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"Factors Affecting Ethical Leadership” shows that the ethical behavior of leaders is the most important factor in shaping an organization’s ethical climate. Representatives from ten countries, Canada, Australia, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States of America participated in the research, with six (Canada, Australia, Finland, Netherlands, Sweden and the USA) able to collect data. The goals of RTG HFM-304 included identifying the individual, situational, and organizational variables predictive of ethical leadership, developing a model of ethical leadership, and collating best practice in military ethics education amongst NATO and Partner for Peace (PfP) countries. Findings evidence that ethical leadership is strongly associated with values, in particular with value achievement (e.g., setting high standards and striving for excellence) and person-environment fit. Leaders who have the ability to address an ethical dilemma tend also to be those with high standards, a firm foundation in values (such as helping others and generosity) and belief that their institution shares these values. To engender ethical cultures and attract, train and sustain principled leaders, there is a need for military institutions to emphasize values, reinforce ethical decision-making and promote and value-informed ethical leadership from the beginning.

This narrative is an autoethnographic study of how discrimination and prejudice counteract the academic meritocratic system. In Sweden, which is one of the most gender-equal countries in the world, opposition to gender equality and prejudices against what is considered the Other can be hidden and thus reproduced in decision-making processes and structures. This narrative shows how a professorial recruitment process bypassed the meritocratic system i.e., the system in which qualifications and educational results in combination with the individual’s achievements should play the greatest role in the promotion process. This is a story about how the supposed meritocracy is twisted and manipulated within university contexts and how the “temperament” of a foreign female researcher is utilized to exclude her from entering through the coveted doors of academic departments. Different experiences, characterized by demanding conditions, have been analyzed with the help of gender theoretical perspectives, opposition to gender equality, intercultural perspectives, and a number of social psychological perspectives linked to prejudice. The description is interwoven with previous experiences from younger years, which together contribute to an increased understanding of the individual narrative and its specific context. 

In connection with Covid-19 pandemic, employers were forced to change their behavior and adjust to new working life challenges. Firstly, the pandemic became a healthcare disaster, and secondly a crisis with social and emotional consequences for workers. The purpose of this article is to investigate the presence of threats to the social self in the working life context. We are looking for shame or shame-related feelings and behaviors, which can be linked to the pandemic. The threat to the social self can be intentional or unintentional and consist of behaviors and gestures that are perceived as derogatory and in terms of bullying, violations, humiliations, harassment, or organizational changes. 

In connection with the Covid-19 pandemic, employers were forced to change their behavior and adjust to new working life challenges. Firstly, the pandemic became a healthcare disaster and secondly a crisis with social and emotional consequences for workers. The purpose of this article is to investigate the presence of threats to the social self in the working life context. We are looking for shame or shame-related feelings and behaviors, which can be linked to the pandemic. The threat to the social self can be intentional or unintentional and consist of behaviors and gestures that are perceived as derogatory and in terms of bullying, violations, humiliations, harassment or organizational changes. 

Compulsory basic military training is characterized not only by being challenging but also by being stressful. Assuming a high frequency of perceived stress events as a negative outcome of training, this article provides evidence on how the perceived frequency of stressful situations is affected by three types of factors: (i) biological stress response variables measured by hair steroid hormone levels, (ii) personality traits measured using the Big Five personality test, and (iii) group cohesion measures in military squads. A total of 112 conscripts in 11 squads participated in the research at the beginning (T1), in the middle (T2), and at the end (T3) of compulsory basic military training. Hair steroid hormone levels (cortisol, cortisone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)) levels were measured by liquid mass spectrometry; other data were collected using self-report questionnaires. The results of the Poisson regression analysis indicated that hair steroid hormone cortisol had a statistically significantly impact and could increase the perceived frequency of stressful situations by up to 1.317 (e(0.275), T2) times. The concentrations of other hormones (cortisone = 1.157, e(0.146), T3 and DHEA = 1.020, e(0.020), T3) also had a statistically significant effect. Other factors had a decreasing effect on the frequency. Extraversion was significant with an effect of 0.907 (e(-0.098), T2) and 0.847 (e(-0.166), T3), while task cohesion had an effect of 0.946 (e(-0.056)) and norm cohesion of 0.954 (e(-0.047)). The research indicates that the three groups of factors affect the perceived frequency of stressful situations during compulsory basic military training, but their impacts are considerably different.

