Sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in peripheral lymphocytes of shoe factory workers exposed to solvents.

We examined sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and micronuclei (MN; cytokinesis-block method) in cultured peripheral lymphocytes from 52 female workers of two shoe factories and from 36 unexposed age- and sex-matched referents. The factory workers showed an elevated level of urinary hippuric acid, a biomarker of toluene exposure, and workplace air contained high concentrations of various organic solvents such as toluene, gasoline, acetone, and (in one of the plants only) ethylacetate and methylenediphenyl diisocyanate. The shoe factory workers showed a statistically significant higher frequency of micronucleated binucleate lymphocytes in comparison with the referents. This finding agreed with three preliminary MN determinations (each comprising 27-32 shoe workers and 16-20 controls) performed in one of the plants 2-5 years earlier. The shoe factory workers also had a lower average level of blood hemoglobin than the referents. In contrast, no difference was found between the groups in SCE analysis. Smokers showed significantly higher mean frequencies of SCEs per cell and high frequency cells (HFC) than nonsmokers. Aging was associated with increased MN rates and reduced cell proliferation. Polymorphism of the glutathione S-transferase M1 gene (GSTM1) did not affect the individual level of SCEs; but in smoking shoe workers an effect of the occupational exposure on the frequency of micronucleated cells could be seen only in GSTM1 null subjects. The low prevalence of the glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1) null genotype precluded the evaluation of the influence of GSTT1 polymorphism. Our results show that the shoe factory workers have experienced genotoxic exposure, which is manifest as an increase in the frequency of MN, but not of SCEs, in peripheral lymphocytes. The exposures responsible for the MN induction could not be identified with certainty, but exposure to benzene in gasoline and methylenediphenyl diisocyanate may explain some of the findings

The relationship between the leader’s personality and employees’ experience of work in a distance-context

Studiens syfte var att undersöka relationen mellan chefens personlighet utifrån femfaktorsmodellen och anställdas arbetsupplevelse utifrån krav-kontroll-stödmodellen när arbete skedde på distans. Pearsons korrelationsanalys genomfördes för att ge en översikt över relationen mellan chefens personlighet och anställdas arbetsupplevelse. Vidare undersöktes hur mycket av chefens personlighet förklarade variationer i anställdas arbetsupplevelse samt om och hur respektive personlighetsdimension predicerade anställdas arbetsupplevelse samt delkategorierna krav, kontroll och stöd. Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) användes för att mäta chefens personlighet. Fem delskalor från QPS Nordic (34+) med koppling till krav-kontroll-stödmodellen användes för att mäta anställdas arbetsupplevelse. Resultaten påvisade signifikanta samband mellan respektive personlighetsdimension och anställdas arbetsupplevelse. 57.9% av variationer i anställdas arbetsupplevelse kunde förklaras av chefens personlighet baserat på femfaktorsmodellen. Samvetsgrannhet var den enda personlighetsdimensionen hos chefen som enskilt hade en signifikant prediktion på anställdas totala arbetsupplevelse och samtliga delkategorier.  Extraversion hos chefen hade en signifikant prediktion på anställdas upplevelse av kontroll. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the leader's personality and employees experience of work in a distance context. The study investigated if there was a significant correlation between the leader's personality, based on the five-factory-model, and employees' experience of work, based on the demand-control-support-model. Furthermore, the study explored how much the leader's personality explained the variation in employees' experience of work. Ten Item Personality (TIPI) was used to measure the personality of the boss. Ten questions from QPS Nordic (34+) were used to measure work-experience. The results showed a significant correlation between the leader's personality and distance-workers' experience of work. 57.9% of the variation in the employees' experience of work could be explained by the leader's personality. Concisentiousness was the only dimension that had a significant effect on employees' total experience of work. Extraversion had a significant effect on employees' sense of control.

