Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Interdisciplinary team science'

La taille moyenne des équipes de recherche n’a cessé d’augmenter depuis plusieurs décennies pour l’ensemble des disciplines et quel que soit le pays considéré. Par exemple, l’étude d’Adams (2004) sur les articles publiés par au moins une université américaine entre 1981 et 1999 montre que le nombre d’auteurs moyen par publication a été constamment croissant passant de 2,8 à plus de 4,2. Les chercheurs ont tenté d’apporter des explications à cette observation. La complexité de plus en plus importante de la science a été une des premières idées développées : en effet, on a assisté à une augmentation du stock de connaissances et de nouveaux domaines de recherche, notamment multidisciplinaires, sont apparus. Mais cette hausse de la taille moyenne des équipes pourrait avoir d’autres origines : une concurrence plus forte entre les scientifiques les conduirait à se regrouper pour échapper à la compétition. Ce débat s’est peu à peu porté sur les causes, les avantages, les inconvénients et les conséquences de la collaboration scientifique. Les chercheurs ont essayé d’évaluer l’impact de cette dernière sur plusieurs variables comme leur productivité, la qualité de leurs articles ou encore leur nombre de publications, avec des résultats souvent différents d’une étude à l’autre. Dans cette thèse, deux questions majeures seront abordées : comment se forment les équipes de recherche et comment fonctionnent-elles ? Pour y répondre, nous formulerons tout d’abord une modélisation microéconomique sous la forme d’un jeu en deux étapes visant à expliquer les conséquences de la coopération sur la production scientifique et la constitution des groupes de recherche. Nous essaierons ensuite de déterminer de manière empirique les différents facteurs expliquant la formation des équipes en exploitant une base de données de l’OST portant sur l’ensemble des articles de toutes les institutions académiques mondiales depuis plusieurs décennies. Nous analyserons également les publications des universités de Bordeaux pour tenter de comprendre à tous les niveaux la formation et le fonctionnement des équipes notamment à l’échelle de chaque chercheur et de chaque laboratoire
This thesis aims at understanding the increasing complexity of research projects as one of the possible explanations for the fall in researchers’ productivity observed over decades. We conceptualize a research project as an idea and a team of researchers. Each idea is associated to a given knowledge production function that we suppose of the CES-form. Production factors are sub-team efforts, each one in a distinct field of expertise. We theoretically show that, at equilibrium, team outcome depends negatively on a synthetic index which characterizes its knowledge production function that we call disciplinary complexity of the research project. Though this index and its components are typically not observable in the data, we show that it is tied to the Hill index of factor contributions to the output, a standard interdisciplinary measurement in our application. This offers an opportunity to test empirically the increasing disciplinary complexity over time of research as an explanation of its decreasing productivity. We confirm those predictions on an original dataset of nearly four hundred thousand research projects over the period 1999-2013

The status of long term athlete development and monitoring programs (ADMP) in the United States is unsatisfactory. In part, this is due to a lack of coaching staff who possess a basic scientific background and a dearth of properly trained sport scientists. Additionally, it is rare to find sports medicine, sport science and strength and conditioning departments who sufficiently coordinate their efforts to develop athletes via scientifically grounded principles, monitor athletes with objective measures of performance, manage fatigue, reduce injuries and ultimately improve sport performance. As a result, there are few ADMPs in the U.S. at any level of competition. The goal of this symposium is twofold. First, describe the components of an ADMP which has been successfully implemented at the collegiate level. Second, advance the cause of sport science and provide a framework from which other institutions can develop similar programs. This symposium will be presented in four sections; 1) Organization - provide some historical perspective and detail roles for each department, 2) Lab testing - provide information regarding the frequency and type of testing (body composition, force plate measurements, biochemical analysis, etc.), 3) Field testing - detail on field testing procedures, describe how to quantify on field and weight room workloads (session RPE, heart rate workloads and volume loads) and discuss how this should influence the future direction of injury prevention research, 4) Data return and research - this will describe the process utilized to return data to coaching staff and how results are used to publish research.

The current study aimed at investigating the concepts of team situation awareness, mental models, and team processes in relation to performance in the complex, dynamic environment of breathing apparatus rescues. Data was collected during exercises at Ågesta training center through questionnaires and after action reviews. 28 firemen and 5 instructors participated in the exercises. Also, a stimulated recall interview was conducted with 2 of the firemen that had participated in one of the exercises. The different data collection methods all indicated that well-developed mental models or a high degree of pre-task knowledge affected performance in a positive way. Moreover, a multiple regression analysis showed that both pre-task knowledge and team processes significantly can predict performance. The results of the analysis of team situation awareness in relation to performance were fairly ambiguous. Therefore, further research is needed to establish the relation between these concepts in the domain at matter.

Stroke is one of the more disabling conditions which may result in the inability for survivors to care for themselves independently. Stroke survivors benefit most when they receive early onset assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. Increasingly, stroke care in Canadian hospitals relies on an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team approach to provide immediate rehabilitation services and to make decisions about discharge destination for stroke survivors. Currently, there is little research on how interdisciplinary rehabilitation teams decide upon rehabilitation placements for stroke survivors or how individuals on the team, stroke survivors, or their families participate in and contribute to this decision. This research studied the culture of the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team to understand the specific client, clinical, and family situations considered by team members and how that information was communicated and evaluated by them during their decision-making. To address the research question, the researcher undertook an ethnographic study of a health care team on a stroke unit of a Canadian hospital. Based on observations of the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team and interviews with team members, the study found that decisions about post-hospital discharge destination were conditioned by variables related to the social, economic, and policy context; interactions among members of the team; and the condition of stroke survivors or their families and their ability and willingness to contribute to home care.

