The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of inclusion and exclusion in academia, with a primary focus on ethnicization/racialization within a local University in Sweden. The discussion about structural discrimination in the Swedish labour market has been going on in the public discourse for several decades. The main focus has been on the inequality between women and men in working life (see, for example, SOU 1993:7; SOU, 1998:6; SOU, 2014:81, but discrimination against non-Swedes and/or non-whites has also been noted, albeit to a somewhat lesser degree (see e.g. Mählck, 2013; Osman, 2021; de los Reyes, 2008; SOU 2005:56; SOU 2006:59). The question of how gender interacts with other categorisations, such as ethnicity and/or ‘race’ have been shown even less interest. Nor has discrimination in higher education attracted much attention, and Swedish as well as European academia is relatively little researched from critical perspectives on power, inclusion, and exclusion. However, the fact that academia, like other educational institutions, always includes aspects of power is nothing new (Ahmed, 2012; Bethoui & Leivestad, 2019; Hübinette & Mählck, 2016). To investigate these issues, the following four questions were in focus: 

1) To what extent do employees perceive themselves included or excluded in relation to ethnicity/’race, class, gender/gender identity, religion, age, sexuality and disability.  

2) What experiences and understandings of inclusion and exclusion processes do employees express?

3) In what contexts do employees perceive that inclusion/exclusion occurs? 

4) How is ethnification/racialization perceived to interact with other social categorizations in relation to inclusion/exclusion? 

Although ethnicity/’race’ has been the focus of the study, we also asked how these categorizations were perceived to interact with gender, age, class, religion and to some extent sexuality and disability. The employees we interviewed have also spontaneously highlighted the importance of how gender, age and class are perceived to affect such things as collegial treatment and career conditions.

As research has pointed out, these are complex processes of demarcation and exclusion that rarely allow themselves to be understood with the help of a social category belonging alone (see, for example, de los Reyes, 2007). Although there are experiences of exclusion that are perceived to have a clear basis in the person's ethnic origin or skin color, such orders cannot be said to be stable and unambiguous (cf. Lundström, 2017).Since norms and notions of ethnicity/'race' are mutually constituted by other power relations, and since social positioning is always context-dependent, we saw it as an analytical necessity to apply an intersectional perspective on the processes of ethnicization and racialization that we investigated. (cf. Mählck, 2012 p. 31). The concept of intersectionality can be traced to the work by black feminist researchers concerned with how oppressive power is embedded in societal structures and systems The intersectional theory concerns primarily how the exercise of power, through intersecting domination and oppression, affects individuals who face multiple social inequities, with consequent multiple marginalisations (Collins, 2019). This criticl social theory gave a lens to analyse understand inclusion and exclusion within a local university context. 

[. . .]

The academy, like any other workplace, is characterized by social, difference-creating processes that, seemly inevitably, results in unequal working conditions among employees. Subtile, informal structures of power, as opposed to the formal once, are both complex and difficult to detect, but research show that patterns of inequality based primarily on gender, ethnicity, religion and language create difficult obstacles to inclusion and equal treatment in academia. So, how about University West? How inclusive are we as an organization? What do the employees themselves have to say, if asked? The overall aim of our research project was, in accordance with the above-mentioned questions, to seek knowledge about employees’ thoughts on, and experiences of, inclusion in everyday working life at University West, with a particular focus on ethnicity.

Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used for collecting and processing of data. In order to gain an overview of employees’ perceptions of inclusion at University West, a questionnaire, primarily linked to the seven grounds of discrimination, was distributed to all employees. In total 101 responses were received. In parallel with the survey, thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with employees at the university’s various work units. A comprehensive interview guide with relatively open questions about work and career opportunities was used. The majority of the interviewees are teachers and researchers, and most of them have a migrant background.

The survey shows that experiences of differential treatment are mainly related to gender, age, academic position and social class. Respondents with a migrant background feel that they receive less respect from colleagues than those with a Swedish background, and the same applies to those who consider it difficult to communicate in Swedish. Disparaging comments in everyday work life are mainly linked to factors such as not being able to speak Swedish, nationality, age and ethnicity. The prevalence of derogatory speech about both women and men shows relatively high figures.