Military and sport have attracted increased research interest separately as two distinctly demanding performance- and leadership-driven contexts. However, cross-contextual psychological research in leadership is lacking. Such research has potential to expose unique cross-fertilising insights into resemblances in leadership challenges among military and sport leaders, transferable to a broader range of contexts. Thus, the current study simultaneously explored high-level military and sport leaders’ real-life experiences of similarities in demanding conditions and their psychological manifestations. Sixteen participants - eight Swedish high-level military leaders and eight Swedish high-level sport leaders, participated in the study. Using a qualitative inductive cross-contextual design enabled in-depth knowledge and transferability. A reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) of sixteen interview transcripts generated four common themes of demanding conditions: (1) Developing organisations: Leading under an extensive workload and responsibility, (2) Managing destructive superiors and subordinates: Standing up for oneself, (3) Taking care of the minds and moods of others: Leading deliberated difficult conversations, and (4) Periods of extreme concentration: Leading critical coordination, decisions, and timing. The findings tie high-level military and sports leaders together into a high-stress and high-stakes leader role invoked to manoeuvre a complex buildup of demanding conditions. Implications are presented.

Personnel selection research has seen an increasing interest in integrity tests. Although these tests have been found to predict a variety of workplace criteria, a long-standing criticism of integrity tests is their criterion-focussed nature. A construct-oriented approach to integrity test development involves identifying important elements of integrity and developing content to reflect those elements. Drawing upon earlier attempts to define integrity, this paper conceptualizes integrity as a behavior, and elaborates on two definitional elements, nature of standards and their referent. Undertaking a content analysis of the high-level codes of conduct of 13 military nations, this paper illustrates the application of an approach to defining integrity for use in the military context. It includes a discussion on the operationalization of integrity for assessment purposes, highlighting considerations that must be given to all aspects of the assessment development process.

This article explores how women in top leader positions navigate between the two contradictory cultures of masculinity and femininity and, in particular, if and how these positionings and negotiations develop over time. Drawing on working-life biographical interviews with women on the top of organizational hierarchies within the crisis management systems in the Nordic countries, the article illustrates women top leaders relating to norms of masculinity and femininity, demonstrating how these have shaped their roles as top leaders, and how these have shifted along their careers. It shows how, in the beginning of their careers, women in organizations marked by cultures of masculinity conform to these gendered norms, while in their roles as top leaders, they do gender differently and assume roles as change agents. The findings suggest that processes of navigation between organizational cultures of masculinity and societal cultures of femininity can be better understood when individual experiences are situated within their gendered social and cultural expectations.

Kriget i Ukraina har redan fått många återverkningar, även i samhällen som inte direkt skakas av de fruktansvärda krigshandlingarna. I traditionella och sociala medier funderar människor kring vad som skulle hända om det blev krig i Sverige och hur detta skulle påverka vår vardag och våra relationer. En ofta förbisedd fråga i detta sammanhang är relationen mellan människor och djur. I denna artikel diskuteras hur totalförsvaret som samhällsorganisation och verksamhet kan utmanas av 2020-talets normer om förhållandet mellan människor och djur och djurs status som säkerhetssubjekt. Mot bakgrund av den traditionella totalförsvarstanken presenterar vi ett antal områden där djurens relationer med människor kan tänkas väcka frågor och komma i konflikt med delar av totalförsvaret: synen på säkerhet, juridiken i kris och krig samt utvecklingen av den sociala relationen mellan människor och djur. Artikeln avslutas med tankar kring hur ett totalförsvar som inkluderar djur skulle kunna se ut samt kring hur dagens totalförsvar i så fall skulle behöva förändras.

