Personality tests for recruitment context is a common selection method for companies. In the recruitment process personality test are used as a tool to find the right person for the right place. The purpose of this qualitative study is to find examples of how this is used as a selection method in the recruitment of managers and the function tests have been in the recruitment process. To achieve the aim and answer the questions semi-structured interviews were carried out, to illustrate the respondents' perceptions, sensations and experiences on personality tests in recruitment. This was studied from two angles, namely with HR and store managers at ICA Special. The respondents interviewed were two women from ICA Specials HR department and four store managers, a man and three women from ICA Maxi stores. Respondents were aged from 35-60 years. Interview guides were divided into two parts, one interview guide for HR and one interview guide for store managers. The interview material was analyzed based on a thematic analysis. In the result, it was seen that a personality test has the function of a complement to discern candidates, to verify what the hiring manager sees, hears and feels during the process, but also as a self-reflection of the store managers who have performed the test. Moreover, it emerged in the results that the feedback of the candidate's profile is considered one of the most significant steps in the recruitment process and that respondents felt this should be related to the candidate in the form of a call. Finally, HR uses the communicative competence in the feedback of the candidate's profile as they relate to the profile, to get the candidate to gain a better understanding of their profile content.

The purpose of the study was to find correlations between personality traits, experienced employee empowerment and job satisfaction. Employee empowerment means the sense of meaning, competence, self-determination and impact. The study examined if there was a gap between experienced and desired empowerment and if this gap could be explained by personality. The study also examined if this gap had a connection to satisfaction. The questionnaire was carried out at the Swedish Maritime Administration. To measure different personalities, the personality scale mini-IPIP6 was used and in order to measure experienced and desired empowerment, the Spreitzer’s Empowerment Scale was used. The results showed that the personality trait neuroticism correlated negatively with experienced employee empowerment, desired empowerment and job satisfaction. Extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness correlated positively with perceived employee empowerment, desired empowerment and job satisfaction. The results confirm previous research done with the well-established theory of the "Big Five, while employee empowerment is a rather new concept.

The aim of this study was to investigate how leaders work with feedback as a toolin their management positions. Previous research has shown how feedback is usedwithin organizations to develop individuals' performance and behavior. Further,the introduction highlighted how there is not enough research regarding the experiences of working with feedback. The theory-section also stressed thatfeedback is a process for both the sender and the receiver. The sender's process is characterized by anxiety and fear which result in a presentation of less quality. The managers described the process for the receiver as influenced by personal characteristics which affect their perception. The informants consisted of five leaders, four men and one woman. These managers had different positions and geographical placements within the same company. Since this study aims to emphasize how these managers experience feedback, a qualitative study with semistructured interviews and thematic analysis was chosen. To an extent the result reflected the results of previous research and described how the senders' feedback process was characterized by fear in those cases where the managers were to present criticizing feedback. The informants pointed out that feedback was a gift since it promotes individual progress and therefore is something the receivershould be grateful for. Possibly, it is not the presentation of feedback that further needs to be developed but the receivers' openness and acceptance. This to have an allowing culture where the employees and not only the board, requests feedback.

Francois Recanati has recently argued that each perceptual state has two distinct kinds of content, complete and explicit content. According to Recanati, the former is a function of the latter and the psychological mode of perception. Furthermore, he has argued that explicit content is temporally neutral and that time-consciousness is a feature of psychological mode. In this paper it is argued, pace Recanati, that explicit content is not temporally neutral. Recanati's position is initially presented. Three desiderata for a theory of time-consciousness are subsequently introduced. It is then argued that a theory locating time-consciousness as a feature of psychological mode will fail to satisfy these desiderata. In the last section the intentionality of memories is discussed. Using the notion of shiftable indexical, it is argued that memories have the same explicit content as perceptions, but that they nevertheless can have different conditions of satisfaction since they are entertained in different modes.

The aim of the study was to analyse students' sense of coherence (SOC). The differences between sex, year, course and the correlations between SOC and background variables have been examined. Antonovsky's Life Orientation Questionnaire was used to measure the students' SOC. The participants in the study were boys and girls in high school (N = 79). The students either attended traditional field of studies or music oriented studies. To analyse the differences between the variables t-test was carried out. Participants´ correlation analysis was conducted between SOC and background variables. To study which item was more important for students within SOC, averages was compared. The study found differences between the sexes, which is also supported by previous research. The result demonstrated higher levels of SOC in year 8 compared with year 9 and in traditional field of studies as against music oriented studies. These results are discussed within the context of previous research. A correlation between SOC and well-being in education was also found, which has also been established in former studies. The items most valued by the students showed that they were rarely treated unjustly, rarely situated in a unfamiliar situation and that they so far had experienced their lives to contain goals and meaning.

Work-life balance is an area that in recent years has been increasingly important for the organizations. Research shows that the experience of imbalance between work and private life could lead to stress. Work-life balance was studied through the sub-concepts Work-family conflict and Family-work conflict. The study was interestering because of the importance of knowledge of what affects a persons' perceptions of work and private life. Data was collected through a web survey that was answered by 130 people between 22 and 66 years old. 58% were women and 42% men. The result showed that people with children under 18 years old perceive a higher Family-work conflict and therefore a lower Work-life balance. The study also showed that values were significantly correlated to Work-life balance. For exampel people with strong self-enhancement values tend to percieve a lower grade of balance. The findings also show that values were one of the biggest predictors for Work-family conflict and Family-work conflict.

The purpose of this study was to examine motivation, perceived health, and health profile assessments. The motivation was measured through the three basic psychological needs included in the Self-Determination Theory; autonomy, competence and relatedness. This was conducted through a Swedish translation of the Basic Needs Satisfaction at Work Scale (BNS), together with questions about perceived health and the results from the participants’ previously conducted health profile assessments. The study was carried out at a real-estate company, located in the county of Västra Götaland with 69 potential respondents. Of those who opted to participate, 15 were men and 12 were women. The results with help of Cohen's d reported that there were some gender-differences based on the experience of the basic psychological needs. The largest of the differences was found in the need of relatedness, where women tended to value this need higher than men. It was also possible to see lager differences between the needs in different age groups. The results showed that participants who were 50 years or older had valued the need for autonomy higher than they who were younger. By looking at differences between the two age groups this also showed that participants of the younger age group (49 years or younger) tended to experience their health as better than those who were older. Furthermore, perceived health tended to differ between the genders. According to the results from the sample, men tended to experience their general health slightly better than the women. However, none of the results in the study showed any statistical significance.

The issue of gender and equality in organizations is a highly relevant topic of investigation. Organizations are according to Swedish law (SFS 1991:433, §9 & Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, 2009) obliged to constantly work to achieve equal work conditions for their employees. The aim of this study is to investigate how the company work and can be able to work with gender and equality in order to eventually get equal groups and departments. The was carried out by means of interviews with people working in a company in West Sweden. Codes and themes have been identified through thematic analysis of the material. The results show that recruitment is a salient factor that the respondents pointed out as significant with regard to gender and equality work in the company. Commitment and focus are additional factors that respondents believe are important to create a significant foundation for implementing such a major change. We conclude that it is important that organizations work actively to create more equal workgroups and departments.

