Dignity

Throughout the history of social science, dignity has been a word continually used to express concern about various aspects of work. Within these concerns, there is a set of implicit understandings of what dignity is, what it does, and dignity as an essential need of the human spirit. Though dignity is linked to many important work and employment issues and features prominently in high-profile campaigns for establishing a global decent work agenda, the peculiarly human achievement of dignity at work has received little attention as a distinct topic. Human dignity is a concept that has been of central importance to Western thinking and civilization for centuries. For many, dignity is a matter of status and honor, free will and autonomy—contemporary dictionary entries still fall back on the notion of dignity as “dignified status.” For others, such as the philosopher Immanuel Kant, it is a means of emphasizing people as “ends in themselves,” rather than a means to an end. This approach is built into moral and political philosophy and is enshrined in international constitutions as a necessary commitment to the equal worth and dignity of all of humanity.

Beginning with some of the earliest sociological insights that continue to inform contemporary analyses of work, in different ways and relating concerns to different eras, increasing industrialization is emphasized as a factor in denials of dignity. For example, Karl Marx focused on capitalism and the associated process of alienation as a threat to our “species being,” Émile Durkheim expressed concern that the relentless drive toward economic efficiency through standardization leads to a state of anomie (normlessness), and Max Weber [Page 163]conveyed his pathos for the individual trapped in excessive bureaucratic rationality. Similarly, early writings on the behavioral aspects of management fleetingly refer to the possibilities of dignity at work through recognition of a fundamental requirement for self-esteem in work, and later calls for the “humanization of work” are early precursors to new management practices leading to job enlargement, teamwork, industrial democracy, and responsible autonomy. Very recent prescriptions from high-profile management gurus mirror early human relations writings and call for management practice to create the conditions for dignity at work, which reflect more critical accounts that focus on requirements for more interesting and meaningful work.

The focus of many of these studies has been almost entirely on the subjective elements of dignity at work, including self-esteem, autonomy, meaningful work, and, most recently, a heavy emphasis on bullying and harassment. High-profile campaigns have drawn attention to the everyday bullying behaviors that occur in the workplace, serving to intimidate and oppress employees, and creating concern that a primary respect for people in the workplace is not supported. Randy Hodson's insightful analysis of classic workplace ethnographies, however, highlights the complexities of management and organizational structures and processes involved when people feel undermined at work. He suggests that there are four faces of dignity that challenge the achievement of human dignity in the workplace: mismanagement and abuse, overwork, limits on autonomy, and contradictions of employee involvement.

Hodson concludes that management is important, and argues that it needs to be more widely recognized just how much of an impact competent and respectful managerial behaviors have on widespread organizational well-being and the support of dignity at work. Paula Rayman proposes that there are three pillars of dignity at work—livelihood, self-respect, and social responsibility. Similarly, Andrew Sayer considers that dignity at work is about respecting people as people and not merely as a means to an end, though he questions how this may be put into practice because of the instrumental nature of organizational life. At the heart of Sayer's analysis is his emphasis on the importance of human relationships that acknowledge the contribution that people make, that engage in the minor courtesies of social exchange, that offer people autonomy and do not treat people as mere objects or instruments—in other words, relationships that recognize humanity and the importance of respect, esteem, and dignity.

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