Institutionella logikers framträdande i rektorers beslutsfattande roll : En kvalitativ studie om möjligheten till tidigare betyg från rektorers perspektiv

The purpose of this work was to contribute with increased knowledge about the role of principals as decision-makers in today's education system. This was done by examining 12 principals' experience and actions in relation to a law change that has meant an opportunity to introduce grades from year 4. Factors that were expressed as being able to influence the principals' decisions regarding earlier grades were their personal attitudes to and experiences of grades, teachers' attitude, contextual factors and science. The results indicated that the principals experiences a high degree of autonomy in the decision regarding earlier grades, although most principals involved teachers and/or the management team in the decision-making process. In general, the principals felt it was positive that they were the ones who made the decision about introducing earlier grades, although several principals expressed that it was strange and that there were risks in relation to equivalence. Many of the principals expressed that they would have preferred the state to have made the decision, especially if it was the same decision as their own. The results indicated that the principals would prefer an education system were decisions that affect their work would be delegated directly to them, alternatively that the state would make these decisions. A resistance to the decision about grades being made at the board- or municipal-level could imply a dissatisfaction with today's education system were the board or the municipal can have a significant influence on how a school is organized and thus on the principal's daily work and possibilities to make decisions. A professional and bureaucratic logic was expressed in a somewhat higher degree than the logic of market in the principals' experience and action in relation to the possibility to introducing earlier grades.

The relationship between the leader’s personality and employees’ experience of work in a distance-context

Studiens syfte var att undersöka relationen mellan chefens personlighet utifrån femfaktorsmodellen och anställdas arbetsupplevelse utifrån krav-kontroll-stödmodellen när arbete skedde på distans. Pearsons korrelationsanalys genomfördes för att ge en översikt över relationen mellan chefens personlighet och anställdas arbetsupplevelse. Vidare undersöktes hur mycket av chefens personlighet förklarade variationer i anställdas arbetsupplevelse samt om och hur respektive personlighetsdimension predicerade anställdas arbetsupplevelse samt delkategorierna krav, kontroll och stöd. Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) användes för att mäta chefens personlighet. Fem delskalor från QPS Nordic (34+) med koppling till krav-kontroll-stödmodellen användes för att mäta anställdas arbetsupplevelse. Resultaten påvisade signifikanta samband mellan respektive personlighetsdimension och anställdas arbetsupplevelse. 57.9% av variationer i anställdas arbetsupplevelse kunde förklaras av chefens personlighet baserat på femfaktorsmodellen. Samvetsgrannhet var den enda personlighetsdimensionen hos chefen som enskilt hade en signifikant prediktion på anställdas totala arbetsupplevelse och samtliga delkategorier.  Extraversion hos chefen hade en signifikant prediktion på anställdas upplevelse av kontroll. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the leader's personality and employees experience of work in a distance context. The study investigated if there was a significant correlation between the leader's personality, based on the five-factory-model, and employees' experience of work, based on the demand-control-support-model. Furthermore, the study explored how much the leader's personality explained the variation in employees' experience of work. Ten Item Personality (TIPI) was used to measure the personality of the boss. Ten questions from QPS Nordic (34+) were used to measure work-experience. The results showed a significant correlation between the leader's personality and distance-workers' experience of work. 57.9% of the variation in the employees' experience of work could be explained by the leader's personality. Concisentiousness was the only dimension that had a significant effect on employees' total experience of work. Extraversion had a significant effect on employees' sense of control.

Institutionella logikers framträdande i rektorers beslutsfattande roll : En kvalitativ studie om möjligheten till tidigare betyg från rektorers perspektiv

The purpose of this work was to contribute with increased knowledge about the role of principals as decision-makers in today's education system. This was done by examining 12 principals' experience and actions in relation to a law change that has meant an opportunity to introduce grades from year 4. Factors that were expressed as being able to influence the principals' decisions regarding earlier grades were their personal attitudes to and experiences of grades, teachers' attitude, contextual factors and science. The results indicated that the principals experiences a high degree of autonomy in the decision regarding earlier grades, although most principals involved teachers and/or the management team in the decision-making process. In general, the principals felt it was positive that they were the ones who made the decision about introducing earlier grades, although several principals expressed that it was strange and that there were risks in relation to equivalence. Many of the principals expressed that they would have preferred the state to have made the decision, especially if it was the same decision as their own. The results indicated that the principals would prefer an education system were decisions that affect their work would be delegated directly to them, alternatively that the state would make these decisions. A resistance to the decision about grades being made at the board- or municipal-level could imply a dissatisfaction with today's education system were the board or the municipal can have a significant influence on how a school is organized and thus on the principal's daily work and possibilities to make decisions. A professional and bureaucratic logic was expressed in a somewhat higher degree than the logic of market in the principals' experience and action in relation to the possibility to introducing earlier grades.