The decent things to do

• Published date: 26 November 2022
• Publication title: Mix, The

Two events in the past week startled me with the difference between them. First was the call from Elon Musk to his Twitter team to either commit to hard work and long hours or take severance pay. The second was the Grand Business South Awards celebrating business excellence in the South. Both these events made me reflect — for very different reasons — on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 8, which is about ‘‘sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’’

‘‘Decent work’’ is a term synonymous with a just transition and is often connected to the union movement. The International Labor Organisation sees decent work and productive employment as key aspects of reducing poverty and achieving fair globalisation.

In Aotearoa New Zealand the Council of Trade Unions uses the term ‘‘good work’’ and defines it as ‘‘work (mahi) that has a lasting positive impact on the worker, the employer, and the wider community. It is work that enhances the mana of workers, affords good pay and conditions, and where both employers and employees are treated with respect and dignity’’.

The CTU have eight elements of good work, including fair wages and economic security, freedom from exploitation, a worker voice, and work that is meaningful and fulfilling.

After watching the Business South awards finalists and winners I was struck by the way in which these businesses were creating ‘‘good work’’ for their employees . In contrast, the behaviour of Elon Musk, such as demanding employees work long hours at high intensity and firing people without process, seems far from that goal.

Changing workplace practices can be thought of as culture change. A framework to conceptualise culture change has been developed by a team of researchers led by Prof Janet Stephenson at the University of Otago’s Centre for Sustainability. It can help to make sense of the change needed for decent work and workplaces. The [Energy] Cultures Framework can help when thinking about change that might lead to excellence in organisational culture, through considering the three inter-related elements of material culture, practices and values/meanings. These elements dynamically operate to create a ‘‘culture’’ or way of doing things. Let’s think about this in relation to some of the things seen and heard at the Business South awards.

Materialities: What are the ‘‘things/stuff’’ that is needed for decent work cultures?

Creating space for people to work is...