This study aimed to explore how facilitators of group dynamic and structured leadership courses cope with difficult situations during the course, and to relate their coping strategies to general individual characteristics and situation-specific appraisals. The study group consisted of facilitators of two of the most widespread leadership courses in Sweden: 110 facilitators of the course Understanding Group and Leader (UGL) and 111 facilitators of Developmental leadership (DL). A web-based questionnaire included descriptions of two difficult interpersonal course situations and questions on personality, general leadership style as well as situation-specific appraisal and coping. Three coping strategies were identified (factor analyses): Focus on course structure, Focus on psychological safety and Focus on own reflection. These factors were positively correlated. Weak associations were observed between the coping strategies and personality and general leadership style. Situation-specific appraisals covaried more strongly with the coping strategies. The findings suggest that reflection based on these coping strategies can lead to increased self-awareness and self-confidence on part of the facilitator. The findings may also help leadership course facilitators to cope more effectively, which in turn creates trust in the group that they are leading. The study contributes to the understanding of a limited research area; how leadership course facilitators cope with difficult course situations. The results provide guidance on how to cope more effectively. Practical implications include aspects to focus on in the training of leadership course facilitators.

Syftet med denna rapport är att redovisa en litteraturgenomgång gjord i juli 2023 i databaserna PsycInfo och ERIC kring begreppen självkännedom och självledarskap i första hand, och begreppen empati och kommunikationsförmåga i andra hand, samt att relatera analysens resultat till hur ledarskapsövningen ”Ledarskap och Självkännedom” (LoS) kan vidareutvecklas. Litteraturgenomgången kring självkännedom och självledarskap kom i stor utsträckning att baseras på tre aktuella meta-analyser. Inom såväl självkännedom som självledarskap framkom ett antal teoretiska aspekter som kan berika LoS i sin nuvarande form. Vidare framkom att begreppet självledarskap är teoretiskt tveksamt ur ett LoS-perspektiv. Däremot kan interventioner som lyfts fram inom litteratur om självledarskap vara värdefulla för LoS men då relaterade till deras ursprungliga källor. Risker med överdriven introspektiv reflektion, mindfulness med mera behöver beaktas vid urval av övningar i en reviderad LoS. Litteratursökningen relaterad till empati och kommunikationsförmåga gav ingen grund för revision av LoS i dessa avseenden. Slutligen påtalas behov av att revidera befintlig handledarmanual för LoS med denna rapport som grund, liksom behov av handledarutbildning och utvärdering av utfall av en reviderad LoS.

FHS möts regelbundet av frågor från UL handledare. Syftet med denna PM är att ge svar och kommentarer till dessa frågor. Det handlar främst om frågor som inte direkt går att besvara med hjälp av den befintliga handledarpärmen. Det övergripande syftet är att stärka handledarna i samband med deras utbildningar. Ambitionen är att uppdatera denna PM när ett antal nya frågor dykt upp. Texten förutsätter god förtrogenhet med den teoretiska Ledarskapsmodellen och med gällande handledarpärm. Ordningsföljden mellan frågorna följer ingen systematik. De kommer i den följd jag fick ta del av dem.

Purpose

This paper aims to systematically review the extant research on social psychological aspects of civil-military inter-organizational collaboration, particularly in a total defense context.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic scoping studies review was performed. Peer-reviewed articles were searched in PsycInfo and Sociological Abstracts. Inclusion criteria were met by 25 articles.

Findings

Four higher-order categories with underpinning categories were derived in the analysis. They were modeled as follows: antecedent conditions affect, informal processes and practical efforts, which, in turn, affect inter-organizational trust and collaboration. These higher-order categories are all influenced by formal organizational aspects and the society in which they are found.

Research limitations/implications

The existing literature covering the chosen study focus is limited. Further studies are needed and the presented model can serve as a road map. Practical implications A series of questions derived from the categories of the model is presented. The questions are included as a tool for practical reflection for collaborating actors in common education, training or exercise settings or in after-action reviews.

Originality/value

The focus on social psychological aspects of civil-military inter-organizational collaboration, particularly in a total defense context, is new. The suggested relationship between superior themes adds knowledge to a research field dominated by sociological and political science approaches.

Purpose – The Indirect Leadership Questionnaire (ILQ) is constructed to measure important parts of a theoretical model of indirect leadership to be used in leadership courses for high-level managers. The ILQ consists of 15 model-derived items plus extra space that provides for free-text comments. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the ILQ, its predictive power and practical usefulness in indirect leadership courses and to evaluate the indirect leadership model in the light of new data.

