Authoritative multi-contributor work investigating the concept of dignity and what it means to people in their working lives.

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.

What is dignity in and at work? How is it experienced differently by different groups of working people? Are there enduring divisions of dignity: unequal access to what is accepted to be a fundamental human right? How can we ensure that continued opportunities are available for the creation, maintenance and restoration of dignity at work? This edited collection of papers investigates the concept of dignity and what it means to people in their working lives: how we are perceived and valued as people in the workplace. Contributors to over a century of social and organizational analysis have talked about dignity at work, but the discussion has tended to take place under headings such as citizenship, satisfaction, mutuality, pride in work, responsible autonomy and ontological security, or to focus on mismanagement, over-long hours, a poor working environment, workplace bullying and harassment as the central facilitator of indignity at work. Dignity in and at work is a far more complex phenomenon than these representations would suggest. Neither is it enough to suggest that equal opportunity, work life balance and anti-bullying policies restore dignity to work, valuable interventions though they are in themselves. The papers featured in this edited collection suggest that we see dignity reordered and experienced in different ways depending on our own circumstances and viewpoints.

John W. Budd contends that the turbulence of the current workplace and the importance of work for individuals and society make it vitally important that employment be given "a human face." Contradicting the traditional view of the employment relationship as a purely economic transaction, with business wanting efficiency and workers wanting income, Budd argues that equity and voice are equally important objectives. The traditional narrow focus on efficiency must be balanced with employees' entitlement to fair treatment (equity) and the opportunity to have meaningful input into decisions (voice), he says. Only through a greater respect for these human concerns can broadly shared prosperity, respect for human dignity, and equal appreciation for the competing human rights of property and labor be achieved.Budd proposes a fresh set of objectives for modern democracies--efficiency, equity, and voice--and supports this new triad with an intellectual framework for analyzing employment institutions and practices. In the process, he draws on scholarship from industrial relations, law, political science, moral philosophy, theology, psychology, sociology, and economics, and advances debates over free markets, globalization, human rights, and ethics. He applies his framework to important employment-related topics, such as workplace governance, the New Deal industrial relations system, comparative industrial relations, labor union strategies, and globalization. These analyses create a foundation for reforming employment practices, social norms, and public policies. In the book's final chapter, Budd advocates the creation of the field of human resources and industrial relations and explores the wider implications of this renewed conceptualization of industrial relations.

Bullying in the workplace is now a recognised problem, and a cause for major concern. Victims stand to lose their self-esteem, their health and even their careers. Organisations that do not endeavour to put an end to this behaviour lose productivity, profits and their good reputations. Dignity at Work is derived from the author's many years of experience working with organisations of all sizes and at all levels. This book outlines practical guidelines essential to organisations that want to combat bullying in the workplace, and psychologists and professional counsellors working with those organisations. It provides: * the tools to identify bullying behaviour * expertise to create new policies and integrate them into corporate culture * confidence to know when and how to intervene practically and therapeutically * the skills required to know when to seek external help from professional counsellors * psychologists and counsellors with advice on how to transfer their skills to organisations as independent contractors Bullying will no longer be tolerated, and organisations must create environments that do not support mistreatment. This book provides managers, Human Resources staff and professional counsellors with the skills required to be able to recognise when a problem exists, and deal with it effectively.

Offers a public law theory that elaborates the idea of human dignity to illuminate and justify innovations in constitutional practice.

Introducing a theory of workplace dignity into the field of management studies, this innovative new book presents an alternative paradigm based on principles of human dignity which is integrated into a theoretical approach to the topic. The author addresses and analyses the causes and consequences of the dominant political-economic paradigm within management studies. Further, it presents a theoretical alternative which can constitute a foundation for a new way of thinking about organisations, management, and leadership. Dignity in the Workplace offers scholars ideas for how research in the field of management studies may be enriched by a dignity-paradigm, and goes further to explore the role of a dignity-paradigm in the function of HR-managers and organisational leaders. Thus, the book aims to contribute to the need for alternative conceptualisations of how contemporary organisations can be managed.

The Oxford Handbook of Meaningful Work examines the concept, practices and effects of meaningful work in organizations and beyond. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this volume reflects diverse scholarly contributions to understanding meaningful work from philosophy, political theory, psychology, sociology, organizational studies, and economics. In philosophy and political theory, treatments of meaningful work have been influenced by debates concerning the tensions between work as unavoidable and necessary, and work as a source of self-realization and human flourishing. This tension has come into renewed focus as work is reshaped by technology, globalization, and new forms of organization. In management studies, much empirical work has focused on meaningful work from the perspective of positive psychology, but more recent research has considered meaningful work as a complex phenomenon, socially constructed from interactive processes between individuals, and between individuals, organizations, and society. This Handbook examines meaningful work in the context of moral and pragmatic concerns such as human flourishing, dignity, alienation, freedom, and organizational ethics. The collection illuminates the relationship of meaningful work to organizational constructs of identity, belonging, callings, self-transcendence, culture, and occupations. Representing some of the most up to date academic research, the editors aim to inspire and equip researchers by identifying new directions and methods with which to deepen scholarly inquiry into a topic of growing importance.

A noted conflict-resolution expert explores dignity, its role in human conflict, and its power to improve relationships Drawing on her extensive experience in international conflict resolution and on insights from evolutionary biology, psychology, and neuroscience, Donna Hicks explains what the elements of dignity are, how to recognize dignity violations, how to respond when we are not treated with dignity, how dignity can restore a broken relationship, why leaders must understand the concept of dignity, and more. By choosing dignity as a way of life, Hicks shows, we open the way to greater peace within ourselves and to a safer and more humane world for all. For the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Dignity, Hicks has written a new preface that reflects on her experience helping communities and individuals understand the power of dignity and how it can lead to a more peaceful world. "Anyone who understands the importance of personal feelings and their fuel for conflict should consider Dignity as a powerful advisory and motivational guide."--Midwest Book Review Winner of the 2012 Educator's Award, given by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.

Degrees of Dignity examines how global discourses and policy models are affecting and altering contemporary higher education systems in the Arab Middle East and North Africa.