Motivation, Optimal Experience and Flow in First Year Computing Science

We examine the concept of motivation from the perspective of Self Determination Theory and give a brief overview of relevant results. We also consider the optimal state known as "Flow" and give an account of its conceptualisation in the theory due to Csikszentmihalyi. After discussion of ways in which these concepts can be measured, we describe a set of preliminary studies that investigate motivation and flow in the context of a first year computing class. We analyse student responses to enquiries about perceptions of motivation and flow experiences and look at links between them. We also discuss intrinsic motivation within the subject

Preparing the Global Software Engineer

With a goal of preparing software engineering students for practice in today’s global settings, Uppsala University has for some years run courses involving global collaboration. The “IT in Society” course is one such course which applies an ‘Open Ended Group Project’ model, in partnership with a local health sector client and global educational partners. Within each iteration of the course, students across the partnering institutions are given a brief around an open-ended problem. They work in collaboration with their client and stakeholders to investigate options and produce a report with their findings and recommendations, informed by global perspectives. The report may or may not be supported by working software prototypes. We analyze student evaluations & reflections on the course to unpack their perceptions of software engineering, the perceived relevance of a global learning experience and its role in reshaping their identities as global software engineers

An agile information-architecture-driven approach for the development of user-centered interactive software

This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here for your personal use. Not for redistribution. The definitive Version of Record was published in Interacción '15: Proceedings of the XVI International Conference on Human Computer Interaction, http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2829875.2829919.For the most part, Information Architecture processes include sets of activities and techniques to be carried out by the development team to create interactive applications effectively, involving usability concerns at every development step. In fact, plenty of process models have already been proposed to bridge the gap between User-Centered Development and Information Architecture, empowering the development team to build usable applications successfully. However, the combination of User- Centered Development and Information Architecture paradigms sometimes results in cumbersome process models containing lots of phases and activities to be considered, which increases the cycle time to have partial and validated software increments readily. As less effort has been devoted to speed up the usable Information Architecture development, the aim of this paper is to address such problem. To do so, we present Scrum-UIA, an agile and usable development process driven by the Information Architecture. This process is intended to develop web applications by splitting up responsibilities and tasks, and decreasing the time to perform technical activities, in order to readily obtain usable software increments.This work has been supported by the funding projects «eMadrid», granted by the Madrid Research Council (project code S2013/ICE-2715) and «Flexor», granted by the Spanish Government (project code TIN2014-52129-R)

Robust passivity-based control of switched-reluctance motors

International audienceWe propose a state-feedback controller for switched-reluctance motors as a preliminary step towards the solution of the sensorless control problem (without measurement of rotor variables). We establish global exponential stability. Furthermore, our controller renders the closed-loop system robust to external disturbances that is, input-to-state stable. Although there exist some works on sensorless control of switched-reluctance motors, these consist mainly on ad hoc solutions without theoretical foundation. The few theoretically-validated results in the literature are established under more stringent conditions such as knowledge of the load torque

Work Commitment Modes of Temporary Agency Workers in Restaurants

AbstractIn this study the focus is on single form of temporary work in order to create added value in comparison to previous well-being research in the temporary work context. Very little research has been conducted on temporary agency work in restaurants. An extensive survey is planned to be conducted in Finland. This study shows the pilot tests results of the survey. Examining the differences and similarities of work commitment between different worker groups in restaurants give insight for planning and targeting measures needed to increase well-being at work and productivity. Data is collected through a questionnaire, which is based, on the Organizational Commitment and QPS Nordic questionnaires, both of which focus on psychological and social factors at work. The data collection for pilot study was conducted as an online survey during a two weeks period. Link to questionnaire was published on a Facebook page for local restaurant workers in the Northern Ostrobothnia area with 130 members. In total 53 workers responded. It was possible to divide the workers into groups by their form of working. Four distinct groups were found, each with their own combination of commitment modes and features. A clear baseline was established by the normal full-timeworkers against which other groups (temporary agency workers) were compared. There were also controversial findingsthat should not be legally present in temporary agency work. Being just a pilot study, it is expected that this study has several limitations; sample size was limited, parts of the data were fragmented, many questions were left unanswered,translation problems and locally homogenous participants. However, this pilot test provided important information fora larger questionnaire that will be aimed to a larger audience nationwide in Finland later 2019–2020.Abstract In this study the focus is on single form of temporary work in order to create added value in comparison to previous well-being research in the temporary work context. Very little research has been conducted on temporary agency work in restaurants. An extensive survey is planned to be conducted in Finland. This study shows the pilot tests results of the survey. Examining the differences and similarities of work commitment between different worker groups in restaurants give insight for planning and targeting measures needed to increase well-being at work and productivity. Data is collected through a questionnaire, which is based, on the Organizational Commitment and QPS Nordic questionnaires, both of which focus on psychological and social factors at work. The data collection for pilot study was conducted as an online survey during a two weeks period. Link to questionnaire was published on a Facebook page for local restaurant workers in the Northern Ostrobothnia area with 130 members. In total 53 workers responded. It was possible to divide the workers into groups by their form of working. Four distinct groups were found, each with their own combination of commitment modes and features. A clear baseline was established by the normal full-timeworkers against which other groups (temporary agency workers) were compared. There were also controversial findingsthat should not be legally present in temporary agency work. Being just a pilot study, it is expected that this study has several limitations; sample size was limited, parts of the data were fragmented, many questions were left unanswered,translation problems and locally homogenous participants. However, this pilot test provided important information fora larger questionnaire that will be aimed to a larger audience nationwide in Finland later 2019–2020

Towards Mapping of Information Technology-Induced Alterations in Online Physicians’ Professional Identities: A Conceptual Framework and Empirical Illustrations from Sweden