The task of managing and performing customer contact is of great importance to a company, as the employee who performs the task is the representative of the company, and plays an important part in how the company is perceived. For the employee to be able to contribute to a successful service appointment, it is imperative that the employees feel motivated. How employees in customer-related professions view their motivation and which factors spur them on was the starting point of this study. In this study five employees contributed, all with customer related tasks. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews. Via a thematic analysis, the result showed that the most important motivational factor was the need for satisfying communication with coworkers, supervisors and customers. Like a catalyst, the interaction with others affected the internal desire to perform, and therefore influenced the individual workers motivation in a positive way. Other factors highlighted were the need to feel belonged and associated, and also to receive feedback on a daily basis. Also, the need to feel challenged by the work they perform, opportunities to advance and working towards the goals they set for themselves is central. These factors were discussed based on different motivational theories related to present research. This study’s contribution is a deeper understanding of what motivates the employees with customer-based professions within this company. By highlighting these factors the company may get a better understanding of what motivates employees and, if they want to, chose to focus their energy and resources towards them

The centre of Child and Youth Studies at University West works strategically with other regional research environments and institutions that study children, youths and young adults. The goal of our research centre is to spread knowledge about the social conditions under which children and young people live, thereby strengthening their position in society. Collaboration with external research environments is one of the ways that our research domain works to reach that goal. Partnerships are formed through a model that strives to create good conditions for both our research and that of our partners. This model is grounded in a dialogue between research partners who work together to select areas of interest and formulate hypotheses. These research projects are financed equally by the university and our partners. The following report is the result of one of  these research partnerships.Advanced industrial society has been replaced by a society based upon knowledge and information where industrial work/manufacturing becomes less common. Västervik is one of the small towns in Sweden whose main industries have closed down or severely decreased their workforce during the last few decades of great structural change. The groups in the job market that have been most affected by these changes are young men and women, something which is evident in the high unemployment rates among the young population. The purpose of this study was to investigate young people’s own experiences and thoughts regarding their own situation as jobseekers in the municipality of Västervik. How do they see themselves and the situation they find themselves in? The narratives were collected in the form of 18 in-depth interviews with young men and women between the ages of 19-25, all them registered at the job center in Västervik. In the report different aspects of their situation are discussed, such as: the young people’s relation to their hometown, their thoughts on the meaning and value of work, the role of education, the economic, social and emotional consequences of unemployment, and their experiences of taking part in various programs for unemployed. The narratives we have encountered can be seen as having some general validity in the sense that many of their experiences are probably shared by other unemployed young people in other locations in Sweden, but Västervik is also a specific town with a specific history and specific conditions.The young men and women have an ambivalent relationship to their hometown. On the one hand they want to start a life in the same location, but on the other, the future there is seen as very uncertain. Many of those interviewed would like to have the kind of industrial jobs that their parents have and grandparents experienced, but which are nowadays less and less common. The norm of a fulltime job is strong among the young men and women – something which strengthens the image of the evident dissonance between their seemingly traditional dreams and intentions and the structures of possibilities the municipality and community suggest for them. Connected to this are the ways the young people must relate to the postindustrial demands of employability – which means the ability to enterprise and market oneself on a competitive market. These demands presuppose abilities that are more likely to be socialized and practiced in certain social environments rather than in others, and the majority of the young men and women interviewed have a background in aworking class environment where these values and approaches are far from selfevident.The socioeconomic marginalization that these young people experienceresults in much curtailed possibilities for a period of youthful experimentation aswell as for an expected adulthood. Being unemployed means one has difficulty ingaining the status of an adult, but due to economic shortages, there are also limits to how much they can take part in this experimental lifestyle that characterizes youth. The young men and women’s situation can thereby be seen as a grey zone; they are neither young nor adults in the normative sense. In some of the narratives the young people express critical thoughts with regard to the social conditions that their difficult situation can be related to. By extension, expressing these thoughts and stating their opinion can be strengthening and mobilizing for them, both as individuals and as a group. Insights may be gained about unemployment as a shared experience rather than as a personal failure

This paper discusses narratives from young working class men, living in a small Swedish town located outside the emerging economic regions. Like in many other European countries the rate of unemployment among youth is disproportionally high in Sweden. From a broad material of in-depth interviews with unemployed young people the issue of masculinity in relation to work is an emerging, though not always specified or articulated, theme. Industrial societies has turned post-industrial. The labor market has undergone major structural changes during the last four decades and since working class masculinity traditionally has been closely connected to wage labor and to the ability to provide for oneself as well as for others - being the main breadwinner of the family - masculinity is forced to be re-imagined. In the ongoing construction of identity and young masculinity, nostalgic images of a recently lost way of life where employment meant hard labor but also a durable and respected position in the community, are retold. Parallel to these narratives and sometimes in opposition to them, there are also wishes and dreams of alternative ways of relating one's own role, identity and masculinity to a different set of work ethics where neither wage labor nor traditional masculinity need to form it´s stable categories.

AbstractPurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate how young women and men perceive the Internet as a phenomenon and what role and meaning they ascribe to the Internet as an arena for defining themselves and for shaping their identity.Methodology/approachThe empirical data consist of narratives written by Swedish adolescents. Using content analysis the analysis was carried out in three steps: (1) finding categories and themes, (2) calculation of statistical differences in category frequencies, (3) a theoretically informed interpretation of central themes, using Bourdieu's concept of different forms of capital, and Giddens' concept of "pure relations."FindingsThe narratives exemplify how computer literacy and technological competence can be converted into social, cultural, and symbolic capital. Gender differences occur both in statistical differences between category frequencies in girls' and boys' narratives and in the interpretation of central themes. But there are also several examples that show more complex and contradictory tendencies, exceeding or transformative of gender differences and hierarchy.Originality/valueThis study considers adolescents' own perspectives on an arena of great importance. The analyses have been performed both qualitatively and quantitatively, which gives a nuanced picture of young people's self-defining experiences on the Internet.

The growth of absenteeism has in recent years led to high costs for sick leave and early retirement in the public budgets. This study is based on quantitative data obtained through a designed questionnaire. The purpose of the study was to identify factors that correlate with the high short-term absence for sickness among temporary employees at a company. Previous studies have shown an association with short-term sick leave and leadership variables such as, perceived stress, motivation and tasks. The study's problem main question included these four disciplines. These were then analyzed in relation to age, sex and number of times the employee had been at home despite having been able to work. The study included temporary employees aged 18 to retirement-age. Of the 90 employees a total of 40 surveys were gathered. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskall-Wallis tests were used to calculate the differences between groups (age and sex). Spearman’s rank correlation was used to calculate the relationship between variables. Results of the study showed that women appeared to have stayed at home more frequently than men even though they would have been able to work. The study also revealed that there was a significant difference between the variable "to stay at home despite the fact that the individual was able to work

Innovativeness within the organization is a relevant competitive tool for today's businesses. The Swedish-based tobacco company, Swedish Match has in recent years increased its focus on developing an organizational climate where innovation is encouraged.

