While the use of games for learning in higher education is well established, existing research pr... more While the use of games for learning in higher education is well established, existing research provides limited understanding of individual experiences that shape engagement and learning in collaborative learning games. Insights into players’ individual experiences can, however, contribute to a more nuanced utilization of learning games and to better understand differences in individual learning outcomes. Therefore, this study seeks to explore how learning is experienced by players in a collaborative learning game. To achieve this, the study investigates the incentive and interaction dimensions of learning and the role of engagement and motivation for learning in an online collaborative board game using an exploratory qualitative case study approach. The study draws on diverse data comprising several sources, including in-depth interviews, observation of participants during a learning game, written free-form feedback, and a survey regarding the play experience. Results accentuate th...
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 2019
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to seek a deeper understanding of presenteeism by utilising t... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to seek a deeper understanding of presenteeism by utilising the perspective of job crafting to explore how a selected group of physicians make sense of their decision to attend work while ill and of their experience of doing so. Job crafting implies that employees not only respond to their job description, but also proactively change tasks, relationships and perceptions in order to experience work in meaningful ways.Design/methodology/approachA narrative methodological framework involving interviews was adopted to explore the ways in which a selected group of 20 Norwegian hospital physicians engaged in job crafting during presenteeism. The resulting data were analysed using theory-led thematic analysis utilizing the theoretical perspective of job crafting.FindingsIt was evident that physicians were indecisive and insecure when evaluating their own illness, and that, via task, relational and cognitive crafting, they trivialised, endured and showcas...
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 2015
Purpose – There is a lack of qualitative longitudinal studies in the literature exploring the com... more Purpose – There is a lack of qualitative longitudinal studies in the literature exploring the complexity and dynamism of affective experience during phases of organizational change. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and intensity of emotional reactions to change and the contextual triggers that made them vary. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 11 nurses in a Norwegian public hospital were interviewed at three points in time about a change in technology, one month prior to implementation, three months after implementation and one year after implementation. They were asked to reflect “forwards” and “backwards” about their emotional experiences to the technical change in particular and to other changes occurring at work. Findings – The informants reported mixed emotional experiences to change at all three interviews. Emotion terms such as “uncertainty”, “joy” and “resignation” were reported at all times, “anxiety and “excitement” were only reported at Times 1 and...
Interventions at work are often directed towards solving specific problems in the work environmen... more Interventions at work are often directed towards solving specific problems in the work environment. They are typically located on one of three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. However, little research has been done on countervailing interventions, that is, proactive and health promoting interventions that focus on facilitating the positive aspects of the work situation and through this counteract the effects of negative situations and events. The intervention project “The sound of well-being” was a culturally based intervention to stimulate well-being for employees in the public sector. It was utilized to spread joy, increase motivation and unity, and to encourage work engagement and well-being in general. The project involved the forming of local choirs, rehearsals with and without professional musicians, mini concerts, choir battles, musical arrangements, sing back and ultimately a grand finale. In this chapter we investigate the utilization of countervailing interventions that take on a pro-active approach, aimed at promoting health and well-being in the workplace without being introduced as a response to an existing problem in the organization. It is our aim that this chapter will highlight the need for new ways of thinking concerning interventions, and explore new ways of developing cost efficient, yet effective interventions to promote employee health and well-being.
This study was intended to contribute to an evaluation of a Norwegian pilot project, in which psy... more This study was intended to contribute to an evaluation of a Norwegian pilot project, in which psychologists have been given the right to authorize sick leave for their patients. We wanted to explore the opportunities and challenges involved in utilizing the potential of this new sick leave arrangement from the perspectives of practicing psychologists. In this way, we indirectly intended to provide insights into the potential of the new arrangement to reduce absenteeism and promote the adjustment of working conditions for patients with mental health problems. Ten psychologists were interviewed about their experiences, and asked to give their views of the ways in which the new arrangement affected their everyday working conditions and their methods of dealing with the working conditions of their patients. The interviews were transcribed and template analysis was adopted. The analysis showed that psychologists believed that the new arrangement would improve their focus and accountability with regard to work-related issues, something which could in turn improve the therapeutic process and increase the likelihood of positive treatment outcomes. However, they also reported some structural barriers in the general health care system which prevent them from achieving the full potential of the new arrangement. Furthermore, according to these psychologists, there are also some unfortunate side-effects to the new arrangements, such as role conflicts, which potentially divert attention from actual treatment.
