Toni Ivergard

Change in pattern of absenteeism as a result of workplace intervention for personnel support

The aim was to investigate whether a preventive intervention carried out in a predominantly female workplace, that of hospital cleaners (consisting of a group of 97 women), had any effect on patterns of absenteeism. As a background, a model for analysing complex patterns of absenteeism, including sickness absences, was also developed. A further aim was to study the interactions between different forms of absenteeism. Comparison was made with a reference group consisting of employees in the same job category who only received the customary personnel support. For individuals in the intervention group who were < 42 years of age, total absence due to sickness decreased. In a multiple regression analysis, the contribution from the intervention to the decrease was significant at the 5% level. This change was particularly obvious in those who had a previous history of high absence due to sickness. No clear relationship was shown between short-term absenteeism and the interventions applied. For those who were > 42 years, short-term absence decreased for those who had been in the same jobs for a long time. The combination of increased age and experience showed a tendency to enhance this decline in short-term absenteeism due to sickness. For those > 42 years, and who at the same time have a previous history of high absenteeism, long-term absenteeism due to sickness seemed to be increasing. Increased experience tended to reduce this increase in long-term sickness absence. This combination of different effects possibly indicated the presence of a process of selection which determined who remained in the job as opposed to those who did not. An important conclusion is that different forms of absenteeism need to be looked at in parallel, and at the same time multivariate statistical analysis needs to be carried out to determine the different interactions between the factors.

Interactive media for learning (IML): assuring usability in terms of a learning context

On account of competence‐led market demands, it is important that employees gain new knowledge efficiently. One solution is to set‐up IT‐based courses using interactive media for learning (IML) so that employees can learn at their workplace and also learn as a part of their ordinary work. Choosing technology as a media for learning is not simply chosen for its own sake rather because it is more efficient for the task. However, for a number of reasons, it is becoming increasingly difficult to assess the efficient use of technology. Thus there are needs for processes to quality assure usability or even to create a process to certify usability. Before this is possible a number of issues have to be resolved. All issues are fundamental to assure usability. We address each issue in our paper. The purpose of this paper is to review current approaches to quality assurance as applied in the field of IML. This paper discusses the difficulties of distinguishing between learning and usability in an IML context. We discuss quality‐assuring usability in terms of learning and we outline a certification process for IML in terms of usability. Our concluding remarks indicate possible future research directions.

A STUDY OF RED AND WHITE LIGHT ON THE CHART TABLE FOR NAVIGATION AT SEA

Twelve subjects performed four similar navigation tests under four different light conditions; red at 4 cd/m2 and a low, medium and high level of white light at 0·5,2·5 and 12·5 cd/m2, respectively. It was found that: (i) Red light was disliked most by the subjects and high white was liked most, (ii) One part of the navigation test was virtually impossible with red light, although the remainder was done quite accurately with better performance occurring only with high white. Subjects performed fastest with high white, red was the third slowest, but low white took the longest time, (iii) The time to become dark adapted was fastest with red and slowest with high white.

Public Sector Culture and Values: Delivering Public Service Excellence

In this chapter we describe a government agency whose role is to administer the national labor market. This case study is based on the personal experience of one of the current authors (TI). We describe and illustrate the agency’s structure, work processes, and personnel. In combination, these attributes shape the agency’s organizational culture, which in turn influences the productivity and performance of its exceptionally dedicated employees. Of particular relevance are issues of performance measurement, especially how the agency chooses to view and measure success. At the core of the agency’s work is its effectiveness in placing job seekers in employment. In essence, this is a key performance indicator (KPI) for the agency as a whole and for its officers. Success can thus in part be measured through customer satisfaction: Is the employer happy with the person who fills the job vacancy, and is the job seeker happy in the job he or she receives, or does the agency receive frequent requests to arrange changes of jobs? We would term this the macro-level of the agency’s work. At the micro-level is the work effort and performance of individual officers in working with their job-seeking clients, for example, to provide work-related counseling and to place people in suitable seminars and workshops.

Ergonomics in the Nordic European Countries - A Historical Perspective

The Nordic Ergonomic society was founded more than 30 years ago to represent Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. Recently Iceland has also been included. The Nordic Ergonomics Society has, to a large extent, traditionally been oriented towards work in the area of physiology, and a large number of its members have backgrounds within such areas as work physiology, physiotherapy and rehabilitation. However, from its inception the society has had members who are experienced within such fields as work psychology, design, engineering and occupational health and safety. Over the last decade we have also had new members from such areas as work sociology, organisational psychology, leadership, training, information technology and cybernetics. Members have been concerned mainly with the application and practice of ergonomics. The number of members involved in research has also increased over the years. The principal areas of application for such research have been within industry and government.

The use of ergonomics in the design of new industries.

The author presents the case for considering ergonomics factors as well as social and environmental considerations when designing new buildings and industrial plants. After considering the design processes currently being used in Sweden for houses, offices and industrial buildings, he reviews the type and presentation of the data required, followed by an outline of the application of the proposed system to the design of a large and a small industrial development.