BELONGING TO T- OR L-PROFESSION? ABOUT PROFESSIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Organizations have been even more knowledge-intensive and profession-orientated during the last years. Professional work has generally certain specific properties related to its working context. Professions working in organizations will add another dimensions of organization structure, culture, strategy and organizational effectiveness in creating, managing and sharing of knowledge. Two different case studies have been made, within two different work disciplines; within aircraft maintenance and emergency health care. This paper explores the conditions for knowledge management activities within different types of professions in the time- and life-critical work practices. The types of professions are called T- and L-professions. The aim of this paper is to examine the challenges of different types of professions characteristics on the knowledge creation, management and sharing in organizations dealing with time- and life-critical activities. Different characteristics exist of the T- and L-professions, respectively. The differences relate to different challenges within the knowledge management in organizations

Kostens inverkan på sårläkning hos äldre

Avsikten med detta examensarbete är att utreda kostens betydelse vid sårläkning i syfte att vårdare skulle kunna använda denna kunskap i praktiken. Detta är en kvalitativ litteraturstudie med induktiv ansats. Artiklarna är analyserade med hjälp av innehållsanalys. Som teoretiska referensramer fungerar Katie Erikssons studie om den mångdimensionella hälsan samt Carola Wärnås studie om dygd och hälsa. Forskningsfrågorna är: Hur kan näringsrekommendationer påverka sårläkning? Hur utreder man näringstillståndet och näringsintaget? När bör man ta i bruk näringstillskott? och Hur motivera äldre att förebygga och sköta sår med hjälp av kost? Till resultatredovisningen användes 23 artiklar. Resultatet visade att många näringsämnen påverkar sårläkningen och äldre har ofta brist på viktiga näringsämnen. De viktigaste näringsämnen som främjar sårläkning är vitamin-c, zink och protein. Näringstillståndet kan utredas med hjälp av enkäter, BMI och antropologiska mätningar. Undernäring är ett allvarligt tillstånd hos äldre och kan framkomma hos underviktiga eller obesa. Obesitet blir allt vanligare och orsakar många hälsoproblem medan lindrig övervikt kan sydda äldre från för tidig död. Näringstillskott används då det normala näringsintaget inte är tillräckligt. Näringstillskott främjar sårläkningen, men äldre behöver handledning i användning av dem så att de hålls motiverade. Äldre bör motiveras att förebygga och sköta sår med hjälp av kost.The aim with this thesis is to study the diet´s impact on wound healing in order to make nurses able to use the information in practice. This is a qualitative literature study with inductive approach. The articles are analyzed with content analysis. As the theoretic framework acts Katie Eriksson´s study “Den mångdimensionella hälsan” and Carola Wärnå´s study “Dygd och hälsa”. The research questions are 1. How can the nutrition recommendations affect wound healing? 2. How is the nutritional status and nutrition intake assessed? 3. When should nutritional supplements be taken in use? and 4. How to motivate elderly to prevent and manage wounds with the help of diet? 23 articles were used to the result. The results showed that many nutrients affect wound healing and elderly often have a lack of essential nutrients. The most important nutrients in wound healing are vitamin-c, zinc and protein. Nutritional status can be assessed using questionnaires, BMI and anthropological measurements. Malnutrition is a serious condition in older people and may emerge in underweight or obese. Obesity is getting more common and it causes many health problems while mild overweight can protect elderly from early death. Nutritional supplements are used when the normal food intake is not sufficient. Nutritional supplements promote wound healing but elderly need guidance in the use of these to keep the motivation up. Elderly should be motivated in preventing and treating wounds with the help of diet. Motivational interviewing is an effective way to get elderly patients to change their lifestyles.Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena on selvittää ruokavalion vaikutus haavan paranemiseen jotta hoitohenkilökunta voi käyttää tätä tietoa käytännössä. Opinnäytetyö on laadullinen kirjallisuuskatsaus induktiivisella lähestymistavalla. Artikkelit analysoidaan sisällönanalyysin avulla. Teoreettisina viitekehyksinä toimivat Katie Erikssonin tutkimus ”Den mångdimensionella hälsan” ja Carola Wärnån tutkimus ”Dygd och hälsa”. Tutkimuskysymykset ovat: Miten ravitsemussuositukset voivat vaikuttaa haavan paranemista? Miten tutkia ravitsemustilaa ja ravintoaineiden saantia? Milloin pitää ottaa käyttöön ravintolisiä? ja miten motivoida ikäihmisiä ehkäisemään ja hoitamaan haavoja ruokavalion avulla? Tutkimustulosten esittelyssä käytettiin 23 artikkelia. Tulokset osoittivat, että monet ravintoaineet vaikuttavat haavan paranemiseen ja ikäihmisillä on usein puutteita välttämättömistä ravintoaineista. Tärkeimmät ravintoaineet haavan paranemisessa ovat c-vitamiini, sinkki ja proteiini. Ravitsemustilaa voidaan arvioida käyttämällä kyselylomakkeita, BMI:tä ja antropologisia mittauksia. Aliravitsemus on vakava tila ikäihmisillä ja voi ilmetä alipainoisilla tai lihavilla ihmisillä. Lihavuus lisääntyy ja aiheuttaa monia terveysongelmia kun taas lievä ylipaino voi ehkäistä varhaista kuolemaa ikäihmisillä. Ravintolisiä käytetään silloin, kun normaali ravinnonsaanti ei ole riittävä. Ravintolisät edistävät haavan paranemista mutta ikäihmiset tarvitsevat ohjausta niiden käytössä jotta motivaatio säilyisi. Ikäihmisiä pitäisi motivoida ehkäisemään ja hoitamaan haavoja ruokavalion avulla. Motivoiva keskustelu on tehokas tapa saada iäkäs potilas muuttamaan elämäntapoja

