>X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 13:10:40 -0500 >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >From: Tim Rourke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Historical Context of the Work Ethic E >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Precedence: bulk > > > >Influences Shaping the Contemporary Work Ethic > >The work ethic is a cultural norm that places a positive moral value on >doing a good job and is based on a belief that work has intrinsic value >for its own sake (Cherrington, 1980; Quinn, 1983; Yankelovich & >Immerwahr, 1984). Like other cultural norms, a person's adherence to or >belief in the work ethic is principally influenced by socialization >experiences during childhood and adolescence. Through interaction with >family, peers, and significant adults, a person "learns to place a value >on work behavior as others approach him in situations demanding >increasing responsibility for productivity" (Braude, 1975, p. 134). >Based on praise or blame and affection or anger, a child appraises his >or her performance in household chores, or later in part-time jobs, but >this appraisal is based on the perspective of others. As a child >matures, these attitudes toward work become internalized, and work >performance is less dependent on the reactions of others. > >Children are also influenced by the attitudes of others toward work >(Braude, 1975). If a parent demonstrates a dislike for a job or a fear >of unemployment, children will tend to assimilate these attitudes. >Parents who demonstrate a strong work ethic tend to impart a strong work >ethic to their children. > >Another significant factor shaping the work attitudes of people is the >socialization which occurs in the workplace. As a person enters the >workplace, the perceptions and reactions of others tend to confirm or >contradict the work attitudes shaped in childhood (Braude, 1975). The >occupational culture, especially the influence of an "inner fraternity" >of colleagues, has a significant impact on the attitudes toward work and >the work ethic which form part of each person's belief system. > >Among the mechanisms provided by society to transfer the culture to >young people is the public school. One of the functions of schools is to >foster student understanding of cultural norms, and in some cases to >recognize the merits of accepting them. Vocational education, for >example, has as a stated goal that it will promote the work ethic >(Gregson, 1991; Miller, 1985). Reubens (1974) listed "inculcation of >good work attitudes" as one of the highest priorities for high school >education. In the absence of early socialization which supports good >work attitudes, schools should not be expected to completely transform a >young person's work ethic orientation, but enlightening students about >what the work ethic is, and why it is important to success in the >contemporary workplace, should be a component of secondary education. > >Previous Section > >References > >Anthony, P. D. (1977). The ideology of work. Great Britain: Tavistock. > >Barnard, C. I. (1938). The functions of the executive. Cambridge, Mass.: >Harvard University Press. > >Bernstein, P. (1988). The work ethic: Economics, not religion. Business >Horizons, 31(3), 8-11. > >Braude, L. (1975). Work and workers. New York: Praeger. > >Bridges, J. S. (1989). Sex differences in occupational values. >Sex-Roles: A Journal of Research, 20, 205-211. > >Cherrington, D. J. (1980). The work ethic: Working values and values >that work. New York: AMACOM. > >Daft, R. L., & Steers, R. M. (1986). Organizations: A micro/macro >approach. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman, and Co. > >Deans, R. C. (1972). Productivity and the new work ethic. In W. B. >Dickenson, Jr. (Ed.), Editorial research reports on the American work >ethic (pp. 1-20). