Master theses / Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi

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Student essays from Applied Information Technology, IT University of Gothenburg.

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Exploring the possibilities of LLMs in environmental regulatory compliance - A grounded theory study of LLM use in the HyPELignum project
(2025-09-22) Makdessi, Alice; Quintero Pinto, Valentina; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
EU’s shift from behavior-based to impact-based environmental regulation has placed more responsibility on organizations to interpret EU environmental law. This paper explores how LLMs, specifically Microsoft CoPilot, can support regulatory compliance to EU environmental law. Conducted as part of a collaboration with RISE and EU-funded HyPELignum project, the paper explores the risks and opportunities of using LLMs in legal contexts. Particularly in relation to the EU visions and directives; European Green Deal, Clean Industrial Deal and the WEEE directive. This by using a three-phase research design combining qualitative interviews, LLM prompting and expert evaluation. A grounded theory approach was used to inductively analyze the data and create a framework for effective and responsible use of LLMs in regulatory contexts to support regulatory compliance. The framework consists of four core components; (1) trust in the system and its users, (2) legal and technical proficiency, (3) LLM must deliver practical value and (4) risk governance and ethical responsibility. A key takeaway from this paper is that the LLM performed well for regulatory use in low-context tasks (summarization and translation tasks). However, the paper also identifies big risks of LLMs in regulatory use in high-context tasks (classification and amplification tasks). This paper offers both theoretical contributions and practical recommendations for organizations seeking to explore LLM use for legal compliance work.
No Pain, No Gain? Exploring the use of gain-loss framing in political climate debates in Germany and Sweden
(2025-08-25) Hellmessen, Helen; Gunnarsson, Ingrid; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
As the urgency of climate change increases, competing narratives about the potential gains and losses of climate action play a central role in shaping political discourses and policies. This thesis explores the extent and ways in which gain-loss framing is used in political climate debates (i.e. emphasizing positive or negative outcomes to promote or discourage climate action) in Germany and Sweden – two countries considered to be at the forefront of environmental policy in Europe. Thereby, the study addresses a lack of discourse approaches to gain-loss framing, and further adds to the limited multilingual research on climate communication in non-English-speaking countries. Adopting a corpus-assisted discourse study (CADS), the research combines quantitative and qualitative analysis of climate-related parliamentary debates in Germany and Sweden in 2024. The findings show that gain- and loss-framed arguments appear frequently and to similar extents in both Germany and Sweden, primarily to promote rather than discourage climate action. Three main discursive patterns emerge across both corpora: 1) maintaining prosperity and competitiveness, 2) preserving living conditions, and 3) balancing short- and long-term gains. Country-specific differences were mostly noticeable between political parties. Overall, the analysis suggests that climate action is often framed through cost-benefit logic, and shaped by tensions between immediate and future concerns. To increase support for sustainable policy-making in light of increasing urgency, politicians should continue to reframe short-term losses as long-term investments.
“There are many uncertainties, but not knowing everything is not the same as knowing nothing”: A corpus-assisted discourse study of climate change uncertainty in online newsreader comments
(2025-08-21) Mendonça Renaux Wanderley, Pedro; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
The scientific consensus is clear on the causes and consequences of anthropogenic climate change (ACC). Nonetheless, climate science involves some degree of uncertainty. Existing literature shows that such uncertainties are often exploited by climate sceptics, particularly in digital environments that favour polarisation and the spread of conspiracy theories (e.g., Climategate). At the same time, previous research has primarily focused on uncertainty as a rhetorical strategy exclusive to climate sceptics. As a result, a gap remains in understanding the nuances of how both sides of a polarised discourse engage with climate change uncertainty. This study seeks to address that gap by examining how individuals who are either supportive or sceptical of the basic assumptions of ACC appropriate uncertainty in their discourse. It also explores how these groups engage with sources, considering their role as an argumentative strategy. Adopting a Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies (CADS) approach, this thesis analyses the Climate Crisis comment section of The Guardian’s website from January 2010 to December 2022. Online comment sections expose users to differing opinions and foster constructive interactions, offering a valuable space to examine the contested social representation of climate change. Findings reveal that amplifying uncertainty (e.g., references to “great uncertainty”) serves markedly different functions depending on the ideological stance of newsreaders and is not limited to sceptical newsreaders. These results should encourage the scientific community to engage more openly in the communication of uncertainties. Moreover, the most frequent cited sources are organisations, mainly the IPCC, academics, and news media, suggesting that traditional and credible sources remain influential in shaping the climate debate.