People have always been enjoying travelling and exploring new places. The phenomenon of combining travelling with social work abroad has become known as “voluntourism”. Over the last few years, voluntourism has gained a lot of criticism, claiming that it does more harm than good for the host communities. Most research that has been done on the subject is from Western researcher's perspective, which is a top-down perspective. This research will instead be from the people's perspective, and will look at volunteer tourism from a bottom-up perspective in a developing country.  The data for this research has been collected through semi-structured interviews in Tanga Town, Tanzania. The interviewees consist of key persons and stakeholders that are involved, or have knowledge of, short-term volunteers. This research displays the importance of more perspectives on short-term volunteers and the critique it has received in the form of Neo-colonialism and white saviour aspects.  Key words: Voluntourism, Short-term volunteers, Neo-colonialism, White saviour complex, Dependency, Sustainable development.

I detta arbete har vi studerat några pedagoger och deras syn på lärande.

En viktig del i dagens skola är att eleven själv kan och ska kunna påverka sin lärandesituation samt ta ansvar för sitt arbete. Dessutom bör undervisningen ligga så nära elevens verklighet som möjligt för att på ett bättre sätt fånga hans/hennes intresse och därigenom öka motivationen.

Istället för att arbeta ämnesvis vill vi utgå från områden som ligger eleven nära. Dessa områden delar vi sedan in i teman. I varje tema integreras sedan de i grundskolan förekommande ämnena. Varje tema är indelat i en basdel och en forskningsdel. Basdelen tillgodoser de ämneskunskaper som krävs enligt kursplanerna medan forskningsdelen däremot tillgodoser de enligt läroplanen föreskrivna kraven på ett undersökande arbetssätt samt elevens egna intressen

A study of communication content, frequency and problems was performed at the Swedish Air Force Air Combat Simulation Centre, FLSC. The purpose was to investigate the connection between team communication and performance variables, to study communication problems during air combat and to employ and develop the PILOT method of communication problem analysis. Ten fighter pilots and four fighter controllers engaged in simulated air combat beyond visual range in teams on two sides, Blue and Red, with four pilots and one fighter controller each. Eight such training runs lasting 15 to 25 minutes were analyzed with regard to the Blue team’s communication during launch situations, i.e. one minute before launching a missile to either missile impact of failure, and problems during whole runs. The performance of the Blue team was rated by an experienced training instructor in six of the runs. It was hypothesized that positive outcomes would be associated with high communication frequencies but low communication problem rates. Results showed that high utterance frequencies were positively associated with positive global outcomes, i.e. wins, but not associated with high instructor ratings or launching hitting missiles. Incoherent results were found for communication problems. The results were discussed and further research suggested.