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. > >Getzels, J. W., Lipham, J. M., & Campbell, R. F. (1968). Educational >administration as a social process. New York: Harper & Row. > >Gilbert, J. B. (1977). Work without salvation. Baltimore: The Johns >Hopkins University Press. > >Gregson, J. A. (1991). Work values and attitudes instruction as viewed >by secondary trade and industrial education instructors. Journal of >Industrial Teacher Education, 28(4), 34-51. > >Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., and Snyderman, B. B. (1959). The motivation >to work. New York: John Wiley & Sons. > >Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV). (1973). Grand Rapids, >Mich.: Zondervan. > >Jaggi, B. (1988). A comparative analysis of worker participation in the >United States and Europe. In Dlugos, G., Dorow, W., Weiermair, K., and >Danesy, F. C. (Eds.), Management under differing labour market and >employment systems (pp. 443-454). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. > >Levitan, S. A. & Johnson, C. M. (1983). The survival of work. In >Barbash, J., Lampman, R. J., Levitan, S. A., & Tyler, G. (Eds.), The >work ethic: A critical analysis (pp. 1-25). Madison, Wisc.: Industrial >Relations Research Association. > >Lipset, S. M. (1990). The work ethic - then and now. Public Interest, >Winter 1990, 61-69. > >Maccoby, M. (1988). Why work. New York: Simon and Schuster. > >Maywood, A. G. (1982). Vocational education and the work ethic. Canadian >Vocational Journal, 18(3), 7-12. > >Miller, M. D. (1985). Principles and a philosophy for vocational >education. Columbus, OH: Ohio State. > >Miller, W. F. (1986). Emerging technologies and their implications for >America. USA Today, 115, November 1986, 60-65. > >Naisbitt, J. (1984). Megatrends: Ten new directions transforming our >lives. New York: Warner. > >Naisbitt, J., & Aburdene, P. (1990). Megatrends 2000. New York: Morrow. > >Porat, M. U. (1977). The information economy: Definition and measurement >. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce. > >Quinn, J. F. (1983). The work ethic and retirement. In Barbash, J., >Lampman, R. J., Levitan, S. A., & Tyler, G. (Eds.), The work ethic: A >critical analysis (pp. 87-100). Madison, Wisc.: Industrial Relations >Research Association. > >Reubens, B. G. (1974). Vocational education for all in high school? In >J. O'Toole (Ed.), Work and the quality of life (pp. 299-337). Cambridge, >Mass.: MIT Press. > >Rodgers, D. T. (1978). The work ethic in industrial America, 1850-1920. >Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. > >Rose, M. (1985). Reworking the work ethic: Economic values and >socio-cultural politics. London: Schocken. > >Sawhill, I. V. (1974). Perspectives on women and work in America. In J. >O'Toole (Ed.), Work and the quality of life (pp. 88-105). Cambridge, >Mass.: MIT Press. > >Sheehy, J. W. (1990). New work ethic is frightening. Personnel Journal. >69(6), 28-36. > >Stencel, S. (1981). Workers' changing expectations. In H. Gimlin (Ed.), >Editorial research reports on work life in the 1980s (pp. 45-68). >Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly. > >Super, D. E. (1982). The relative importance of work: Models and >measures for meaningful data. The Counseling Psychologist, 10(4), >95-103. > >Tilgher, A. (1930). Homo faber: Work through the ages. Translated by D. >C. Fisher. New York: Harcourt Brace. > >Toffler, A. (1980). The third wave. New York: Bantam. > >Walton, R. E. (1974). Alienation and innovation in the workplace. In J. >O'Toole (Ed.), Work and the quality of life (pp. 227-245). Cambridge, >Mass.: MIT Press. > >Wattenberg, B. J. (1984). The good news is the bad news is wrong. New >York: Simon and Schuster. > >Weber, M. (1904, 1905). Die protestantische ethik und der geist des >kapitalismus. Archiv fur sozialwissenschaft. 20-21. Translated by T. >Parsons. The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. New York: >Charles Scibner's Sons. > >Webster Encyclopedia. (1985). Des Moines: Meredith. > >Yankelovich, D. (1981). New rules: Searching for self-fulfillment in a >world turned upside down. New York: Random House. > >Yankelovich, D. & Harmon, S. (1988). Starting with the people. Boston: >Houghton Miffin. > >Yankelovich, D. & Immerwahr, J. (1984). Putting the work ethic to work. >Society, 21(2), 58-76. > > >Previous Section > >Top of Section > >Home Page > >Roger B. Hill, Ph.D. >Department of Occupational Studies >The University of Georgia >Athens, GA 30602 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >This page last updated on 30-OCT-97. >
