Projekt Upplärning är en ”avknoppning” av ett litet experiment om  postsorteringen som gjordes i ett inledande skede av samverkan mellan Posten och forskarlaget vid Linköpings universitet.

Multidisciplinary frameworks are needed to develop products that fit the human. Ergonomics is a multifaceted field that encompasses physical, cognitive and organizational aspects, and it is therefore a suitable subject to be taught to design engineering students.

The objective of this paper was to describe and reflect upon how a systems perspective on Ergonomics is developed and conveyed in a course in Product Ergonomics to engineering students at the Design and Product Development (DPD) programme at Linköping University, Sweden. The paper is based on the authors’ experiences from teaching the course in Product Ergonomicsas well ason 52 students’ written reflections about their view on Ergonomics before and after taking the course.

Means and ideas for teaching Ergonomics with a systems perspective included organizing a theoretical introduction into weekly themes and thereafter integrating and applying these themes in a product concept project under supervision of a multidisciplinary teacher team.

The paper also reflects on how the systems perspective of Ergonomics is planned for and realized in the intended, implemented and attained curriculum.

This article describes empirical research undertaken to identify how production planners and schedulers in manufacturing businesses exert influence on employees in production and commercial departments. Through the analysis of observations and interviews conducted in four case studies, sources of power were identified and categorized. It was found that although production planners and schedulers often did not have formal authority, in practice they had considerable influence. In the main, their sources of influence resided in their access to information, company agendas, and influential arenas, as well as their knowledge and social skills. The discussion draws from the findings examining influencing behaviors and considering their implications. The findings inform associated research on the processes, behaviors, and roles that schedulers and planners perform at functional interfaces, in support of effective and responsive order fulfillment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Human and organizational factors have a substantial impact on the performance of planning and scheduling processes. Despite widespread and advanced decision support systems, human decision makers are still crucial to improve the operational performance in manufacturing industries. In this text, the state of the art in this area is discussed by experts from a wide variety of engineering and social science disciplines. Moreover, recent results from collaborative studies and a number of field cases are presented. The text is targeted at researchers and graduate students, but is also particularly useful for managers, consultants, and system developers to better understand how human performance can be advanced.Show more Show less

The aim of this article is to explore improvisational handling of critical work practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and interpret these practices from a learning perspective. Based on an interview study with representatives of private, public and intermediary organisations, the study identified three different types of improvisational handling as responses to the pandemic crisis involving ‘scaling up’ and ‘scaling down’ critical work practices. By ‘scaling up’ and ‘scaling down’, we refer to practices for which, due to the pandemic, it has been imperative to urgently scale up an existing operational process or develop a new process, and alternatively extensively scale down or cease an existing process. The types of improvisational handling differed depending on the discretion of involved actors in terms of the extent to which the tasks, methods and/or results were given beforehand. These types of improvisational handling resulted in temporary solutions that may become permanent after the pandemic. The framework and model proposed in the article can be used as a tool to analyse and learn from the changes in work practices that have been set in motion during the pandemic. Such learning may improve the ability to cope with future extensive crises and other rapid change situations.

The aim of this paper is to describe and reflect on an interactive research approach used to address the challenges on how to improve product introductions, the part of the product realization process associated with the transfer of a product from product development to serial production. In the interactive research approach, research results as well as improvement of practice are given equal importance. The collaboration between researchers and practitioners therefore addresses both the focus and the process of the change. The approach includes four main iterative steps: 1) mapping/diagnosis, 2) feedback of results, 3) participation in development activities, and 4) follow-up/evaluation. The paper reports findings from interactive research in one company within office product industry and one company group, consisting of three company units within the engine industry. Preliminary findings indicate that the participating companies afterwards work in a more structured way with product introductions and that the employees have gained deeper knowledge about product introductions as well as experienced the advantages of working across functional boundaries. Furthermore, the interactive research approach is suitable to run projects from an ergonomics perspective as it focuses on developing both practice and theory, it is human-centered, and it emphasizes broad participation from practitioners.