During the interviews, it emerged that most of the informants enjoy their work, but that some problematic patterns and behaviours make it difficult to feel welcomed and completely “at home” within the organization. “Us - and - them” categorizations, not least based on ethnic background, but also based on gender, age and religion, are highlighted. A lack of curiosity about experiences and competencies of “others”, alongside with a mono-lingual norm where a perceived demand for “correct” Swedish reinforces the presence of a non-inclusive mono-culture and a feeling of constantly being positioned as “the Other” in everyday working life. Language, not unexpectedly, emerges as a key factor in the demarcation between “us” and “them”, as do restrictive behaviour codes and other local norms. There are several perceived obstacles to work and career opportunities, but the one that most often is mentioned is a lack of personal connections and informal networks within which inquiries and recruitment are perceived to take place on a personal basis rather than on documented experience, merits and skills. Allying oneself with the “right” people, making friends with persons who has power and influence, is seen as a fundamental prerequisite for moving upwards within the organization. The interviewees also pointed to a culture of silence in which it is perceived as difficult, or futile, to raise problems relating to discrimination, racist jargon or sexual harassments. A lack of transparency when it comes to internal funding and recruitment, and a clear discrepancy between organisation’s articulated values and what it really looks like in reality, are further examples of problems raised.

In summary, the empirical data shows us that employees have various experiences of exclusionary behaviors, mechanisms and patterns in everyday working life at Högskolan Väst, and that a greater sensitivity among colleagues and management to unequal working conditions and issues concerning inclusion, is requested. Our hope is that this study will contribute to a more open discussion about these types of sensitive issues, issues that more often need to be addressed as a common problem for the entire organization, rather than a problem for just a few.

Akademin, precis som alla andra arbetsplatser, kännetecknas av sociala, skillnadsskapande processer som till synes oundvikligen resulterar i ojämlika arbetsvillkor bland de anställda. Subtila, informella maktstrukturer, till skillnad från de formella, är både komplexa och svåra att upptäcka, men forskning visar att mönster av ojämlikhet baserade på främst kön, etnicitet, religion och språk skapar svåra hinder för inkludering och likabehandling inom akademin. Så, vad sägs om Högskolan Väst? Hur inkluderande är Högskolan Väst som organisation? Vad har de anställda själva att säga om de tillfrågas? Det övergripande syftet med vårt forskningsprojekt var att, i enlighet med ovan nämnda frågeställningar, söka kunskap om anställdas tankar om, och erfarenheter av, inkludering i det dagliga arbetslivet på Högskolan Väst, med särskilt fokus på etnicitet.

Både kvalitativa och kvantitativa forskningsmetoder användes för insamling och bearbetning av data. För att få en överblick över medarbetarnas uppfattningar om inkludering på Högskolan Väst skickades en enkät, främst kopplad till de sju diskrimineringsgrunderna, ut till samtliga medarbetare. Sammanlagt inkom 101 svar. Parallellt med kartläggningen genomfördes tretton djupintervjuer med medarbetare på högskolans olika arbetsenheter. En omfattande intervjuguide med relativt öppna frågor om arbete och karriärmöjligheter användes. Största delen av de intervjuade är lärare och forskare, och de flesta av dem har invandrarbakgrund.

Undersökningen visar att upplevelser av särbehandling främst är relaterade till kön, ålder, akademisk position och social klass. Respondenter med invandrarbakgrund upplever att de får mindre respekt från kollegor än de med svensk bakgrund, och detsamma gäller de som anser att det är svårt att kommunicera på svenska. Nedsättande kommentarer i vardagen är främst kopplade till faktorer som att inte kunna svenska, nationalitet, ålder och etnicitet. Förekomsten av nedsättande uttalanden om både kvinnor och män är relativt hög.

