Etty Ragnhild Nilsen

Employer branding: employer attractiveness and the use of social media

Purpose – The aim of this study is to investigate which factors employers should focus on in their employer branding strategies. The present study tested the employer attractiveness scale (EmpAt) and analysed relationships between dimensions in this measurement scale and the use of social media in relation to corporate reputation and intentions to apply for a job. Design/methodology/approach – Electronic questionnaires were distributed to students at three higher education institutions in Norway. The proposed model is analysed on the basis of 366 responses related to three well-known Norwegian engineering firms. Findings – The results indicate that several employer attributes are positive for corporate reputation, which again is related to attraction of potential employees. Specifically, the results suggest that innovation value, psychological value, application value, and the use of social media positively relate to corporate reputation, which in turn is positively linked to intentions to apply for a job...

Stuck between a rock and a hard place: the work situation for nurses as leaders in municipal health care

Background The paper aims to present how nursing leaders in the municipal health care perceive the interaction with and support from their superiors and peers. The paper further aims to identify the leaders’ vulnerability and strength at work in the current situation of shortage of manpower and other resources in the health care sector. This is seen through the lens of self-determination theory. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine nursing leaders in nursing homes and home-care services, which, in part, capture the municipal health care service in a time of reform. Results The nursing leaders are highly independent regarding their role as leaders. They act with strength and power in their position as superiors for their own staff, but they lack support and feel left alone by their leader, the municipal health director. The relation between the nursing leaders and their superiors is characterized by controlling structures and lack of autonomy support. As a consequence, the nursing leaders’ relations with subordinates and particularly peers, contribute to satisfy their needs for competence and relatedness, and, to some extent, autonomy. However, this cannot substitute for the lack of support from the superior level. Conclusion The paper maintains a need to increase the consciousness of the value of horizontal support and interaction with peers and subordinates for the municipal nursing leader. Also, the need for increased focus on “the missing link” upward between the municipal health director and the nursing leader is revealed. The impact of extensive controlling structures and lack of autonomy support from superiors might lead to reduced motivation and well-being.

Exploring resistance to implementation of welfare technology in municipal healthcare services – a longitudinal case study

BackgroundIndustrialized and welfare societies are faced with vast challenges in the field of healthcare in the years to come. New technological opportunities and implementation of welfare technology through co-creation are considered part of the solution to this challenge. Resistance to new technology and resistance to change is, however, assumed to rise from employees, care receivers and next of kin. The purpose of this article is to identify and describe forms of resistance that emerged in five municipalities during a technology implementation project as part of the care for older people.MethodsThis is a longitudinal, single-embedded case study with elements of action research, following an implementation of welfare technology in the municipal healthcare services. Participants included staff from the municipalities, a network of technology developers and a group of researchers. Data from interviews, focus groups and participatory observation were analysed.ResultsResistance to co-creation and implementation was found in all groups of stakeholders, mirroring the complexity of the municipal context. Four main forms of resistance were identified: 1) organizational resistance, 2) cultural resistance, 3) technological resistance and 4) ethical resistance, each including several subforms. The resistance emerges from a variety of perceived threats, partly parallel to, partly across the four main forms of resistance, such as a) threats to stability and predictability (fear of change), b) threats to role and group identity (fear of losing power or control) and c) threats to basic healthcare values (fear of losing moral or professional integrity).ConclusionThe study refines the categorization of resistance to the implementation of welfare technology in healthcare settings. It identifies resistance categories, how resistance changes over time and suggests that resistance may play a productive role when the implementation is organized as a co-creation process. This indicates that the importance of organizational translation between professional cultures should not be underestimated, and supports research indicating that focus on co-initiation in the initial phase of implementation projects may help prevent different forms of resistance in complex co-creation processes.

Organizing for learning and knowledge creation – are we too afraid to kill it?

Purpose – This paper aims to raise the question of how to organize for learning and knowledge creation at work, and in particular whether intervention and facilitation may obstruct or ease these processes. Learning and knowledge creation are often seen to be hindered by lack of interaction and meeting places, and a project may offer such a meeting place. The purpose of the paper is to show that in spite of being a top‐down organized project, this project still forms a space for learning with features of a community of practice.Design/methodology/approach – The study is a longitudinal case study of a project within one ward in a hospital. Data were constructed from observation, interviews and informal conversations; supplied by document studies of reports and minutes from meetings in the project group.Findings – Findings from this study indicate that through facilitation of a project embedded in a single department, a hospital unit, a space for learning and knowledge creation is created. This learning spac...

THE MULTIFACETED ROLE OF THE NETWORK ORCHESTRATOR — A LONGITUDINAL CASE STUDY

This longitudinal empirical case study develops a new framework for the role of the orchestrator of networks of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The SME network under study is followed during six years, through five stages of its lifecycle, and demonstrates the complex and multifaceted nature of the role of the network orchestrator. Various roles are needed for the various stages in order to achieve network retention and sustainability. This multifaceted role is found to encompass the roles as knowledge broker, innovation broker, network entrepreneur and leader and strategist, where the latter emerges as the most salient. The similarities with the role of a firm manager seem paradoxial in light of the dominating view of network management, characterized by the concept of distributed and collective leadership.

Firm innovation benefits from regional triple-helix networks

ABSTRACT This study investigates the value of constructed regional triple-helix networks for participating firms. Although participation in such networks is encouraged, the documentation of firm benefits is limited. The results from this longitudinal case study and survey study indicate that the primary benefits from network participation are increased access to knowledge and improved ability to meet challenges. Important characteristics of well-functioning networks are having a committed manager and common activities that build relationships. Lack of resources dedicated to networking limit a firm’s outcome, while participating in joint projects enhances it. The study contributes to the literature on network benefits and regional innovation policies.