Orientador: Yara Kulaif
Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociencias
Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T02:51:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gebara_MariaJoseFontana_D.pdf: 8077966 bytes, checksum: 8f8de00b77694cdb8c91cfd15b541720 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009
Resumo: Nesta tese analisamos questões ligadas à formação de professores de Ciências e, nessa perspectiva, o trabalho desenvolvido parte da premissa de que a melhoria do ensino de Ciências implica múltiplos fatores. Contudo, dentre todos os desafios, para nós é central a figura dos professores, pois estes como quaisquer outros profissionais, precisam contar com cursos de atualização profissional para acompanhar as inovações de sua área, mantendo-se atualizados e criticamente atuantes nas escolas onde trabalham, por isso mesmo nos preocupam os critérios de planejamento desses cursos. A investigação estruturou-se na tese segundo a qual a natureza interdisciplinar do conhecimento geocientífico pode contribuir para formação de professores de Ciências e Matemática do ensino fundamental, preparando-os para trabalhar segundo as orientações dos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCN). Os resultados obtidos apontaram algumas dessas contribuições, bem como seus limites. Neste trabalho avaliamos o alcance de práticas de ensino-aprendizagem interdisciplinares, tendo como fio condutor conhecimentos de Geociências/Geologia, partindo do princípio que esses conhecimentos podem, apesar de complexos e abstratos, serem interessantes e estimulantes, além de serem fundamentais para a formação do pensamento científico dos estudantes. No estudo, em que a pesquisadora atuou também como professora, investigamos temas gerais de Geociências/Geologia, com atenção especial ao "Tempo Geológico" e "Modelo do Interior da Terra", que se revelaram foco de inúmeras concepções alternativas, identificadas como um dos limites à utilização pedagógica destes conhecimentos. Tendo como pano de fundo as questões acima os dados empíricos foram colhidos por ocasião das aulasoficina, ministradas no Projeto de Formação Continuada Teia do Saber-2007 da Secretaria de Educação do Estado de São Paulo. Os resultados da investigação, bem como o alicerce teórico presente na análise, foram desenvolvidos ao longo de cinco capítulos, sempre com a perspectiva de subsidiar reformulações em programas de formação continuada. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram a importância da rediscussão dos cursos de formação de professores de Ciências, bem como a necessidade de adequar estes cursos às especificidades de grupos de professores e disciplinas. A pesquisa revelou também que a utilização de conhecimentos Geocientíficos contribui para o ensino e a formação do pensamento e da atitude científica de alunos e professores.
Abstract: In this thesis we analyze issues related to the training of science teachers from a perspective that contemplates the improvement of science teaching as a result of several factors. Nevertheless, among several challenges, we consider the figure of the teacher as central. Inasmuch as these, as any other professionals, must be exposed to professional development in their field in order to remain constantly up to date and operating in the schools where they work. Therefore, our main concern is the criteria in which these professional development courses are planned. This investigation was based on the thesis that the interdisciplinary nature of the geoscientific knowledge can contribute to the training of middle school teachers of Life Sciences and Mathematics, preparing them to work according to the guidance of the Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCN). The results indicate some of these contributions, as well as its limits. We assess the possibilities of interdisciplinary teaching and learning experiences, having as main background Geo Sciences/Geology, baring in mind that these areas of knowledge can, despite being complex and abstract, be interesting and stimulating, and also basic in the formation of the students scientific way of thinking. In this study, where the researcher also performed as teacher, we investigate general subjects of Geosciences/Geology. Special attention is given to the "Geological Time" and "Model of the Interior of the Earth", as they became focus of several alternative conceptions, identified as one of the barriers to the pedagogical use of this knowledge. Having as framework the questions above the empirical data were recorded in the lesson-workshop, given in the Project of Continued Formation "Teia do Saber-2007" of the Secretariat of Education of the State of São Paulo. The results of this investigation, as well as the present theoretical foundation in the analysis, is developed throughout five chapters, always with the perspective to supply information in order to reorganize the programs of continued professional development for teacher training. Results have shown the importance of the discussion of the Science teacher training programs, as well as the necessity to adjust these courses to the particularities of the groups of professors and areas of study. The research has also shed light on the fact that the use of geoscientific knowledge contributes to the education and formation of learners (students) and teachers.
Doutorado
Doutor em Ensino e História de Ciências da Terra

ABSTRACT This study explored the challenges medical social workers face that lead to burnout. Currently, there is literature on burnout among health care providers and social workers, but not specifically on social workers in the medical field. The current study aimed to fill this gap in literature. Due to the lack of literature, the study used an exploratory, qualitative design. The study utilized individual interviews with a non-random purposive sample of nine medical social workers currently employed at Kaiser Permanente’s Fontana/Ontario Social Services Department. Interviews with participants were recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Major themes that emerged were organizational challenges, challenges working in multidisciplinary teams, working in the medical field, and limited resources. The study’s findings aim to increase awareness of the issue of burnout among medical social workers and to contribute to the implementation of interventions or policies within health care settings to prevent burnout among medical social workers.

Esta pesquisa investigou a possibilidade de utilização de um tema transversal: a Área de Proteção Ambiental do Rio Iraí (APA), como subsídio para a inserção da Educação Ambiental “EA” na Escola Estadual André Andreatta, situada no município de Quatro Barras, o qual está inserido na APA. A fim de investigar a percepção dos professores sobre interdisciplinaridade e EA, foi aplicado um questionário com questões abertas e fechadas, foi realizada a análise do Projeto Político Pedagógico (PPP) e da Proposta Pedagógica Curricular (PPC) e observação do ambiente escolar. Após a análise dos dados coletados, pode-se inferir que existe um descompasso entre o que os docentes afirmam e o que acontece na prática. Os docentes procuram abordar a EA e a interdisciplinaridade em suas aulas, porém o conhecimento destes sobre o assunto ainda é superficial, necessitando de capacitação para a realização de um trabalho efetivo de EA na escola. Destaca-se que existe interesse por parte dos docentes em aprimorar seus conhecimentos sobre EA para utiliza-la de forma adequada e coerente. Ao final da pesquisa foi elaborado um produto/material que oferece aos professores subsídios teóricos e metodológicos para a inserção da EA no ambiente escolar. Este material foi elaborado tendo como base os momentos pedagógicos e o tema gerador APA do Rio Irai.
This research investigated the possibility of using a cross-cutting theme: Environmental Protection Area Iraí River (APA), as support for the implementation of environmental education (EE) in the State School André Andreatta, located in the city of Quatro Barras, which it is included in the APA. In order to investigate the perception of teachers on interdisciplinary and E.A., a questionnaire with open and closed questions was applied, the analysis of the Pedagogical Political Project was held (PPP) and the Pedagogical Course (PPC) and observing the school environment. After analyzing the data collected, it can be inferred that there is a big gap between what teachers say and what happens in practice. Teachers seek to address the E.A. and interdisciplinarity in their classes, but their knowledge on the subject is still shallow, requiring training to carry out an effective work E.A. in school. It is noteworthy that there is interest on the part of teachers in improving their knowledge of E.A. to use it properly and consistently. At the end of the research was developed a product / material that offers teachers theoretical and methodological support for the inclusion of E.A. at school. This material was prepared from teaching moments proposed by the authors Demetrius Delizoicov and José André Angotti (2009), based on the APA generator theme Rio Irai.

