达尔纳大学

In today's landscape of rapidly evolving software engineering, managers face a multitude of challenges and complex decision-making scenarios. Within the Swedish Transport Administration (STA), software engineering managers take on dual roles as both strategists and traditional managers, increasing the complexity of their decision-making environment. We investigate how management teams in this context can use and adopt agile practices for better decision-making. The aim is to explore if agile software development team practices can be used for software engineering management teams, with the goal of identifying agile success factors that can be mapped to management success. We employ an industrial case study with a mixed-method research approach, combining quantitative agile data using project tracking software, and qualitative data using structured interviews with the management teams. Unlike previous research that has primarily examined agile adoption within software development teams or emphasized the manager's supportive role, this work investigates management teams themselves as adopters of agile practices and metrics. To our knowledge, this is the first study to develop a mapping model that systematically connects Scrum-based practices, roles, and metrics to the context of software engineering management teams. Our study showed that Scrum-based agile practices, such as stand-ups and retrospectives, can be adapted to software engineering management teams, and that certain agile software development metrics can be transformed into a managerial setting using our proposed model.

Retail chains continually reconfigure their store networks to serve their customers and maximize profits. One consequence of these actions is changes in the distances between consumers' residences and nearest stores, altering their transportation-related CO2 emissions. Therefore, this study examines the environmental impact of the reconfiguration of the IKEA store network in Sweden during the twenty-first century, comparing it to the one that minimizes consumers' CO2 emissions. The expansion of the IKEA network in Sweden between 2004 and 2016, adding four (2004-2007) and then three (2013-2016) additional stores, reduced consumers' average travel distance to their nearest store from 87 to 65.2 km. However, using our decision support tool, eCOmpass, this reduction could have been achieved after the first round of additions since the distance-minimizing locations for the stores established in 2004-2007 would have reduced average travel distance to 64.9 km.

BACKGROUND:The quality of midwifery education and the quality of care are influenced by the capabilities of those who educate future midwives. In Bangladesh, where midwifery is a new profession, it is crucial that midwifery educators are supported, prepared and equipped to teach in both academic and clinical settings. This study aimed to identify the professional development needs of midwifery educators in Bangladesh. METHODS:A cross-sectional online survey consisting of closed and open-ended questions, and statements answered using a four- and five-point response scale, was conducted. A total of 118 individuals responded to the survey, of whom 113 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages and inferential statistics (Spearman's rank-order correlation and ANOVA). Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Responses to the open-ended questions were analysed using systematic text condensation. RESULTS:Among 113 respondents, working as an educator the majority (78%) held a master's degree. The most reported development needs were in midwifery theory (41.6%), face-to-face teaching (41.6%) and clinical simulation (39.8%). Research capacity was also a key area, with 38.1% reporting a need for support in scientific manuscript writing. Leadership and management development were prioritised by 37.2%. Educators preferred face-to-face programme delivery (53.1%) and short, intensive formats (74%). Open-ended responses underscored a need for structured pedagogical training, as well as research and leadership mentorship. CONCLUSIONS:Continuous professional development for educators in Bangladesh is needed, particularly in education, research, and leadership. To address these needs, the study highlights the importance of incorporating its identified needs into a national educator development programme. We propose co-creating such a programme, guided by the ICM Global Standards for Midwife Faculty Development, to ensure a structured, relevant, and sustainable response.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused pressure on micro-, small and medium-sized firms. As a result, many OECD countries used Short-Time Work (STW) support programs to help firms survive the pandemic. This study investigates the effect of STW on firm survival in Sweden. The data consists of two sets: accounting data on Swedish limited liability companies and data on their applications for STW support. In a discrete survival analysis, the firms that received STW support were compared to other firms, which either did not apply or did apply but did not receive STW support. The findings suggest that for micro- and small-sized firms, the STW support did not improve the likelihood of firm survival. On the other hand, medium-sized firms had a higher likelihood of survival when they received STW support. Therefore, this research adds empirical support to the effectiveness of STW policies for medium-sized firms. The study serves as a basis for policymakers and business leaders to refine strategies to promote economic stability and safeguard enterprises’ survival.

Abstract Background Various interventions have been developed with the intention to increase the amount of physical activity among children, including those promoting active school travel (AST). However, no gold standard currently exists for measuring different travel modes in AST. This study evaluates the criterion validity of a web-based data collection tool designed for children to self-report their school travel. Purpose To assess the criterion validity of a web-based data collection tool for daily self-registration of commuting mode, time, and distance among middle school children in Sweden. Methods Thirty children (10–12 years old) from six schools in Falun, Sweden, were recruited using snowball sampling. The children self-reported their school travel data for one day, including travel mode, commuting time, and distance. Their reports were compared to a criterion standard based on direct observations. Spearman correlation and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to analyze the accuracy of the self-reported data. Result The web-based data collection tool demonstrated 100% agreement between self-reported and observed travel modes, with high correlations for commuting time and distance (rs=0.953–0.989, p < 0.001). The Wilcoxon signed rank test showed no significant differences between self-reported data and criterion standard (p = 0.243–0.903). Conclusion The strong agreement between self-reported and observed travel data indicates high criterion validity, suggesting that the web-based data collection tool is a reliable method for middle school children to self-report their daily school travel.