Working life of today faces challenges. There is a fast pace in technical and organisational development and continual demands for increased performance. In order to manage the increasing complexity in work systems, there is a need to take a holistic view on operations. One such view is the systems concept of Humans, Technology and Organisation (HTO). The aim of this report is to describe the HTO concept, how it was developed, and how it can be used to develop work and work systems, understand humans at work, and understand contributing factors to organisational performance and individual well-being. The core of the HTO model is human work activity and how it is carried out within a work system consisting of humans, technology and the organisation. Focussing on human work activity generates knowledge about work conditions, needed competences and collective interaction, but also understanding about outcomes of the activities – the systems performance. H, the Humans in the work system, can be understood from different perspectives, for example as biological systems, information processing systems, individuals with unique personal traits and experiences, or as members of social groups. The H can thus in itself be regarded as a sub-system within HTO. In a similar way, T, Technology, includes several facets, such as tangible tools and machinery, intangible IT systems and software, and environmental characteristics that are technologically designed. The same applies for O, Organisation, consisting of both formal aspects (e.g. written work instructions and follow-up systems) and informal aspects (e.g. organisational culture and informal work practice). Applying HTO in practice generates several types of outcomes: 1) HTO to design products shows that it can be beneficial for productivity, quality and individual safety; 2) HTO to analyse and understand complex work may shed light on complex work in practice, the influences between the individual and the work system, and gaps between prescribed, standard work and how it is carried out in practice; 3) HTO to understand safety shows that it is achieved through systems thinking, thus technology needs to be designed to match human capabilities, and HTO barriers should be in place to prevent accidents; and 4) HTO to improve health and productivity may result in workplace redesign, increased individual well-being and business productivity. HTO has several uses, such as a theoretical framework, an analytical tool, and a method for a holistic view on human work, but also as a tool for visualisation and design. 

This study of scheduling work in practice addresses how the production-scheduling processes in four companies are influenced by human, technological, and organizational aspects. A conclusion is that the outcome of the scheduling process is influenced by the scheduler adding human capabilities that cannot be automated, by technical constraints in the scheduled production system and by the available scheduling software tools. Furthermore, the outcome is influenced not only by how the scheduling process is formally organized, but also by the scheduler's informal authority and the role taken to interconnect activities between different organizational groups. The findings from the study support a number of previous studies done on scheduling in practice whilst giving new insights into their interpretation.

One fundamental challenge in choosing an examination form to assess student achievements is to find an examination which, both encourages students to continuously elaborate the course content and constitutes a learning process itself. The objective of this paper is to share and reflect on the development and implementation of a new theme-based examination in a six credit course in Product Ergonomics given in the engineering programme Design and Product Development at Linköping University, Sweden. The course runs during four months and has two parts: one theoretical and one applied. The former focuses on theoretical ergonomic topics, models and methods while the latter is a project aiming at consolidating the students’ understanding of the theory by implementing the knowledge in a product development case. To encourage the students to adapt a deep learning approach, the traditional written mid-term exam for the theoretical part was abandoned and another concept developed. In the new concept, the theoretical part was split onto six weekly themes. Each theme was introduced at the beginning of the week by high-lighting main theories and models followed by a group-work assignment to be elaborated on by the students during the week. The theme was examined at the end of the week through a short written exam and a seminar to discuss and reflect upon the theme. From a student perspective, the positive outcome of the theme-based examination was peer learning and a more active learning style. The students appreciated the theme-based structure of the course. Occasionally, some students commented that weekly examinations could be perceived as stressful. The teachers perceived the students to be more acquainted with ergonomics theory and methods which increased the quality of the course project. The reported theme-based assessment is one example of implementing among others the CDIO syllabus parts 2.2 and 3.1and CDIO standards 8 and 11.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is twofold, to investigate the representatio n of female researchers in QMOD publications and to describe in what way a gender perspective has beenapplied within QMOD publications.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper is based on a literature review an d analysis ofthe papers in the QMOD proceedings for ever y other year from 2012 to 2018. After excluding papers where gender could not be identified for the first or second author, the final sampleincluded 555 papers. The papers were analysed with respect to gender in authorship, nationality, type of paper, QM research area, domain and gender perspective. Analysis of quantitative data was made with SPSS and Chi square testing. The papers with a gender perspective were further categorized through qualitativ e content analysis.