Assessing the business value of electronic order-to-payment cycle

In this paper, we build an evaluation tool for assessing the business impacts of an electronic order-topayment cycle. Based on a literature review and expert interviews, we formulate a three-stage model which includes performance indicators for electronic order, electronic invoice, and electronic payment processes. In addition, we pinpoint the inter-process linkages. We test the proposed evaluation tool in a business context and find that the impacts of automating the order-to-payment cycle relate closely to cost avoidance. However, a strong emphasis on asset utilization can be observed as well – better use of IT could enhance utilization of existing human resources and capital, affecting company profitability

Well-being in Old Age: A Question of Both Continuity and Change

In this chapter, we are concerned with the well-being of people in old age, living at a residential care home (RCH), and how well-being can be supported in gerontological social work and care at the RCH. Based on empirical data consisting of well-being narratives with elderly residents (average age of 91), a dialogical performance analysis was undertaken about their experiences of well-being at the RCH. The findings of importance are reported through three themes: (1) childhood memories as a source of well-being, (2) family and work as a source of well-being, and (3) opportunities for the well-being of the elderly at the RCH. To be an individual with others is a phenomenon of a personal sense of self and a phenomenon of sociality. Well-being is also found in the individual’s self-renewal. Well-being is about a sense of both individual continuity and change. Well-being is created in social situations with others (including caregivers) in daily interactions and in human contacts at the RCH. This kind of individual self-renewal is about human growth and is a human need regardless of age. Consequently, the human growth in (and despite) old age at RCH should be the main target of gerontological social work and care

The value of flexibility for pulp mills investing in energy efficiency and future biorefinery concepts

