DIGNITY AT WORKPLACE | THE FUTURE
Concerns about workplace dignity (WPD) have long driven researchers and practitioners to explore ways of measuring it. It is essential for organizations to understand, how employees perceive the WPD for positive employee outcomes.
The paper reviews literature, traces the development of WPD and finds the gap.
The purpose of this paper is to evolve and operationalize the construct of ‘WPD,’ and develop and standardize a measure for it which will pave the way for future studies to empirically test the role of WPD on organizational outcomes such as employee engagement, retention and the like.
This is perhaps the maiden attempt for conceptualization and operationalization of the construct of WPD, thus it contributes to the extant knowledge and has implications for academics and practitioners.
Workplace dignity (WPD) is a multidimensional concept and is receiving considerable attention due to paucity of research and non availability of a measure to quantify it.
This has provided impetus to undertake this study and develop and standardize a measure to assess WPD.
The paper traces the evolution of the construct of ‘dignity’ and develops an empirically evolved definition of ‘WPD’ which has considerable significance for organizational outcomes.
The workplace environment plays a major role in an employee’s life because people spend most of their day-time at the workplace.
Work performance and feedback can sharpen their capabilities and competencies; therefore, the workplace plays a major role in the capability enhancement (Lucas, 2015).
Workplace could also be seen as a facilitator or inhibitor for the development of the potential of an employee.
At the workplace employees share a dyad relation hence co-worker behavior, remarks of the superior, recognition, respect, trust are a few variables which have a direct influence on one’s WPD experience.
All the remarks and above-mentioned factors may enhance employees’ experience of the WPD whereas their absence may do the contrary, but there is knowledge gap as this requires empirical evidence.
The paper endeavors to bridge the knowledge gap.
Dignity is illustrated as somewhat profane and sacred, newfangled and ancient, changeable and absolute, measurable and measureless (Kovach, 1995; Edlund et al., 2013).
Moreover, being consistent in nature, dignity can also be described as relative and changeable which has an internal and external side, that could be experienced in relation to someone, or something (Edlund et al., 2013).
The changeableness is considered as one of the characteristics through which dignity can be smashed although it could also be restored.
Experience of dignity, like the feeling of value, requires that there is somebody who understands and recognizes these values and shows respect for these values (Kovach, 1995).
Many scholars explain dignity as a social phenomenon, which could be developed and created by culture, society and by external qualities (Miller, 1997; George, 1998).
Also, education and culture play a significant role in the development and understanding of dignity which could be measured through position and characteristics in relation to someone or something (Kovach, 1995; Miller, 1997).
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