Unit III Nature of Work

Learning Objectives

After learning this unit, the students should be able to:

1. Realize the meaning of Work.
2. Analyze the perception of work
3. Examine the Factors that affect the work
4. Acquire knowledge about the personality types of workers

Lesson 1 - Meaning of Work

Work basically entails conscious and sustained physical or mental efforts to do. Usually, it is
performed for remuneration, that is, as a means of livelihood. Work is sometimes understood as
employment, occupation, or profession.
Employment implies work for which one has been hired and is being paid by an employer.
An employment Agency is a private firm that serves as an intermediary for hiring an
employee on a contractual basis, It seeks employee for employer.
The employee is the formal term for the employed worker.
The employer is a person, private or public who employs a worker.

Work Ethic Definition and Meaning

Traditionally, work ethic has been understood as a value based on hard work and diligence.
Capitalists, for example, believe in the necessity of working hard and in the consequential ability
to enhance one’s character. Socialists suggest that a concept of “hard work” is deluding the
working class into being loyal workers of the elite; and working hard, in itself, is not necessarily
an honorable thing, but simply a way to create greater wealth for those at the summit of the
economic pyramid.

These values have been challenged and characterized as submissive to social convention and
authority, and not meaningful in and of itself, but only if a positive result accrues. An alternative
perception suggests that the work ethic is now subverted in a broader, and readily marketed-to
society. This perspective has given us the phrase “work smart”.

Types of Work
Occupation if work is the result of training and performed on a regular basis.
Laborer A worker who is paid in exchange primarily for his physical labor.
Profession is a form of occupation which makes use of a specialized type of work.
The History of Work
The advancement in agriculture and improvement in metallurgy paved the way for significant
changes in the nature of early societies and the nature of work. The introduction of powerful
machines and the expansion of markets led to greater specialization and efficiency in work and
to the multiplication and division of labor.

Machinery, as instruments of production, enhanced man’s capacity for work, allowing him to
produce goods in quantities never before thought possible. From these new conditions, two
social classes emerged, engulfing the remnants of all previous class structures.
Two Major Classes
Best known in political science and economics.
1. Working Class - these are the workers or paid laborers.
2. Ruling Class - these are the capitalist businessmen, i.e., employers.

Lesson 2 - Perceptions of Work

Different accounts have been advanced at various times to describe the nature and purpose of
work vis-à-vis the continued existence of man and society. A select number are presented here.
Different Perceptions of work

1. Work as Divine Punishment

In early Christian tradition, work was regarded as punishment by God to human beings for their
pride and disobedience. Work then was perceived as punishment, a curse which man was fated
to suffer. Later, the Church enunciated a more benevolent perception of work. Rather than
regarding it as a form of punishment, work began to perceived as a form of praying, a way of
fulfilling one’s duty to God or a means of salvation.
Protestantism, most notably Calvinist view, the value attached to hard work, thrift and efficiency
in one’s worldly calling is eternal salvation. Hard work, together with faith in a benevolent God
expresses the Filipino formula for worldly success: “Nasa tao ang gawa, nasa Diyos ang
awa”.
2. Work as a Right
Work is perceived as a matter of right. Everyone has the right to work based on man’s natural
right to self-preservation. To preserve one’s life requires one to have a right over the means with
which to satisfy his basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. And since man derives his
subsistence from his work, his right to preserve his life necessitates his right to work.
This perception of work is best reflected I our Constitution, the fundamental law of our land.
The right of a person to his labor is deemed a property within the meaning of Constitutional
guarantees (De Leon, 1991). And no one can be deprived of his property without due process of
law (Art. III, Sec. 1).
3. Work as a Determinant of Personal Qualities
Work is also perceived today for its social significance in defining a person. The quality of a
worker is reflected by the quality of his work. Well-organized work and work done on schedule
imply a reliable, disciplined and conscientious worker. As personal goodness is measured by
how a person does his work, society comes to admire workers who do their jobs with utmost
prudence, skill and dedication
4. Work as a Determinant of Social Class
Work defines the social status of people. Modern political and economic theorists, most notably
Karl Marx, classify people into two classes, each identifiable by the general nature of their work.
Those who sell their physical labor for wages in order to live belong to the working class, the
proletarian- they are called laborers or proletariats. Those who manage the business, or
control the activity of the firm are called capitalist or bourgeoisies. The evolution of work
from labor extended into knowledge and seems to have created another class of workers called
knowledge workers.

