New research on job insecurity and working conditions in Swedish academia
Regardless of contract type, many faculty in Sweden experience job insecurity. In her doctoral research, Anna Tanimoto explores how different employment conditions affect the health, well-being and work-life balance of faculty.
Earlier this year, Anna Tanimoto defended her doctoral thesis entitled “Uncertainties among faculty working in Sweden: Experiences of and implications for the psychosocial work environment, health, well-being, and work-family interference”.
What have you answered when someone outside academia asks what you research and write about?
– When others outside academia ask me about my PhD topic, I tend to say that I investigate employment contracts and job insecurity and their associations with health, well-being and work-life balance. One of the things I enjoy about my research area is having a topic that so many people can relate to in one way or another.
What are the most important discoveries you have made during your research?
– An important discovery I made in my research is to see that faculty can experience high job insecurity even if they have a permanent contract, which shows that there can more complexity than one might assume when it comes to investigations involving different types of employment contracts.
– I realize it might sound obvious to some, but another important discovery or learning for me has been understanding the importance of context and how various contextual factors can shape individual experiences of work and work-related consequences. The ways in which academic positions in Sweden are funded, employment legislation, and the Swedish social welfare system are just some of the contextual factors which may contribute to whether, how, and to what extent an individual faculty member experiences job insecurity, for instance.
Watch this video to hear more about Anna Tanimoto's research:
How were the studies conducted?
The studies in the thesis are based on questionnaire data and interview data: Some questionnaire data had already been collected before the start of the PhD project, but Anna Tanimoto and colleagues conducted a large-scale data collection through Statistics Sweden as well as follow-up interviews.
Quantitative and qualitative data: The two quantitative studies included more than 2000 respondents each, while the interview study involved about 20 individuals. The qualitative material complemented the quantitative data, providing detailed insights into individuals’ experiences of Swedish academia in relation to health and well-being.
What do you hope the conclusions of your research will lead to?
– Since my research focuses on the experiences of faculty and their health and well-being, I would hope that my thesis findings contribute to an increased understanding and awareness of the conditions under which faculty are expected to provide quality education and research. Also, I hope this research sparks more discussions about this important topic and what can be done moving forward.
What has it been like to be a doctoral student researching the work environment you yourself are working in?
– Because I wasn’t researching doctoral students, this helped give me some sort of distance to my research topic. But in the beginning, it was challenging being in a very junior position telling senior colleagues about their own working conditions, health and well-being, for instance. But now I’d say that I am lucky to have a topic where those around me are always interested and eager to engage in discussions about it!
What will be the next step for you and your research?
– As often seems to be the case in academia, I am involved in a number of side projects, but I will continue with my research on the work environment in Swedish academia while also working with colleagues in NOWSTARS to finalize a number of projects before the end of the research program. After finishing my thesis, I participated in a panel discussion at the Swedoc conference in Uppsala for PhD students and early career researchers in Sweden where I shared insights from my research. I am also looking forward to an upcoming webinar for SULF members where I will share key findings from my thesis. So I’m staying busy even after the PhD!
Last updated: May 12, 2025
Source: Departement of Psychology