Findings: The quantitative analysis showed that gender representation of first authors were 43.2% female and 56.8% male. Males accounted for most of the single authored papers (61%). The most common research areas and domains differed between genders. Female studied lean and research on employee and student related areas and the domains education and health care to a greater extent than males. Males, to a greater extent studied quality management in general and reliability and safety related topics and the domain manufacturing. Eighteen papers with a gender perspective were identified. These originated from 13 different countries and there were equal number of female and male first authors . A major topic was customer or user focus in pr oduct or service development with a dominance of papers focusing on the service sector.

Practical implications: For researchers the results of the study demonstrate that there is stilla general need to increase the awareness of gender issues in QM research, both in terms of ensuring that ge nder issues are integrated in research projects and that any gender is not underrepresented in specific research roles. In product development there may also be a nuntapped potential in further quality development of products and services by focusing more on gender.

Originality/Value of paper: There are no similar studies within the QM field. Gender is an area receiving increased interest within academia in terms of reques ts from research funding and increased awareness in higher education. The study shows that t here is a need for increased attention on gender issues within QM research.

Interactive research has emerged as a new approach to collaborative research in working life research, and it is characterized by a continuous joint learning process between the researchers and the practitioners. In this paper we argue that interactive research is a way to advance scientific knowledge about the development of new types of work arrangements and development of sustainable working life. We present the basic ideas and benefits of the interactive research approach, illustrated through a practical case, the HELIX Competence Centre and discuss potential limitation and challenges associated with this form of collaborative research.

External stakeholder collaboration is vital for new industrial projects and establishments. The aim of this paper is to contribute to knowledge of how relations and stakeholder collaboration with trade unions can be created during industrial startups, so as to foster sustainable work and competitive advantages. A case study was carried out in the early phases of a major greenfield project aimed at establishing a new industrial domain in a Nordic context. The results show that cooperation between a new firm and trade unions has the potential to proactively address prerequisites for sustainable work in design phases of new factories, but also to strengthen the attention to other dimensions of social sustainability that are crucial for industrial startup´s long term success possibilities. However, specifically in a high—growth firm, there needs to be a systematic approach that incorporates continuous anchoring activities both within and between the stakeholders’ different levels. Serendipity in the findings were cooperation processes related to competence acquisition and societal development needed to meet both an emerging firm´s and future employee´s individual prerequisites and needs. Hence, building a stakeholder chain inspired by the Nordic model in change processes such as startups, enables attention to dimensions of social sustainability needed in work processes in early development phases, which is also beneficial from a competitive and societal perspective.

Under de senaste åren har samhället, företag och organisationer i de flesta sektorer och individerpåverkats och tvingats agera för att snabbt mobilisera och hantera den stora oförutsedda krissituationsom uppstått p.g.a. Covid-19 pandemin. Tidigare studier under allvarliga ekonomiska kriser visar attorganisationer har större förutsättningar att lyckas om de kan hantera sin dagliga verksamhet ochsamtidigt anpassa sig till stora förändringar (Wallo, Kock och Nilsson, 2012)1. Verksamheter behöversåledes en förmåga att samverka i det strategiskt arbete och mobilisering, men också att kunnaförebygga risker och realisera beslut, vilket kräver utformning av stöd och arbetssätt på en taktisknivå. Stora förändringar har också stor påverkan på en operativ nivå där förståelse behövs kringarbetsuppgifter från ett individ- och teamperspektiv, hur hela arbetssituationen påverkas och effekterom till exempel nya arbetssätt, ändrade roller och nya risker.

Syfte

Syftet är att lyfta fram olika perspektiv på betydelsen av samverkan inom och mellan strategiska,taktiska och operativa nivåer i organisationer under den inledande fasen av Covid-19 pandemin.

Metod

Resultaten baserar sig huvudsakligen på det pågående forskningsprojektet ”Förnyelseförmåga ochhållbar arbetsmiljö vid snabba svängningar, Spin-off” kompletterat med illustrativa exempel från detavslutade projektet ”Skyddsutrustning vid Covid-19: Metodik för produktion och instruktioner”, bådafinansierade av AFA Försäkring.