Design/methodology/approach – The study sample consisted of 225 higher managers and 6–10 of their subordinates (total: 1,703). The latter were working at least two hierarchical levels below their higher manager. The managers made self-ratings, and the subordinates rated their respective higher manager using the ILQ.

Findings – Results showed that the ILQ has acceptable psychometric properties in terms of dimensionality(two model-compatible factors were obtained), reliability, discriminability and predictive power. Previousproblems with many “Don’t know” responses from subordinates working two or more hierarchical levels below their higher manager were considerably reduced. A qualitative analysis of the free-text responsess howed that indirect leadership behaviors that can be seen as inspirational influence and communication skills should be more emphasized in future indirect leadership courses. The leaders’ personality, task-related competence and performance-orientation were also highlighted more than in the indirect leadership model.

Research limitations/implications – It was concluded that the ILQ is a useful tool in indirect leadership courses but that it is too limited to be used as a basis for theory development of indirect leadership.

Originality/value – The ILQ has acceptable psychometric properties and provides an easy-to-use tool togain practical, usable knowledge of the “how’s” of indirect leadership

Purpose

The study represents a theory-based leadership approach in exploring the subordinate's perceptions of leadership behaviors in relation to age, gender and type of work environment. The aim was (1) to compare subordinates' ratings of their respective leaders' leadership behaviors based on of the leaders' age and gender, controlling for type of work environment and (2) to analyze the relationship between the subordinates' ratings of their leaders' leadership behaviors and their ratings of the outcome of these leadership behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using the Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ) from a sample of Swedish leadership course participants (n = 10,869) and their respective subordinates (n = 97,943). The DLQ measures leadership behaviors designed to reflect the following leadership styles: developmental leadership, conventional-positive leadership, conventional-negative leadership and destructive leadership.

Findings

Results showed that older leaders (51 years or older) were rated less favorably than younger (29 years or younger) and mid-aged leaders. Female leaders received more positive ratings than male leaders. A 3-way analysis-of-variance showed strong main effects for age, gender, and type of work environment and no significant interaction effects. A significant model with high equivalents of R2 coefficients (Cox and Snell, 1989; Nagelkerke, 1991) was obtained in a logistic regression analysis. Developmental leadership and conventional-positive leadership made significant positive contributions to the subordinates' ratings of the outcome of their leaders' leadership behaviors. Destructive leadership behaviors contributed negatively to the outcome ratings.

Research limitations/implications

Weaknesses include the cross-sectional study design. The large sample size is a strength, and the results have novel implications for leadership theory related to subordinates' view on leadership.

Practical implications

Counter-stereotype age and gender findings may have implications for organizational decisions and processes regarding selection of managers. Development programs are suggested for all categories but for older, male leaders with a focus on reducing their use of leadership behaviors perceived negatively by their subordinates, whereas younger female leaders should be encouraged to continue to develop their positive leadership behaviors.Originality/valueThe theory-based approach on subordinates' perceptions of leadership behaviors with a simultaneous focus on age, gender and type of work environment, based on a large-scale data set, is new.

The aim was to: (1) identify individual profiles in young men regarding personality and cognitive appraisal style employing easy-to-use instruments, and (2) to explore how such profiles relate to biological stress indicators. The sample consisted of 173 male Lithuanian conscripts. An assessment was made after one month into their basic military training. Levels of cortisol, cortisone and testosterone were established through analysis of hair samples. Psychological assessments included the Big Five model of personality as well as cognitive appraisal style and perceived stress during the previous month of service. Four unique personality profiles were identified in a cluster analysis that differed significantly as theoretically expected on the Perceived Stress Scale. Statistically significant between-profile differences were found on cortisol and cortisone but not on testosterone. The personality profile with the highest scores on all three biological markers was characterized by high scores on Extraversion and Openness and low scores on Agreeableness. Second, three distinct cognitive appraisal style profiles emerged. They were related as theoretically expected to perceived stress, but they were unrelated to the hair steroid hormone concentration levels. Third, the combination of the most psychologically vulnerable personality profile, which included low scores on Emotional stability, and the most stressed cognitive appraisal style profile, yielded the clearest result and showed that it was possible to detect individuals with significantly higher stress-related hair steroid hormone levels using psychological instruments. Practical potential implications include identification of individuals who are most psychologically vulnerable and in need of close monitoring.

