| dc.description.abstract | The goal of this Master thesis is to investigate how managers in public kindergartens in Norway work with
absenteeism due to sickness. The problem statement is: How does kindergarten managers work with
sickness absence? The thesis seeks to increase the level of understanding and insight in leadership and
sickness absence in the public sector which is experiencing high sickness absenteeism with an average of
12 percentage (KS, 2017).
Our research was completed using a qualitative method with a sample of six public kindergarten managers
from Oslo municipality. Data-gathering was completed by a qualitative research interview. The interview
was framed around four main questions to discover how the managers work with sickness absence. Each
interview was transcribed, coded, analyzed and systemized.
Our main finding is that managers work with sickness absence in two ways; preventive and facilitating. We
found that how managers work with preventive measures is through four categories: systematic
presenteeism, standardized procedures, relational work and organizing. Equally, we found two categories
that describe how managers work with facilitation: individual supervision and external support. In each
category, we find multiple examples of work methods that the managers highlighted. We see the work
methods as interesting as they show a clear and practical translation to other managers and leaders who
work with sickness absence.
The findings are discussed in light of the full range of leadership model (FRLM) developed by Bass &
Avolio (1994). The model includes transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles. The
laissez-faire leadership style is absent from our findings and receives, therefore, less attention in this
thesis. Our research shows that multiple work methods in relation to sickness absence include elements of
transformational and transactional leadership styles. Our findings suggest that elements of transformational
leadership style dominate the managers' work methods which are in line with it being highlighted as the
most useful leadership style based both earlier findings and on the FRLM (Bass & Avolios, 1994). | en |
