Dignity at work.

By;
Mohaib jan
Mehboob Adil
Dignity;
The state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.
Dignity at work;
• Kristen Lucas, who wrote a paper titled, Workplace Dignity, defines the
concept as, “a personal sense of worth, value, respect, or esteem that is
derived from one’s humanity and individual social position; as well as being
treated respectfully by others.”

• Since most of us spend around a third of our adult life in a workplace, it’s more
than reasonable to expect and experience the kind of workplace dignity
consistent with Lucas’s definition. Yet, this isn’t the case in many organizations
around the world.

• Workplace dignity is closely related to the quality of interaction and patterns

of communication between manager and team member. There are
numerous examples of human dignity violations arising from rude and
disrespectful interactions, or the lack of communication, between boss and
worker.
. Work and self-worth.

 People have an increasing desire to attain their sense of self-worth from the
work they engage in. Apart from gaining self-worth, people want to be
treated with respect in all walks of life, including the workplace.
There are several factors threatening dignity in the
workplace. Consider these three common examples:
1. Overwork
Overwork can constitute a form of indignity, particularly when it occurs with
management support. This is not uncommon in times of budget constraints, cost-
cutting, and frugality, and is something we all expect at times.
2. Abuse of power
A manager abusing their power and authority is also a common form of indignity
experienced in the workplace.

3. Micromanaging
Managers often justify this behavior with comments such as, “if I don’t make
the decision, nothing will happen”, or “the wrong decision will be made if I
don’t step in”.
Dignity isn’t dead
• The workplace can still be a profound source of inspiration. People have the
potential to feel they’re making important contributions for themselves, their
family, the organization, and society-at-large.
• A person’s sense of self-respect can come from developing personally, or
what Abraham Maslow, the famous 20th century psychologist, referred to
as self-actualization.
 Personal growth and development is one of the ways people gain a sense
of dignity. Feeling part of a greater whole can be dignifying too.
 Knowing that you are working toward a common cause that’s making a
difference can be a source of self-worth.
 These experiences and expectations in the current world of work present
both opportunities and challenges for HR.