FACING LEGAL UNCERTAINTY IN INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT: The role of the project team in achieving compliance
(2025-06-25) Azimi, Ellie; Legnefur, Emelie; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
With the growing use of personal data, laws and regulations aim to ensure privacy to the user, especially within information systems (IS). These regulations can be difficult to put into practice by developers and so previous research has aimed to use frameworks using privacy by design (PbD) principles to help developers make compliant IS. However, past literature has not focused on the project team at large and their capabilities when faced with legal uncertainty that poses unclear, uncertain requirements, and need for context specific solutions. This study follows a qualitative research approach through a case study based on document analysis and semi-structured interviews with eight participants involved in the digitalisation of the Swedish national tests at Skolverket (the Swedish National Agency of Education). During the development, Skolverket were faced with dealing with the Schrems II ruling, a ruling which created legal uncertainty regarding the processing of personal data. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify key patterns and insights related to agile practices and knowledge sharing when dealing with the ruling. The findings show how external collaboration, engagement with the stakeholder and collaboration between expert roles ensured compliance. The project team had a process-oriented focus where they contextualised the problem involving a social aspect. The study has shown that existing PbD frameworks lack the socio-technical view of compliance, and that through the inclusion of organisational capabilities like agile practices, external collaboration and effective knowledge sharing, project teams can face legal uncertainty.
TRANSLATION OF DIGITAL STRATEGY: ANALYZING SCOPE AND SCALE FROM EU GOVERNANCE TO RAIL OPERATORS IN GERMANY AND SWEDEN
(2025-06-24) Breitenbach, Fabian Manfred; Vitalis, Albin; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
The need for digitalization is constantly growing in society, yet many industries are overlooked in this area. The purpose of this study is to investigate how digital strategies in the railway sector are transferred within three layers: EU-, national- and company. This is done by combining translation theory by Røvik (2016) and Bha-radwaj et al. (2013) with the concepts of scale and scope. The methodology used was a qualitative design that includes both a document analysis that was used on EU-, national- and company documents, combined with comparative case study where two companies from Germany and Sweden were examined. Key findings with the modes from Røviks (2016) translation are that the approach of Germany had a greater centralised structure in infrastructure projects. In contrast, Sweden had a greater em-phasis on the use of digital technologies to improve customer centred solutions. Contributions of this study is the combination of translation theory and digital strategy in the rail sector.
THE TIMING OF DIGITAL NUDGES Exploring the Impact of Digital Nudge Timing on Password Strength
(2025-06-24) Lewander, Ludwig; Van, Vu Hoai Anh; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
In the digital age, passwords remain a primary method of authentication, yet many users create weak passwords, posing serious cybersecurity risks. Digital nudging, rooted in theory on choice architecture, has shown potential in guiding users towards more secure practices by subtly influencing behavior. However, not much is known regarding how the timing of such nudges affect password strength. Existing studies typically focus on the content of the nudge and not as much the timing. This study addresses that gap by exploring whether the presentation of a digital nudge appearing before, during or after a password creation window influences the strength and composition of the passwords created by users. To investigate this, three survey-based experiments were conducted, each corresponding to a different point in time at which the digital nudge was presented: before, during, or after a password creation window (referred to as the pre, during and post experiments in this essay). Password strength was measured through the use of two established tools, zxcvbn and Password Meter, to assess what this study refers to as the intrinsic and compositional complexity. Our findings reveal that nudge timing alone did not significantly impact password strength. However, whether participants decided to follow the nudge’s instructions when creating passwords had a significant impact: those who reported ignoring the nudge created significantly stronger passwords in terms of compositional complexity, whereas intrinsic complexity remained the same. This unexpected finding highlights the importance of nudge design and lays the foundation for future research on nudge timings in the cybersecurity field.