The aim of this study was to examine to what extent the variation in perceived innovative climate at Swedish Match could be explained by the employees' basic fundamental values and the lengths of their employments within the company. The study was conducted within Supply Chain and concerned officials within this area of business. The foundation for this study is based on theories in the following areas: organizational climate, innovativeness within organizations and Schwartz model of the relationships between different values.

The method used was quantitative and the data was collected trough a two-part questionnaire. The first part concerned the participants' basic fundamental values, designed to measure whether the officers had a stronger desire for openness towards change, or towards conservatism. The second part aimed to investigate the extent to which the participants perceived the organizational climate as innovative.

The results showed that the perceived innovative organizational climate could not be explained by the officials basic fundamental values as the relationship between these variables was close to zero. A medium strong correlation was measured between the length of employment within the company and perceived innovative climate. This result indicated that the officials who had worked longer at Swedish Match perceived a higher degree of innovative organizational climate than those who had worked less time. None of these two correlations were statistically significant hence the study focused on discussing the medium strong relationship between the length of employment and perceived innovative climate.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between subjective risk perception and personality traits, as well as age and risk perception. Questionnaires were distributed to 31 participants, 11 of which were insulators and 20 were scaffolders. Respondents were asked to answer whether they were exposed to various hazards in the workplace and on this basis correlations were calculated with the results of their personality tests. There was a negative relationship between the personality dimension agreeableness and risk perception, the higher the value of agreeableness the less experience out of being exposed to serious risks in the workplace. There was also a strong positive correlation between the personality dimension conscientiousness and risk perception, which means the higher the value of consciousness the higher experience the participants had of exposure to hazards. The study also showed that the total personality dimensions accounted for 19% of the variance in the risk perception.

The purpose of this study was to examine if there were any differences between two various occupational groups in their perceived work motivation (in the subscales autonomy, competence, and relatedness), and the perceived work satisfaction (in the subscales intrinsic, extrinsic, and general work satisfaction). The established questionnaires Basic need satisfaction at work scale, and Minnesota satisfaction questionnaire, were used to examine the perceived work motivation and work satisfaction. This study also examined if there were any age differences in the respondents' experiences, and if there were any correlations between work motivation and work satisfaction. The examined occupational groups were from one technology company, and one pre-school. There were 34 respondents, between 22-63 years, who participated in the study. Among the respondents there were 21 women and 13 men.

The result showed no differences among the occupational groups in the perceived work motivation or work satisfaction. There were however some difference in the perceived relatedness among age groups 1 (22-35 years) and 2 (36-49 years). The age group 2 showed a higher perceived relatedness, which refers to individuals' needs to relate with others. The study found positive correlations between the general work motivation and the general work satisfaction, and there were also significant positive correlations between intrinsic work satisfaction and all subscales within work motivation (autonomy, competence and relatedness). General work satisfaction also correlated positively and significantly with all subscales within work motivation. This means that the higher perceived intrinsic work satisfaction, the higher the perceived autonomy, competence and relatedness. This also applied to perceived general work satisfaction and the subscales within work motivation.

Hope and Self-Esteem are two concepts in positive psychology. Snyder and colleagues (1991) grounded the theory that defines Hope and suggest a relation to Self-Esteem. Hope is defined as the general perception that one's goals can be met, while Self-Esteem as a feeling of self-worth. Hope's two components are:

Pathway and Agency. Pathways are the route generating thoughts to desired goals, and Agency is the motivational component of Hope. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the concepts of Hope -and Self-Esteem, and the possible effects of age and gender, in a Swedish context, that, according to our knowledge, were not previously studied. The study population included 136 Swedish college students (Mean age = 24, SD = 5.6 years), in a close to 50:50 gender distribution. Data was collected with the help of the validated, self-rated questionnaires: Snyder´s "Hope Scale" and "Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale" (modified). The non-parametric statistical methods of Spearman and Mann-Whitney were used for data analysis. Results showed that women scored significantly higher than men, and adults (over 22 years) scored higher than young adults (under 22) in Hope. Self-esteem was not affected by gender but young adults scored significantly lower than adults. Moreover, while a moderate and significant correlation between Hope and Self-Esteem could be measured, the multiple regression analysis showed that only the Agency component contributed significantly to Self-Esteem. Women showing higher Hope than men and adults showing higher Hope than young adults are two findings that are not in line with previous studies.

Motivation is a complex area and at the same time an important factor to create and maintain in workplaces. The purpose of this study is to investigate the managers' views on motivation and how they create motivation in a technical business. This essay examines how managers motivate their employees based on internal and external motivation aspects, and how they go about maintaining motivation in the workplace. This was done by using a qualitative method where interviews were conducted with four managers; three men and one woman. After the interviews were done, the material was analyzed by using a thematic analysis method. This analysis identified a number of concepts that the participants perceived to be important regarding external and internal motivation. The themes that emerged were job security, communications and development. These three themes were the basis of the motivational work, which the informants described as having different meanings for inner and outer motivation. The three themes in the results were according to the informants' important factors that need to be considered in motivational work. To have good communication with employees, and that the employees should feel safe at work, is a basis for how motivation occurs. Development was also an important theme since employees need to feel that they can develop in the workplace. This allows employees to strive after being more efficient, hence willing to learn new things.

The balance between work and leisure is a controversial topic in today's working life. The imbalance between work and the rest of life is related to poorer well-being, wherein stress-related consequences can be included. Also, from an organizational perspective, imbalance causes negative consequences, in the form of lower productivity, reduced commitment and increased costs. Today, organizations are providing their employees various flexible solutions so they can increase autonomy in working life. This flexibility seems to reduce the conflict between work and leisure. However, research indicates that the workload can increase, especially if the flexibility is combined with objectives and result-driven tasks. The purpose of the study was to examine how first-line managers perceive the balance between work and leisure, and the conditions that are crucial to achieving balance. The study was conducted at a government agency in a county of Västra Götaland. The study is of qualitative character, and is based on semi-structured interviews with four managers of first line. Despite flexible working conditions there were additional factors that were experienced as critical for the individual's ability to maintain balance. One of the findings from the study was the importance of support from managers and colleagues when it comes to being able to define work. Without this support, it seems like the flexible work conditions are losing its effectiveness when it comes to achieving a balance between work and leisure. Therefore focus should be on actively communicating the organizational reasoning about health, wellbeing and workload. Additionally, this requires the establishment of guidelines that employees can relate to, be able to define work and to counter the factors that are contrary to established guidelines.

