Why We Work

Reviewed By  Janet Mawdesley       January 22, 2016

 

Author  Barry Schwartz

Distributor:     
ISBN:                 9781471141812
Publisher:         Simon & Schuster UK
Release Date:   September 2015  

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Why do we work is perhaps the question that everyone who has ever held down a job asks themselves from time to time, Why do I work, what do I get from this, which is perhaps more to the point than why do we work!

We apparently work for a number of reasons, the primary one being to earn money to pay the bills, create the lifestyle we desire, to travel, to allow ourselves to do and have what we want from life.

But stop for a minute and consider the other side of why we work other than the obvious. Perhaps we work because we are programed to do this in a society which has set up the boundaries, the requirements of what is considered a good life and as we grow this becomes the norm for most people.

The fact that while we must work at something to be able to achieve out earthly desires is a given. That we can enjoy ourselves, gain satisfaction from what we do and find immense satisfaction from carrying out our work is a point that is often overlooked by the status quo, but is, as Schwartz says time and time again, a valid point that needs to be taken out of the dark, examined and used in the modern world of business to achieve a better outcome for the people and the companies they work for, regardless of their size.

In a number of case studies he point out that if the employers are achieving satisfaction and a sense of fulfilment in their workers, everyone benefits from a better bottom line. In those companies that do not encourage this bottom line is still there but could be so much better.

This work, complied over several years makes very interesting reading, as the subject of incentivising is examined, to the detriment of the system, the role of repetitious work  allows for de-humanising and boredom to be present in the workplace, what is considered menial employment or unskilled verses skilled labour is also addressed with a number of valid points made about the issue that it does not really matter what you do, to do it with pleasure, enjoyment and a sense of achievement is what counts the most.

He speaks of the Industrial revolutions role in de-humanising the workplace. Initially it raised millions of people out of abject poverty and to a point is still doing so today. The downside is that it has created a ‘poverty of the spirit’ which comes at a price, a price many companies and corporations appear to be willing to pay!

He puts forward that to change this acceptance of ‘work’ creating the ‘poverty of the spirit’, we the people can take up the challenge and commence the change which can lead to a  better quality of life for all involved, which will result in happier, healthier, satisfies workers and workplaces.

Can’t be a bad thing, can it!