Scaling digital tools for climate action in public sector
(2025-06-24) Anazia, Chukwuemeka; Liu, Richard; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
Purpose: This study investigates how digital solutions for climate action are scaled within and across Swedish municipalities. It explores the enabling and impeding factors that influence the scaling process. Theory: Three complementary theories, Diffusion of Innovation Theory, Institutional Theory and Sociotechnical Systems Theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Method: This study employed a qualitative research design based on deductive thematic analysis of 321 pages of semi-structured interview transcripts from 11 Swedish municipalities participating in the Viable Cities program. Using predefined themes, guided by the study´s theoretical framework and literature, we applied Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step approach to identify patterns of adoption, uptake, scaling, diffusion, and institutionalization. The data were secondarily sourced from the Urban Twin Transition Centre and coded using Atlas.ti. Analysis was guided by Diffusion of Innovations, Institutional Theory, and Sociotechnical Systems Theory to explore enablers and barriers to digital climate solution scaling in municipalities. Results: Despite widespread piloting, most municipalities failed to institutionalize digital tools. Symbolic adoption, conceptual confusion, and middle-management resistance undermined scaling. Success hinged on leadership continuity, procedural integration, and procurement leverage. Peer networks supported diffusion, but capacity disparities limited uptake. True scaling occurred only when digital tools became embedded in governance routines and budget frameworks. Theoretical Contribution: This study advances theory by challenging the linearity assumed in Diffusion of Innovations, emphasizing the need for post-adoption infra-structure. It extends Institutional Theory by showing that isomorphic pressures alone are insufficient without local agency and structural embedding. Sociotechnical Systems Theory is deepened through insights on leadership stability, interdepartmental coordination, and alignment between external mandates and internal workflows. Limitations and future research: Future research should include more municipalities and investigate the long-term viability of new technologies, at regional or national levels. An evaluative study at the end of the Viable Cities programme is recommended
TEMPORAL DYNAMICS BETWEEN SUPRANATIONAL BIODIVERSITY POLICY AND CORPORATE DISCLOSURE Assessing the Semantic Relationship between Earnings Calls Conferences and the Work of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures
(2025-06-24) Kammering, Jonathan; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
This thesis investigates the influence of the work of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) on corporate biodiversity disclosure. It provides a scalable method for assessing disclosure trends and contributes to the understanding of how voluntary frameworks like the TNFD are received in corporate communication. Through this, the study extends research techniques in Information Systems Research beside the work done in terms of biodiversity research through its specific case. By employing linear regressions with boolean and metrical time-series data as dummy variables, correlation between the framework’s inception date and corporate disclosure is inferred. By comparing TNFD glossary terms with earnings call conference transcripts from global companies between 2014 and 2024, the study applies semantic analysis to measure the framework’s reception globally. The results show that terminology from TNFD’s LEAP framework, particularly terms tied to risk and opportunity, are reflected increasingly in corporate language. Especially after the date of the TNFD inception in 2021, terms relating to impacts on nature are less precisely adopted and compared to risks, opportunities and dependencies on nature, they show weaker statistical signals. Through a lens of governmentality, the findings support the idea that supranational initiatives can shape corporate communication without direct legal authority. The findings underline timely research in supporting that the adoption of terminology linked to financial or internal strategic benefits (anthropocentric framing) is received more openly by companies than the proposition of healing nature for nature’s own sake. It is concluded that governmentality is alive but must be framed anthropocentrically in biodiversity. The question remains open whether this dynamic will translate into fruitful change in the future; while the method applied shows to be a valid research instrument in the scholarship of Information Systems research.
