The conscience of the organization

1. Awagu, I. V. Esq
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The Human Person and
Current Organizational
Realities

2. Objectives
Examining the dignity of the human person who is
an employee in an organization considering the
different life stages and needs
Interjecting the current organizational realities
and respect for the transcendent dignity of the
human person
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3. The Human Person
Rational and spiritual
Self determination
Freedom
Equality
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4. Human Person and Human Dignity
The human person represents the ultimate end of
the society
Human dignity refers to that unalienable right of
each individual human being to self-respect and
respect from others, to set one’s own standards
and principles of living, and to live accordingly
Essentially relational and central to life
To be respected, protected and promoted
Coexistence of rights and duties
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5. Current Organizational Realities
Underemployment
Profit maximization
Instrumentality of labour
Individualism among workers
Labour policies?
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6. Consequences
Greater inequality
More poverty
Depression, suicides, and other health problems
Job insecurity
Employee burnout
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7. Implications for organizations
HR strategies that hold the employees as central to
the organizational success not mere instruments,
eg not recourse to value of the employee for short
term profitability
For organizational priorities and decisions around
employment, development, and/or employee
turnover, the people and their dignity are taken
into account
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8. Implications for Organizations
Beyond employees, other parties or stakeholders
(customers, clients, investors, government, etc)
can engage in a meaningful exchange which is
focused on respect, protection, and promotion of
human dignity for all
This does not suggest that business concerns, such
profits, are no longer relevant; but geared towards
long term viability of the organization
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9. Implications for Organizations
When organizations commit to human dignity, as a
defining principle, it changes the meaning people
attribute towards their jobs as well as the meaning
which organizations have in society
People become part of organizations to create and
produce, and to be a member of a group, and
through being part give meaning to their lives
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10. Means
Workplace Democracy: involve all organizational
members in the process of deciding how work
should be conducted, and more generally
empowering employees to be committed to, and
engaged with, all facets of the organization
equality of employees and managers, distribution
of powers
potential for higher involvement and autonomy
avoids favoritism, cronyism, and corruption
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11. A New Paradigm
In contrast to the neoliberal utilitarian approach
of perceiving people as instrumental, or as
resources to be used and to be expended, human
resource management can be designed based on
the philosophical alternative of human dignity
Human dignity and organizational democracy can
be applied to activities like resourcing and
performance management, across the employee
life cycle from joining an organization, through
development and growth, to eventually leaving
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12. Human Dignity and Employee Life Cycle
Human resource management structured to
attract suitable candidates
Right branding and resourcing : recruitment and
deployment
Performance and reward management
Learning and development, talent management
practices
Management of employment relations
Exit management
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13. Conclusion and Recommendation
Given that man has the responsibility to chart the
course of his life, he should not be manipulated,
but directed and guided
Value- driven HR management, policies, processes
and practice should be entrenched in human
dignity
Organizations that are human focused develop
culture of excellence through collegiality and
integration, building a community of committed
persons
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