For employees in today’s society, work fulfils a wide range of functions. Work is not only import... more For employees in today’s society, work fulfils a wide range of functions. Work is not only important in terms of invome, it is also a source of identity, of positive self-image and a sense of meaningfulness (Alvesson, 2001; Noon & Blyton, 2007; Wrzesniewski, LoBuglio, Dutton, & Berg, 2013). In this chapter, we explore how meaningful work can be facilitated. First, we explain what is meant by meaningful work. Second, we examine artistic interventions as an organizational strategy for facilitating and stimulating a meaningful working situation. Finally, we discuss the concept of meaning and if striving for meaning is actually desired, or should be desired, by all employees, and at all times.
This chapter explores the ways in which choir singing can facilitate a deeper and more profound l... more This chapter explores the ways in which choir singing can facilitate a deeper and more profound learning process through the stimulation of multiple sensory modalities, including emotional and bodily experiences. Subsequent to a choral singing intervention, that aimed to improve employee wellbeing and social cohesion in a Norwegian municipality, a group participants and non-participants were interviewed about their experiences. A wide range of perceived barriers to participation was reported, such as lack of vocal skills, introversion and family commitments. Participants who were initially reluctant, but who overcame these barriers, experienced a more profound impact on well-being and social cohesion whereby emotional experiences over time shifted from negative to positive and a threshold was overcome. Observing others who overcame this kind of threshold was just as powerful as overcoming it themselves. The study reported in this Chapter was conducted also in collaboration with Gret...
Exploring the emotional experience of organizational change over time: The case of introducing el... more Exploring the emotional experience of organizational change over time: The case of introducing electronic care plans in hospitals
International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 2007
This study aimed to address the range and complexity of emotions involved in the anticipation of ... more This study aimed to address the range and complexity of emotions involved in the anticipation of change at work through adopting a contextual approach to understanding emotions and change. A qualitative study was conducted to explore nurses' emotional responses towards the anticipated introduction of electronic care plans. Emotional responses revolved around three issues in particular: Envisioning the change process, meeting professional standards in the future, and everyday work situation following anticipated change. None of the respondents reported only negative emotion terms, and they both experienced and expected that their emotional experiences would continuously evolve over time.
While the use of games for learning in higher education is well established, existing research pr... more While the use of games for learning in higher education is well established, existing research provides limited understanding of individual experiences that shape engagement and learning in collaborative learning games. Insights into players’ individual experiences can, however, contribute to a more nuanced utilization of learning games and to better understand differences in individual learning outcomes. Therefore, this study seeks to explore how learning is experienced by players in a collaborative learning game. To achieve this, the study investigates the incentive and interaction dimensions of learning and the role of engagement and motivation for learning in an online collaborative board game using an exploratory qualitative case study approach. The study draws on diverse data comprising several sources, including in-depth interviews, observation of participants during a learning game, written free-form feedback, and a survey regarding the play experience. Results accentuate th...
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 2019
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to seek a deeper understanding of presenteeism by utilising t... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to seek a deeper understanding of presenteeism by utilising the perspective of job crafting to explore how a selected group of physicians make sense of their decision to attend work while ill and of their experience of doing so. Job crafting implies that employees not only respond to their job description, but also proactively change tasks, relationships and perceptions in order to experience work in meaningful ways.Design/methodology/approachA narrative methodological framework involving interviews was adopted to explore the ways in which a selected group of 20 Norwegian hospital physicians engaged in job crafting during presenteeism. The resulting data were analysed using theory-led thematic analysis utilizing the theoretical perspective of job crafting.FindingsIt was evident that physicians were indecisive and insecure when evaluating their own illness, and that, via task, relational and cognitive crafting, they trivialised, endured and showcas...
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, 2015
Purpose – There is a lack of qualitative longitudinal studies in the literature exploring the com... more Purpose – There is a lack of qualitative longitudinal studies in the literature exploring the complexity and dynamism of affective experience during phases of organizational change. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and intensity of emotional reactions to change and the contextual triggers that made them vary. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 11 nurses in a Norwegian public hospital were interviewed at three points in time about a change in technology, one month prior to implementation, three months after implementation and one year after implementation. They were asked to reflect “forwards” and “backwards” about their emotional experiences to the technical change in particular and to other changes occurring at work. Findings – The informants reported mixed emotional experiences to change at all three interviews. Emotion terms such as “uncertainty”, “joy” and “resignation” were reported at all times, “anxiety and “excitement” were only reported at Times 1 and...