AI IN RECRUITMENT A Study on Readiness and Responsibility in the Face of Regulation
(2025-06-24) Cekic, Ida; Svan, Moa; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is used in recruitment in Sweden, with a particular emphasis on regulatory compliance, technical complexity, responsibility and understanding. Based on 10 semi-structured interviews with recruiters, the study reveals that AI is most commonly used in screening, generating recommendations, documentation and drafting job advertisements. However, the results show that the screening phase and AI-generated recommendations are subject to the highest regulatory scrutiny, requiring greater human oversight. While human involvement is emphasized in a way that complies with regulatory frameworks such as the AI Act and the GDPR, fully automated AI decisions still occur, specifically in the screening phase. In addition, the findings suggest that what is perceived as human oversight may be superficial during AI-generated recommendations. Trust in AI appears stronger when the output aligns with the recruiter ´s own judgment. This directly conflicts with the AI Act and GDPR, restricting the use of AI in high-risk domains, such as recruitment. Furthermore, the results reveal a lag in organizational readiness through the lack of structured education, restricting recruiters' understanding of the underlying logic of AI systems. These findings reveal a risk that organizations adopt symbolic forms of responsibility, namely accountability and explainability but also human oversight. Consequently, the fairness of recruitment processes risks being questioned. Therefore, this study offers advice for practitioners to ensure a responsible use of AI in recruitment. The advice is: Ensure a deep understanding of AI output logic, invest time and resources and involve lawyers early in the implementation process.
MAINTAINING LEGITIMACY IN A DIGITAL AGE A Case Study of Offside Press AB
(2025-06-24) Weissglas, Jacob; Lamaj, Klito; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
This paper investigates how journalistic organizations maintain legitimacy in a digitalization era using Offside Press AB and its three publications: Offside, Filter, and Skriva as the case study and explores how legitimacy is maintained through various strategies to respond to digitalization. Drawing on Suddaby et al.’s (2017) framework, the study identifies three key legitimacy strategies: conforming, decoupling, and performing and examines how these unfold across secondary themes such as shifting content from analog to digital, employing standard revenue models, interacting closer with the audience, establishing their niche, resisting time pressure to prioritize storytelling rather than speed and levaranging AI for data gathering and illustrations. A qualitative methodology was employed, using semi-structured interviews and a Gioia-informed (Gioia et al., 2013) coding process to analyse empirical findings. The findings suggest that legitimacy is a dynamic and multi-layered resource: organizations simultaneously align with institutional norms (e.g., digital formats and subscription models), resist dominant digital pressures (e.g., platform-driven speed), and selectively adopt innovations to signal relevance. The study contributes to legitimacy theory by highlighting how these strategies operate and are shaped by both technological and cultural shifts. Lastly, it adds to the Information Systems literature by emphasizing how legitimacy is negotiated in relation to digital tools and platform logic.
GENERATIVE AI AS A COGNITIVE COLLABORATOR Enhancing Boundary Objects and Stakeholder Participation in Collaborative Prototyping
(2025-06-24) Bergvall, Jonathan; Lunde, Arvid; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
The landscape of innovation has shifted towards open collaboration, meanwhile Artificial intelligence (AI) has had rapid surge in development. AI, more specifically, generative AI (GAI) has the potential to alter many aspects of current practices within open innovation including collaborative prototyping. Despite this promising potential there exists little understanding of how GAI can tackle the hurdles present in collaborative prototyping such as stakeholder participation, knowledge trans-fer and technical competence dependencies. This case study seeks to gain insight into the intersection of collaborative prototyping and GAI. This is achieved by exploring how GAI can bridge this gap by facilitating the creation and understanding of prototypes and surrounding boundary objects. By framing prototypes as a form of boundary objects and highlighting GAI's role in tacit and explicit knowledge transfer, the study offers both theoretical and practical insights into AI-enabled collaborative innovation. The analysis of GAI in collaborative settings revealed that it is increasingly seen as a cognitive collaborator, not just a tool. GAI was found to have the potential to enable broader participation by offering domain specific knowledge. GAI was also found to enable creation and interpretation of boundary objects furthering cognitive alignment during the prototyping process. This study also highlights potential risks with integrating GAI in the collaborative process related to data security and a lack of understanding regarding the GAIs output.
