Pro Gradu Award to Noora Lähteenmäki
The Finnish Centre for Pensions' Pro Gradu Award has been given to Noora Lähteenmäki, who holds a Master's degree in Social Sciences. Her Master's thesis examines the process of rehabilitation under the earnings-related pension scheme and the roles of different actors within the process. The Finnish Centre for Pensions annually awards an outstanding Master’s thesis on a pension-related topic.
The thesis submitted to the University of Turku examines the process of rehabilitation within the earnings-related pension scheme from the perspective of cooperation and the division of responsibilities among the actors involved. The research is based on interviews with occupational health physicians and rehabilitants. Noora Lähteenmäki’s thesis highlights that the coordination of the rehabilitation process often remains fragmented.
The Pro Gradu Award candidates were assessed by Jyri Liukko, senior researcher at the Finnish Centre for Pensions and an associate professor of social policy. According to Liukko, Lähteenmäki’s thesis is a comprehensive and well-informed study on a topic of interest to the pension system, which has been relatively under-researched. The review indicates that the subject is very timely and relevant.
“The main question of the study is who coordinates the rehabilitation process and which actor is the most important for the rehabilitant. The interviewed rehabilitants felt that occupational health physicians and job coaches were particularly significant actors in the rehabilitation process,” Liukko notes in his assessment.
He also finds it interesting that occupational health physicians did not emphasize that they were in a coordinating role in the rehabilitation process, except for the initial phase of directing the rehabilitant to rehabilitation.
“This is one of the main findings of the thesis,” he reflects. According to Liukko, the study also highlights the challenging relationship between employers and rehabilitants, as well as the varying understanding of the rehabilitation process and support among employers.
“Lähteenmäki identifies the need for further research on the role, expertise, and responsibilities of employers in the rehabilitation process as an important future research topic.”
The Pro Gradu Award is granted to a thesis accepted at a Finnish university during the previous calendar year. The award is given to a thesis that addresses a topic of interest to pension provision and demonstrates high-quality execution. The prize is worth 2,000 euros.
Noora Lähteenmäki’s Master’s thesis (in Finnish):
”NO MÄ LUULEN, ETTÄ TÄÄ ROOLIJAKO MENEE SILLAIN, ETTÄ KAIKKI ODOTTAA JONKUN TOISEN TEKEVÄN TÄN HOMMAN JA OTTAVAN VASTUUN.” – Haastattelututkimus työeläkekuntoutuksen prosessista ja eri toimijoiden rooleista työterveyslääkäreiden ja kuntoutujien näkökulmista
(“I THINK THIS ROLE DISTRIBUTION WORKS SUCH THAT EVERYONE EXPECTS SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE JOB AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.” – An interview study on the process of rehabilitation under the earnings-related pension scheme and the roles of various actors from the perspectives of occupational health physicians and rehabilitants.)