Interventions at work are often directed towards solving specific problems in the work environmen... more Interventions at work are often directed towards solving specific problems in the work environment. They are typically located on one of three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. However, little research has been done on countervailing interventions, that is, proactive and health promoting interventions that focus on facilitating the positive aspects of the work situation and through this counteract the effects of negative situations and events. The intervention project “The sound of well-being” was a culturally based intervention to stimulate well-being for employees in the public sector. It was utilized to spread joy, increase motivation and unity, and to encourage work engagement and well-being in general. The project involved the forming of local choirs, rehearsals with and without professional musicians, mini concerts, choir battles, musical arrangements, sing back and ultimately a grand finale. In this chapter we investigate the utilization of countervailing interventions that take on a pro-active approach, aimed at promoting health and well-being in the workplace without being introduced as a response to an existing problem in the organization. It is our aim that this chapter will highlight the need for new ways of thinking concerning interventions, and explore new ways of developing cost efficient, yet effective interventions to promote employee health and well-being.
This study was intended to contribute to an evaluation of a Norwegian pilot project, in which psy... more This study was intended to contribute to an evaluation of a Norwegian pilot project, in which psychologists have been given the right to authorize sick leave for their patients. We wanted to explore the opportunities and challenges involved in utilizing the potential of this new sick leave arrangement from the perspectives of practicing psychologists. In this way, we indirectly intended to provide insights into the potential of the new arrangement to reduce absenteeism and promote the adjustment of working conditions for patients with mental health problems. Ten psychologists were interviewed about their experiences, and asked to give their views of the ways in which the new arrangement affected their everyday working conditions and their methods of dealing with the working conditions of their patients. The interviews were transcribed and template analysis was adopted. The analysis showed that psychologists believed that the new arrangement would improve their focus and accountability with regard to work-related issues, something which could in turn improve the therapeutic process and increase the likelihood of positive treatment outcomes. However, they also reported some structural barriers in the general health care system which prevent them from achieving the full potential of the new arrangement. Furthermore, according to these psychologists, there are also some unfortunate side-effects to the new arrangements, such as role conflicts, which potentially divert attention from actual treatment.
For employees in today’s society, work fulfils a wide range of functions. Work is not only import... more For employees in today’s society, work fulfils a wide range of functions. Work is not only important in terms of invome, it is also a source of identity, of positive self-image and a sense of meaningfulness (Alvesson, 2001; Noon & Blyton, 2007; Wrzesniewski, LoBuglio, Dutton, & Berg, 2013). In this chapter, we explore how meaningful work can be facilitated. First, we explain what is meant by meaningful work. Second, we examine artistic interventions as an organizational strategy for facilitating and stimulating a meaningful working situation. Finally, we discuss the concept of meaning and if striving for meaning is actually desired, or should be desired, by all employees, and at all times.
This chapter explores the ways in which choir singing can facilitate a deeper and more profound l... more This chapter explores the ways in which choir singing can facilitate a deeper and more profound learning process through the stimulation of multiple sensory modalities, including emotional and bodily experiences. Subsequent to a choral singing intervention, that aimed to improve employee wellbeing and social cohesion in a Norwegian municipality, a group participants and non-participants were interviewed about their experiences. A wide range of perceived barriers to participation was reported, such as lack of vocal skills, introversion and family commitments. Participants who were initially reluctant, but who overcame these barriers, experienced a more profound impact on well-being and social cohesion whereby emotional experiences over time shifted from negative to positive and a threshold was overcome. Observing others who overcame this kind of threshold was just as powerful as overcoming it themselves. The study reported in this Chapter was conducted also in collaboration with Gret...
Exploring the emotional experience of organizational change over time: The case of introducing el... more Exploring the emotional experience of organizational change over time: The case of introducing electronic care plans in hospitals
International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 2007
This study aimed to address the range and complexity of emotions involved in the anticipation of ... more This study aimed to address the range and complexity of emotions involved in the anticipation of change at work through adopting a contextual approach to understanding emotions and change. A qualitative study was conducted to explore nurses' emotional responses towards the anticipated introduction of electronic care plans. Emotional responses revolved around three issues in particular: Envisioning the change process, meeting professional standards in the future, and everyday work situation following anticipated change. None of the respondents reported only negative emotion terms, and they both experienced and expected that their emotional experiences would continuously evolve over time.
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