5. Work as a Basis for Cooperation

Workers work not only to survive but also to prosper materially. Businessmen, do business
primarily for profit. They employ workers because they cannot run the business alone. Workers,
in turn, offer their services because they lack capital. In such a relationship, workers need
businessmen just as businessmen need the workers- if one does not prosper, none of them will.
Hence, the social and economic nature of work implies that it can be a basis for cooperation
between two different people belonging to two different social classes, each pursuing different
interests for working.

Lesson 3 - Factors that Affect

Work

Certain factors regulate the conduct of work. These are important in promoting and maintaining
work of quality for the benefit of society at large. They include:
1. Personal and Societal Values
A worker enters the world of work equipped with certain values. The nature of his values
determines how he performs his work and guides his actions. Much of his values are derived
from the society he moves around in. The value system that a worker upholds actions
determines his perception towards work, the types of decisions he makes, and the actions he
performs about his duties and obligations as a worker. As such, personal and societal values are
effective for the regulation of work.
2. Code of Ethics
Codes of Ethics help ensure the development of workers and professionals who are not only
competent in their respective work and professions but also persons who work with a sense of
morality and decency.
3. Law
the law sets standards for how work is to be done. The law regulates work as it imposes certain
limitations on workers. Violating these limitations may lead a person to be criminally or legally
liable, risking his employment or profession, his freedom, and even his limbs. For the
professional worker, his education does not excuse him from his duty to observe the limitations
imposed by law- rather, it makes his legal responsibility greater.
4. Professional Associations
The promotion of higher standards for the practice of professional work is the main reason why
professional societies are formed. Thus, medical associations are formed to preserve and enforce
higher standards of medical practice, and legal associations are for setting higher standards of
legal practice. The moment a person becomes a professional and is accepted into a professional
association, he is bound to comply with the rules and regulations and assume all the duties and
obligations of the association as stipulated in the association’s constitution and by-laws. He is
morally and legally obliged to perform his craft with skill and competence.

5. Policies Enforced in the Workplace

Policies do not only law down rules and regulations; they also express a set of expectations from
workers. The company expects the best from its workers and provides them with principles to
guide them in the conduct of their work. The company strictly enforces rules and regulations
that workers are duty-bound to observe and respect; otherwise, they can be suspended or
dismissed from employment. Policies and their enforcement help guarantee quality output from
workers.

6. Public Opinion and Perception

A worker who not only has the skill but is equally blessed with a sense of morality, good public
relations, and dedication is well-loved and respected by the people. He wins the patronage of
more customers and the trust and comfort of more clients, compared to a worker who may have
excellent skills but lacks the necessary manners, moral behavior, warmth, or good public
relations. Public perception helps maintain the quality of work, as workers and employers try to
protect their positive image by being friendlier and by working harder and better.

7. Religion
Plays an important role in the development of values that determine how a believer perceives
the purpose and meaning of work. Religious beliefs of workers exert a considerable effect on
how well they perform their work. People who possess religious values tend to work honestly
and diligently. They tend to be more respectful of others, especially their employers, and clients
tend to be more obedient to law and authority the perception that work is an act of service to
God makes a whole lot of difference, most especially in the quality of a person’s work.

Interest, Work, and Working

Successful workers are those who are interested in the work they perform. We must enjoy what
we do, what we were trained to do, once we are in the world of work. If our sole criterion in
choosing an occupation is monetary, in all probability, we will be prone to frustration and
disappointment. Work has its rewards. It is the satisfaction we gain in performing work. We
should assess our interests and engage in the training of an occupation we truly believe to be in
line with our interests and talents.

