Historical Asbestos Measurements in Denmark—A National Database

Objectives: Due to the long lag-time for health outcomes, historical asbestos exposure measurements are valuable to support assessments of associated occupational health effects, and also to assess time trends and effects of preventive measures. Methods: Different sources of stored data were collated, assessed and refined to create a harmonized database on historical asbestos fibre concentrations measured in specific work tasks and different industries. The final database contains 9236 asbestos measurements from Danish workplaces collected from 1971 to 1997. Results: The geometric mean of asbestos concentrations in different occupations and tasks ranged from 0.003 to 35 fibres cm−3. Highest concentrations were registered during handling of asbestos products in the construction services during the period 1981–1997. Although all the measured asbestos exposures without the use of respiratory equipment by the worker in the period of 1971–1997 exceeded the current 8-h time-weighted average exposure limit of 0.1 fibres cm−3, the majority of samples collected in the earlier period of 1971 to 1980 did not exceed the exposure limit of 2 fibres cm−3, which was in place at the time. All exposure data obtained from 1980 and onwards were found to be one seventh of the mean fibre concentrations in the previous measurement period. The impact of time shows a clear exponentially decreasing trend-line. Conclusions: Despite limitations in coverage of different occupations and tasks associated with the inventoried historical asbestos measurements, the data are helpful to identify specific work scenarios within an industry, where relatively high asbestos exposure levels may still occur or have occurred from 1971 to 1997.

The role of accounting information systems in firms’ performance during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper investigates the influence of accounting information systems (AIS) on firms’ performance during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they help enhance employees’ performance and the external auditing process. This paper is qualitative in nature using the inductive approach. In-depth primary data were gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted in the year 2020. Due to the pandemic, the interviews with ten auditors were done online through the Zoom software application. The empirical findings of this paper show a positive impact of AIS on firms’ performance and a more significant influence on employees’ performance and the auditing process. AIS reduces costs and human errors, eases operations, speeds up work tasks, and increases employees’ productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also show that there is no direct impact on firms’ overall cash flow/revenues. This paper increases our understanding of how AIS can influence and improve firms’ performance and the significance of implementation factors such as training. It provides practical guidelines for regulators and managers to utilize accounting information systems to perform better.

Towards an Ontology for Impact Projection of Complex Decisions

Complex decisions are an unusual process, composed of actions. An impact is a measure of the tangible and intangible consequences of one thing on another. Impacts are interdependent, and the environment in which they are measured generates constant change for decision making. This paper proposes the impact projection’s conceptualization, organized into a meta-ontology called OntoImpact. It comprises concepts that are crucial in supporting the understanding and representation of impact projections for complex decisions. The main contribution of OntoImpact is to support decision-makers in their work tasks, besides providing bases to support the development of a complex decision system. This paper was evaluated in a case study of an emergency domain. The results show that OntoImpact provides elements that can support complex decision analysis and project impacts in a collaborative way.

Moral Intensity, Perceived Impacts, and Task Motivation: Evidence From Volunteers

Although work tasks often address substantive social issues, the effects of issue characteristics on task motivation are little understood. This study explores this topic by examining how the moral characteristics of an issue (moral intensity) affect motivation in tasks intended to address the issue (task motivation). Adopting the lens of work design theory, I hypothesize that moral intensity increases task motivation through the mediation of perceived task impacts on the community (perceived community impacts), and that this effect will occur after controlling for the effects of perceived task impact on the worker and their organization. In two studies in the context of volunteering I find that, rather than acting in parallel with other task impacts, the effect of moral intensity through perceived community impacts is fully mediated by perceived organization and self impacts in a three-stage mediation. These findings demonstrate the potential relevance of issue characteristics such as moral intensity to work design theory and shed new light on the psychological mechanisms through which perceived prosocial impacts promote task motivation. I discuss implications for research and practice.