Background: Recent research has demonstrated a relationship between personality, affectivity and performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effect of basic and general positive affectivity on personality traits (venturesomeness and impulsiveness) and self-efficacy. Methods: The correlational design was used. 175 students filled in the Impulsiveness – Venturesomeness - Empathy Inventory (Eysenck et al., 1985), PANAS (Watson, Clark, 1994 - basic and general positive affectivity) and General Self-Efficacy (GESE by Schwarzer et al., 2008). Findings: Impulsiveness did not matter to the strength of self-efficacy, and was independent of positive affectivity. The results obtained indicated a significant mediating effect of basic positive affectivity, self-assurance and joviality, on the link between venturesomeness and general self-efficacy, and a direct impact of general positive affectivity on self-efficacy.

Background: Policework is a profession with a high risk of operational and organizational stress at work. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of job-related affectivity and fatigue on burnout; specifically we aimed to study the relation between acute fatigue and burnout and the indirect role of emotion during work.

We adopted the concept of burnout with two components: exhaustion and disengagement (Halbesleben & Demerouti, 2005). In this concept, exhaustion is related to the energetic aspect, and disengagement is connected to the motivational aspect. We hypothesized that acute fatigue is a precursor to burnout. According to Van Katwyk et al. (2000), psychological well-being is synonymous with work-related affectivity, and emotions are classified into four categories: high and low-arousal of pleasant emotions and high and low-arousal of unpleasant emotions. According to the theory of stress by Selye (1978), eustress and distress are assumed to be a high arousal of emotion.

Methods: Acute fatigue was measured by the index in accordance with the Japan Society for Occupational Health. In order to investigate exhaustion and disengagement the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory was used (Halbesleben & Demerouti, 2005). Job-related affective well-being was used to assess emotions within the work context (Van Katwyk et al., 2000). Hierarchical regressions analyses were performed.

Group: 187 policemen (28 women) filled in the questionnaires. Half of them worked in the prevention department and one-third were on duty in the criminal division. Their average work experience was 14.7 years (range 5 - 28).

Results: Fatigue had a direct impact on exhaustion and disengagement. This first effect was 3 times stronger than the second. In the next step the emotions were entered into these separate models. We observed that a low arousal of unpleasant emotions had an indirect relation with fatigue and exhaustion. Additionally, a high arousal of positive and negative emotions (eustress and distress) mediated between fatigue and disengagement. These effects of partial mediation were large (f2 = .34 and f2 = .32 respectively).

Conclusion: Our results indicate that a high arousal of emotions can lead to a deterioration of motivation of work, but a low arousal of negative emotions reduce energetic ability to work among policemen.

Purpose – The policing profession is associated with psychosocial hazard. Fatigue and burnout often affect police officers, and may impair the functioning of the organization and public safety. The relationship between fatigue and burnout may be modified by job-related emotions. While negative emotions have been extensively studied, the role of positive emotions at work is relatively less known. Additionally, there is insufficient knowledge about the role of the intensity of emotions. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of job-related emotions in the relationship between fatigue and burnout in police officers.

Design/methodology/approach – In all, 169 police officers (26 women) completed a test battery that assessed acute fatigue, burnout (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory: exhaustion and disengagement), and emotions (Job-related Affective Well-being Scale).

Findings – Acute fatigue was associated more strongly with exhaustion than with disengagement. Low-arousal negative emotions partially mediated the relationship between fatigue and exhaustion. High-arousal positive and negative emotions were partial mediators between fatigue and disengagement experienced by police officers.

Research limitations/implications – The results show that high-arousal emotions were associated with changes in work motivation, while low-arousal negative emotions reduced energetic ability to work.

Originality/value – This paper enhances understanding of burnout among police officers and the mediating role of emotions. The patterns of the relationships between fatigue, burnout and emotions are discussed in the context of the conservation of resources theory and the tripartite model of anxiety and depression.

Purpose. The aim of the study was to examine the role of job-related positive and negative emotions between acute fatigue at work and engagement. We tested two components of engagement: vigor (energetic aspect) and dedication (motivational aspect). We hypothesized that negative emotions mediate in energy depletion process and positive emotions mediate in broadening of energetic and motivational resources.

Design/Methodology. Fatigue was measured by an index in accordance with the Japan Society for Occupational Health. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale – short version (UWES) was used to evaluate vigor and dedication (Schaufeli, Bakker, & Salanova, 2006). Job-related affective well-being (JAWS) was used to assess positive and negative emotions (Van Katwyk et al., 2000). The study group consisted of 174 police officers (the average tenure of 10 years, range 1–23).

Results. Baron and Kenny approach and the Sobel test supported our hypotheses. Fatigue was more negative related to vigor than dedication. We observed that positive and negative emotions fully mediated between fatigue and vigor (large effect size f2 = .36). Additionally, positive emotions fully mediated between fatigue and dedication (medium effect size f2 = .16). We confirmed these results by the Sobel test.

Limitations. The correlational design was applied.

Research/Practical Implications. Our results indicate that in police officers positive emotions may lead to broadening of energetic and motivational resources.

The purpose of this study was to describe employees' expectations for their employment and to increase understanding of how the expectations influenced their work behaviour. The theoretical framework that was used was the concept of the psychological contract based on employee and employer perceptions of mutual obligations in an employment relationship. Depending on how the work situation develops, it can have negative and positive effects on the psychological contract (Robinson & Rousseau, 1994; Turney & Feldman, 2000). A psychological contract takes form in the process of recruitment, sometimes even earlier (Rousseau, 1995; Kahlke & Schmidt, 2002). In this study, employee's expectations of their employer, Göteborg Stad, and the development of the relationship with the employer during the first year of employment are examined. By interviewing six employers with a semi-structured interview, data were collected and analysed with a qualitative thematic analysis.

The results of the study showed that employers were predominantly relationship-oriented in their employment. Four relations were identified to have effects on the psychological contract; relationship to organizational structure, the manager, the colleagues and the task. Based on these relationships, there were both obstructive and motivating forces that could influence the employee's perception of the employment. Disappointments based on unmet expectations were in line with Schalk och Freese's theory (1993) to violate the psychological contract (Schalk & Freese, 1993; refererad i Anderson & Schalk, 1998). At the same time, meaningful relationships could create strong bonds to the employer and could ease the damage of a violated contract and make an incentive work situation. The results indicate the importance of communicating expectations on the employment relations to avoid losing motivation.