Lesson 4 – Personality Types of Workers

Prof. John Holland developed a format for determining interests. Holland believes that one way
of looking at occupations is to measure them in terms of data, people, things and ideas. Prof.
Holland classified workers into six personality types:

1. Realistic (R)-realistic people like working with things, in occupation such as chefs, air
traffic controllers, carpenters and builders.

INTERESTS SKILLS PERSONALITY

Work with machines Fix mechanical objects Mechanical
Work outdoors Plant a garden Nature lover
Work with hands Operate machinery Practical
Build things Read a blueprint Problem solver

2. Investigative (I)-investigative people like working with data, in occupations such as

medical technician, computer programmer, engineering and science.

INTERESTS SKILLS PERSONALITY

Explore ideas Do science experiments Inquisitive
Analyze data Solve math problems Precise
Use computers Perform basic programming Abstract thinker
Read science fiction Interpret formulas Independent

3. Artistic (A)-artistic people like working with ideas, in occupations such as commercial
artist, musician and interior designer.
 INTERESTS SKILLS PERSONALITY
Read fiction plays Write stories Imaginative
Work on crafts Design new things Innovative
Act, sing, listen to music Play or compose music Creative
Take photographs Sketch, draw or paint Intuitive

4. Social (S)-social people like working with people, in occupations such as teaching,
counselling and caring for elderly people.

INTERESTS SKILLS PERSONALITY

Help people Teach/train others Helpful
Do volunteer work Plan activities Outgoing
Play team sports Host an event Insightful
Work in groups Lead meetings Friendly

5. Enterprising (E)-enterprising people like working with people and data, in

occupations such as business leadership, marketing, entrepreneurship and politics.
INTERESTS SKILLS PERSONALITY
Meet people Initiate projects Assertive
Make decisions that affect Sell or promote Persuasive
others
Negotiate sales/deals Make speeches Enthusiastic
Participate in political Convince others Persistent
activities

6. Conventional (C)-conventional people like working with data, in such occupations as

accounting, administrative assistance and paralegal assistance.
INTERESTS SKILLS PERSONALITY
Work with numbers Keep accurate records Organized
Eye for detail Statistical work Mathematical
I earn computer programs Operate computers Efficient
Follow directions Write business letters Conscientious

Holland’s Self-Assessment Test

Please answer yes or no
1. I like long-term projects.
2. I like to build or repair things.
3. I like to do things in order.
4. I enjoy doing things that produce results.
 5. I like to organize activities.
6. I’d like to deal with people all day.
7. I need to clear and precise instructions.
8. I’m interested in operating machinery
9. I like math.
10. I’d like to be able to control the work of others.
11. I like helping people.
12. I read books or watch TV to find out about things.
13. I’d like to discover something new.
14. I like to get people to do things.
15. I like to ask people their opinion.

Unit III Workplace

Learning Objectives

After learning this unit, the students should be able to:

1. Appreciate the value of workplace
2. Examine the workplace across nation and cultures
3. Observe the Transformation of the workplace
4. Attain knowledge about workers and employers
5. Understand the duties of both workers and employers
6. Know the dispute or disagreement between workers and employers

Lesson 1 - Workplace
The workplace the place where one performs work, a place where the moral character of both
worker and employer is usually put to a test
Work Environment where an employment relationship exists between and among people.
Refers to the condition or circumstances surrounding the performance of work
Activities in the Workplace Types of Activities

