Being human: dignity of labor as the foundation for the spirit–work connection

Citation

Bolton SC (2010) Being human: dignity of labor as the foundation for the spirit–work connection. Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, 7 (2), pp. 157-170. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766081003746422

Abstract
There is little doubt that creating a workplace that fosters and values spirituality is a worthwhile aim, but if we are to explore the spirit-work connection then we need a little more emphasis on the actual work - what is it that people do, how do they do it, how do they feel about it, how are they rewarded, is the work dirty, dangerous, devalued? And, the ultimate question underscoring all of these workplace experiences, do we derive dignity from our labor? Before we can enjoy the good working relationships and human connectedness that workplace spirituality demands, we need to identify objective and subjective factors that might make bad jobs better - factors that are introduced in this paper as a dimensions of dignity at work framework. We ask too much of workplace spirituality if we expect it to foster human connection, heal the wounds of bad work and at the same time meet the demands of a market economy.

Keywords
dignity at work; good work; management practice; best practice

Journal
Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion: Volume 7, Issue 2