The study investigated employees' subjective experiences and opinions about what a useful employee performance appraisal consists of and it's consequences. A qualitative research method was used with help of semi-structured interviews with a sample of five employees who worked at the same company. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis and the study's result showed three themes of what a useful performance appraisal is according to the participants. The participants thought that a giving performance appraisal is a conversation between themselves and their supervisor where the result of the employees' work is the focus, where the employee's is the main subject of the conversation, and that it has positive outcomes for the employee's work situation. These outcomes can be a sence of satisfaction for the tasks, inspiration, and motivation to perform well and to get a clear vision of what it takes to get there. A relationship-building aspect between the employee's and their supervisor was also raised as a positive desired outcome for the participants of the study

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how variation in product information about environmental consequences could make professional food purchasers inclined to choose more environmentally friendly alternatives. Design/methodology/approach: In an internet-based experiment, the paper systematically varies environmental and price information about food products and measures the effects on product choice. In addition, the paper varies the condition of choice. Findings: More complex and detailed environmental information, compared with simpler and less detailed information, was paired with a stronger preference for environmentally benign products. This effect was accentuated when the task was to minimize costs compared with that to promote the environment. Negative information, which is bad for the environment, had a stronger effect than positive information. Originality/value: The research shows that detailed information emphasising potentially destructive environmental consequences may promote the choice of environmentally sustainable products among professional purchasers. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

The study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the personality traits included in the Five Factor Model and the degree to which individuals experience job satisfaction. The study also investigated if it was possible to see a relationship between job satisfaction and individuals’ age. Job satisfaction was measured by the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, MSQ, which explores an individual's experience of intrinsic, extrinsic and general job satisfaction. Individuals' level of personality dimensions were studied using a Swedish shortened version of the Five- Factor Model. The material that forms the basis for the study's results come from 52 completed questionnaires carried out at two different workplaces. A clear result was that higher Extraversion was associated with higher degree of job satisfaction. Whether age was related job satisfaction, the present study showed a negative medium strong connection to the external job satisfaction. Since each individual, based on FFM, has a unique combination of the five personality traits, the study cannot generalize how individuals in general perceives job satisfaction. The study has only been able to reinforce the results of what previous studies have concluded; that there are correlations between the five personality traits and job satisfaction

The survey aimed to study the relationship between a company's attractiveness and individual organizational identification, and if there was a difference on a local (SKF Sweden) and a global level (SKF Group). Organizational identification can be described as the degree to which an individual identifies with an organization and is likely stronger in organizations that are perceived attractive, compared to organizations that are not perceived to be. The higher the level of perceived attractiveness, the stronger organizational identification tends to be among employees (Maxwell & Knox, 2009). Questions designed to measure the degree of organizational identification and attractiveness prepared by an internet-based survey of thirty-three employees at SKF, Svenska Kullager fabriken in Gothenburg

were given. Of these, thirty-three, were 39 % (13) males and 61 % (20) were women. The results demonstrate a strong positive relationship between organizational identification and attractiveness. The present study was not able to answer the question whether there was any difference at global and local levels

Fewer women than men are found in leading positions in the society and women who hold these positions more often have lower wages than men. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the respondents felt that there were different circumstances for women and men to achieve leading positions, in exercising their leadership, and to understand how they saw issues around leadership in relation to male and female? Are there different circumstances for women and men in the role as leaders? How do these in such cases look like? Are female and male managers attributed with different properties? To try to answer these questions we conducted a qualitative study in which we interviewed three female and three male managers in public administration. The main themes that emerged were "Manager roles", the "Manager Properties", "Private Life" and "Mentors and role models." The results showed that the respondents had become managers for a variety of reasons and that there was a big difference in education between the sexes. The respondents perceived that there were differences in the exercise of leadership between men and women. The female and male managers described the male and female leadership based on the characteristics "soft" and "hard". This is in line with already established preju-dices or categories that were found in mentioned theory. Especially the female managers felt that the combination of leadership and privacy were hard to balance. The lack of role models and mentors was perceived as a problem by many of the respondents and quotas was pointed out as a possible measure. The topic was perceived as very complex and one conclusion was that there were some differences in the perceived opportunities for men and women in management landscape.

Adolescents in Western society often expose themselves to high levels of sound at gyms, rock concerts, discotheques etc. These behaviours are as threatening to young people’s health as more traditional risk behaviours. Testing boundaries and risk taking are fundamental aspects of young people’s lives and the processes of developing their identities. There is, however, a need to balance reasonable risk taking and risks that can damage health. The aim of Study I was to analyze the relationship between self-exposure to noise, risk behaviours and risk judgements among 310 Swedish adolescents aged 15-20 (167 men/143 women). The adolescents’ behaviour in different traditional risk situations correlated with behaviour in noisy environments, and judgements about traditional risks correlated with judgement regarding noise exposure. Another finding was that young women judge risk situations as generally more dangerous than young men, although they behave in the same way as the men. We suggest that this difference is a social and culture based phenomenon which underlines the importance of adopting a gender perspective in the analysis of risk factors. Adolescents reporting permanent tinnitus judged loud music as more risky than adolescents with no symptoms and they did not listen to loud music as often as those with occasional tinnitus. The aims of study II were to illuminate  the complexity of risk behaviour, the meaning and purpose of adolescent risk-taking in both a traditional sense (e.g. smoking and drug use) and in noisy environments (e.g. discotheques and rock concerts), in relation to norms and gender roles in contemporary society. In total, 16 adolescents (8 men/8 women, aged 15-19) were interviewed individually and in focus groups. The interviewees’ responses revealed social reproduction of gender and class. Main themes of the phenomena for both genders emerged: Social identity and Existential identity of risk taking. The descriptive sub themes, however, which together formed the general structure, were rather diverse for men and women. The incorporation of social and existential theories on gender as basic factors in the analysis of attitudes towards risk-taking behaviours is considered to be of utmost importance. Likewise, research on hearing prevention for young people needs to acknowledge and make use of theories on risk behaviour and similarly, the theories on risk behaviour should acknowledge noise as a risk factor.

             Study III aims to increase the knowledge about young women’s and men’s risk judgement and behaviour by investigating patterns in adolescent risk activities among 310 adolescents aged 15-20 (143 women; 167 men). The Australian instrument ARQ, developed by Gullone et al, was used with additional questions on hearing risks ^[1] and a factor analysis was conducted. The main results showed that the factor structure in the judgement and behaviour scale for Swedish adolescents was rather different from the factor structure in the Australian sample. The factor structure was not similar to the Australian sample split on gender and there were differences in factor structures between genders among Swedish adolescents. The results are discussed from a gender and existential perspective on risk taking, and it is emphasized that research on risk behaviour needs to reconceptualize stereotypical ideas about gender and the existential period in adolescence. The aim of Study IV was to investigate possible gender differences regarding psychometric scales measuring risk perception in noisy situations, attitudes towards loud music, perceived susceptibility to noise, and individual norms and ideals related to activities where loud music is played. In addition, the purpose was to analyze whether these variables are associated with protective behaviour, e.g. the use of hearing protection. A questionnaire was administered to a Swedish sample including 543 adolescents aged 16 to 20. The result revealed significant gender differences for all the psychometric scales. Furthermore, all psychometric measures were associated with hearing protection use in musical settings. Contrary to previous studies, gender did not solely contribute to any explanation of protective behaviour in the analysis. One conclusion is that although gender does not contribute solely to the explanation of protective behaviour, gender may affect psychological variables such as risk perception, attitudes and perceived susceptibility and these variables may in turn be valuable for decision-making and protective behaviour in noisy situations. Although women tend to be more ’careful’ psychologically, they nevertheless tend to behave in the same way as men regarding actual noise-related risk-taking.