This study investigates the relationship between moral stress reactions and resulting coping efforts in severely morally challenging situations. Long-term positive reactions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) indicators following morally challenging situations are also studied. The sample consisted of cadets and officers (n = 332) from Norway and Sweden. Long-term positive reactions were found to be associated with limited moral stress reactions during the challenging episode and frequent use of acceptance and positive reappraisal coping strategies. Long-term high scores on a PTSD indicator scale covaried with high scores on Openness, a strong moral stress reaction, and frequent use of instrumental coping strategies. The main conclusion is that the immediate moral stress reaction and coping strategies following morally challenging situations appear to be related to both positive long-term reactions and to indicators of PTSD.

Our first aim was to explore the relationship between daily uplifts, daily hassles, and coping styles the first year after returning from international military missions and post-deployment work, family, and private reintegration in military veterans. Our second aim was to identify individual patterns regarding daily uplifts, daily hassles, and coping styles and to explore how they relate to the above-mentioned aspects of post-deployment reintegration. Questionnaire responses were received from 446 Swedish military veterans. Regression analyses showed that daily hassles and an escape-avoidance coping style made significant contributions in the predicted, negative direction to the amount of explained variance on reintegration indicator scales. A high level of perceived threat during the last mission also contributed to more negative integration. Using a person-centered approach, three unique profiles of response patterns were identified using a cluster analysis based on the uplift, hassles, and coping style scores. One profile was labeled “resilient and well-functioning”; its members showed favorable reintegration scores. A second profile was called “ambitious and struggling.” These individuals scored medium-high on the reintegration scales. The third profile consistently indicated the least favorable reintegration scores and was labeled “worried and avoidant.” The results confirm and deepen our existing knowledge.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop an easy-to-use, theoretically well-founded and psychometrically sound assessment tool of the concept co-workership.

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, inductively generated examples of favourable and unfavourable co-worker behaviours were collected, clustered and then expressed as frequency-based Likert-type scale items. Data were obtained from 825 Swedish white collar workers and military personnel. A factor analysis (principal axis factoring with oblique rotation) resulted in a seven-factor solution built up by 30 items and forming the instrument Co-Worker Questionnaire (Co-Worker Q).

Findings

The factors have a strong resemblance to the content of dominating models of leadership, followership, organizational citizenship behaviour and leader–member exchange. The factor scales had relatively high reliability (high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and low standard errors of measurement). Regarding discriminability, women scored more favourably on five of the factors, men on one factor and age differences were noted on two factors.

Research limitations/implications

Shortcomings include the lack of data on possibly related aspects including person factors, such as personality and socio-economic status, and contextual factors such as more detailed data on the type of work environment and organizational culture.

Practical implications

The instrument has an easy-to-use format and can be used in organization development interventions with a co-workership focus and in individualized coaching or mentoring programmes.

Originality/value

The co-workership concept has so far mainly been used in the Nordic countries. The development of the Co-Worker Q opens up for broader applications.

Förr talade man om chefer och underlydande. Cheferna bestämde och de underlydande lydde. I dagens globaliserade samhälle, med avancerad teknologi och högutbildade kompetenta medarbetare, ser det annorlunda ut. Enskilda medarbetare och grupper av medarbetare förväntas aktivt ansvara för att tänka ut och planera vad som ska göras, sedan göra detta självständigt och därefter värdera resultatet i en lärande spiral. Ett utvecklande medarbetarskap med stor självständighet och stort ansvarstagande är därmed en viktig faktor för organisatorisk framgång.

I denna bok summeras teori om medarbetarskap och därefter presenteras detaljerade förslag på hur man kan arbeta praktiskt i en organisation med att utveckla medarbetarskapet så att det samspelar med ett modernt, utvecklande ledarskap.

This report was a presentation of the pedagogical development conducted within method courses in the subject Leadership under demanding conditions, and analyses of examinations validity and reliability. Analysis of course evaluations for previous method teaching, syllabuses and literature consisted the basis for the planning of the courses Behavioral Science Methods I and II. A pedagogical model for methods teaching was developed based on the students’ prior knowledge, needs and attitudes; in the planning, some critical aspects of the subject content were also didactically analyzed. The new method courses were evaluated through a new course evaluation, Rasch analysis and statistical analysis of data from the examinations. The whole report is structured based on a process model developed for this purpose and which describes the steps in the work process.