Most studies on Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan have focused on foreign perspectives thus giving little attention to the perspective of local Afghans to understand its aftermath and consequences. Based on empirical work and information drawn from semi-structured interviews with experts who have worked with military and civilian development agencies as well as government liaison officers, this study explores the intended and unintended outcomes of PRTs across the country. The findings were interpreted with the help of a theoretical framework based on PRT objectives such as security implementation, reconstruction, and development as well as extending the authority of central government and building local institutions. The findings show that there were various factors ignored which impacted the success of the Afghan state-building operation. The lack of local knowledge regarding political, cultural, and religious aspects, relying on warlords, putting the local institutions in wrong hands, lack of local consent, inadequate and unprofessional disbursement of development aid, putting the military in charge of everything, undermining the human development aspects as well as the long-term presence of foreign militaries in the country were some of the major factors which lead the PRTs to have unsuccessful and counterproductive outcomes. In addition, the aid disbursed by the military has not only diverted the military from its main task but also led to a high level of corruption, high expenditure, lowest possible quality, risking the safety of civilians, NGOs as well as development in the country. Furthermore, the discussion and analysis of the findings show that the use of the military might have played a much greater role in the failure of the overall state-building campaign as the role of diplomatic and development agencies was undermined.

This report presents a case study on the Water and Sewage (abbreviated as WS in the following) system of Stockholm, which is faced with several challenges over the coming decades. The purpose is to explore the current and future threats and challenges that can have an impact on the WS system, with the aim of identifying a sustainable and resilient way of handling potential issues and incorporating a wider perspective when planning for a continued water and sewage infrastructure of sufficient capacity and quality. The study asks what the current and potential future challenges for the Stockholm WS system are, what is required to enable a sustainable and resilient WS system in a long-term perspective, which actors are involved or need to be involved beyond Stockholm Water, to provide Stockholm with a resilient and sustainable WS system, and what would be required for efficient governance? A content analysis of literature was made in order to develop three possible future scenarios, each with its own set of challenges. The scenarios were discussed with several interviewees from the WS-sector. The information provided during the interviews was used in a resilience analysis, based on the framework developed by the Resilience Alliance Workbook for Practitioners. A discussion follows in relation to the connected theoretical concepts of futures studies, resilience theory, governance and sustainability. The findings in this study suggests that the main challenges facing the WS system are primarily climate change and population increase. The WS system has to expand to support a growing population, as well as be adapted to cope with the consequences of climate change. Also pulse disturbances, such as sabotage and bio-terrorist attacks, were discussed and constitute a worry to which there is less preparedness. Further, a different challenge was found in the difficulties in planning for this required expansion and development where there is a lack of support, funding, communication and division of responsibilities. In order to retain a WS system that is able to provide high quality water services of sufficient quantity, communication and coordination between actors need to improve, and someone has to take a lead in continued work to ensure that all actors and stakeholders move in the same direction. Long-term planning is required on all parts, and there is a need to make decisions that will enable a sustained water and sewage structure in the long run. It is also required that water is made a priority; that water and sewage related issues are allowed more space in the municipal planning process and are discussed at a much earlier stage. Further, all municipalities will face challenges that concerns the WS system, leading to an increasing requirement of a more extensive regional cooperation, where planning and development occurs across municipal borders, focusing on watershed- and drainage areas. This study focuses on specified resilience, which means that only a limited number of challenges and events that could affect the WS system have been studied. Further studies are encouraged to determine the general resilience of the system, and provide a more detailed and comprehensive assessment.

In today’s world, exposure to other cultures has become a symbol of increasing globalization processes. Many people leave their home area to embark on a voyage of discovery and learning that affects their original cultural identity.

This study explores the life experience of independent transcultural sojourners, i.e. people who freely decide to relocate to different cultural contexts after their formative years. The inquiry covers three major themes of their intercultural experience: Multicultural identity, processes of intercultural adaptation, and change and transformation ensuing from multiple intercultural relocations. The aim of this study is to show the effects of multiple intercultural experiences on the identity of transcultural sojourners, and how they dealt with relevant emerging processes of intercultural adaptation.

Following a format suggested by Seidman (1996), five respondents were asked to recount and reflect on their transcultural experience in three separate, asynchronous interviews that covered three dimensions of their intercultural experience: past, present, and reflections. The ensuing text comprised about 16,000 words and was analyzed using both a narrative and a thematic approach using a mixed typology of categories and sub-themes made up of indigenous typology stemming from relevant scholarly literature and researcher-constructed typology suggested by the researcher and the respondents.

The analysis indicates that personal factors like mindfulness, motivation, resourcefulness, and intercultural awareness strongly influence processes of Intercultural communication competence and Multicultural identity development. Contextual factors are also relevant, as they include issues of avowed and ascribed identity. The analysis also shows no specific, generalizable link between the presence of intercultural stimuli in the original cultural milieus and the decision to relocate across cultural boundaries. Furthermore, it points to a strong relation between Piagetian constructivist learning theories and the development of ICC competence. The study also indicates that independent transcultural sojourners are in a position to negotiate the level of their integration and marginality, which in turn affects the spectrum of their Intercultural communication competence.