Background: Adolescents are industrious users of social media (i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and most of 9-16 years old in EU´s 25 countries have a profile on a social network where they can socialize, express their thoughts and feelings. In Sweden there have been recent actions where adolescents have organized themselves with help from social media very quickly and with many participators. Studies have shown both positive and negative effects of using social media. Positive, since almost everyone can share experiences or make their voice heard. Negative, since young people can expose themselves and others to situations that can be difficult to manage. There are concerns that adolescents online can be socially isolated from their friends in “real life”, while others mean that social media increases the possibility for adolescent to make new friends and develop existing relationships. Significance: Earlier studies have focused on use of social media in school and social resisting gatherings, but not as many studies on adolescents’ use of social media for organizing their activities in everyday life. Young people can be considered to be digital natives and adults, that constitute a certain power in the society, can be considered as digital immigrants. From that perspective it is important to let young people’s own voices be heard on a central arena for daily activities. Hence, the aim the presented study was to examine how adolescents describe social media as an arena for organizing themselves and how the organizational actions affect their everyday life. Data derives from interviews with 13-19-year old pupils, and were recruited from the Western part of Sweden. The interviews were analyzed with thematic analysis in several steps. Results revealed that social media is perceived both positive and negative. Social media was described as an arena where young people can experience feelings of being free, but also as an arena that contributes to major problems. The adolescents describe social media as a platform where social power is performed, but that the users are unaware about the responsibilities that follow such power. Conclusions drawn from this study is that young people reason about the complexity of what social media means for organizing events and relationships in everyday life and social medias are seen as both problematic and enabling. The study contributes, by letting young people´s own voices being heard, a better understanding of adolescents’ experience of social organization in new medias.

Adolescents' voices on organization via social media. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/281280719_Adolescents'_voices_on_organization_via_social_media [accessed Oct 29, 2015].

Background: People of all ages participate in activities that can pose a risk to their health. However, it is important not only to see risks as threats, but also something that can enhance positive experiences and opportunities. The media has a huge influence on young people and thus there are good reasons to investigate how risks and risk-taking are portrayed. Significance: The communication in the media can be described as bi-directional, with subjects covered from many different perspectives, for example the reporting of views and values held by the authorities, politicians, residents and other community stakeholders. The human identity is constructed from self-experiences, but also through the different public discourses (collectively agreed discussions or arguments) that are present in the media and in everyday speech. For adolescents in particular, contact with the media affects their lives and the development of their identity. Hence, the media plays an important role in the presentation of how the world is constituted. The aim of this study was therefore to explore how risks and risk taking are described in media targeting young people in Sweden. Methods: 270 adolescents aged 15-20 years were surveyed on which newspapers they primarily read. Two daily tabloids were identified, both in paper format and on the Internet. Hence, the data consisted of two daily tabloids, each studied over a 14 day period. Each article that mentioned risks and risk taking was analyzed using discourse analysis from three perspectives: 1) what is stated, 2) by whom and 3) how such statements are articulated. Results showed that risks were mainly addressed in four ways; 1) News reports by journalists and press spokespersons articulating the theme “offender, heroes and victims”, e.g. news about crimes and accidents. 2) Reports about sports by athletes, coaches, doctors and columnists on the theme “enduring punches and injuries”, e.g. reports about violence and injuries in sports. 3) Reports, about entertainment by actors, performers, presenters and columnists about “Idols, drugs and confessions”, e.g. celebrities’’ confession stories, and 4) Expert- and opinion reports by journalists, experts, panels about “opinions and influence”, e.g. columnists writing about current events. The Conclusion drawn is the importance of discussing the discourses media create and reproduce, and that all levels of society need to take responsibility for what risks are reported, how and, by whom. For example, the media can reproduce outdated gender roles and may obstruct equal opportunities for young men and women. This study contributes in several ways, one being to bring awareness on how discourses are presented in the media and the impact on young peoples’ opportunities to create balanced and conscious attitudes to risk.

Risk discourses in Swedish tabloids. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/281280598_Risk_discourses_in_Swedish_tabloids [accessed Oct 29, 2015].

Kapitlet fokuserar på vanligt förekommande sätt att beskriva risker i olika medier.

The present study was influenced by existential - and gender aspects on young people's everyday lives with the aim to shed light on the complexity of the phenomenon of risk-taking, the meaning and purpose of adolescent risk-taking in a traditional sense (e.g. smoking and drug using) and in noisy environments (e.g. discotheques and rock concerts). The intention was to identify possible new ways of understanding young people's experiences and apprehensions about different risk behaviours by the use of qualitative method; The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Sixteen adolescents (8 men/8 women, aged 15-19) were interviewed, 4 in separate interviews and 12 in focus groups. The analysis revealed two dimensions: "Social identity" and "Existential identity" and six superordinate themes of the phenomena of risk-taking. The two dimensions and the six super-ordinate themes were equal for women and men, while the sub-themes were found to be gender-related. The interviewees' responses revealed social (gender) - and existential considerations which affected the participants in many areas of their daily lives. The study implies that one of the challenges for the preventive strategies is to be able to talk about risk-taking in terms of both threat and development, and not as a case of either or. 

Music and high levels of sound have not traditionally been associated with risk-taking behaviors. Loud music may intensify and bring more power and meaning to the musical experience, but it can at the same time be harmful to hearing. The present study aims to increase the knowledge about young women′s and men′s risk judgement and behaviour by investigating patterns in adolescent risk activities among 310 adolescents aged 15-20 (143 women; 167 men). The Australian instrument ARQ was used with additional questions on hearing risks and a factor analysis was conducted. The main results showed that the factor structure in the judgement and behavior scale for Swedish adolescents was rather different from the factor structure in the Australian sample. Also, the factor structure was not similar to the Australian sample split on gender. The results are discussed from a gender- and existential perspective on risk taking, and it is emphasized that research on risk behavior needs to reconceptualize stereotypical ideas about gender and the existential period in adolescence.

