Hardback
Justice in the Workplace
Overcoming Ethical Dilemmas
9781800373419 Edward Elgar Publishing
This timely book explores new social justice challenges in the workplace. Adopting a long-term perspective, it focuses on value conflicts, or ethical dilemmas, in contemporary organisations and ways to overcome them. Matthieu de Nanteuil demonstrates that the existence of value conflicts is not in itself problematic, but problems arise as actors do not have a frame of justice that allows them to overcome these conflicts without renouncing their deeply held values.
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Critical Acclaim
Contents
More Information
This timely book explores new social justice challenges in the workplace. Adopting a long-term perspective, it focuses on value conflicts, or ethical dilemmas, in contemporary organisations. Matthieu de Nanteuil holds a strong and original position in this regard. The problem is not so much the existence of value conflicts: it is more the fact that the actors do not have a frame of justice that allows them to overcome these conflicts without renouncing their deeply held values.
However – and this is crucial – these frames of justice are plural. The book proposes tangible solutions, based around four frames of justice: ethics of discussion, negotiation, development and recognition. It offers a systematic review of their strengths and weaknesses as applied to the workplace. The author translates them to real life situations through a range of case studies, demonstrating practical outcomes applicable to the day-to-day working environment and highlighting that there is no one universal approach.
Original and engaging, this book will be of interest to scholars of workplace ethics, labour policy, sociology of work and social theory. It will also be a key resource for HRM policy makers, trade unionists and managers dealing with human issues in the organisation.
However – and this is crucial – these frames of justice are plural. The book proposes tangible solutions, based around four frames of justice: ethics of discussion, negotiation, development and recognition. It offers a systematic review of their strengths and weaknesses as applied to the workplace. The author translates them to real life situations through a range of case studies, demonstrating practical outcomes applicable to the day-to-day working environment and highlighting that there is no one universal approach.
Original and engaging, this book will be of interest to scholars of workplace ethics, labour policy, sociology of work and social theory. It will also be a key resource for HRM policy makers, trade unionists and managers dealing with human issues in the organisation.
Critical Acclaim
‘In this valuable work, Matthieu de Nanteuil critically reflects on the ethical problems and challenges that arise in the workplace, within societies where cost-benefit calculations and power relationships prevail. The author very convincingly considers that workers deeply aspire, not only to meaning, but to social justice in their working environment – yet, that ways towards a more just working environment are plural. A very appropriate book in our turbulent era!’
– Maria Rocio Bedoya Bedoya, University of Antioquia, Colombia
‘Justice in the Workplace is an innovative and substantial book. Matthieu de Nanteuil argues that work settings are cultural experiences built on hidden value conflicts. Inspired by Spinoza, the author convincingly searches for an ethic of work based on the idea of a plurality of conflicting values. He guides the reader in a Grand Tour via Smith, Marx, Fraser, Boltanski, Sen, Nussbaum and Dejours to argue that conflicts at work are essential and can be overcome by using contextualized frames of justice. Neither capitalism nor ethical work dilemmas are one-dimensional, as the author illustrates by applying his approach to platform capitalism, agroecological transition and consultancy. This is compulsory reading for and beyond organisational sociologists. This book speaks to everyone interested in social justice and how to reach it and also to those who prefer to avoid the issue.’
– Trudie Knijn, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
‘This important book not only highlights the problems of justice in the workplace, it reframes the terms used to analyse justice in an original way. Thanks to a fruitful cross-fertilization between political philosophy and sociology of work, it proposes a rigorous framing of ethical issues applied to today''s rapidly changing professional worlds. Backed by particularly inspiring case studies, Matthieu de Nanteuil''s book is a major theoretical breakthrough that those interested in work, whether academics or not, cannot ignore.’
– Michel Lallement, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, France
‘A fascinating journey bringing philosophy to the workplace! This invigorating book suggests diverse approaches to justice in relation to ethical dilemmas at work. After having explored the theoretical foundations of value conflicts in modern organisations, it provides various case studies illuminating the relevance of ethical questions in the contemporary economy and sketches out resolutely new perspectives on social justice. It should serve as a key reference for all analysts and practitioners involved in the management field.’
– François Pichault, University of Liège, Belgium
– Maria Rocio Bedoya Bedoya, University of Antioquia, Colombia
‘Justice in the Workplace is an innovative and substantial book. Matthieu de Nanteuil argues that work settings are cultural experiences built on hidden value conflicts. Inspired by Spinoza, the author convincingly searches for an ethic of work based on the idea of a plurality of conflicting values. He guides the reader in a Grand Tour via Smith, Marx, Fraser, Boltanski, Sen, Nussbaum and Dejours to argue that conflicts at work are essential and can be overcome by using contextualized frames of justice. Neither capitalism nor ethical work dilemmas are one-dimensional, as the author illustrates by applying his approach to platform capitalism, agroecological transition and consultancy. This is compulsory reading for and beyond organisational sociologists. This book speaks to everyone interested in social justice and how to reach it and also to those who prefer to avoid the issue.’
– Trudie Knijn, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
‘This important book not only highlights the problems of justice in the workplace, it reframes the terms used to analyse justice in an original way. Thanks to a fruitful cross-fertilization between political philosophy and sociology of work, it proposes a rigorous framing of ethical issues applied to today''s rapidly changing professional worlds. Backed by particularly inspiring case studies, Matthieu de Nanteuil''s book is a major theoretical breakthrough that those interested in work, whether academics or not, cannot ignore.’
– Michel Lallement, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, France
‘A fascinating journey bringing philosophy to the workplace! This invigorating book suggests diverse approaches to justice in relation to ethical dilemmas at work. After having explored the theoretical foundations of value conflicts in modern organisations, it provides various case studies illuminating the relevance of ethical questions in the contemporary economy and sketches out resolutely new perspectives on social justice. It should serve as a key reference for all analysts and practitioners involved in the management field.’
– François Pichault, University of Liège, Belgium
Contents
Contents: Introduction – Social justice in the workplace: New challenges, new perspectives 2. The spirit of the Enlightenment 3. Work and values: A critical genealogy 4. Social justice in the workplace: Four frames of justice to overcome ethical dilemmas 5. Social justice in the workplace: Three recent case studies 6. What is a more just workplace? Prospects for the future Bibliography Index