The role of historical and contextual knowledge in enterprise search

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to examine enterprise searching practices across different work areas and work tasks in an enterprise search system in an international biotechnology company.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method approach studying employees' authentic search activities during a 4-month period by log data, questionnaire survey and interviews. The log data analysed the entire active searcher group, whereas the questionnaire and interviews focused on frequent searchers.FindingsThe three studies provided insight into the searching activities and an understanding of the way searchers used the enterprise search system to search for information as part of their work tasks. The data identified three searcher groups, each with specific search characteristics. Four work task types were identified, and for all four types the searchers applied a tracing searching technique with use of contextual and historical relationships as paths.Practical implicationsThe findings point to the importance of knowledge on historical and contextual relations in enterprise search.Originality/valueThe work sheds new light on enterprise searchers' information search practices. A significant contribution is the identification of a tracing search method used in relation to four essential work task types. Another contribution is the importance of historical and contextual knowledge to support the tracing search and decide what paths to follow.

Työeläkekuntoutuksen vaikuttavuuden kehittäminen ja työkykyajattelu

Artikkelissa tarkastellaan työeläkelaitosten rahoittaman ammatillisen kuntoutuksen eli työeläkekuntoutuksen toimivuutta ja kehittämistä työeläkelaitosten asiantuntijoiden haastatteluiden perusteella. Viimeaikaiset tutkimustulokset työeläkekuntoutuksen vaikuttavuudesta ovat herättäneet keskustelua erityisesti työpaikalla tapahtuvien lyhytaikaisten toimien kustannustehokkuudesta. Tätä taustaa vasten artikkelin painopiste on asiantuntijoiden esiin nostamissa kehittämisajatuksissa. Aineisto muodostuu työeläkelaitosten kuntoutusasiantuntijoiden ja vakuutuslääkärien haastatteluista. Aineisto sisältää kuusi laajaa haastattelua, joissa oli yhteensä 15 haastateltavaa. Menetelmänä käytetään temaattista sisällönanalyysia. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen viitekehys muodostuu erilaisista työkyvyn edistämisen malleista. Keskeisenä kehittämisen kohteena haastatteluissa pidettiin ensinnäkin panostamista työn muokkaamiseen työkokeilujen aikana ja erilaisiin jatkotoimenpiteisiin niiden jälkeen. Toiseksi työkokeiluja pidempiaikaisemmat kuntoutustoimenpiteet,kuten työhönvalmennus ja koulutus, nähtiin usein järkeviksi vaihtoehdoiksi kestävien työllisyysvaikutusten näkökulmasta. Kolmanneksi kuntoutuksen työllisyysvaikutuksia saattaisi haastattelujen perusteella parantaa erityisesti työeläkejärjestelmän, Kelan ja työvoimapalvelujen yhteistyön tiivistäminen. Artikkeli osoittaa, minkälaisiin työkyvyn edistämisen malleihin haastateltavien esittämät kehittämisideat kytkeytyvät. Abstract Improving the effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation under the earnings-related pension scheme and the concept of work ability. Study based on interviews with experts from earnings-related pension providersIn this interview-based article we examine the effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation financed by earnings-related pension providers and its development. Recent studies on the efficiency of vocational rehabilitation have raised discussions particularly on the cost-efficiency of short-term rehabilitation at the workplace. The focal area of this article is thus on the development ideas presented by the experts. The data is based on interviews with rehabilitation experts at earnings-related pension providers and insurance physicians. The dataset consists of six extensive interviews with a total of 15 interviewees. The data is analysed using thematic content analysis. The theoretical framework of the study consists of various models of work ability. As key areas that require improvement the interviewees pointed out adjusting work tasks during work try-outs and taking various further actions after completing work try-outs. Second, longer-lasting rehabilitation measures, such as job coaching and training, were increasingly seen as viable options to achieve sustainable employment effects. Thirdly, based on the interviews, the employment effects of vocational rehabilitation may be improved through, in particular, closer co-operation between the earnings-related pension system, Kela and employment services. The article shows which types of models of work ability the development ideas of the experts are connected to. Key words: vocational rehabilitation, work ability, effectiveness, co-operation, experts, interview study

How to Implement Digital Services in a Way That They Integrate Into Routine Work: Qualitative Interview Study Among Health and Social Care Professionals