Children living in families with alcohol or drug misuse, violence or a parent's psychiatric illness are commonly regarded as a group at risk of developing social and health problems, but also at risk of failing in school. In Sweden social services have the responsibility to intervene to change the situation for such children (National Board of Health and Welfare, 2013). Teachers, school social workers and other relevant staff all have important roles to play in identifying pupils within this target group (Backlund, 2007). However research demonstrates that this process can be prolonged. Nor is it unusual that parents and/or pupils are unwilling to accept support until the home situation becomes very serious and/or where the pupil's school achievements have deteriorated in a serious way (SOU 2010).This presentation offers an evaluation of an ongoing project 'Extended In-Depth Pupil Welfare' (2013–2015) funded by the Swedish Public Health Agency and which is one of sixteen projects aimed at children and young people within this target group in the national program 'Developing New Evidenced Methods for Prevention and Interventions'. The 'Extended In-Depth Pupil Welfare' project is based on the hypothesis that, by making established evidence-proven intervention methods normally offered by social services in social service settings available for pupils and their parents in a school setting, children and parents may be more willing to accept/or seek support at an earlier stage than had the interventions been available through normal social services channels. The research questions are: 'Does availability influence willingness to seek and accept support?', and 'In what way does this support influence school performance?'In recent decades a great deal of attention has been directed to the creation and implementation of effective interventions designed to adress the needs of pupils at risk of failing academically (Allen-Meares, Montgomery & Kim, 2013; Dube & Orpinas, 2009). Interventions operate at a number of levels. While Tier 1 interventions are at the whole school level, Tier 2 interventions address specific groups and individuals (Allen-Meares et al., 2013). In Sweden a multitude of collaborative joint ventures by social services and schools at both tiers have emerged in recent years (SOU, 2010). A national evaluation of a government sponsored program comprising more than one hundred collaborative projects revealed that collaboration is in great need of development. Further, a majority of teachers report that collaboration with social services, child psychiatry, the police and other agencies is, in different ways, unsatisfactory (Danermark, Englund & Germundsson, 2010). From this point of departure the 'Extended In-Depth Pupil Welfare' project is based on the assumption that if the school is the sole stakeholder in providing support interventions, actions can be more effectively directed in ways that best fit the school's organization and impact most directly on pupils' school achievement. For example, research demonstrates that when social services and schools are both stakeholders, the process of identifying and supporting pupils in need is not only unnecessarily time-consuming, but also less effective (Bolin 2011).Focusing on an interprofessional staff group comprising two teachers and two social workers based on-site in a medium sized primary/secondary school, and comparing pupils' and parents' perceptions of the availability of pupil welfare support with similar parental/pupil perceptions at another school used as a control, the objectives of this research is to theoretically analyse and critically evaluate the impact on school performance of on-site extended pupil welfare support. In this presentation focus is directed to findings emerging from interview data with pupils at the intervention school, and on their perceptions of the impact that the work of the interprofessional support team has had on their approaches to school work.Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedIn addition to assessing pupils' achievement (encapsulated in subject grades) the study also focuses on the perception the pupils have of the impact on school performance of on-site social welfare support, and it is these findings that are presented here. Individual interviews have been carried out with participating pupils and their parents. The rationale behind this choice is that interviews are contextualised and can thus provide depth and detail (as opposed to questionnaire based approaches), and are to be preferred when 'why' and 'how' questions have been posed (Flyvbjerg, 2007). The interviews with pupils were carried out using a semi-structured guide, as is recommended for interviews with children (Docherty & Sandelowski, 1999). The guide consisted of a series of open questions pertaining to the pupil's understanding of the process of receiving support; the pupil's perception of the impact of the intervention with regard to school performance; out-of-school activities and activities in the family, and if positive changes are experienced, how enduring the pupil perceives such changes to be. The interviews with the pupils took place in a municipality community hall or in a room at the school. When processing the raw information the interviews were digitally-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was processed using NVIVO 10. Each interview transcript was entered as a single case, with twenty cases in total. The approach adopted when analysing the empirical data has been inspired by what Patton (2002) describes as thematic analysis and involves the recognition of patterns. Data was coded and closely analyzed by identifying increasing levels of abstraction in the material (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsPreliminary results indicate that pupils see encounters with the on-site interprofessional support team as impacting on their attendance, approaches to school work and achievement. This, as the pupils report, is in part due to the experience in lessons of being able to keep away from conflicts with other pupils and teachers. Previously a consequence of being involved in conflicts meant the pupil having to leave lessons. Pupils also speak of experiencing an increased capacity for subject goal attainment. A majority of the interviewees estimate that they have improved their grade in at least two or three subjects, often pointing to core subjects such as Swedish, Maths and English. Further, the results indicate that the pupils perceive they can control whether, and if so, when they want to receive support from the support team. This, they report, contributes to a willingness to both emotionally and cognitively engage in the program and in the counselling provided. They describe that this engagement gives them tools to better focus on subject learning in class, to take control of their emotions and not to initiate conflicts or respond violently in peer relations in the classroom. A particularly interesting finding is that pupils do not perceive that support from the onsite team is attached to any sense of stigma, shame or embarrassment. Indeed, some pupils' accounts indicate that, when receiving support from the team, they feel much more comfortable about talking about problems they experience in the home such as, for example, violence or parents' alcohol misuse. However, some negative experiences of receiving support from the onsite team are revealed. For example, pupils perceive that the staff are not as immediately available as they would like them to be, and that support is not sufficiently 'on-demand', thus causing causes them anxiety and feelings of reduced self-worth

Children living in families with alcohol misuse, violence or a parent’s psychiatric illness are not only commonly regarded as a group at risk of developing social problems, but also at risk of failing in school. Teachers and school social workers have important roles to play in identifying these pupils. However research demonstrates that this process can be prolonged. Nor is it unusual that parents and/or pupils are unwilling to accept support until the home situation becomes serious and/or where the pupil’s school achievements have deteriorated.This presentation is based on an evaluation of the project ‘Extended In-Depth Pupil Welfare’ funded by the Swedish Public Health Agency´s national program ‘Developing New Evidenced Methods for Prevention and Interventions’. The project is based on the hypothesis that, by making established evidence-proven intervention methods normally offered by social services in social service settings available for pupils and their parents in a school setting, children and parents may be more willing to both seek and accept support at an earlier stage than had such interventions been available through normal social services channels. The research questions are: ‘Does availability influence willingness to seek and accept support?’, and ‘In what way does this support influence school performance?’ The empirical base for this presentation draws on (i) data from a survey of parents (N=137) and pupils (N=49) pre- and post-project that focused on perceptions of the availability of support from pupil welfare and socials services, (ii) data on school performance with regard to pupils in receipt of interventions (N=86), and (iii) individual interviews (N=20) with pupils who received interventions. Results indicate that the availability of social workers plays an important role for children’s motivation to seek/or accept support. Pupils regard encounters with the on-site interprofessional support team as impacting on their attendance, approaches to school work and achievement.