Finally, this study indicates the limited applicability of traditional functionalist approaches to understanding and conceptualizing processes of intercultural adaptation and multicultural identity building. It also suggests the need for a shift towards a dialogical perspective informed by systems-thinking and Chaos theory.

The author would like to acknowledge the inspiration and passion for intercultural issues provided over the years by the Intercultural Insights on-line community.Seattle, summer 2010.

Unemployment at young age is a negative life event that has been found to have scarring effects for future life outcomes, especially when continuing long-term. Understanding precursors for long-term unemployment in early adulthood is important to be able to target policy interventions in critical junctures in the life course. Paths to unemployment are complex and a comprehensive outlook on the most important factors and mechanisms is difficult to obtain. This study proposes a data-driven, exploratory approach for studying individual and family level factors during ages 0-24, that predict long-term unemployment at the age of 25-30. A supervised machine learning approach was applied to understand associations deriving from longitudinal, individual-level administrative data from a full birth cohort in Finland. The data comprise information about physical and social wellbeing, life course events, as well as demographics, including the parents of the cohort members. Potential predictors were chosen from the data based on theories and previous research, and used to train a model aiming to correctly classify unemployed individuals. A CART algorithm was used to build a classification tree that reveals important variables, ranges of them as well as combinations of factors that together are predictive of long-term unemployment. A random forest algorithm was used to build several trees producing smoothed predictions that reduce overfitting of one tree. CARTs and random forest models were compared to each other to understand how they perform in a research task predicting life outcomes. Both individual and family level factors were found to be predictive of the outcome. Combinations of variables such as GPA lower than ~7.5, ego’s low education level, late work history start, depressive disorders and low parental education and income levels were found to be particularly predictive of unemployment. CART models correctly classified up to 87% of the unemployed, while misclassifying 70% of the employed and having 45% overall accuracy. Testing for CART model stability, finding consistency across several tree models improved robustness. Random forest correctly predicted up to 59% of the unemployed, while also correctly classifying 65% of the employed and producing robust results. The two algorithms together provided valuable insight for better understanding factors contributing to unemployment. The study shows promise for classification tree based methods in studying life course and life outcomes.

Under vår skolförlagda utbildning har vi varit på olika skolor, där vi sett att lärarnas undervisning varierade stort i dessa skolor. Vi undrar varför det är så mycket ämnesstrukturerad undervisning ute på skolorna och varför inte lärarna undervisar mer ämnesintegrerat när vi ser att det finns möjligheter till detta. En av de viktigaste uppgifterna som verksamma lärare bör ha, är att ge eleverna möjligheter till överblick och sammanhang mellan ämnen. Syftet med vår studie var att undersöka varför lärarna integrerar och varför inte lärarna integrerar i skolorna. Vår undersökning grundar sig på telefonintervjuer med 25 lärare från två kommuner.

Vår studie visar att lärarna integrerar ämnena för att eleverna ska förstå samband och se helheter. Flertalet av lärare undervisar utifrån ett arbetsområde där de utgår från den stora helheten för att sedan leda in undervisningen till delar och små bitar. Vid verklighetsrelaterad undervisning kan undervisningen bli integrerad och när eleverna känner igen sig, har eleverna lättare att ta till sig undervisningen, menar lärarna i vår studie.

Svårigheter som kan uppstå vid integrerad undervisning är t ex olika lärarkategorier och att integrerad undervisning kräver en tidskrävande planering samt brist på integrerat läromedel. Det fanns lärare som deltog i studien som ansåg sig lägga ner mycket tid och kraft att skapa eget integrerat läromedel. 20 stycken lärare i studien undervisar huvudsakligen integrerat men de undervisar också ämnesstrukturerat. Med varierade undervisningsformer kan lärarna nå ut till fler elever då åsikterna gått isär om vilken undervisningsform som gagnar vem.

Abstract: This thesis argues that taking a strategic sustainable development (SSD) approach to conflict resolution in areas of the world in long-term intractable conflict with intermittent violence could support an effective process and lasting outcome. SSD proposes a holistic systems perspective and decision-making framework to address challenges and opportunities at the largest scale, including identifying root causes and drivers of the conflict as well as finding common ground internally and externally. The currently unbalanced dynamics between the two fundaments of sustainability, a robust ecosystem and social fabric, are the basis of deeply unsustainable patterns of behaviour which are often also at the heart of conflicts. Socio-ecological unsustainability can be both a threat, and an opportunity for resolution and social change. The framework offers a proven way of organizing, evaluating and using tools that can aid in dealing with sustainability issues constructively, and evidence is presented to suggest its usage can be extended to conflict issues. This thesis analyzes the links between sustainability, strategic sustainable development and conflict resolution work in the areas of conflict described, and proposes a set of guidelines for approaching conflict resolution with SSD.