Background Although the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly boosted the implementation of digital services worldwide, it has become increasingly important to understand how these solutions are integrated into professionals’ routine work. Professionals who are using the services are key influencers in the success of implementations. To ensure successful implementations, it is important to understand the multiprofessional perspective, especially because implementations are likely to increase even more. Objective The aim of this study is to examine health and social care professionals’ experiences of digital service implementations and to identify factors that support successful implementations and should be considered in the future to ensure that the services are integrated into professionals’ routine work. Methods A qualitative approach was used, in which 8 focus group interviews were conducted with 30 health and social care professionals from 4 different health centers in Finland. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The resulting categories were organized under the components of normalization process theory. Results Our results suggested 14 practices that should be considered when implementing new digital services into routine work. To get professionals to understand and make sense of the new service, (1) the communication related to the implementation should be comprehensive and continuous and (2) the implementation process should be consistent. (3) A justification for the service being implemented should also be given. The best way to engage the professionals with the service is (4) to give them opportunities to influence and (5) to make sure that they have a positive attitude toward the service. To enact the new service into professionals’ routine work, it is important that (6) the organization take a supportive approach by providing support from several easy and efficient sources. The professionals should also have (7) enough time to become familiar with the service, and they should have (8) enough know-how about the service. The training should be (9) targeted individually according to skills and work tasks, and (10) it should be diverse. The impact of the implementation on the professionals’ work should be evaluated. The service (11) should be easy to use, and (12) usage monitoring should happen. An opportunity (13) to give feedback on the service should also be offered. Moreover, (14) the service should support professionals’ work tasks. Conclusions We introduce 14 practices for organizations and service providers on how to ensure sustainable implementation of new digital services and the smooth integration into routine work. It is important to pay more attention to comprehensive and continuing communication. Organizations should conduct a competence assessment before training in order to ensure proper alignment. Follow-ups to the implementation process should be performed to guarantee sustainability of the service. Our findings from a forerunner country of digitalization can be useful for countries that are beginning their service digitalization or further developing their digital services.

PRUŽANjE USLUGA PUTEM INFORMACIONO-KOMUNIKACIONIH TEHNOLOGIJA

The new economic framework requires the existence of new forms of work. Their adaptability to changes that occur in the labour market is highlighted as the main reason for their appearance, and the same ones allow the employer to respond quickly and adequately to these changes. Since new, different market rules are present in the digital economy, existing forms of work outside of employment are considered less adequate for employers to respond to the new socio-economic framework. The characteristic of new forms of work, including mobile work, is that they are usually not sufficiently legally regulated, which means that there is no protection present for persons who exercise the right to work through these forms of work. Also, new forms of work and service provisions are a mixture of different legal affairs, whereby the employee or service provider is not included in the organizational structure of the employer. For example, mobil work based on information and communication technologies, or ICT-based mobile work involves regularly performing work tasks or providing services outside the employer's headquarters or outside the worker's home, supported by information and communication technologies and with the establishment of online connections to an employer's computer system, or using virtual collaboration instruments, such as emails, web dating software programs, etc. Although positive aspects of mobile work are often discussed, there are also negative consequences of the flexibility that mobile work in its nature contains, reflected primarily in intensifying work tasks and gradually eliminating the boundaries between family and work obligations.

Perceived influences on reducing prolonged sitting in police staff: a qualitative investigation using the Theoretical Domains Framework and COM-B model

Background Workplace interventions have shown promise for reducing sitting in office workers. Police office staff remain an understudied population group that work within a disciplined organisation with distinctive work tasks around public safety, potentially affecting their capability, opportunity, and motivation to change sitting behaviour. This study aimed to assess the perceived influences on reducing workplace sitting in non-operational, desk-based police staff in order to derive theoretical determinants for behaviour change. Methods Ten police staff from a single police force in Bedfordshire, England [eight female; 39.5 ± 11.5 years] took part in face-to-face semi-structured interviews lasting 46 ± 11 min on average. Thematic analysis identified key themes which were then mapped onto the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and linked to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. Results Seven themes were identified: ‘Work tasks are seated’, ‘Social norm is to sit’, ‘Belief in ability to regulate behaviour’, ‘Knowledge of health risks’, ‘Organisational support’, ‘Impact on productivity’, and ‘Perceived autonomy for sitting reduction’. Conclusions Awareness of behaviour and health impacts (Capability), social and physical support to sit less (Opportunity), and habit formation techniques (Motivation) are recommended considerations in sitting reduction workplace interventions for police staff.