Dignity at Work

Abstract

Human dignity, the ability to establish a sense of self-worth and self-respect and to enjoy the respect of others, is necessary for a fully realized life. Working with dignity is a fundamental part of achieving a life well-lived, yet the workplace often poses challenging obstacles because of mismanagement or managerial abuse. Defending dignity and realizing self-respect through work are key to workers' well-being; insuring the dignity of employees is equally important for organizations as they attempt to make effective use of their human capital. In this book Randy Hodson, a sociologist of work and organizational behavior, applies ethnographic and statistical approaches to this topic, offering both a richly detailed, inside look at real examples of dignity in action, and a broader analysis of the pivotal role of dignity at work.

Dignity at Work for Low Wage, Low Skill Service Workers

“…Hodson (2001) argues that working with dignity is the "foundation for a fully realized life" (p. xiii). Moreover, there are implications at a more macro level for a society that fails to treat its citizens with dignity in all facets of their lives including at work.…”

“…Two streams of research are helpful in conceptualizing this construct. One stream is concerned with workers' fundamental human right to dignity in the workplace and is exemplified by the work of Hodson (2001), Freeman and Rogers (1999), and Budd (2004). The second stream is found in the high performance workplace literature exemplified by who make the argument that fair treatment, intrinsically satisfying work, and economic security are good not only for workers but for firms as well.…”

“…In the human resource management field, equity is focused less on minimum standards (minimum wages, maximum hours, prohibitions on child labour) and more on fair treatment and the perceived fairness of organizational procedures (Cropanzano and Schminke, 2001). Hodson (2001) highlights managerial abuse and mismanagement as one of the four challenges to dignity at work.…”

“…Budd (2004) refers to the ability to engage in meaningful, creative work as work with a "human face" and argues it is central to creating dignity at work. Hodson (2001) highlights the need for people to take pride in their work as being central to dignity at work. He cites ethnographic studies of workers in bleak conditions finding ways to be creative and to find meaning in otherwise dreadful work.…”

La relation entre l’intensité perçue d’utilisation de la messagerie électronique et la qualité de la relation hiérarchique

“…Lalle (1999) définit les nouvelles formes de contrôle liées à la mise en oeuvre des technologies de l'information ; elle met alors en évidence le développement d'un contrôle intégré aux processus de travail par l'intermédiaire des outils informatiques et le développement d'un contrôle externe par les flux, les rythmes de travail ou, encore, l'urgence des tâches à réaliser. Hodson (2001) va dans le même sens, en indiquant que la technologie peut conduire à une surveillance accrue du salarié, mais nuance sa position en ajoutant qu'elle peut également donner du pouvoir à ce dernier grâce à sa capacité à comprendre et contrôler la technologie (p.265). Leclercq (2008, p.38) précise que « la transmission de l'information s'avère fondamentale, tant de façon descendante afin de commander et maîtriser les actions des subordonnés, que de façon ascendante, afin de vérifier et mesurer les performances de ces derniers ».…”