Bakgrund: Sjukfrånvaron i Sverige är hög i jämförelse med andra EU-länder.Långtidssjukskrivning till följd av stressrelaterade sjukdomar domineras av kvinnor.Det finns ett stort behov av en effektivare återgångsprocess till arbetslivet efter ensjukskrivning där olika insatser bör prövas och utvärderas. I vissa fall kan en neutralpart i form av en oberoende samordnare vara till hjälp för den sjukskrivne iåtergångsprocessen. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva kvinnors erfarenheter avmöten med arbetsgivarringens representant i återgångsprocessen till arbete, efter enstressrelaterad långtidssjukskrivning. Metod: Data insamlades genom kvalitativaintervjuer med tio kvinnor. Inklusionskriterer var att ha varit långtidssjukskriven förstressrelaterade sjukdomar, att ha varit i kontakt med en arbetsgivarring, samt att underåren 2007-2008 återgått till tidigare arbete eller annat lönearbete i en omfattning avminst 25 procent och ha arbetat under minst sex månader. Med arbetsgivarringens hjälpgjordes ett strategiskt urval, där hänsyn togs till ålder, sjukskrivningens längd, yrke ocharbetsplats. Data analyserades med manifest- och latent innehållsanalys. Resultat:Resultatet visar på fyra kategorier som representerar det manifesta innehållet: att blibemött med respekt och engagemang, att arbeta med att finna lösningar, egen utvecklingmed ökat självförtroende, organisatoriska aspekter. Det latenta innehållet beskriverkvinnans utvecklingsprocess, arbetsgivarringens handledningsprocess och det mellanmänskligasamspel som sker mellan dessa parter. Intervjuerna genomsyras av uttryckdär kvinnan beskriver att hon befinner sig i centrum. Allt handlar om henne och det ärarbetsgivarringen som får henne att känna sig betydelsefull. Slutsats: Genom en djupareförståelse för vad som bidrar till återgång till arbetslivet för personer medlångtidssjukskrivning, kan grunden läggas till ökad satsning och adekvata insatser förökad återgång till arbetet för fler personer.Nyckelord: återgång till arbete (RTW), stressrelaterad långtidssjukskrivning

Background: Sickness absenteeism is high in Sweden compared to other countries inthe European Union. Long-term-sick-absenteeism which depends on stress-relatedsickness is dominated by women. There is a great need to make the return-to-work(RTW) process more effective after an absenteeism where different contributions mustbe tested and evaluated. In some cases may neutral parties in form of an independentRTW-coordinator support sick-listed persons in their RTW-process. Purpose: Thepurpose of the study was to describe women’s experiences of meetings with a personfrom an “arbetsgivarring” in the RTW-process, after a period of stress-related sickness.Methods: Data was collected by qualitative interviews with ten women. Criteria thatincluded participation: to have been long-term-sick-listed because of stress-relatedsickness,to have been in touch with an “arbetsgivarring”, and during 2007-2008returned to earlier occupation or other form of paid work in an extend of 25 percent andhave been working for at least six month. Data was analysed using both manifest andlatent content analysis. Results: The result shows four categories representing themanifest content: to be treated with respect and engagement, to work with findingsolutions, own development with increased self-confidence, organisational aspects. Thelatent content describes the development process of the woman, the guidance process ofthe “arbetsgivarring” and the inter-mediate humanity that occurs between these twoparts in the meeting. All narratives are permeated by expressions where the womandescribes herself being in the centre of attention. Everything is about her and the“arbetsgivarring” makes her feel important. Conclusions: Through deeperunderstanding regarding what promotes RTW for persons on long-term-sick-list thebasis for an increased investment and adequate contributions to reach an improvingRTW can be laid for numerous persons.

Det drivs många utvecklingsprojekt inom offentlig sektor, men det saknas kunskap om hur dessa projekt kan bidra till ett hållbart utvecklingsarbete. Syftet med avhandlingen är att förstå och förklara hur resultat och kunskap från utvecklingsprojekt kan integreras i den ordinarie verksamheten i offentliga organisationer och bidra till långsiktiga effekter, som har ett värde för brukarna, organisationen och de anställda. I forskningen saknas en etablerad begreppsapparat för att studera hållbar utveckling i organisationer. En utmaning har därför varit att identifiera och analysera tidigare forskning, för att därigenom definiera begreppet hållbart utvecklingsarbete och viktiga förutsättningar för ett sådant arbete. Den teoretiska referensramen baseras på ett institutionellt perspektiv: nyinstitutionell organisationsteori kombineras med Giddens struktureringsteori och sociologisk professionsteori, som synliggör spänningar mellan konkurrerande styrformer som byråkrati, marknad och professionalism. Avhandlingen utgår från en interaktiv forskningsansats och består av två empiriska delar: en  kvantitativ enkätstudie som inkluderar 348 utvecklingsprojekt inom vård och omsorg samt en kvalitativ flerfallstudie av fyra utvecklingsprojekt. Studierna visar att olika faktorer främjade projekten på kort och lång sikt. Tydliga projektmål, styrning och kompetent projektledning hade betydelse för de kortsiktiga projektresultaten, men mycket begränsat påverkan på den långsiktiga hållbarheten. Istället var det ett aktivt ägarskap, och andra faktorer kopplade till ledningen i mottagarorganisationerna, som tydligast främjade ett hållbart utvecklingsarbete. Studierna visar även hur konflikter och motstånd i projekten påverkade förutsättningarna för långsiktig hållbarhet. Det gällde konflikter mellan olika yrkesgrupper, mellan ledning och professionella samt mellan byråkratiska och professionella styrformer. En slutsats är att en analysmodell för hållbart utvecklingsarbete behöver komplettera ett organisatoriskt och institutionellt perspektiv med ett professionsperspektiv.
There are many development projects in the public sector, but there is a lack of knowledge about how these projects can be made sustainable. The aim of the thesis is to explain how project results and knowledge can be integrated into public organizations and contribute to long-term effects and value for clients, organizations and employees. The scientific literature lacks an established conceptual framework for studying sustainability in organizations. Therefore, it has been a challenge to identify and analyze previous research in order to delineate and define the concept of sustainable change in organizations. The research is based on an institutional perspective: neo-institutional theory in combination with Giddens' structuration theory and sociological profession theory, which reveal tensions between three competing logics of control, i.e., bureaucracy, market and professionalism. The method is inspired by an interactive research approach and comprises two empirical parts: a quantitative survey study, including 348 development projects in health and social care, and a qualitative multi-case study of four development projects. The studies showed that different sets of factors supported short-term project success and long-term sustainability. Project-related factors, such as goal setting and project management, had little impact on sustainability. Instead, it was primarily active ownership, and other factors related to management of the recipient organization, that influenced the routinization of project results. The studies also exposed several conflicts and tensions that affected project sustainability. There were conflicts between occupational groups, between management and professionals, and between the logic of rational, bureaucratic management and the logic of occupational professionalism. Thus, understanding sustainable change in organizations requires a professional perspective to complement the organizational and institutional perspectives.

