Workplace Dignity

Summary

Workplace dignity refers to self-recognized worth and other-recognized worth acquired from or injured by engaging in work activity. It is a concept that encompasses three underlying yet contradictory meanings of dignity: inherent dignity (the unconditional value of all people), earned dignity (the worth that is generated by making socially valued contributions), and status dignity (the prestige tied to elevated social or organizational standing).

Dignity is further complicated in workplace contexts, as dignity can be both affirmed and threatened by inherent conditions of instrumentality and inequality. While there are material conditions that impact dignity, people most immediately and personally experience affirmations and threats through interpersonal communication. They also interpret cultural and organizational discourses that signal who and what is valued. Therefore, at its heart, dignity is a deeply communicative phenomenon.

This article identifies five central themes in workplace dignity research: research on workplace dignity employs a variety of methodological approaches, including ethnographies, interview-based studies, and survey methods, which have influenced what is known about dignity. Scholars attend closely to dignity vulnerabilities linked to identity, occupation, and economic insecurity. Researchers seek to understand individuals’ responses to dignity threats, whether through resilience (identity work, sensemaking, and seeking support), restoration, or resistance. Emerging research addresses cultural variations of dignity, examining dignity in global contexts and providing deeper nuance of localized meanings. Finally, dignity provides an important lens to address concerns surrounding the impact of artificial intelligence and algorithmic management on the future of work.