment of people with disabilities within a context of wage subsidies. Employers in different workplaces were interviewed, and the interviews were analysed according to qualitative content analysis (Graneheim and Lundman 2004). The results show that four factors – attitude, matching, economic incentives and accommodations – are important for the employment of people with disabilities within a context of wage subsidies. Positive earlier experiences of people with disabilities serve as one of the reasons employers are willing to consider people with disabilities for jobs, but for hiring to take place, there must also be a match between the right person and the right job. Wage subsidies are seen, within this context, as an incentive to hire people who have reduced work capacity; accommodations are seen as necessary for the successful implementation of such hiring decisions. This knowledge can be applied in the design of support measures for unemployed people with disabilities