1. Formal Activities-include all acts in the pursuance of one’s official and regular duties
as an employee or as a contractor of a service.
Examples of formal activities: Preparing the payroll, keeping and maintaining office files,
encoding or typing official documents, and all the acts in pursuit of one’s rights as a citizen
2. Non-formal Activities-activities in conformity to some customary and tacitly
observed practices and codes of behavior (e.g., in the Philippines, we have the utang na loob,
mababang loob, pakikisama, etc.)
Examples of non-formal activities: Palakasan, lagay, bootlicking, idle talking, backstabbing,
and others.
The Workplace across Nations and Cultures
America and Japan during the post-World War II: the head of U.S. forces occupying Japan
imposed American style labor laws and industrial relation practices, believing that these would
help ensure Japan does not fall back into a militaristic or totalitarian state. By the 1980’s, this
had been reversed. American experts called for the adoption of Japanese management practices
in the hope of achieving the same high productivity, quality, and cooperative labor-management
relations found in leading Japanese firms.
One needs to consider differences in cultures, political and economic conditions, the timing of
the industrialization process, and the key historical events that affect different countries and
their work settings.
Lesson 2 -Transformation of the Workplace
Information. One of the remarkable transformations of the workplace today is the change in
the nature and required skills of workers, and the nature of the work they perform.
Gender. Changes in the economy of nations across the world have brought more opportunities
for women to participate in work. Today, women are educated and well-trained for work.
Technological changes affecting their maternal roles increased their abilities to leave their
homes.
Safety and Insurance. The blessings brought by the information age are yet to be fully
experienced in workplace in developing countries. Whereas work in workplace in advanced
nations is no longer labor intensive, in developing nations it remains largely so. Hence, some
work or occupations remain dangerous or hazardous.
Privacy. Advances in technology allowed employers to directly monitor the performance of
their employees.

Family. In the 1970’s, married women began entering the labor force in great numbers. Since
married men and women equally participate in the workplace, it is inevitable that conflicts
between work and family arise.

Lesson 3 - The worker and the employer

https://scitexas.edu/blog/why-is-work-ethic-important/
Employer-usually the person who provides work for workers, compensating them in
exchange for their labor or services.
Worker-is usually referred to as a paid laborer, or broadly, any person who does manual or
industrial labor as a means of livelihood.
Duties of Workers and Employers
Professor Agapay (1991), a noted Filipino moralist, suggests the following basic duties of the
employers to their workers:
1. Respect the human dignity of the workers.
2. Appreciate their work.
3. Never treat them as slaves for making money.
 4. Never assign them beyond their strengths. Do not employ them in work not suited to
their age or sex.
5. Pay them commensurate wages.
6. Provide for their health and social recreations.
7. Provide then time to practice their religions.
8. Advice then on how to use their money wisely.
9. Instruct them to love their families.
10. Provide them with the opportunities for promotions.

The duties of the workers to their employers:

1. Work honestly and comply with all agreements.
2. Never injure capital or steal from the employer.
3. Never outrage the person of the employer.
4. Never employ deceit or violence in presenting a cause.
5. Never consort with agitators or men of evil principles.
Disputes and Disagreements
Disagreements in the workplace are inevitable as both workers and employers bring with
them their differing, and often times, conflicting, expectations, interests, values and attitudes to
the workplace.
Causes of disputes
The following are some of the major causes of disputes:
1. Wage and salary that are not fair and commensurate to the difficulty of the job and the
responsibilities inherent to it.
2. Poor working condition.
3. Unreasonable personnel policy.
4. Lack of job security and stability of employment.
5. Lack of opportunity for advancement and self-improvement.
6. Inconsiderate supervisors or managers.
Disagreements among Workers
Disputes among workers may start over simple, but regularly committed annoyances.
Here are some of them:
1. Loud and irritating mobile phone rings
2. Outdated or inadequate functioning equipment
3. Job jockeying (riding on the work of others)
4. Body odor and bad breath
5. Colleagues who do not change an empty toilet roll
6. Colleagues who arrive late and leave early
7. Know-it-all colleagues who do no wrong
8. Colleagues who do not reload paper trays or fix jams in the printer or copier
9. Messages taken down incorrectly
10. Taking items from your desk without asking
 Module IV Ethical Standards in Workplace

Learning Objectives

At the end of this unit, student should be able to:

1. Describe the meaning of Ethical Standards

2. Converse the Nature of Ethical Standards
3. Explain the Two Social Functions of Ethical Standards
4. Distinguish the Problems Concerning Ethical Standards
5. Describe the type of ethical standard based on utility
6. Discuss the different types of ethical standard based on moral rights
7. Realize the various kinds of rights
9. Identify the type of ethical standard based on justice
10. Understand the kinds of distributive justice

Lesson 1 - Ethical Standards

Principles that when followed, promote values such as trust, good behavior, fairness, and/or
kindness.
There is not one consistent set of standards that all companies follow, but each company has the
right to develop the standards that are meaningful for their organization.
Ethical standards are not always easily enforceable, as they are frequently vaguely defined and
somewhat open to interpretation ("Men and women should be treated equally,” or "Treat the
customer with respect and kindness.").
Ethical standards are unwritten and implied rules for behavior that have force of their own

Ethical Standards are not laid down by authority’s bodies.