Changing conditions in biomass and energy markets require the pulp and paper industry to improve energy efficiency and find new opportunities in biorefinery implementation. Considering the expected changes in the pulp mill environment and the variety of potential technology pathways, flexibility should be a strong advantage for pulp mills. In this context, flexibility is defined as the ability of the pulp mill to respond to changing conditions. The aim of this article is to show the potential value of flexibility in the planning of pulp mill energy and biorefinery projects and to demonstrate how this value can be incorporated into models for optimal strategic planning of such investments. The paper discusses the requirements on the optimization models in order to adequately capture the value of flexibility. It is suggested that key elements of the optimization model are multiple points in time where investment decisions can be made as well as multiple scenarios representing possible energy price changes over time. The use of a systematic optimization methodology that incorporates these model features is illustrated by a case study, which includes opportunities for district heating cooperation as well as for lignin extraction and valorization. A quantitative valuation of flexibility is provided for this case study. The study also demonstrates how optimal investment decisions for a pulp mill today are influenced by expected future changes in the markets for energy and bioproducts

Med alla barn i fokus - om förskolans roll i flerspråkiga barns språkutveckling

I denna artikel står flerspråkiga barns språkliga situation i förskolan i fokus och syftet är att lyfta fram och diskutera hur förskollärare kan stödja dessa barns möjligheter att utveckla sitt ordförråd

Optical and Electrochemical Characterisation of Carbon Anodes with Varying Porosity and Coke Quality

The performance of carbon anodes in aluminium production will depend on both the coke quality (impurities, structure) and the physical properties of the anode (density, permeability, electric resistivity). Here, a set of industrial anodes of different porosity and permeability, and a set of pilot-scale anodes of different calcined petrol cokes (CPC) were evaluated with respect to the anode potential, voltage oscillations, and double-layer capacitance. Electrochemical characterisation of anodes with different permeability showed that the voltage oscillations due to CO2 bubble formation on the horizontal anode surface was inversely correlated to the permeability, with the highest oscillations observed for dense anodes. Evaluating pilot-scale anodes with different source CPC (1.4–5.5 wt% S), no significant differences were observed for the overpotential in the absence of bubbles. The anode made from isotropic coke showed a significantly higher double-layer capacitance than the anisotropic anodes, indicating better wetting properties towards the electrolyte.acceptedVersio

Management challenges for future digitalization of healthcare services

eHealth is considered a solution to current challenges in healthcare. However, its use is not very well developed, and its potential has been little exploited. There are many reasons for the limited diffusion of eHealth. Knowledge, opportunities for training and collaborative activities are examples of factors that influence diffusion. Managerial responsibility is decisive in transforming healthcare. This paper aims at exploring middle management strategies that can facilitate workplace learning when introducing eHealth and new ways of providing healthcare. Introduction of eHealth will imply new and innovative working processes, where both employees and managers need to be aware that their work will change fundamentally, from routine work to work that involves learning, skills development and continuous changes in work practice. This study takes a qualitative approach by analysing data collected through focus group interviews. The findings indicate a necessity for a shift towards learning-oriented leadership and adaptive management that emphasizes employee involvement and opportunities for learning. Helping employees make sense of the complexities associated with continuously changing work practices is another identified middle management strategy. Scenario planning and backcasting stand out as suitable tools for sensemaking in complex organizations and as techniques that can promote workplace learning.publishedVersio

Modification of the asthma quality of life questionnaire (standardised) for patients 12 years and older

BACKGROUND: The age limit for some adult asthma clinical trials has recently been lowered to 12 years. In this study we have made minor modifications to the standardised version of the adult Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ(S)) to make it valid for patients 12 years and older (AQLQ12+). METHODS: We have used two clinical trial databases, in which the AQLQ12+ was used, to compare the measurement properties of the questionnaire in patients 12–17 years and patients 18 years and older. A total of 2433 patients (12–75 years), with current asthma and with data that could be evaluated both at randomisation and end of treatment, were included. RESULTS: The analysis showed that internal consistency, responsiveness and correlations with other clinical indices were very similar in patients 12–17 years and patients 18 years and older. CONCLUSION: The measurement properties of the AQLQ12+ are similar in adolescents and adults and therefore the instrument is valid for use in adult studies which include children 12 years and older