Aktuella disputationer

Many people dream of turning their hobby into a profession so that they can earn a living while doing work they enjoy. Making a livelihood based on hobbies and leisure interests, i.e. employment in the intersection of the work and leisure spheres, can be defined as lifestyle-oriented. However, lifestyle-oriented work can be experienced as double-sided as it contains inherent characteristics that both promote and challenge health and well-being which, in turn, raise issues concerning sustainable employment. 

The aim of this thesis was to gain an increased understanding of the nature of lifestyle-oriented work and what consequences it may have for employees. The thesis brings together the issues of attractive work, meaningful work, occupational culture, and occupational health and safety management. 

Creating attractive working conditions and meaningful work content in a healthy and sustainable way is important in many aspects, not only for an organization’s ability to recruit and retain employees but also to foster employee motivation and commitment as well as health and well-being throughout the working life. The results contribute to the understanding of how work can be organized and designed to offer attractive and sustainable employment in lifestyle-oriented work.

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Natural hazards can present opportunities for societal change. This thesis analyzes two types of changes: i) those with environmental impact and ii) those aimed at improving tsunami preparedness. It addresses a crucial gap in post-disaster literature by focusing on the environmental impacts of changes. In light of land exploitation and loss of biodiversity, it is critical to make changes that reverse these trends and support sustainable development. Unfortunately, not all natural hazards can be prevented. Tsunamis can severely threaten coastal communities, requiring preparedness and evacuation. A people-centered approach to preparedness is also an essential aspect of sustainable development.

The thesis includes four papers that present and apply two new frameworks—one to assess the environmental impact of societal changes and another to evaluate the maintenance of Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS). The results reveal that changes, even if well-intentioned, made after natural hazards can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. The TEWS maintenance framework also highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining all warning system components.

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• Link to dissertation as file