Ethical Standards override self- interests.
Ethical Standards are usually associated with emotion like guilt and shame.
The Nature of Ethical Standards
1. Obedience to Authority - is the tendency people have to try to please those in charge?

2. Loyalty to the Company - Goes beyond employment questions and measures an

employee's willingness to sacrifice income, leisure time, personal relationships, family
responsibilities, and general life aspirations in the name of the organization.
3. Gratitude - the quality of being thankful.
4. Sociality - the tendency to associate in or form social groups.
5. Fidelity - the quality or state of being faithful.
6. Prudence - the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason.
7. Friendship - the state of being friendly

Two Social Functions of Ethical Standards:

1. They establish a mutually- beneficial system of conduct
2. They provide acceptable justifications for actions and policies.

Problems Concerning Ethical Standards

1. Ethical standard is laid down by authoritative bodies and is not imposed through the use
of force.
2. Ethical standard, by itself, has no legal power to command adherence. Ethical standard
is laid down by reason, not by authority. It is largely imposed by human conscience and not
through force. The prospect of fines, imprisonment and even death, for non-observance of the
law make people, whether they like it or not, obey it.
3. Ethical standard rests on ethical theory, but no fixed, common or universal theory could
provide basis for a fixed, common or universal ethical standard
4. People tend to use ethical standards as tools to justify their action in pursuing their
various interests.
5. It is common observation that some people observe different, essentially contradictory
ethical standards in pursuit of their different interest.

Lesson 2 - Types of Ethical Standards

1. Ethical Standards Based on Utility - evaluate policies, institutions, and behavior of the
net social benefits and costs they produce.
The simple steps to determine ethical standard based on utility:
1. Determine all alterative actions available to us on that occasion
2. Estimate the direct and indirect benefits
3. Chosen most ethically appropriate course of action

2. Ethical Standard based on Moral Rights

Ethical standard based on moral rights evaluate institutions, policies, acts or behaviors in terms
of the protection they provide for the rights and freedom of individuals.
The Meaning of Rights
Right are entitlements to something. A person has a right when the person is entitled to act in a
certain way or is entitled to have others act in a certain way towards him or her. As an
entitlement, a person can properly invoke it is as due or may opt to disregard it.
Types of Rights
1. Positive rights are defined in terms of the duties of others to provide the person who
holds such rights whatever the person needs to freely pursue his or her activities (for example,
the right to education and the right to work).
2. Negative rights are defined in terms of the duties of others not to interfere in certain
activities of the person who holds such rights (for example, the right to privacy and the right to
property).
3. Legal rights are rights which are limited to the particular jurisdiction of a legal system
from which such rights are derived. Legal right are rights that are formally recognized and
enforced by society.
4. Moral-Natural Right
Moral natural rights are rights of all human being by virtue of their being human. In this sense,
moral rights are also known as human rights.
Moral rights are universal – moral or human being enjoy regardless of their nationality, creed,
gender, age and color.
Comparable rights of others limit moral rights – though the moral rights of a person are
inalienable to him, the exercise of these moral rights is limited by the moral rights of others.
Moral rights imply duties – the moral rights of a person come with moral duties. If a person has
certain rights which he can claim, there are, on the other hand, certain duties and
responsibilities in view of these rights, which he is obliged to observe.
Moral rights impose limitations to the overwhelming power the state – moral rights afford man
some protection against possible abuses of the government, which has under its control well
equipped and well-funded military and political military and police forces.
5. Constitutional Rights
Constitutional rights are rights which re conferred and protected by the constitution, the
fundamental law of the land. Constitution rights are rights derived from legislation directly from
the people.
Constitution rights include:
a. the right to property
b. the right to just compensation
c. the right to freedom of speech
d. self-expression
e. right to self-association
f. right to worship and religious expression
g. right to vote
6. Statutory Rights
Statutory rights are rights that are derived from legislation from the people’s representatives.
The law-giving body of the state confers statutory rights.
These rights include:
1. The right to a minimum wage
2. Additional compensation for additional work.