In this presentation I try to say something about how to define scientific terms in general as well as something about the specific term â a workâ . The way we define terms depends on our philosophical assumptions. I have illustrated differences between positivist and non-positivist ways of defining terms and advocated a pragmatic way of understanding terms, concepts and knowledge. I have also indicated that different subcultures within LIS tend to use different terms and concepts (such as "a work"), but have tried to demonstrate that we may gain a more coherent and satisfactory state of our field if we try to overcome the barriers between those subcultures.

Le cancer du poumon a une incidence et une létalité parmi les plus hautes de tous les cancers diagnostiqués au Canada. En considérant la gravité du pronostic et des symptômes de la maladie, l’accès au traitement dans les plus brefs de délais est essentiel. Malgré l’engagement du gouvernement fédéral et les gouvernements provinciaux de réduire les délais de temps d’attente, des balises pour les temps d’attente pour le traitement d’un cancer ne sont toujours pas établis. En outre, le compte-rendu des indicateurs des temps d’attente n’est pas uniforme à travers les provinces. Une des solutions proposées pour la réduction des temps d’attente pour le traitement du cancer est les équipes interdisciplinaires. J’ai complété un audit du programme interdisciplinaire traitant le cancer du poumon à l’Hôpital général juif (l’HGJ) de 2004 à 2007. Les objectifs primaires de l’étude étaient : (1) de faire un audit de la performance de l’équipe interdisciplinaire à l’HGJ en ce qui concerne les temps d’attente pour les intervalles critiques et les sous-groupes de patients ; (2) de comparer les temps d’attente dans la trajectoire clinique des patients traités à l’HGJ avec les balises qui existent ; (3) de déterminer les facteurs associés aux délais plus longs dans cette population. Un objectif secondaire de l’étude était de suggérer des mesures visant à réduire les temps d’attente. Le service clinique à l’HGJ a été évalué selon les balises proposées par le British Thoracic Society, Cancer Care Ontario, et la balise pan-canadienne pour la radiothérapie. Les patients de l’HGJ ont subi un délai médian de 9 jours pour l’intervalle «Ready to treat to first treatment», et un délai médian de 30 jours pour l’intervalle entre le premier contact avec l’hôpital et le premier traitement. Les patients âgés de plus de 65 ans, les patients avec une capacité physique diminuée, et les patients avec un stade de tumeur limité étaient plus à risque d’échouer les balises pour les temps d’attente.
Lung cancer is among the most lethal and the most diagnosed cancers in Canada. Given the poor prognosis and symptom burden of the disease, timely access to treatment and quality care are essential. In spite of government commitments to reduce waiting times in cancer care, national clinical benchmarks for cancer care have yet to be established, and waiting time reporting by provinces is inconsistent. One of the proposed strategies for reducing waiting times in cancer care is the use of interdisciplinary teams. I undertook an audit of the interdisciplinary pulmonary oncology program at the Jewish General Hospital from 2004 to 2007. The primary objectives of this study were: (1) to audit the performance of the interdisciplinary pulmonary oncology service at the Jewish General Hospital with respect to waiting times for key intervals and subgroups of patients; (2) to compare waiting times in the clinical trajectory of lung cancer patients seen at the Jewish General Hospital with existing waiting time guidelines; (3) to determine those factors associated with longer waiting times in this population. A secondary objective was to suggest measures to be considered in order to reduce waiting times. The JGH’s lung cancer service was compared against benchmarks developed by the British Thoracic Society, Cancer Care Ontario, and the pan-Canadian waiting time benchmarks for radiation oncology. Patients waited a median of 9 days from the time they were ready to treat until their first treatment, and a median of 30 days from their first contact with the pulmonary service until their first treatment. Patients over age 65, those with early-stage disease and those with good performance status were less likely to meet the recommended guidelines.

