Intelligibility of stereo and 3D-audio call signs for fire and rescue command operators

Presented at the 11th International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD2005)A command operator of fire and rescue units may need to pay attention to several radio calls in the coordination of simultaneous emergency missions. An experiment investigated command operators' ability to discern stereo and 3D-audio call signs presented in background noise of added voice sources. Each of 10 command operators listened to one to four call signs combined with two to four background voices, with the primary task to discriminate the voice of each call sign. A secondary visual and manual response task induced an overall high mental workload. 3D-audio presentation resulted in a slightly increased number of correctly identified call signs. Four background voices reduced accuracy compared to two, and both three and four simultaneously presented call signs resulted in lower accuracy compared to sets of one and two, respectively. The results are discussed in relation to the potential for improving the 3D-audio presentation aiming for increased intelligibility and operator effectiveness

A representation scheme for digital product service system definitions.

The growing trend for delivering physical products to customers as parts of product service systems (PSS) is creating a need for a new generation of Computer Aided Design (CAD) system to support the design of PSS: so-called "PSS-CAD". Key research issues in the development of such systems include building understanding of the kinds of applications that designers of PSS might need and the establishment of well-founded representation schemes to underpin and support communication between PSS-CAD systems. Recent literature includes numerous descriptions of integrated PSS development processes, PSS-CAD tools to support these processes and early meta-models to provide information support. This paper complements this work by proposing a representation scheme that is a key prerequisite to achieving the interoperability between PSS-CAD systems which would be necessary to support the deployment of integrated PSS development processes in industry. The representation scheme, a form of meta-model, draws on learning from the product definition community that emerged in the 1970s in response to a need for interoperability between the different shape-based CAD systems that were being developed at the time. The initial focus on shape representation has developed to digital product definitions that define the design of a product coupled with meta-data recording details of processes by which the design was created and, more recently, supported through-life. Similarly, PSS-related information includes both PSS definitions, to support the lifecycles of physical products and associated services, and meta-data needed to support the management of PSS development processes. This paper focuses on information requirements for the definition of service elements of PSS and relationships with product elements and service actors. These requirements are derived from earlier work on the use of service blueprinting for the visualisation and mapping of service activities to deliver different types of service contract. Key information requirements addressed include the need to represent service process flow and breakdown structures, relationships between service and product elements, substitution relationships, and service variants. A representation scheme is proposed and demonstrated through application to a PSS case study. The representation scheme is built on a generic information architecture that has already been applied to problems of product definition; as such there is an underlying compatibility that offers real promise in the future realisation of integrated PSS development processes

Consultant managers work methods and leadership within the tree-party relationship : A qualitative study regarding Swedish consultant managers work to improve well- being amongst consultants

Bakgrund: Bemanningsföretag är en bransch som vuxit allt mer efter avregleringen av den svenska arbetsmarknaden 1993. De konsulter som anställs via bemanningsföretag och sedan hyrs ut till kundföretag har en osäker anställning vilket har en effekt på deras välmående. Konsultcheferna som ansvarar för konsulterna verkar i en trepartsrelation vilket påverkar deras arbetsmetoder och ledarskap. Ett kunskapsgap har identifierats inom den svenska arbetsmarknaden gällande hur dessa arbetsmetoder och ledarskap används för att förbättra konsulternas välmående.  Syfte: Syftet är att beskriva svenska konsultchefers arbetsmetoder och ledarskap för att förbättra konsulters välmående i kontext av att existera i en trepartsrelation.  Metod: Studien har en induktiv ansats där skapandet av kunskap utgått ifrån den kvalitativt insamlade empirin. För att beskriva svenska konsultchefers arbetsmetoder och ledarskap för att förbättra konsulters välmående har en fallstudie genomförts med åtta informanter genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Empirin analyserades sedan genom en tematisk analys.  Slutsats: Studiens resultat beskriver hur konsultchefer antar olika roller i linje med Ulrich fyra HR-roller. Inom dessa roller har vi identifierat olika arbetsmetoder som konsultchefer använder för att förbättra välmående bland konsulterna. För att kunna utföra dessa roller anpassat till konsulternas behov kan ett situationsanpassat ledarskap användas som justeras utifrån konsultens behov av relation med konsultchefen, samt konsultens behov av konsultchefens närvaro. En slutsats har dragits gällande att konsultcheferna använder ett situationsanpassat ledarskap, i kombination med de olika arbetsmetoderna, för att förbättra välmående bland konsulterna. Background: The temporary staffing industry has been growing since the de-regulation of the Swedish labor market in 1993. The consultants who are employed by staffing agencies and then leased out to client companies have an insecure employment, which affects their well-being. The consultant managers that are responsible for these consultants exist in a three-party relationship, which impacts their work methods and leadership. A knowledge gap has been identified within the Swedish labor market regarding how work methods and leadership are used to improve the well-being of the consultants.  Purpose: The purpose is to describe Swedish consultant managers work methods and leadership to enhance the well-being of consultants, in context of existing within a three-party relationship.  Methos: The study uses an inductive approach, where the creating of knowledge is based on qualitative collected empirical data. To describe Swedish consultant managers work methods and leadership to enhance the well-being of consultants, a case study was conducted with eight participants through semi-structured interviews. The empirical data was then analyzed using a thematic analysis.  Conclusion: The findings of the study illustrate that consultant managers manage various roles aligned with Ulrich ́s four HR roles. Within these roles, we have identified different work methods that consultant mangers use to enhance the well-being of their consultants. To effectively perform these roles modified to the consultant ́s needs, a situational readership approach can be utilized, which is adjusted according to the consultant ́s need for a relationship with the consultant manager and their need for the manager ́s presence. A conclusion has been drawn that consultant managers use a situational leadership approach, in combination with the different work methods, to improve the well-being of consultants.