Metodik i Spin-off projektet: Data samlades in i en intervjustudie med utvalda respondenter medstrategisk funktion och intermediärer inom offentliga och privata organisationer. Totalt innefattadestudien semi-strukturerade intervjuer med 65 respondenter, samtliga ljudinspelade och transkriberade.Frågorna innefattade bland annat Covid-19-pandemins effekter i organisationer och arbetsplatser medfokus på upp- respektive nedskalning, effekter på verksamheten, arbetsuppgifter, samarbeten,arbetsmiljöarbetet och arbetsmiljön. Med upp- respektive nedskalning avses här arbetsprocesser sompå grund av pandemin har varit absolut nödvändigt att initiera/utveckla alternativt upphöra ellerdrastiskt dra ner på. I studien ingick även frågor kring möjliga långsiktiga effekter ”efter pandemin”,och lärdomar att ta tillvara inför framtiden för att stå bättre rustade i en allt snabbare förändringstakt.

Metodik i Skyddsutrustningsprojektet: Datainsamling gjordes genom produktionsprocesskartläggningoch dokumentation av metoder för tillverkning av skyddsvisir och långärmade skyddsrockar vid ettpar av de tillfälliga produktionsstationer som byggdes upp under pandemins första år. Underlag förriskbedömning och skriftliga rutiner för basal hygien och användning av skyddsutrustning samlades insom data från en kommun och för utveckling av visuella instruktioner. I digitala workshops med tvåhemtjänstenheter (totalt 42 medarbetare) samlades data in om hur och när de lärt sig användaskyddsutrustning och förutsättningar att följa instruktioner i det operativa arbetet.

Resultat

Spin-off-studien visade att organisationer och arbetsplatser påverkades drastiskt av yttre händelser därdet uppstod nya situationer som triggade initiativ till nya former av samverkan för att lösa problem.Studien visade att pandemin ”luckrade upp” tidigare fasta strukturer vilket accelererade innovativasamarbeten över traditionella gränser med potential för förnyelse på lång sikt. Resultat från bådastudierna belyste exempel på samverkan såväl inom som mellan olika nivåer (strategiskt, taktiskt, ochoperativt).

Exempel på samverkan på strategisk nivå var mobilisering och krishantering i många verksamhetergenom tvärfunktionellt och tvärorganisatoriskt samarbete. Nya strategier och arbetssätt utvecklades föraffärsverksamheten, men också för att säkra effektiv kommunikation, information och godaarbetsförhållanden under krisen. Exempel på samverkan på taktisk nivå var sektorsövergripandesamarbete mellan vård- och omsorgssektorn och svensk industri med syfte att säkra personligskyddsutrustning genom tillfällig beredskapsproduktion. Utmaningar var att snabbt ställa ombefintliga produktionsprocesser till nya typer av produkter, skala upp produktionsvolymer och säkrakvaliteten med relativt otränad personal. Samarbetet under produktionsstart av skyddsutrustning varberoende av ett tvärfunktionellt och tvärorganisatoriskt kunskapsutbyte relaterat till råmaterialkrav,standardiserade instruktioner, produktionsprocesser och produktinformation. Exempel på samverkanpå operativ nivå var tvärfunktionella samarbeten över organisationsgränser kring riskanalyser somsamordnats, såsom kombinerade patientssäkerhetsronder och arbetsmiljöronder som medförthelhetsförståelse och samordningsvinster.