Plusieurs études ont montré que la collaboration interprofessionnelle (CIP) produit des retombées positives pour les usagers, les professionnels de la santé et les organisations de soins. Cependant, les chercheurs estiment que son adoption dans les organisations et les services de santé est insuffisante. Cette situation conduit à des conflits souvent nuisibles entre les professionnels, à des erreurs médicales, à une augmentation des coûts de soins de santé et à des taux de mortalité élevés. Il existe un besoin de recherche pour identifier les variables associées à la CIP, particulièrement dans le domaine de la santé mentale (SM). La présente thèse vise à combler les lacunes susmentionnées et à permettre d’approfondir les connaissances que nous avons à l’heure actuelle sur la CIP. Trois cent quinze (315) professionnels œuvrant dans les équipes interdisciplinaires de soins primaires (N=101) et spécialisés (N=214) de SM, localisées dans quatre réseaux locaux de services (RLS) du Québec, ont participé à l’étude. Plusieurs variables reconnues comme étant fortement associées à la CIP dans la littérature scientifique du domaine de la santé ont été prises en compte et catégorisées dans un cadre conceptuel inspiré du modèle de Bronstein (2003). Trois objectifs spécifiques ont été fixés, et chacun a fait l’objet d’un article scientifique. Le premier article visait à identifier les variables associées à la CIP dans les équipes interdisciplinaires de SM implantées dans les RLS. Des analyses de régression linéaire ont été effectuées. Cinq variables liées aux caractéristiques interpersonnelles (l’engagement affectif envers l'équipe, le climat d'équipe, l’autonomie de l'équipe, le partage et l’intégration des connaissances), une variable liée au rôle professionnel (l’identification multifocale) et une autre liée aux caractéristiques personnelles (l’âge) étaient associées à la CIP. Le deuxième article visait à identifier les profils de professionnels de la SM selon leurs perceptions de la CIP ainsi que les variables associées pouvant les différencier. À l'aide de l’analyse typologique, quatre profils de professionnels en SM ont été identifiés. Deux profils présentaient un niveau élevé de perception de la CIP, un profil présentait un niveau moyen et un autre présentait un niveau faible. Le support organisationnel, la participation à la prise de décisions, la confiance mutuelle, l’engagement affectif envers l’équipe, les croyances aux bénéfices de la collaboration interdisciplinaire, le partage et l’intégration des connaissances étaient associés aux profils ayant des scores élevés de la CIP. Enfin, le troisième article a porté sur la comparaison des variables associées à la CIP selon le contexte de soins, à savoir : les soins primaires de SM (SP-SM) et les services spécialisés. Deux modèles de régression multivariée ont été réalisés, et ont permis d’identifier les variables significativement associées à chacun des contextes. Il s’agit du partage des connaissances pour les équipes de SP-SM, du soutien organisationnel et de l’âge pour les services spécialisés. Au regard de ce qui précède, des recommandations ont été formulées à l’intention des gestionnaires des services de SM, aux CSSS et organisations de soins.
Studies have shown that interprofessional collaboration (IPC) has a positive impact on service users, health professionals and healthcare organizations. However, researchers believe that the adoption of IPC in organizations and health services is insufficient, leading to conflict among professionals, medical errors, increased costs of care and higher mortality rates. While IPC has emerged over the past several years as a best practice, research is needed to identify variables associated with IPC, particularly in mental health (MH) which has received relatively little attention. The present thesis aims to fill these gaps and to deepen the present state of knowledge about IPC, particularly in the MH field. Three hundred and fifteen (315) MH professionals working in interdisciplinary primary care teams (N = 101) and specialized MH teams (N = 214) located in four Quebec local service networks (RLS) participated in the study. Many of the variables recognized as strongly associated with IPC in the health sciences literature, were integrated and categorized within a conceptual framework inspired by the Bronstein model (2003). Three specific study objectives were established, with each one the subject of a scientific article. The first article aimed to identify variables associated with IPC in interdisciplinary MH teams. Linear regression analyzes were performed. Five variables related to interpersonal characteristics (emotional commitment to the team, team climate, team autonomy, knowledge sharing and integration), one variable related to professional role (identification multifocal) and another related to personal characteristics (age) were associated with IPC. The second article aimed to identify profiles of MH professionals according to their perception of IPC as well as other distinguishing variables. Using Cluster Analysis, four profiles of MH professionals were identified. Two profiles had high levels of IPC, one profile an average level, and the other profile a low level of IPC. Organizational support, participation in decision-making, mutual trust, emotional commitment to the team, belief in the benefits of IPC, knowledge sharing, and knowledge integration were associated with the profiles that revealed high IPC scores. By contrast, team conflicts were associated with the profile of MH professionals with the lowest IPC score. Finally, the third article focused on a comparison of IPC-related variables by care settings: primary health care (PHC) and specialized MH care. These two contexts of care differ in terms of their activities, clients served, the actors involved in care episodes of care and the roles of team members. Two multivariate regression models were performed, identifying the following variables as significantly associated with each of the care settings: knowledge sharing for PHC teams, and organizational support and age for specialized MH teams. Considering the above, recommendations have been made to managers, health and social service centers and care organizations for promoting IPC in interdisciplinary MH teams.