Digital Patient Contact Technologies (DPCT), including telemedicine solutions and digital tools for text-based communication between patients and physicians, play a significant role in today’s healthcare. Professional identity defines norms, principles, and logic that guide one’s professional actions. Presently, little research is available regarding professional identity changes in the context of DPCT implementations. This work theoretically and empirically illustrates the nature of the possible DPCT’ impact on physicians’ professional identities. To this end, a conceptual framework was constructed, and the interviews with eight physicians operating an asynchronous healthcare-advice chat service (1177 Vårdguiden) in Uppsala, Sweden, were examined

High performance work practices and well-being at restaurant work

AbstractThis study focuses on human resource management (HRM) and high performance work practices in small restaurants. Empirical material is collected through interviews aimed at individuals working in the restaurant industry. In the first phase of this study in 2010, ten employees were interviewed, and in the second phase in 2018, five of them were re-interviewed. In 2010, the interviewees were working as employees in a restaurant where well-being was constantly challenged during work. During the second round of interviews in 2018, the interviewees had continued their careers in the sector and worked in five different restaurants. The findings indicate the signs of rapid change within the specific restaurant studied and provide insights into managing well-being at work in the restaurant industry as a whole — an industry that is constantly facing new types of challenges related to new working modes. Findings indicate that well-being at work is a holistic combination of individual and work-level activities; thus, a comprehensive approach to HRM is required.Abstract This study focuses on human resource management (HRM) and high performance work practices in small restaurants. Empirical material is collected through interviews aimed at individuals working in the restaurant industry. In the first phase of this study in 2010, ten employees were interviewed, and in the second phase in 2018, five of them were re-interviewed. In 2010, the interviewees were working as employees in a restaurant where well-being was constantly challenged during work. During the second round of interviews in 2018, the interviewees had continued their careers in the sector and worked in five different restaurants. The findings indicate the signs of rapid change within the specific restaurant studied and provide insights into managing well-being at work in the restaurant industry as a whole — an industry that is constantly facing new types of challenges related to new working modes. Findings indicate that well-being at work is a holistic combination of individual and work-level activities; thus, a comprehensive approach to HRM is required

Exploring Talent Management Practices and Corporate Social Responsibility in Finnish Companies

Abstract The contemporary work landscape is characterized by rapid change and many evolving challenges. Therefore, companies are in increasing need for acquiring fresh knowledge and skills and human capital is acknowledged being a crucial asset for success in business world. The challenge persists in attracting, retaining and managing skilled employees. Though, the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in talent management has been recognized, still there remains a gap in understanding how talent management is integrated into CSR of companies, particularly at the multilevel investigation level. A directed content analysis method was employed on CSR reports of 25 major Finnish companies to explore key talent management practices at normative, strategic, and operational levels, as well as the integration of talent management components into CSR reports. Normative values such as diversity, equity, and inclusion were consistently emphasized in the reports. However, the translation of these values into practical implementation often yielded abstract strategic principles rather than clearly defined operational practices. The companies have placed over reliance on standardized reporting methods rather than providing comprehensive insights into talent management practices.Abstract The contemporary work landscape is characterized by rapid change and many evolving challenges. Therefore, companies are in increasing need for acquiring fresh knowledge and skills and human capital is acknowledged being a crucial asset for success in business world. The challenge persists in attracting, retaining and managing skilled employees. Though, the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in talent management has been recognized, still there remains a gap in understanding how talent management is integrated into CSR of companies, particularly at the multilevel investigation level. A directed content analysis method was employed on CSR reports of 25 major Finnish companies to explore key talent management practices at normative, strategic, and operational levels, as well as the integration of talent management components into CSR reports. Normative values such as diversity, equity, and inclusion were consistently emphasized in the reports. However, the translation of these values into practical implementation often yielded abstract strategic principles rather than clearly defined operational practices. The companies have placed over reliance on standardized reporting methods rather than providing comprehensive insights into talent management practices

Aligning expectations with real-world experiences: a talent management study on the restaurant industry in Finland

Abstract Purpose: Skilled workers are crucial for an organization’s success, and managing, retaining and attracting them is vital in long-term. This study aims to explore talent management practices in the Finnish restaurant industry and to align workers’ expectations with the real-world experiences of their work to reduce turnover and enhance job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a mixed methods approach, including a survey and interviews with workers and managers to gain insights into their expectations and experiences of work. The study considers themes for designing and implementing effective talent management procedures. Findings: This study highlights the importance of employees’ experiences of their work conditions, leveraging positive emotions and fair utilization of temporary agency work (TAW). Understanding the different work preferences of generational cohorts and addressing the challenges associated with owner disengagement and TAW can also contribute to attracting and retaining talent in the restaurant industry. Originality/value: Skilled workers have often been portrayed as targets that need to be managed, with insufficient consideration given to their preferences, needs and expectations. With the findings of this study, companies can establish mutual understanding with their employees and attract diverse talent.Abstract Purpose: Skilled workers are crucial for an organization’s success, and managing, retaining and attracting them is vital in long-term. This study aims to explore talent management practices in the Finnish restaurant industry and to align workers’ expectations with the real-world experiences of their work to reduce turnover and enhance job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a mixed methods approach, including a survey and interviews with workers and managers to gain insights into their expectations and experiences of work. The study considers themes for designing and implementing effective talent management procedures. Findings: This study highlights the importance of employees’ experiences of their work conditions, leveraging positive emotions and fair utilization of temporary agency work (TAW). Understanding the different work preferences of generational cohorts and addressing the challenges associated with owner disengagement and TAW can also contribute to attracting and retaining talent in the restaurant industry. Originality/value: Skilled workers have often been portrayed as targets that need to be managed, with insufficient consideration given to their preferences, needs and expectations. With the findings of this study, companies can establish mutual understanding with their employees and attract diverse talent