Revisiting the Work Ethic in America

Abstract

Starring with a reflection on the September l l th, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center and the corporate fraud and bankruptcies of 2002, the authors provide an overview of the professional literature concerning the origins, evolution, practice, and future implications of the work ethic in the United States. Discussion focuses on the American work ethic from both a historical and a modern-day perspective, highlighting the formation of what is now considered a major paradigm of work; views on the changing nature of the work ethic, especially for women and members of minority groups; and implications for career counselors.What is the American work ethic and how does it matter to people, especially career counselors and the people they serve? Tragically, new stimuli and recent events add weight to the discussion on the ongoing, seriatim, and incremental changes related to this complex topic and question. In the shock and numbing aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center in September 2001 came months of countless accounts of heroic responses and initiatives during and following the collapse of the World Trade Center. Firefighters, police officers, counselors, and other workers from all walks oflife were celebrated collectively and individually for their diligence, courage, and selfless attention to duty. In a national and international search for healing and recovery came repeated instances of human concern and outreach and ofhuman dignity and reverential appreciation of and respect for others. In narratives and pictures in all the media, workers were celebrated and remembered in a manner unknown to current generations. Terkel's (1972) accounts of quiet, individual searches for meaning in life and work were writ large and loudly celebrated in numerous reports of human capacity, dedication, inspiration, and generosity in what had been previously taken for granted as mere quotidian, workaday tasks. In many respects, these noble, heroic, and unselfish acts were manifestations of ideal aspects of the American work ethic. dishonesty, fraud, and other corruption brought back the reality of the human potential for evil and moral frailty. Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, and other corporate entities became major, glaring examples ofreprehensible and irresponsible corporate mismanagement; public deception; and worker disenfranchisement. Unanticipated bankruptcies ofthese and other major corporations destroyed worker pensions and shook the foundations oftrust in the capitalistsystem as the public sawexecutives pleading the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination while retaining fortunes that resulted from the fraud and mismanagement by corporate officials and while Wall Street brokers and investors looked for an end to this economic debacle.Ironically, at the same time the United States commemorated the dignity of work and workers involved in surviving and rebounding from the devastation of the World Trade Center, Americans saw pillars ofindustry and commerce acknowl...

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An empirical study of leadership, organizational culture, conflict, and work ethic in determining work performance in Indonesia's education authority

“…However, the work ethic discussed by Weber (1958) has a Protestant work ethic context. Over time, these paradigm shifts, from religious perspectives on work to the secularization of work ( McCortney and Engels, 2003 ). When referring to studies discussing work ethic proposed by Weber, some of the behaviors associated with a strong work ethic are asceticism, integrity, independence, diligence, motivation, loyalty, and dependability ( Hill, 1996 ; Kern, 1998 ).…”

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