Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central idea developed in this thesis is that meaningful work provides the normative
standard of what work should be for all human beings, based on the normative idea that
being human entails a realization of one’s potential and the expression of one’s intellect and
creativity as a necessary part of living a full and flourishing life. Thus the key ethical
foundation upon which my argument was built rests primarily upon classic Aristotelian
ethical theory as well as more contemporary adaptations thereof. In reality, however,
research reveals that up to eighty percent of people engage in work that is not meaningful
in the sense that they are unable to experience both excellence and enjoyment through
their work. This problem has been labeled as “employee disengagement” and has been
acknowledged by organizations as a disturbingly growing trend particularly because of the
financial cost it carries through lost productivity.
My objective in this thesis was to outline the scope of the problem, and to make a strong
case for the recognition of employee disengagement as a moral problem, and not simply as
an economic one. Thus a major focus of this thesis was to unpack the concept of meaningful
work and to argue for its moral value. Throughout my thesis, the importance of
understanding meaningful work as a balance between both the subjective and objective
elements that make work meaningful for the individual was emphasized. Having established
employee disengagement as a moral problem, my attention then turned towards analyzing
the potential causes of the problem at a systemic, organizational and individual level. My
primary conclusion was that the modern paradigm facilitated a certain way of organizing
business activity as well as a certain way of construing the relationship between work and
life that has ultimately had a deep seated causal effect upon the absence of meaningful
work. Thus addressing the problem entails a detachment from this paradigm and
challenging some of the basic assumptions about organizational life.
Finally, I proposed a business model that serves as a framework for a new way of working
which has the capacity to be more fulfilling to the human spirit. This model assumes the
tenets of virtue ethics as its core. In this model, individual employees, the organization as a
community and leaders in the business all have specific roles and responsibilities to bring
the model to life, and thus the quest for meaningful work has to be undertaken as a
collaborative effort. The field of business ethics, with a refreshed Aristotelian mindset, has a
lot of value to add in offering much needed ethical guidance to help steer this radical, yet
exciting workplace transformation process in the right direction. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kerngedagte van hierdie tesis is dat betekenisvolle arbeid die normatiewe standaard sou
skep van wat werk vandonderstel is om vir die mensdom te beteken. Dit berus op die
veronderstelling dat menswees meebring dat die individu se volle potensiaal, intelligensie en
kreatiwiteit sal lei tot ‘n betekenisvolle bestaan. Die sleutelargument steun primêr die
klassieke Aristoteliese etiese teorie asook hendendaagse aanpassings daarvan. Navorsing
bewys egter dat tot 80% van die arbeidsmag betrokke is in betekenislose (sinlose) arbeid in
die sin dat hulle geen genot of uitnemendheid ervaar nie. Die probleem word geetiketteer as
“werknemersonttrekking” en word deur maatskappye beskou as ‘n onstellende tendens ten
opsigte van die finansiële impak en die gepaardgaande verlies van produktiwiteit.
Die oogmerk van die tesis is om die omvang van die probleem uit te lig en om redes aan te
voer dat werknemers onttrekking as ‘n morele vraagstuk aangespreek moet word en nie net
gesien sal word as ‘n finansiële dilemma nie. Die beweegrede van die tesis is om die begrip
van betekenisvolle arbeid te ondersoek en om die morele aspek daarvan te debatteer.
Die belangrikheid van die begrip, betekenisvolle arbeid, as ‘n balans tussen beide die
subjektiewe en objektiewe beginsels word deurgaans onderstreep. Aangesien
“werknemersonttrekking” as ‘n morele probleem beskou word is die oogmerk om die
oorsake van die probleem te analiseer, op ‘n sistematiese, organisatoriese en individuele
vlak. Die gevolgtrekking is dan dat die moderne paradigma ‘n sekere invloed het op die
organisasie se besigheidsaktiwiteite en is ook ‘n metode om die verhouding tussen werk en
bestaan te bepaal, wat uiteindelik ‘n diepgesete redegewende invloed het in die afwesigheid
van sinvolle arbeid. ‘n Skeiding van die voorbeeld en die basiese veronderstelling van
georganiseerde bestaan word benodig om begenoemde begrip te bevraagteken.
Laastens is daar ‘n besigheidsmodel wat dien as ‘n raamwerk vir ‘n nuwe manier van werk,
wat sal meebring dat werk meer vervulling aan die menslike gees sal bied. Díe model,
veronderstel die beginsel van eerbare etiek as die grondslag. Werknemers van organisasies,
die organisasie as ‘n gemeenskap en besigheidsleiers het spesifieke rolle en
verantwoordelikhede, om lewe te gee aan die model. Daarvolgens moet die soeke na
sinvolle arbied as ‘n kollektiewe poging beskou word. Die gebied van besigheidsetiek , met
‘n vernuwende Aristoteliese denkwyse, het tot voordeel , ‘n waardevolle bydrae tot ‘n
onmisbare etiese leiding, om hierdie radikale maar opwindende transformasie in die
werkplek mee te bring.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/21439 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Scott, Liesel |
| Contributors | Camerer, Marianne, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. Centre for Applied Ethics. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 86 leaves |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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