IMPEDIMENTS TO TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IN AN INCUMBENT COMPANY Case Study of a Software-Driven Incumbent Company in the Automotive Industry
(2025-06-24) Vikström, Lam; Dulic, Zlatka; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
This thesis investigates challenges to technological change in an incumbent company within the automotive industry, addressing the growing importance of managing technological change in a hypercompetitive environment. The purpose of this study is to focus on both human and technical aspects of impediments to change, with specific attention to the following research question: How do impediments to technological changes arise in a software-driven incumbent company? To achieve these aims, the study employs a qualitative approach, gathering data from semi-structured interviews of 16 employees in the company. The data is analyzed using thematic analysis, providing insights into challenges that an incumbent company is facing when managing technological changes. The findings reveal that an incumbent company faces complex and interrelated issues when managing technological change, categorizing into six areas; 1) tools, technology & implementation 2) communication, resistance and alignment 3) knowledge & performance 4) organizational design & clarity 5) strategy & planning 6) culture & behaviour. Therefore, it requires a holistic approach to overcome challenges relating to technological changes. These results contribute to literature, scholars and practitioners by providing a balanced view of technological change, based on the employees’ experience and understanding. While the study has certain limitations, including broad focus on changes, it provides a foundation for future research on impediments to change. Overall, the thesis advances understanding of socio-technical hardships during different stages of change initiatives, underscoring its significance for both academic scholarship and practice.
“Barriers that can Drive Someone Crazy” Self-Disclosure and Highly Skilled Transnational Migrants’ Abilities to Cope with Social Difficulties
(2024-10-01) Evwodere, Confidence; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
With the high demand for highly skilled transnational migrants and yet little known about how they navigate social challenges, the need to examine their lived difficult social experiences and how they manage their social difficulties becomes pertinent. Therefore, this research investigates the social difficulties faced by highly skilled transnational migrants in Sweden and examines the impact of self-disclosure on their coping abilities. Drawing on Social Penetration Theory (SPT) to address this research gap, the study analyses the lived experiences of 12 highly skilled transnational migrants (6 males and 6 females) from 8 countries through semi-structured interviews, with data thematically analysed using Nvivo 14. With ten themes realised, the study uncovered major and common social difficulties highly-skilled transnational migrants face in Sweden namely language barrier, difficulty making friends, difficulty managing workplace relations and difficulty navigating the Swedish society and social situations. Critically examining the patterns of self-disclosure through the lens of SPT showed that the dynamics of self-disclosure enactment account for its outcomes. Ultimately, the study found that self-disclosure has psychological and solution-oriented outcomes that impacted their coping abilities. The study extends empirical studies in the domains of SPT and self-disclosure beyond disclosure/non-disclosure and relationship development to coping with social difficulties in a new country, specifically Sweden. As a result, it highlights the applicability of SPT to relational contexts beyond romantic relationships. Findings from the study provide pathways for improved integration efforts relevant to policy makers and transnational migrants themselves.
Clear skies, Clouded Communication. A content analyses on the effects of communication breakdowns in aviation disasters.
(2024-10-01) Laane, Cara; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
This thesis investigates the pivotal role of communication dynamics in the management of crises, with a particular focus on how failures in communication can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Using aviation disasters as a detailed case study, this research explores the broader implications of communication breakdowns during crises. By analysing 20 aviation accident reports, the study identifies critical factors—such as emotional responses, power relations, and language specificity—that significantly influence crisis communication. The research demonstrates that emotions like anger, panic, and stress can severely disrupt clear communication, while power dynamics, including leadership and organisational culture, often determine the effectiveness of crisis management efforts. The specificity and clarity of language also emerge as crucial elements, with ambiguous communication contributing to misunderstandings and delayed responses in high-pressure environments. While aviation serves as the primary context for this analysis, the findings extend to a wide range of high-stakes industries where effective crisis communication is vital. The study underscores the need for improved training and protocols that address these communication challenges, advocating for strategies that enhance emotional regulation, assertive leadership, and clear, unambiguous language use. Ultimately, this thesis contributes to the broader field of crisis communication by revealing the complex ways in which communication dynamics can influence the outcomes of crises. It offers practical insights and recommendations for improving communication practices to better manage and mitigate the impact of crises in various sectors.