Gap i samverkan mellan strategiska, taktiska och operativa nivåer synliggjordes iskyddsutrusningsprojektet där riskbedömning och rutiner för användning av skyddsutrustning iäldreomsorgen som tagits fram på strategisk samverkansnivå saknade anpassning till de faktiskaoperativa förutsättningarna att följa rutiner och instruktioner. Andra utmaningar var relaterade tillpartsgemensamt arbetsmiljöarbete där t.ex. en skyddskommitté utvecklade förslag och beslut omåtgärder (strategisk samverkansnivå) som sedan skulle genomföras i praktiken på arbetsplatser(operativ samverkansnivå). I den höga förändringstakten som pandemin krävde så synliggjordesutvecklingsbehov i Spin-off studien där strukturer ständigt behövde utvecklas och omstruktureras itakt med förändringar, och kontinuerlig samverkan behövdes mellan lokala arbetsplatser ochorganisationens verksamhetsutvecklingsprocesser. En styrka i verksamheter var den samladeuppslutning som uppstod under krisen och förmåga till snabb omställning för samverkan övertraditionella gränser. Främjande faktorer för samverkan både inom och mellan nivåer var uppbyggdasamarbeten och förtroendefulla relationer som fanns innan pandemin. Ytterligare en framgångsfaktorvar förmågan att nyttja digitala lösningar där arbetsuppgifter och samverkan behövde ske på distans.Den digitala tekniken var en central möjliggörare men resultat från Spin-off studien pekar påpotentiella risker för t.ex. segregering mellan yrkesgrupper/nyanställda och utmaningar för ledarskappå distans.

Vid större förändringar eller kriser pekar studierna på att det finns stora utmaningar i att få samverkanatt flöda mellan operativa, strategiska och taktiska nivåer, där fördjupade studier rekommenderas.

För att svara upp mot utmaningarna inom det organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljöområdet och främja ett hållbart arbetsliv har Scania utvecklat dialogverktyget Work Balance. Det är forskningsbaserat och avser ge stöd och struktur åt chefer att föra djupare och regelbunden dialog med medarbetare kring upplevelser av arbetssituationer. Dialogen är strukturerad inom de fyra ämnesområdena Hanterbarhet, Begriplighet, Meningsfullhet och Återhämtning, och avses användas på frivillig basis i grupp eller individuellt. HELIX har i samarbete med Scania genomfört en lärande utvärdering av Work Balance. Syftet med denna utvärdering var att identifiera möjliggörare och hinder för användningen av Work Balance samt att ta fram förbättringsförslag som underlag för Scanias vidareutveckling av dialogverktyget. HELIX-forskare intervjuade 44 medarbetare, första och andra linjens chefer ur produktions- och kontorsmiljö, från sex produktionsenheter i fyra länder. Dessa använde eller hade valt att inte använda dialogverktyget. Resultaten visar en över lag positiv syn på Work Balance, på frivilligheten i användningen, relevansen, anpassningsbarheten, flexibiliteten och det varierade användningssättet. Men vid en produktionsenhet där verktyget inte fungerat som önskat har användningen avbrutits. Implementeringen varierade avseende tydlighet i information och träning i verktyget. Användningsförutsättningarna varierade kraftigt beroende på tidigare erfarenheter, kultur och mognad hos team och chefer att vara öppna och sätta ord på känslor. Användningen varierade även mellan produktionsenheter. Vid regelbunden användning var man mycket nöjd, men andra som inte sett nyttan hade slutat använda Work Balance. I produktion var teamen större, tiden mer begränsad, språk och frågor kändes mer abstrakta och användningen upplevdes svårare än i kontor. Högre chefers efterfrågan av användning tenderade ge en mer uthållig användning. Upplevda effekter var; öppnare klimat, bättre kommunikation, ökat samförstånd och tidigare identifiering av problem. Många trodde på en indirekt positiv koppling mellan Work Balance och nyckeltal. En enklare version av Work Balance efterfrågades, men också bättre hantering av identifierade problem, där mer stöd och utbildning till chefer och team behövs. En väl utvecklad förbättringskultur torde vara en bra grund för en utvecklad dialog där Work Balance kopplas till andra verktyg eller metoder som används i teamets kärnprocesser.

This case study addresses the issue of how contextual conditions influence scheduling work in practice at a sawmill in Sweden. Based on observations and interviews, activity analysis was used to study the work activities of the main scheduler. It is shown how the contextual conditions related to constraints, either in the technical system and the technical scheduling tools used by the scheduler or in the social system, delimit the possible ways for the scheduler to perform his work. It is furthermore illustrated how the scheduler sometimes used the contextual conditions as a means to control the sawmill production. Moreover, the presence of the numerous uncertainties in the production process is shown. Finally, the study demonstrates that the schedulers thorough knowledge, experience, and skills of both the technical and the social systems had immense influence in his ability to perform during daily scheduling work.