Under intervjuerna framkom att de flesta av informanterna trivs med sitt arbete, men att vissa problematiska mönster och beteenden gör det svårt att känna sig välkommen och helt ”hemma” inom organisationen. ”Vi-och-dom”-kategoriseringar, inte minst utifrån etnisk bakgrund, men även utifrån kön, ålder och religion, lyfts fram. En brist på nyfikenhet på ”de andras” erfarenheter och kompetenser, tillsammans med en enspråkig norm där ett upplevt krav på ”korrekt” svenska förstärker närvaron av en icke-inkluderande monokultur och en känsla av att ständigt positioneras som ”den Andre” i det dagliga arbetslivet. Språket framstår inte oväntat som en nyckelfaktor i gränsdragningen mellan ”vi” och ”dem”, liksom restriktiva beteenderegler och andra lokala normer. Det finns flera upplevda hinder för arbets- och karriärmöjligheter, men det som oftast nämns är brist på personliga kontakter och informella nätverk där förfrågningar och rekryteringar upplevs ske på personliga grunder snarare än på dokumenterad erfarenhet, meriter och kompetens. Att alliera sig med ”rätt” personer, att bli vän med personer som har makt och inflytande, ses som en grundläggande förutsättning för att komma uppåt inom organisationen. De intervjuade pekade också på en tystnadskultur där det upplevs som svårt, eller meningslöst, att ta upp problem som rör diskriminering, rasistisk jargong eller sexuella trakasserier. Bristande transparens när det gäller intern finansiering och rekrytering, och en tydlig diskrepans mellan offentliga värderingar och hur det verkligen ser ut i verkligheten, är ytterligare exempel på problem som framkommer.

Purpose – The purpose is to develop a work-integrated learning (WIL) model for university-society research collaboration facilitating societal impact toward short lag yet sustainable societal impact for local innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology applied was engaged scholarship based on a WIL approach involving a network of collaborating partners from different sectors of society and cross-disciplinary university researchers. Mixed data collection methods were applied. Findings – Conceptualization of university-society research collaboration for local innovation is presented asa WIL model including the elements of continuity and commitment, coordination, communication andrelationships, trust, courage and creativity and co-creation opportunities. Short lag societal impact as local innovation was identified as product and process innovations. Research limitations/implications – Further validation of the model is encouraged for the model to beviable in various contexts and to generate different kinds of societal impact. Practical implications – The model may act as a governing tool for project management to facilitate cocreative and short lag societal impact for local innovation to ensure that engaged and learning activities are membedded in the collaborative process. Social implications – The model has implications for inclusiveness and co-creation fostering transparency, respect and mutuality in university-society research collaboration and to equate both academic and practiceknowledge.Originality/value – The conclusions drawn support the understanding of a WIL approach practicing engaged scholarship in research collaborations. The main theoretical and practical contributions of the article are the conceptual model for university-society research collaboration generating short lag societal implications and local innovation.

Using variable selections methods this chapter examines variables potentially suitable as indicators for different dimensions of economic development. Since potential factors for measuring economic development typically will differ greatly over large geographical areas, the study uses indicators on municipality level to avoid large geographical units of analysis. The analysis is performed on Swedish municipality data from 2015. An extensive search yielded a number of prospective indicators to use even though the official data gathered in Sweden are not particularly suitable for investigating the softer dimensions of economic development. The results of the study suggest that the indicators of economic development can be categorized into five dimensions/indices that represent: "Quality of Living", "Economic Capacity", "Wealth and Stability", "Growing Worries" and "Gross Municipal Product per inhabitant" in the municipality.