Rights and Duties

One of the basic principles that govern the relationship of rights and duties is the Principle of
Reciprocity- our right to be treated in particular way by others implies our duty to treat others
in the same way.
This is a maxim that our Lord Jesus Christ himself has given us: Do unto others what you want
others to do unto you.
Right to Life as Fundamental Moral Right

The right to life is man’s highest right. Without it. He cannot enjoy the other rights.
The right to life is means highest to a material existence worthy of human dignity.
Right and Workplace Reality
The right of an individual to be treated with dignity is an essential aspect of ethical standard
based on rights. It measure the moral goodness of an act based on how it values
human dignity regardless of whether the act promotes the greatest happiness or not.

Lesson 3 - Ethical Standard Based On Justice

Ethical Standard based on justice evaluates institutions and behavior in terms of how equitably
they distribute benefits and burden among the members of the group.
Justice - Roughly means giving what is due a person or giving what a person deserves.

Kinds of justice
1. Retributive justice - Refers to the just imposition of punishment such as fines,
imprisonment and even death upon those who do wrong.
a. Religion support death penalty. The bible provides a clear basis for the imposition of death
penalty. Whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of
God has God made man. (Genesis 9:6)

b. Death penalty values human life Capital punishment means an acknowledgement of man’s
and foremost the victim’s dignity.
c. Death penalty involves the risk of executing innocent persons unlike in life imprisonment it
is impossible to correct mistakes in death penalty.

d. Death penalty defeats the purposes of punishment punishments rests on correcting wrongful
behavior not on exacting vengeance.

2. Distributive Justice - It is concerning the fair distribution of society benefits and

burdens among its members.
Three Major Theories of Distributive Justice
1. Egalitarian Theory of Justice (Democratic)

2. Capitalist Theory of Justice

3. Socialist Theory of Justice

a. The Egalitarian Theory of Justice - This theory claims that everyone should be
given equal share of society’s benefits and burdens. Under this theory, refers to both economic
and political equality.
a.1 Political Equality - Refers to equality in political rights regardless of social
status. (The classic example is the right to suffrage: all individual regardless of
economic status have the right to vote, and are all entitled to one vote).
a.2 Economic Equality - Refers to equality in distribution of income and wealth.
Includes equal opportunity to work regardless of status. (e.g., right disabled person to
work and right of women to work)
Right to equal remuneration or equal work rendered. (e.g., equal pay for equal work
between men and women) and equal access to enhance opportunity to work. (e.g., right
to education)

b. The Capitalist Theory of Justice - This theory claims that any benefit should be
distributed according to the contribution of each individual makes to achieve the aims of his or
her group. (e.g., Firm, society, and humanity).
Contribution means participation in productive endeavors of society. Everybody is expected to
do things that are profitable, and should refrain from wasteful or unprofitable activities.
Describes man as a selfish creature driven by desire to trade and to barter.
Essential to the capitalist theory are the concepts of freedom and individuality.
Man is free to pursue his interest, and as long as he does not harm anyone.
Closely related to the concept of freedom is the concept of individuality.
c. Socialist Theory of Justice - This theory claims that work burdens should be
distributed according to people’s abilities, while benefits should be distributed according to
people’s needs.
Theory of justice is largely based on the two great works of Karl Marx, namely, Communist
Manifesto and Das Kapital.
According to Marxist theory, social justice means nothing more than the fair distribution of
wealth.
This basic tenet of social justice, according to other socialist writer after Marx (most notably,
Lenim), is reversed in capitalist workplaces.