Social Media Marketing: Engaging Fitness Consumers on Instagram
(2024-09-27) Ogunleye, Ifeanyi Claire; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
This study explores the relationship between Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMAs) and consumer engagement on Instagram, with a focus on fitness brands. Given the increasing role of social media in brand-consumer interactions, this research aims to identify patterns in how different types of content influence user engagement, drawing on the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT). While prior literature suggests that content fulfilling users' needs for entertainment, interaction, and up-to-date information drives engagement, little research has examined these dynamics within the fitness industry on Instagram. Employing an exploratory research design, this study conducted a content analysis of 226 Instagram posts from five fitness brands. The posts were categorized into six SMMA types: entertainment, trendiness, interaction, informative content, user-generated content (UGC), and remunerative content. Engagement rates were measured by the number of likes and comments per post to assess how each SMMA category impacted user interaction. The findings reveal that trendiness and UGC posts had the highest engagement rates, while interaction, entertainment, and informational posts showed moderate engagement. Remunerative content generated the lowest engagement. These results suggest that content aligned with current trends and user-driven authenticity, such as UGC, is most effective in fostering consumer interaction, while other categories may benefit from strategic refinement. 3 Given the exploratory nature of this study, these findings provide initial insights into optimizing social media strategies for fitness brands. The study highlights the potential of trend based and UGC content to enhance consumer engagement but acknowledges the need for further research to confirm these trends across different industries and platforms.
To Humanize or Not to Humanize: Users’ Perception on Interactions with a Mental Health Conversational Agent
(2024-09-20) Roiu, Oana; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
Given the rapid development of technology accurately simulating human behavior, the need to understand its implications particularly in mental health human-computer interactions becomes acute. Thus, this paper addresses the role of perception in the context of interactions between the cognitive behavioral therapy conversational agent Wysa: Anxiety, therapy chatbot and its users, looking at the way it inﬂuences the type of interactions constructed. The study attempts to contribute to the growing research on mental health human-computer interaction by analyzing 150 users’ reviews from Google Play Store using reﬂexive thematic analysis, through the lenses of the Computers are Social Computers paradigm and the communication scripts perspective. As a result, the study oﬀers the opportunity to reconsider the relevance and usability of theories that emerged several decades ago in the context of technology that simulates human behavior more accurately than at the moment of their appearance. With six developed themes pertaining to the agent’s portrayal and its capabilities, the ﬁndings highlight the clash of two opposing tendencies, namely humanizing the agent and reaﬃrming its robotic nature. These tendencies, shaped by the users’ perception, lead to the construction of distinct interactions, ultimately facilitating a speculative discussion on the issue of authenticity in interactions and the need to reconceptualize it. The ﬁndings are in line with previous research but highlight the beneﬁts of viewing perception as an important driving force in the context of the chosen theoretical frameworks.
“Protesting for climate change is more constructive than your quick useless comment” – A corpus-based analysis of incivility, impoliteness, and response-time in online newsreader comments on The Guardian climate change articles
(2024-09-20) Klamm, Amelie; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
Online newsreader comments (ONRC) constitute a vital form of user engagement and participatory communication in the virtual public sphere, enabling users to engage in discussions about important contemporary societal issues. Exposure to different ideas and opinions in news organisations’ comment sections can stimulate a free, constructive exchange among equals and contribute to deliberative democracy. However, this genre of computer-mediated communication has been subject to public debates surrounding concerns about increased incivility, impoliteness and its consequences for journalists and users. Due to the contemporary acceleration and emphasis on instant reaction in our digital lives and communication, there is less time for users to reflect and deliberate before interacting with others. This project uses a corpus-based approach to test the hypothesis that a quick speed of response is linked to an increased likelihood of incivility and impoliteness in ONRC. For this, comments from the Guardian ONRC Climate Change Corpus (Thompson & Clarke, in progress) are analysed regarding instances of name-calling, pejorative speech and hate speech. Results revealed no statistically significant relation between a fast response-time and most impoliteness forms in comments, while the analysis of some impoliteness forms indicated no relation or the reverse trend, i.e., impoliteness occurring more likely in ‘slow’ comments. Incivility was generally infrequent in the data, suggesting that these phenomena behave differently regarding speed of response. Scholars and news organisations should attend to this distinction in acknowledging the stimulating potential of impoliteness, in contrast to the greater threat of incivility, for constructive social conversations and deliberative democracy online.
