What are work ethics and how are yours?—Part 1

On and on go these insulting remarks and degrading comments. Stop degrading our people and study the facts. Rarely does anyone stop to discuss and define exactly what “work ethics” are. Are they a set of inborn criteria exclusive only to a select group of people? Do only non-resident workers possess them? If so how did they acquire them? Or can work ethics be learned with proper motivation? Have work ethics evolved over the ages or have they always been the same?

It is so easy to hurl degrading remarks at the local workforce without understanding what we are saying. Walk awhile with me while we review what work ethics are and how they evolved through time adapting to changes. After our discussion, I firmly believe you will agree with me that anyone can develop a strong work ethic with the proper incentives and motivation. Work habits are taught, not inborn. Think of our own. Who molded our work ethics and how? Are ours so good? Why do some people have better work ethics than others? To improve we must understand what work ethics are and how they evolved.

“Work ethics include not only how one feels about his job, career or vocation, but also how one does his/her job or responsibilities. This involves attitude, behavior, respect, communication, and interaction; how one gets along with others. Work ethics demonstrate many things about whom and how a person is.” This quote sums up the basics of a sound work ethic. How does one acquire such a wide range of traits that develop into a sound work ethic? Aren’t these traits learned as most other things in our lives?

Work ethics are intrinsic; they come from within. Recall that the word “ethic” means the discipline concerning what is good and bad, moral duty and obligation; a theory or system of moral values. The word “work” means an activity in which one exerts strength or facilities to do or perform something; a sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieves an objective or result; usually associated with earning a livelihood. In plain words: “work ethic”—a belief in activity as a moral good. And morals come from religious beliefs. If we are to accept the above than it follows that work ethics come from God. God made

humans in His image, and His word proclaims these various work ethics—honesty, integrity, doing a job well, keeping things above board, and accountability factors.

What was likely an ideal work situation was disrupted when sin entered the world and humans were ejected from the Garden of Eve. Genesis 3:19 described the human plight from that time on. “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

For much of the ancient history of the human race, work was hard and degrading. Working hard—without being forced—was not the norm for the Hebrew, Greeks, Romans, or medieval cultures. The Greeks, like the Hebrews, also regarded work as a curse. Manual labor was for slaves. The Greeks also denounced mental labor. The Greek word for work was ponos taken from the Latin poena, which meant “sorrow.” The Romans also held manual labor in low esteem. They used slaves in large numbers to perform most of their daily labor including construction. The only two occupations suitable for a free man were agriculture and big business.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, a period emerged called the Middle Ages, from c.400AD until c.1400AD. Taking the philosophy of work from the Hebrew, Greek and Roman themes, work was still perceived as punishment from God for man’s original sin. During this period categories or classes of work were defined. The Christian Church taught it was the duty of a worker to remain in his class, passing on his family work from father to son. Work did not have any intrinsic value. It was performed to meet the physical needs of one’s family and community.

It was not until the Protestant Reformation that physical labor became culturally acceptable for all persons even the wealthy. Martin Luther and John Calvin introduced the concept that all men must work, even the rich, because to work was to do the will of God. This Protestant work ethic gave moral sanction to profit. Recall how later Benjamin Franklin became an example of diligence in work, scrupulous use of time, and deferment of pleasure. It became the popular philosophy of work in the Western World.

Stay with me a little longer. It gets a little complicated here. But once we understand, we can improve our skilled labor training problem in the CNMI.

When the Industrial Revolution started, the concept of the work ethic began to change again. In previous times, the idea prevailed that an individual could advance through life by his own efforts. This was now being replaced by machine manufacture and intensive division of labor. In the factories, skill and craftsmanship were replaced by discipline and anonymity. The trend was towards a semi-skilled labor force. The worker began to resemble the machine he was told to operate. Gradually the worker lost his humanness and his desire to work. Did you ever see the great silent movie “Modern Times” featuring the late Charlie Chaplin satirizing this inhuman treatment of humans as cogs in a machine?

By the end of World War II, scientific management and the behaviorist school began to disagree on the role of the worker. An adversarial relationship between employee and employer developed. Unions emerged further pitting management against workers. The behaviorist argued that workers were not lazy, while the scientific management argued that they were. If the work environment failed to provide a challenge, workers did become lazy, but if appropriate opportunities were provided, workers would become creative and motivated.

Remember that throughout history, work had been associated with pain, sacrifice, and drudgery. For the Hebrews as well as the medieval Christians, the unpleasantness of work was associated with Divine punishment for man’s sin. The Protestant ethic maintained that work was a sacrifice that demonstrated moral worthiness, and it stressed the importance of postponed gratification. Work hard now and enjoy life in Heaven.

With the coming of the information age, however, work came to be perceived as good and rewarding in itself. Soon we had white collar workers and blue collar workers. Each class tried to define his work ethic and searched for a sense of satisfaction. Quality and level of education came to play an important role in the type of work performed. Changes in gender and age of workers began to affect and influence the pattern of work related norms such as the work ethic.

Let’s pause here until next week when we will discuss how children and all of us are influenced by the attitudes of others towards work. If we understand the forces affecting us, we can improve the local workforce work ethics and attitudes. I know I learned my work ethics from my parents and other adults. Where did you learn yours? So we must teach our people the same way. Have a nice day until next week.