The concept of children's agency can be used to understand how children actively shape their lives. While in social work there is a growing body of research on how children experience meetings that involve collaborating professionals, little is known about the ways in which they exert an influence and the strategies they use. The purpose of the study was, in a Swedish context, to explore children's perceptions of their agentic capacity to influence who works with them when many different professionals are involved in providing support. Secondly, the aim was to investigate the perceptions of their agentic capacity in regulating their participation and exerting an influence on outcomes in interprofessional collaborative meetings. Interviews were carried out with 28 children in receipt of social services support. The results revealed that, for the older children, perceptions of the exercise of agency involved both the exclusion of certain professionals from the collaborating group as well as the identification of those perceived asbeing able to help. Additionally, the children's agency could be seen to be implicated in their perceptions of actively making decisions to acquiesce in collaborative solutions. For the younger children agency was revealed in the way that they interpreted the situations involving collaborating professionals, recognizing that it is primarily parents who decide about contact with different 'helpers". Findings with regards to the second aim revealed that children perceive professionals' talk as restricting opportunities for input. They also perceive they have capacity to exercise agency by (i) conforming to expectations by pretending to be bored and disengaged, butat the same time paying close attention to what is going on, alert to important details concerning them, (ii) by using exit strategies, and (iii) by developing 'in-situ' strategies to end meetings believed to be of little value. Rather than, as previously suggested, being powerless in such circumstances, the children talk of how they carefully assess situations, and, from a position of apparent subordination, talk of ways of acting that reveal their agentic capacity. These insights are of importance for practitioners, who are encouraged to look beyond behaviours that first meet the eye.This research has been funded by the Swedish Children's Welfare Foundation Sweden (Stiftelsen Allmänna Barnhuset)

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) need stable self-care routines for good metabolic control to minimize future cardiovascular health complications. These routines are demanding, and might be particularly challenging in underprivileged groups. The aim of this study was to gain in-depth knowledge on the experience of adolescents with T1DM and a non-Swedish background regarding factors that might influence their ability to take care of themselves; in particular, factors that might influence diabetes management routines, their social situation, and the support they receive from caregivers. We interviewed 12 adolescents with T1DM and minority backgrounds. The results indicated resources and constraints in the adolescents' social context and in the health care organization. The adolescents developed conceptions that helped to explain and excuse their self-care failures, and their successes. These findings highlight the importance of integrating T1DM as part of the individual's personal prerequisites. We discuss implications for the organization of diabetes care for adolescents.

We assessed 2 forms of agreement between mothers’ and fathers’ socially desirable responding in China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the United States (N = 1110 families). Mothers and fathers in all 9 countries reported socially desirable responding in the upper half of the distribution, and countries varied minimally (but China was higher than the cross-country grand mean and Sweden lower). Mothers and fathers did not differ in reported levels of socially desirable responding, and mothers’ and fathers’ socially desirable responding were largely uncorrelated. With one exception, mothers’ and fathers’ socially desirable responding were similarly correlated with self-perceptions of parenting, and correlations varied somewhat across countries. These findings are set in a discussion of socially desirable responding, cultural psychology and family systems.

NU-sjukvården önskade hantera sina resurser optimalt och öka kostnadseffektiviteten. Med denna studie undersöktes vad som skulle kunna motivera sjuksköterskor på kirurgi- respektive medicinavdelningar (N= 62) att öka sin kompetens för att arbeta på två olika avdelningar, om inställningen till detta skiljer sig mellan områdena samt huruvida ålder, anställningstid, inre motivationoch omotivation kunde predicera inställningen till att arbeta på två olika avdelningar. Instrumentet bestod av fyra delar. En demografisk del, två förundersökningen konstruerade skalor avseende att mäta sjuksköterskornas motivation till att öka sin kompetens för att arbeta på två olika avdelningar och inställningen till detta system, samt en svensk version av Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale. Svarsfrekvensen var 60,9% och respondenterna var mellan 23 och 62 år (M = 39,8, SD= 11). Undersökningen visade att sjuksköterskorna främst motiverades till att arbeta på två olika avdelningar av högre lön, både på sikt och omgående. Inställningen till att arbeta på två olika avdelningar skiljde sig inte signifikant mellan de olika områdena.Motivationstyperna inre motivation och omotivation kunde var för sig signifikant förutse inställningen till att arbeta på två olika avdelningar. De sjuksköterskor som var mest positivt inställda till att arbeta på två olika avdelningar var de sjuksköterskor som drevs av att uppnå resultat och få belöningar.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore the variation of parents' descriptions and experiences of their child that was recently identified to have an intellectual disability (ID). Methods: The study applied interpretative phenomenological analysis and analysis of narrative style looking at content and form of parental narratives. Data was collected from nine fathers and eight mothers through semi-structured interviews within 6 months following diagnosis. Results: Analysis revealed three factors indicating the parents' level of processing: (1) emotional expressions regarding the child - varying between limited (distanced or idealized) and balanced/affectionate; (2) experience of the disability - varying between preoccupation and acceptance; and (3) time orientation - varying in terms of flexibility and temporal focus. Conclusions: Although parents of children with ID describe negative emotions in relation to the child and the disability, most of these parents also describe positive emotions that seemed to balance the negative experiences. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A focus group methodology was used to examine attitudes toward dating violence among 86 adolescents (aged 12-17) from four northern European countries (England, Sweden, Germany, and Belgium). Four superordinate themes were identified from thematic analyses: gender identities, television as the educator, perceived acceptability of dating violence, and the decision to seek help/tell someone. Although violence in relationships was generally not condoned, when violence was used by females, was unintended (despite its consequences), or was in retaliation for infidelity, violence was perceived as acceptable. Adolescents indicated that their views were stereotypical and based solely on stereotypical television portrayals of violence in relationships. Stereotypical beliefs and portrayals generate barriers for victimized males to seek help because of fear of embarrassment.

This paper provides an overview of the development of 'Green Acres High', a serious game-based primary intervention to raise awareness of and change attitudes towards dating violence in adolescents, and an analysis of how adolescents described their experience of playing this game. Transcripts from focus group data were analysed using thematic analysis. The global theme that was developed, Assessment of the game, was represented by two organising themes, Positive assessment: Pedagogical Underpinnings andNegative Assessment: Functionality Limitations and Frustrations. These represented the fact that overall the learning experience was positive based on the pedagogical principles and content that could be embedded in this digital game but that technical issues with the game needed to be addressed as these could impinge on the learning experience of the adolescents. It was seen that using a serious game was a valid and meaningful way for adolescents to learn about dating violence and that this is a viable alternative or adjunct to traditional teaching methods.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the variables organizational identification, organizational citizenship behavior, perceived organizational prestige and seniority. The variables were examined partly to see if participants' identification with the organization is linked to seniority and perceived organizational prestige, and the degree to which participants choose to perform beyond role expectations. The correlation study was performed at a service company in Trollhattan, in the business area staffing and recruitment.90 bluecollar employees working in warehouse/ logistics and manufacturing were asked to participate in the study. Response frequency was low, since only 29 attended. The participants' ages ranged between 20 and 57 years old (M = 37) and the averagelength of seniority was 14 months. The study was conducted using a quantitative method, using a questionnaire made up of three parts, which measured the degree of organizational identification, degree of organizational citizenship behavior and perceived organizational prestige. The Mael Scale, OCB–scale, and Mael's perceived organizational prestige scale were used to measure the three variables.The results showed weak correlations between organizational identification and organizational citizenship behavior, and organizational identification and perceived organizational prestige. However, these correlations were not statistically significant. The study could not infer statistically significant correlations between seniority and organizational identification. The results showed a highly statistically significant relationship between the variables organizational citizenship behavior and seniority. The variables used in the study had good reliability with an alphavalue of .71, however, perceived organizational prestige had an alpha value of .45.Future research should focus on to further investigate the importance of identification for the staffing industry, with its triangular relationship between the consultant, staffing agencies and client companies.