Innovative machine learning approach and evaluation campaign for predicting the subjective feeling of work-life balance among employees

Understanding the impact of sisu on workforce and well-being: A machine learning-based analysis

This study investigates the construct of sisu, a Finnish attribute representing mental resilience and fortitude when confronted with difficult situations. By leveraging advanced analytical methods and explainable Artificial Intelligence, we gain insights into how sisu factors influence well-being, work efficiency, and overall health. We investigate how the beneficial aspects of sisu contribute significantly to mental and physical health, satisfaction, and professional accomplishments. Conversely, we analyze the harmful sisu and its adverse impacts on the same domains. Our findings, including intriguing trends related to age, educational level, emotional states, and gender, pave the way for developing tailored solutions and initiatives to nurture the beneficial aspects of sisu and curtail the damaging consequences of sisu within professional settings and personal welfare.

Conflicting 'mother-scientist' roles. An innovative application of basket analysis in social research

The article discusses the issue of career and motherhood of female scientists, which is part of a broader thematic area known as Work-Life Balance. The theoretical part refers to the social role theory and the mutual influence of work and career on family and motherhood. The situation of women scientists is presented, for whom fulfilling the role of a mother is an important, although natural barrier on the road to a scientific career. Previous analyses present in the literature revealed that for the vast majority of mothers-scientists, motherhood is a factor that significantly delays their plans related to the development of a scientific career. The paper presents the results of empirical research conducted on the basis of classical academic methodology. Then, based on the data obtained from 334 mothers-scientists, an innovative, multidisciplinary experiment using data mining solutions was conducted, to answer the research question: Is the basket analysis tool able to find possible correlations between the factors characterising the respondents, and the types and dimensions of conflict occurring between scientific career and motherhood they experience? The paper shows that, according to the study results, most respondents declare they indeed experience the conflict between the roles of a mother and a scientist. The most frequently declared dimension of the conflict is the time-related one, then subsequently the emotional dimension, and lastly the financial dimension; many scientists declare they experience more than one dimension of conflict. Lastly, the basket analysis tool objectively confirmed the occurrence of correlations between the factors characterising the respondents and the types and dimensions of conflict occurring between scientific career and motherhood.

Human-driven and human-centred cybersecurity: policy-making implications

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to challenge the prevailing, stereotypical approach of the human aspect of cybersecurity, i.e. treating people as weakness or threat. Instead, several reflections are presented, pertaining to the ways of making cybersecurity human-centred.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper bases on the authors’ own experiences, gathered whilst working in cybersecurity projects; the resulting comments and reflections have been enriched and backed up by the results of a targeted literature study.

Findings

The findings show that the way the human aspects of cybersecurity are understood is changing, and deviates from the stereotypical approach.

Practical implications

This paper provides a number of practical recommendations for policymakers, as well as cybersecurity managers on how to make the cybersecurity more human-centred; it also inspires further research directions.

Originality/value

This paper presents a fresh, positive approach to humans in cybersecurity and opens the doors to further discourse about new paradigms in the field.