“It shouldn’t be a knot in the stomach for anyone to come there”. A Case Study of Migrant Clients' Interactions with Social Services in Borås
(2024-09-20) Agartsson, Claudia; Rauof, Lava; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
According to The Swedish Psychological Defense Agency (MPF), there are challenges of mistrust among Swedish citizens arising from the disinformation campaign affecting the image of the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (LVU) aimed to protect children who are at risk of harm. Integrating various theoretical approaches, including trust, uncertainty, anxiety, cultural competence, cultural intelligence, and knowledge sharing, the purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the perceptions of communication and encountered challenges from the perspective of both Borås Stad’s social workers and clients with migrant backgrounds. The empirical data was collected through 20 semi-structured interviews that underwent a thematic analysis, revealing three main themes: pre-interaction, interaction, and post-interaction, explaining the individual’s process prior to, during, and after interactions. The findings showed that the prevalent experiences of uncertainty and anxiety, as well as the lack of cultural competence among social workers and clients, hamper communication and knowledge sharing across the three distinct stages of communication. Clients underscored the imperative of transparent and clear communication while advocating for adaption in communication styles to validate their emotions during interactions. Self-awareness to build long-lasting trust and overcome cultural barriers was highlighted as a key to effective intercultural communication. Ultimately, this study aims to provide practical recommendations for Borås Stads' Social Services to rebuild trust. Despite the government and researchers accentuating the external LVU disinformation campaigns, the findings revealed that clients' distrust is rooted in the word-of-mouth of their social circles.
How to live rent free in the minds of Generation Z: A qualitative study about Generation Zers’ perception and evaluation of employer branding
(2024-09-20) Edström, Emma; Gatenheim, Alice; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
The purpose of this research was to gain an understanding of Generation Z’s (Gen Z) perception and evaluation of what makes a company attractive as a future employer. According to previous research, Gen Z puts a higher value on authenticity and trustworthiness than previous generations, therefore understanding how a company’s communication can be perceived as authentic and trustworthy was investigated. As this generation is entering the workforce, knowing how to communicate to attract and retain Gen Z is of significance. A qualitative research method using focus group discussions was employed. The sample consisted of 19 participants (F=17, M=2) aged 18-19 (born 2005), attending their last year of Swedish high school. The data was then analyzed through a Reflexive Thematic Analysis. The findings highlighted user-generated content on social media platforms, word of mouth through personal contacts, and influencers as primary information sources, with a preference for visual, humorous, and relatable content from current or former employees. An unexpected finding was that an excessive amount of advertisements could have a negative effect on the willingness to work for a company. Authenticity, relatability, and consistency were identified as key aspects of perceived employer attractiveness. The employer brand must align with other sources of information about the company for increased perceived authenticity and trustworthiness. While influencers and traditional advertising channels play a role, user-generated content, and personal connections are of higher significance in influencing Gen Zers’ opinions regarding employer brands.
FOSTERING AI INNOVATION IN SWEDISH HEALTHCARE: Essential Factors for an Enabling Policy Environment
(2024-09-20) Sanjeewa, Upul; Sjödal, Adrian; Institutionen för tillämpad informationsteknologi; Department of Applied Information Technology
Amidst the rapid technological advancements in AI, a growing number of proponents emphasize its significant potential in revolutionizing healthcare. However, the highly regulated nature of the healthcare sector poses numerous regulatory challenges at various stages of AI development and deployment. Despite regulations traditionally serving as governing and controlling mechanisms across various sectors including healthcare, they also possess the potential to play a crucial enabling role in fostering innovation. The aim of this study is to identify the essential areas of such a conducive regulatory landscape which enables the AI development within Swedish healthcare. Following a thorough review of contemporary literature in the subject area, we have identified five initial areas of policies which provided the base for the creation of the conceptual model of the study. The study followed the qualitative analysis realm of research and data were collected through a set of systematic interviews with expert stakeholders in the healthcare sector. The data collected through the interviews was analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six step thematic analysis, a process which was instrumental in deriving the findings. As for the outcome of the study, we have iden-tified six essential policy areas for a conducive policy environment in Swedish healthcare for enabling AI innovation. These six areas are Data sharing and Open data initiatives, Data Ownership and Access Control, Data Quality, Standards and Interoperability, Regulatory Experimentation and Knowledge. The thesis urges leg-islators to carefully consider these identified policy areas, thereby introducing new reforms and modifying existing regulations to promote AI innovation in Swedish healthcare.

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