Drawing from the experiences of student projects organized and developed in accordance with work integrated learning, this paper contributes to the understanding of conditions necessary for successful implementation and sharing of knowledge in such projects as well as perceived benefits of university society collaboration. A case study was carried out focusing on student research projects on two parallelbusiness administration courses on Bachelor level. Students applied their skills in information literacy searching for and critically interpreting current research as well use of digital tools and social media platforms for data collection in their studies. The projects were initiated and presented by an external organization, which both supported the students in various ways during their work and received the completed results by the end of the courses. Students focused on themes such as the challenges of internal and external organizational communication, digital divides, inter-organizational collaboration,youth perspectives and sustainability. The empirical material of this study was collected from sourcess uch as course syllabi and instructions, observations, student reports and reflections, presentations,meetings, conversations and interviews members of the principal organization. The results show that the students perceived their tasks as stimulating and important due to the interaction and feedback received from the external principal, utilization of their course assignments as well as the opportunity to relate theory to practice. The external organization in turn received reports that may be used for decision-making purposes at a low cost, however what was perceived as most rewarding was the interaction and dialogue with students to get their perspectives on contemporary issues. Furthermore, collaboration with students was also viewed as means for future recruitment. In can thus be concluded that students, if allowed to interact and work with external organizations, play an important part in disseminating both results from and understanding for academic research in society. However, to realize successful student research projects this paper also discusses the need of legitimacy, access to external networks and organizations willing and able to deliver relevant topics for student research as well asstudent support along the way.

Online user generated reviews are transforming business and customer behavior and could have a major impact on sales. The primary aim of this study was to measure the impact of online reviews in comparison with the impact of a good friend's opinion. The question in focus was: to what extent could a single review made by a good friend compensate the opinion of the online majority? Subjects were randomly allocated to different versions of guest reviews of a fictive hotel: either constituting a positive or a negative online majority. After reading the reviews, respondents were asked about their booking intention. The respondents were also asked to re-evaluate booking intention given the additional information that a good friend has given a recommendation or an advice against booking the hotel. The study design was experimental and based on a survey which included 1319 respondents who were randomized to the different versions of guest reviews. The results showed that the overall valence of reviews is crucial for booking intention, also the latest two reviews were important even though the effect was much smaller. If the overall valence was negative the latest two reviews had no importance, no matter if these were positive or negative. But, if the overall valence was positive, then the booking intention could be diluted if the two latest reviews were negative. Concerning the primary aim of the study, it is concluded that a good friend’s word of mouth could outweigh the online majority. This means that a negative online majority could be outweigh by a good friend's recommendation and that a positive online majority could be outweigh by a goods friend's recommendation against booking the hotel. 

Denna studie designades och analyserades av Högskolan Väst 2016-2017. Undersökningen kompletterar den besökar- och boendestudie som Högskolan Väst tidigare genomförde inom projektet i Lysekil under sensommaren 2016 (se Högskolan Väst Rapport 2 Urban Platsinnovation Besökar- och boendestudie i Lysekil sensommaren 2017). Denna studie genomfördes under tiden 26 maj - 11 augusti 2017 med 363 svarande respondenter, varav 165 var besökare och 198 permanent boende i Lysekil. Syftet med studien var att öka kunskapen om både besökares och boendes uppfattningar om Lysekil. Högskolan Väst har även genomfört en intervjustudie med centrumaktörer i Lysekil under 2017 (se Högskolan Väst Rapport 4 Urban Platsinnovation Att utveckla Lysekils centrum tillsammans - utmaningar och möjligheter). Studierna1 avser även att bidra gränsöverskridande inspiration samt vara ett underlag för planering och utveckling av kommande centrumutvecklande aktiviteter såväl inom som utanför projektets regi.Undersökningen visar att besökare framför allt kommer till Lysekil för att koppla av och är nöjda med sitt besök i Lysekil samt med service och utbud, stadsmiljö och faciliteter. En stor majoritet av besökarna har besökt Lysekil innan och anger att de kommer att besöka Lysekil igen. Av de besökare är det 88% som sannolikt kommer rekommendera andra ett besök i Lysekil. Ungefär hälften av besökarna bor mer än 10 mil från Lysekil.De permanent boende i Lysekil är också nöjda med utbudet av restauranger, kvalitén på både maten och servicen. De boende var också nöjda med servicen i butikerna men ställde sig neutrala till utbudet av butiker. Det största missnöjet bland de permanent boende i Lysekil finns kring parkeringssituationen.Studien är i stort samstämmig med den besökar- och boendeundersökning som genomfördes 2016.Ett stort antal förbättringsförslag ges av respondenterna och finns redovisade i rapporten. Dessa förslag är allt från konkreta till visionära.Det är vår rekommendation att denna rapport ihop med rapporten från undersökningen 2016 (se Högskolan Västs Rapport 2) delges och diskuteras med de aktörer och nätverk som finns i Lysekil i arbetet i att ta fram nya centrumutvecklande aktiviteter.

