Work and labor have been deeply discussed by religious texts and philosophers. Indian and Eastern work philosophies view work itself as the purpose of work. Bhagavad Gita says: You are not entitled to receive the results of your work. The Gita also endorses the importance of doing good work for the world. “A wise man works for the welfare of the world without thinking of himself.” This speaks of social good and the purpose of work. The Confucian view of work emphasizes honesty, loyalty, and diligence as the core of human beings. They also expected individuals to work hard towards improving groups and organizations, and ultimately towards nation building. Chinese management is still heavily focused on Confucian values, often centered around individualistic achievement and goodness beyond goals.
Confucianism encourages five virtues. yi, or justice. Re, Relevance. Will, or Wisdom. And xin, or reliability. Confucian administrators are expected to be considerate, moral, maintain dignity, be wise, and be true to their word. Confucius’ “gentlemen” were expected to meet a higher standard. However, it is not always seen in today’s Chinese management. Indeed, this aspect of the Confucian work philosophy emphasizes sacrifice and focuses on what is right for the overall good. Encouragement to tune into thoughts is related to Confucian philosophy.
Some of the most influential ideas about work and work that shaped Western work culture were those of Aristotle and Plato. The terms “practice” and “poiesis” were used by Aristotle in this context. The practice is very similar to Eastern and Indian work philosophies. The work itself is finished. Poiesis focuses on the results of work for others and for oneself. Poiesis also underlies the focus on individual goals and efforts to achieve them.
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle distinguished between praxis, an action done for its own sake, and poiesis, an activity aimed at producing something useful. The end result is emphasized in Western work philosophies characterized by goal and results orientation.
On a more practical level, poiesis in the context of current work goes hand in hand with performance-oriented culture. A central aspect of this also boils down to what an individual can produce as an output, or as a difference to the firm’s output. Aristotle also focused on the “human factor” in the workplace. Aspects such as trust, happiness, and even personal ambitions for growth and development were emphasized in his thinking. He also believed that while it is important to work for self-development, overwork may produce mediocrity and not lead to evolved humans who are useful to society. It gave great meaning to thought and contemplation. This contrasts with the Judeo-Christian approach to work and labor, which sees work as the suffering of human sins. Working here is an act of redemption.
But Christian practice in terms of economic value added was also characterized by economic efficiency, dignity, friendship among fellow workers, and an underlying foundation of love and care. , was also a departure from the Greek idea that only a few were entitled to higher jobs and others were slaves. Organizations have strived through a variety of practices to create a unified approach to everyone in the workplace, but the fundamental approach to life and work embedded in different cultures is the have a great impact on how we treat
Recently, the Japanese ikigai approach has become very important. Ikigai is the reason for my existence. It gives a person a sense of purpose. Deeply rooted in traditional Japanese culture, Ikigai encourages people to find what gives them meaning. Finding your purpose in life also gives you a direction.
Article on how to find ikigai at work: ikigai is what you are good at, how you can use it in the world, how it can reward you, and what you really want to do Notice how you can connect with It takes effort for everyone to be able to express their ikigai. Ikigai lies at the intersection of the answers to her four aforementioned questions. You might be doing something you really love, but if you don’t make money doing it, it might not be easy to maintain. Similarly, if you are good at what you do but have nothing to do with the outside world, it can be difficult to keep trying or even make it meaningful. Human ikigai philosophies have been found to have a tremendous impact on individuals. Studies have shown that people who report having an ikigai experience at work are happier and even report fewer health problems than those who don’t.
The need for Japan’s development and growth has also led individuals to put a lot of effort into their work. The cultural aspect of work was overwhelmed by the needs of the country. The term karoshi began to gain more attention in the context of national work.three
The reason was believed to lie behind this work culture in Japan.
• Japan’s desire to be on par with the West
• Collectivist thinking
• Use of convenient services
The overall interest of the nation is the purpose of people being overworked, but it can be very damaging if individuals cannot cope with it.
Another interesting aspect of strong cultural tradition is that of sisu. It is Finnish and means strength or perseverance in a task that may seem crazy to undertake and almost hopeless to some. Sisu also includes the concepts of fortitude and resilience. Society considers it worthy of respect for someone to get through very difficult times, and the same is true in the area of work. It also means accepting difficulties and adapting to them. The main point of the sisu concept in modern work life is that building resilience allows us to get through tough times and stay focused on what we want to achieve.
Excerpted with permission Be purposeful: find greater meaning and engagement in your work, Sandeep K. Krishnan, Penguin.
