Assessment Task 3:Analysis of Contemporary Media Reporting on the World of Work
ANDYXU666
Week5WorkersandDignityatWorkLecturerslides.pptxWork in a Global Society
Topic 5 – Workers and Dignity at Work
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Key Concepts and Questions
Key concepts:
Dignity at Work
Dignified and Undignified Work
Forms of worker resistance
Questions:
Why is dignity at work an important consideration for workers and managers?
Workers respond to dignity threats in the workplace in a number of ways. Discuss these various responses and the implications for workers and organisations.
Do particular kinds of work afford employees greater dignity than others?
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What is Dignity at Work?
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‘We might hope that we could take respect for individuals’ dignity for granted—as guaranteed
by the normal, unspoken conventions of mutual respect in everyday life. However, it may also
seem threatened in the hard, turbulent and instrumental world of employment. Dignity is crucial
For well-being and a significant influence on job satisfaction, and for many reasons, it is at risk
in many kinds of work’ (Sayer, 2007: 565).
Dignity at Work
The subjective definitions:
‘a personal sense of worth, value, respect, or esteem that is derived from one’s humanity and individual social position; as well as being treated respectfully by others’ (Lucas, 2015: 621).
Focus: self-esteem, autonomy, meaningful work
Substantive structural definitions:
‘we now have a human standard that is strongly critical of any socioeconomic thought embodied in theory or institutions that either denies human equality, autonomy and responsibility, or otherwise encourages the disrespect or degradation of the humanity in others by manipulating or exploiting them’ (Lutz, 1995:179).
Focus: treatment of employees, respect, fairness, sensitivity
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Dignity at Work
According to Lucas (2017) there are multiple ways dignity at work is understood:
Dignity as recognition of humanity
Just reward
Secure terms of employment
Safe and healthy working conditions
Dignity as respect
‘words and deeds’ (see Sayer, 2007)
Dignity as autonomy
Production autonomy
Personal autonomy
Dignity as contribution
Demonstrating competence
Contributing to decisions and work activity
Dignity as status (e.g. medical doctors versus fast food workers)
Dignified and undignified work (see Sayer, 2007).
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Dignity at Work and Other Related Concepts
There are other concepts closely related to dignity at work worth considering:
Meaningful Work:
‘Broadly defined as work that is personally significant and worthwhile, meaningful work positively correlates with many important individual work and career outcomes, such as worker engagement, job satisfaction, and career development’ (Lysova et al., 2019: 374).
ILO’s Decent Work (see topic 10):
Equality of access and opportunity
Safe working conditions
Employee voice
Just rewards
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Management and Dignity in the Workplace
One of the features of the employment relationship is unequal power relationships between employers/managers and employees
Employers/Managers maintain:
Legitimate Power
Coercive Power
Hire/fire/discipline
Reward Power
Money
Promotions
Important information
Referent Power
Desirable resources or personal traits
Expert Power
Company knowledge
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Management and Threats to Dignity in the Workplace
Overwork/exploitation
Abuse of power
Discrimination
Harassment
Sexual harassment
Victimisation
Unsafe workplaces (OH&S)
Micro-managing
Lack of trust
Lack of consultation with workers
Poor workplace culture
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Workers as Active Agents Within the Workplace: workers’ resistance to unequal power in the workplace
Individual action:
Verbal complaints
Go-slows
‘Cheating’
Absenteeism
Looking for other work
Sabotage
Theft
Collective action:
Strikes/industrial action
Go-slows
‘Sick-out’
The formation of trade unions
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Micro-resistance and Exit
Micro-resistance
‘involves acts whereby the subversive agent remains under the radar and avoids public detection, including a ‘wide range of behaviour –from failure to work very hard or conscientiously, through not working at all, deliberate output restrictions, practical joking, pilferage, sabotage and sexual misconduct’ (Ackroyd and Thompson, 119: 1-2)’ (Spicer and Fleming, 2016: 127).
Exit
‘On the surface, exist is a fairly straightforward phenomenon—it involves the ‘permanent movement away from the company’ (Withey and Cooper, 1989: 521)….To this we might add a range of other less perceptible forms of exit such as absenteeism, lateness, and seeking a transfer (Farrell and Rusbult, 1992)’ (Spicer and Fleming, 2016: 129).
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Trade Unions
A collective/ a group/ a single united voice for a mass of individual workers
TRADE UNION SLOGANS:
‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall’
‘Solidarity Forever’
‘Unity is Strength’
‘There is power in the union’
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The Objectives of Trade Unions
Improve workers’ bargaining power
Improve workers’ returns from and conditions at work
Control various Organisational structures
Hiring, dismissal and promotion procedures
Methods of Payment (e.g. piece-work or performance-based payment versus wages and salary)
The Labour Process (e.g. division of labour, technological innovation, organisational methods of productions).
Political objectives
Fight for social justice and democratic rights
‘trade unions have always had two faces, sword of
justice and vested interest’ (Flanders, 1970: 15).
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Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union, UK
Response to Dignity Threats
‘..employees can respond to dignity threats with resistance. One set of tactics is collective resistance, including action such as unionising…Other resistance can come in the form of misbehaviour directed against the organisation or particular individuals deemed responsible for the indignity, including sabotage, playing dumb, subverting managers, withholding effort, gossiping, and more (Hodson, 2001). Sometimes resistance may be more subtle. For instance, after a call centre instituted a ‘culture of fun,’ some of the employees felt as though they were being treated like children rather than fully autonomous, mature, and responsible adults workers, which damaged their sense of dignity. They resisted the paternalistic management style not through traditional resistance tactics but instead through discourses of cynicism (Fleming, 2005). Resistance also can be productive, such as when LGBT employees become advocates or activists for greater dignity…’(Lucas, 2017: 7-8).
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Why is dignity at work an important consideration for workers and managers?
‘Dignity and respect are crucial for people’s well-being, and workers who are denied respect may care about this more than their pay…..That some have to struggle hard to maintain their dignity is an indictment of their organisations, and not necessarily in the latter’s interests….’managerial behaviour supportive of workers’ dignity…not only encourages meaning and satisfaction at work but it also reduces both horizontal and vertical conflict’ (Hodson, 2002: 311)’ (Sayer 2007: 578).
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References
Knights, D. and McCabe, D. (2016) 'The 'Missing Masses' of Resistance: An Ethnographic Understanding of a Workplace Dispute' British Journal of Management 27: 534-549.
Lucas, Kristin (2017) Workplace Dignity in Scott, C. and Lewis, L (eds) The International Encyclopedia of Organisational Communication. John Wiley and Sons: 1-13.
Lucas, K (2015) ‘Workplace dignity: Communicating inherent, earned and remediated dignity’ Journal of Management Studies 52 (5): 621-646.
Lysova, E., Allan, B., Dik, B., Duffy, R. and Steger, M. (2019) 'Fostering meaningful work in organisations: a multi-level review and integration' Journal of Vocational Behaviour 110: 374-389.
McGregor, J. (2017) 'Re-envisioning the Dignity of Women's Work' in Sieh, E. and McGregor, J. (eds) Human Dignity. London: Plagrave.
Sayer, Andrew (2007) 'Dignity at Work: Broadening the Agenda' Organization 14 (4): 565-581.
Spicer, A. and Fleming, P. (2016) 'Resisting the 24/7 Work Ethic: Shifting Modes of Regulation and Refusal in Organized Employment' in Courpasson, D. and Vallas, S. (eds) The SAGE Handbook of Resistance. London: Sage Publications: 121-136.
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