Results indicates that the pedagogical development contributed to students passing the examinations and being satisfied with the learning activities. However, the problem of retaining and consolidating methodological knowledge over time, and a possible risk for surface learning, remains. The Rasch analysis revealed that the assessment criteria for academic writing could distinguish between the grades Passed and Passed with distinction, although the reliability otherwise was non-existent, and that organizing the text was the single most important assessment criterion. None of the assessment criteria showed Differential Item Functioning (DIF) depending on gender, which means that the assessment of academic writing does not disadvantage female or male students. The statistical analysis revealed that methodological knowledge had an impact on the assessment and determined the grade on the exams. The statistical power was consistently very low due to a small student base.

Continued development areas are definition of technical concepts, elaboration of illustrative examples and modernization of teaching and implementing flipped classroom. Statistical thinking is emphasized rather than students being exercised in mechanically applying a specific set of statistical models. An educational progression based on embedding could be developed to improve the framework factors. It is also important to not emphasize quality assurance and control before pedagogical development in the design of course evaluations.

Continued data collection and psychometric analysis of examinations can contribute information useful for developing assessment practices, selection and admission processes as well as teaching and examination.

In general, Swedish veteran research shows that a majority of Swedish officers andsoldiers that have served abroad are doing relatively well, both psychologically andphysically. However, a recent study of Swedish veterans indicated a higher divorcerate (nearly double) and a less propensity to enter a new relationship after international military deployment. An initial qualitative interview study was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of international military deployment on couple well-being, which resulted in a theoretical model of proposed relationships. Since the developed theoretical model of influencing factors was based on a limited number of interviews, and thus cannot be regarded as generalizable, the aim of the present study was to test its relevance on a larger number of military veterans, more specifically to explore the relationships between the factors identified and a higher propensity to end a romantic relationship. In addition, the relationship identified between deployment and a lesser likelihood to enter a new relationship was investigated. A survey was filled out by 1962 veterans (33% response rate). Quantitative analyses were conducted to test the relationship between variables of interests and tocompare sub-groups. Overall, the results support the theoretical model that was developed, both as regards balance as a core variable to understand the impact of international military deployment on couple well-being, and the factors that have shown to affect the statistical relationship identified between deployment and a higher propensity to end a close relationship. The results show that deployment may cause systemic changes and challenges within families, however, they may also constitute an incentive for development, ultimately strengthening some relationships. Particularly, demands related to deployment appear to affect relationship quality after deployment, whilst the handling of relational tensions seems most meaningful during everyday life before the mission. The study also accounts for the importance of re-integration having returned home, as close relationships seem most vulnerable the first few years following deployment. Looking at the relationship between deployment and a lessened propensity to enter a new relationship, there appears to be two potential contributing factors. On the onehand, there seems to be an overrepresentation of individuals that because of deployment have sought professional help, and a majority of those individualsreported that they did not receive adequate support. Many reported experiencing alesser degree of positive work-related reintegration to everyday life after deployment and omitting from seeking social support and to plan/analyze to handle the hassles of everyday life after deployment. These reported difficulties may have contributed to the inability of these individuals to reassimilate back to their normal routines and to focus their energy on their relationships in their private lives. On the other hand, the results also indicate that individuals who deploy, also report having a high interest in adventure, to travel and to experience new things, which may also contribute to these individuals being less likely to commit to a close relationship. In the latter case, this may contribute to a higher propensity to not enter a new relationship by choice, which is appreciated, self-determined and a matter of priority. Practical implications are discussed.

The purpose was to explore the association between the Big Five personality dimensions, the use of influencing behaviors (influencing tactics and political skill) with military staff members’ perceived performance. The sample included 185 Armed Forces staff members from various countries (predominantly the Baltic countries, Sweden, Norway and the USA). A hierarchical multiple regression indicated that the Big-Five dimensions Extraversion and Openness made statistically significant contributions (albeit low) in step 1 of the regression analysis in relation to performance, however, their contribution was weakened after the influencing behaviors were added in step 2 of the analysis. Two influencing behaviors (influencing tactic Rational persuasion and Political skill) demonstrated to be unique statistically significant contributions to perceived performance in the model as a whole, with political skill being the strongest. Practical considerations and future research directions are suggested.