Consultant managers work methods and leadership within the tree-party relationship : A qualitative study regarding Swedish consultant managers work to improve well- being amongst consultants

Bakgrund: Bemanningsföretag är en bransch som vuxit allt mer efter avregleringen av den svenska arbetsmarknaden 1993. De konsulter som anställs via bemanningsföretag och sedan hyrs ut till kundföretag har en osäker anställning vilket har en effekt på deras välmående. Konsultcheferna som ansvarar för konsulterna verkar i en trepartsrelation vilket påverkar deras arbetsmetoder och ledarskap. Ett kunskapsgap har identifierats inom den svenska arbetsmarknaden gällande hur dessa arbetsmetoder och ledarskap används för att förbättra konsulternas välmående.  Syfte: Syftet är att beskriva svenska konsultchefers arbetsmetoder och ledarskap för att förbättra konsulters välmående i kontext av att existera i en trepartsrelation.  Metod: Studien har en induktiv ansats där skapandet av kunskap utgått ifrån den kvalitativt insamlade empirin. För att beskriva svenska konsultchefers arbetsmetoder och ledarskap för att förbättra konsulters välmående har en fallstudie genomförts med åtta informanter genom semistrukturerade intervjuer. Empirin analyserades sedan genom en tematisk analys.  Slutsats: Studiens resultat beskriver hur konsultchefer antar olika roller i linje med Ulrich fyra HR-roller. Inom dessa roller har vi identifierat olika arbetsmetoder som konsultchefer använder för att förbättra välmående bland konsulterna. För att kunna utföra dessa roller anpassat till konsulternas behov kan ett situationsanpassat ledarskap användas som justeras utifrån konsultens behov av relation med konsultchefen, samt konsultens behov av konsultchefens närvaro. En slutsats har dragits gällande att konsultcheferna använder ett situationsanpassat ledarskap, i kombination med de olika arbetsmetoderna, för att förbättra välmående bland konsulterna. Background: The temporary staffing industry has been growing since the de-regulation of the Swedish labor market in 1993. The consultants who are employed by staffing agencies and then leased out to client companies have an insecure employment, which affects their well-being. The consultant managers that are responsible for these consultants exist in a three-party relationship, which impacts their work methods and leadership. A knowledge gap has been identified within the Swedish labor market regarding how work methods and leadership are used to improve the well-being of the consultants.  Purpose: The purpose is to describe Swedish consultant managers work methods and leadership to enhance the well-being of consultants, in context of existing within a three-party relationship.  Methos: The study uses an inductive approach, where the creating of knowledge is based on qualitative collected empirical data. To describe Swedish consultant managers work methods and leadership to enhance the well-being of consultants, a case study was conducted with eight participants through semi-structured interviews. The empirical data was then analyzed using a thematic analysis.  Conclusion: The findings of the study illustrate that consultant managers manage various roles aligned with Ulrich ́s four HR roles. Within these roles, we have identified different work methods that consultant mangers use to enhance the well-being of their consultants. To effectively perform these roles modified to the consultant ́s needs, a situational readership approach can be utilized, which is adjusted according to the consultant ́s need for a relationship with the consultant manager and their need for the manager ́s presence. A conclusion has been drawn that consultant managers use a situational leadership approach, in combination with the different work methods, to improve the well-being of consultants.