The reality of work cultures in the modern economy Essay - 1

The reality of work cultures in the modern economy - Essay Example These issues are explored in this paper. The study of Sennett (1999) is used as the core source for explaining the various aspects of the above problems. It is proved that in modern organizational employees are under severe pressures no matter their position in the organizational hierarchy. In the modern workplace the employment relationship has been highly transformed. Emphasis is given not on the respect of routine of work but rather on the high exposure to risk and on the potential to follow â€Å"orders on short notice† (Sennett 1999, p.9). The new status of work is therefore characterized by extensive flexibility (Sennett 1999), a trend that threatens traditional work values, such as commitment and trust. Indeed, an employee who has to face continuous changes in his work schedule is likely to feel less committed to his organization. The need to follow a highly flexible mode of employment has led employees to become more anxious (Sennett 1999). In the long term, this practice can lead to irreversible problems in employees’ performance, harming, at the next level, employees’ health (Sennett 1999). In other words, the modern ways of working can injure employees, even if it may takes a bit of time for the relevant injuries to appear clearly. For S mil (2013) the expansion of IT systems in the workplace has led to the limitation of organizations’ needs in terms of workforce, a phenomenon which is clearer in the manufacturing industry. In this context, IT technology has injured employees by limiting their value in the workplace. At the same time, the modern employment relations framework has also influenced employees’ character. This issue is made clear through the following fact: character, as a critical characteristic of humans, includes a range of elements, such as: the personal values and commitment, the goals set in regard to personal and professional life and the hierarchy of personal needs and desires