Digitalization and increased use of information and communication technology (ICT) are major change processes taking place in engineering education today. Self-study and examination are areas with high potential for beneficial use of digital ICT tools. Some advantages with such tools are that students' can continuously assess their own learning in relation to the course objectives while they also can provide an opportunity to meet the teachers' needs to control how the students absorb the course material. Moreover, automatic provision of quick or instant feedback through digital tools can stimulate students’ commitment and active learning and allow students greater flexibility in their learning process, with tests that can be conducted online regardless of time and space and can be repeated as needed. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different types of ICT-based self-study and examination practices can be implemented in courses on topics such as project management, product development, and entrepreneurship, and build a knowledge base necessary for future systematic implementation of digital examinations. Our study is based on an educational development project at Linköping University, where we tested and evaluated different models and approaches for digital knowledge testing in a number of selected courses.We discuss both positive and potentially problematic aspects of the use of digital tools and conclude that successful implementation is dependent on well-planned integration of such tools into the overall course where different types of activities enhance each other. Thus, this study connects the areas of digital self- study and examination and provides examples of first steps on the way towards implementation of ICT-based examination practices.

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to explore how quality management (QM) principles can be used to mitigate cross-cultural challenges in new product introduction across national borders.

Design/Methodology/Approach – Data for this longitudinal case study were collected through semi-structured interviews in the planning phase, during and after a product introduction involving one Swedish and one Chinese company. In total, 35 interviews were conducted with employees and managers from several organizational functions in Sweden and China.

Findings – Several challenges in the collaboration project were revealed that affected the product realization process. The study showed that QM dimensions may be used to handle the cross-cultural challenges. Strategy and leadership are essential in terms of top management support to set a high priority for the cross-cultural collaboration projects. The study demonstrated that lack of understanding of cultural differences negatively affected the product realization process and product quality, and that these outcomes could be mitigated by a QM approach. The means that may be used include continuous improvements, the development of measurement systems and the use of checklists. Employee development and involvement, finally, is an important QM dimension for cross-cultural management in order to set the same understanding and standards throughout the whole project.

Practical implications – The results demonstrate the strong need to take a systematic approach to work on quality issues in cross-cultural collaboration contexts. Furthermore the study shows that specific attention needs to be paid to understanding cultural differences, as these may have significant impact on quality outcome. Knowledge about cultural characteristics should be integrated in the QM model and tools to mitigate cross-cultural challenges.

Originality/Value of paper – This paper proposes the possibility of using quality management as a means to mitigate cultural challenges in cross-cultural product introduction.

Lean principles and methods, originating in a Japanese cultural context, have spread to a large number of companies throughout the world. The aim of this case study research is to identify and compare national cultural aspects that influence Lean Production and Lean Product Development implementation in Swedish companies. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and an industrial workshop with Swedish Lean practitioners. The study shows that some sub-areas in Lean, such as value definition, control systems, leadership, team development, knowledge management, and strategies, are highly dependent on contextual factors related to human, cultural and organizational aspects. These are related to the national culture and should be considered to a higher extent for successful sustainable implementation of Lean in different cultural contexts. As for implementing Lean in Sweden, national cultural characteristics, such as individualism, autonomy and supportive management style fit well with Lean thinking.

Increased globalization provides both opportunities and challenges. It requires the development of new means of collaboration within cross-national functional groups, processes, and projects related to product development and industrialization (PD&I). The objective of this paper is to review the relevant research on national cultural issues in the context of multicultural collaborations in PD&I. Findings are reported concerning national cultures, cultural challenges, and key findings show that previous research is mostly a comparison of different national cultures in a specific phase of PD&I. The review reveals that most studies have looked at crosscultural issues related to product development rather than industrialization. Furthermore, Power Distance, Individual vs. Group Identity, and relation to time and environment are considered to be key cultural factors that influence global collaboration, as they have impact on the innovative knowledge transfer process. Further research is suggested to examine cultural issues in relation to all aspects of PD&I, especially the industrialization process, which has only been the subject of a few research studies. A need to further explore cultural effects in the PD&I research field has also been identified. Future research should address how to utilize, integrate, and operationalize culture research into a wide span of business practices in different phases of the PD&I.