Social effektivitet i arbetslivet handlar om hur individen använder sin sociala kompetens i arbetslivet, är socialt effektiv, för att nå organisationens mål. Begreppet ligger nära det man brukar kalla social kompetens, vilket är bredare och mer generellt. Social effektivitet fokuserar mer på individens förmåga att läsa av, påverka och anpassa sig i olika situationer. Det handlar om att förstå spelregler, sociala koder och organisationens emotionskultur för att bättre kunna både anpassa sig och påverka andra. 

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate military officers’ perception of the implicit expectations the organisation has for the officer’s private life and what implications it may have for gender norms at the organisation, family and individual levels. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach, using an inductive thematic analysis, was performed. The data was based on 20 interviews with military officers, including 18 men and 2 women. Findings Two main themes, with three subsequent subthemes, were identified. These themes were interpreted as being necessary for the military officer to be able to manage organisational demands. The first included the implicit expectations the organisation had for the family. The three subthemes included the officer’s acceptance of frequent travel demands, adapting private life in accordance to organisational demands and picking a partner that matches the goals of the organisation. The second identified main theme included the military officer’s descriptions of implicit expectations the organisation held for the officer’s partner. Three subthemes were identified, including the partner’s need to be independent and psychologically strong, to take the main responsibility for managing family life and to engage in emotion work with the extended family. Originality/value The findings identify important perceptions that military officers have regarding the military’s expectations for their private life and the adaptive behaviors regularly performed. These adaptive behaviors allow the military officer to be able to engage in work that sustains the organisation.

In this article we explore how Swedish citizens perceive security threats, and how threat perceptions overlap with ideology, trust and demographics. The results show that concerns over security threats are foremost connected to an authoritarian outlook. In addition, four typical groups of security orientations were identifed. On the one end of the spectrum, we found one group with anti-immigrant, anti-feminist and anti-egalitarian opinions and low confdence in media and institutions. At the other end, we identifed a group dominated by women with university degrees, who believe in egalitarian tolerance and display trust in societal institutions. Even though the findings are in line with previous research on the radical right globally, we were intrigued by the existence of a clearly defned group of respondents that oppose feminism to the extent that it is even seen as a security threat. This is particularly striking given that Sweden is thought of as one of the most equal countries in the world, with a government pursuing a feminist foreign policy.

Background: Women who experience physical or sexual violence report poor self-perceived health. Knowledge of daily hassles, daily uplifts and coping styles, as well as how these factors can affect health and well-being among survivors of sexual abuse, is important for healthcare professionals to understand and target their needs.

Aim: The aim of the current study was to explore the association of daily hassles, daily uplifts, coping strategies and stress-related symptoms among female survivors of sexual abuse.

Methods: A group of women (n = 57), exposed to sexual abuse, were recruited from nine support centres in Norway. Participants completed a questionnaire that addressed demographics, socioeconomic conditions, trauma history, daily hassles, daily uplifts, coping styles and stress-related symptoms. Two groups of participants were compared: one group that had above-median scores on uplifts and adaptive coping styles and one group that had above-median scores on daily hassles and maladaptive coping styles.

Results: Results indicate that women who experienced more daily hassles and used maladaptive coping styles reported significantly more stress-related symptoms, and particularly emotional symptoms, than women who experienced more daily uplifts and used adaptive coping styles. There were few differences between the two groups related to socioeconomic conditions and trauma history.

Conclusion: The results indicate that women in both groups struggle with stress-related physical, emotional, cognitive and target group-specific symptoms. However, high incidence of daily hassles and the use of maladaptive coping styles were associated with an increase in stress-related symptoms. Novell's findings indicate that despite severe traumatic experiences, adaptive coping styles and favourable perceptions of stress in everyday life were associated with a lower frequency of stress-related symptoms. It may therefore be helpful to focus on altering maladaptive coping styles to reduce stress-related symptoms among sexual abuse survivors.