Denna studie designades och analyserades av Högskolan Väst 2016-2017. Undersökningen kompletterar den besökar- och boendestudie som Högskolan Väst tidigare genomförde inom projektet i Lysekil under sensommaren 2016 (se Högskolan Väst Rapport 2 Urban Platsinnovation Besökar- och boendestudie i Lysekil sensommaren 2017). Denna studie genomfördes under tiden 26 maj - 11 augusti 2017 med 363 svarande respondenter, varav 165 var besökare och 198 permanent boende i Lysekil. Syftet med studien var att öka kunskapen om både besökares och boendes uppfattningar om Lysekil. Högskolan Väst har även genomfört en intervjustudie med centrumaktörer i Lysekil under 2017 (se Högskolan Väst Rapport 4 Urban Platsinnovation Att utveckla Lysekils centrum tillsammans - utmaningar och möjligheter). Studierna1 avser även att bidra gränsöverskridande inspiration samt vara ett underlag för planering och utveckling av kommande centrumutvecklande aktiviteter såväl inom som utanför projektets regi. Undersökningen visar att besökare framför allt kommer till Lysekil för att koppla av och är nöjda med sitt besök i Lysekil samt med service och utbud, stadsmiljö och faciliteter. En stor majoritet av besökarna har besökt Lysekil innan och anger att de kommer att besöka Lysekil igen. Av de besökare är det 88% som sannolikt kommer rekommendera andra ett besök i Lysekil. Ungefär hälften av besökarna bor mer än 10 mil från Lysekil. De permanent boende i Lysekil är också nöjda med utbudet av restauranger, kvalitén på både maten och servicen. De boende var också nöjda med servicen i butikerna men ställde sig neutrala till utbudet av butiker. Det största missnöjet bland de permanent boende i Lysekil finns kring parkeringssituationen. Studien är i stort samstämmig med den besökar- och boendeundersökning som genomfördes 2016. Ett stort antal förbättringsförslag ges av respondenterna och finns redovisade i rapporten. Dessa förslag är allt från konkreta till visionära. Det är vår rekommendation att denna rapport ihop med rapporten från undersökningen 2016 (se Högskolan Västs Rapport 2) delges och diskuteras med de aktörer och nätverk som finns i Lysekil i arbetet i att ta fram nya centrumutvecklande aktiviteter

Collaboration and learning are vital for development in all sectors of society and there is a constant need for new ideas, innovation and development. Crucial for dealing with contemporary complex challenges on a local, regional, national and global scale is a need for the inclusion of many perspectives and competences. However, collaboration is never friction free but challenging. A reason for this might be that there are different expectations on goals and outcomes due to that collaborating organizations bring different contexts, Inter-organisational collaborations, cultures, traditions etc. These challenges are addressed by several approaches for university-society collaboration, e.g. Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), University-Industry-Government (Triple-helix), University Community Partnership (UCP), and Public Private Academic Partnership (PPAP). These are all aiming at planning, performing, compiling and leveraging knowledge exchange and co-creating sustainable results. What is less developed is what genuine impact such results do have on society, i.e. societal impacts. Thus, there is a need for gaining more knowledge in research about what key mechanisms that constitutes successful collaboration between academia and various public and private organizations in research projects.This conceptual paper explores the underlying concepts of principles that are used as guidelines for successful university-society collaboration. It draws on a literature review of key concepts selected from established frameworks and models that are current in the field of university-society collaboration, e.g. co-creation, trust, relationship building. The aim of the paper is to gain deeper insights in the complex dynamics of research collaboration by combining previous models with current research literature and suggest implications for both model development as well as principles of conduct when societal impact are to be ensured in university-society collaboration. Hence, the research questions to be addressed in this paper are: What are the key concepts that underlie the dynamics of university-society collaboration in the research literature? How can successful university-society collaboration be conceptualized in order to facilitate co-creation and societal impact?