Work has been evolving with the introduction of new equipment and technologies. As the evolution took place, the work and the ways of execution, of any work, changed as well. Work is of various types in different historical contexts. In ancient times, agriculture was considered the noblest of work, and now office jobs are considered more sophisticated. Work, in all cultures, is the action involving energy (both mental and physical), force, and effort, which produces certain benefiting results. However, there is a stark contrast in the way each culture executes its work. In other words, different cultures have different workspaces. For example, in somewhat conservative cultures, female and male workspaces are distinct; even though they collaborate, they tend to remain in separate workspaces. For instance, university professors in Pakistan have separate halls where males and females work. However, during the examination, they tend to invigilate together. This is not observed in Western cultures. Mostly, males and females tend to work from the same workspaces.
The cultural difference does not only lie on the basis of gender only. In fact, the importance is given to work also differs according to cultures and countries. Cedricj informs us that in the USA, work is taken as part of one’s identity. This means that a person’s profession defines them (in the USA). “What do you do?” is really tantamount to asking, ‘What is your purpose? What is your identity?’ ‘How important are you?’ By the same token, if you are doing nothing or are unemployed, you are nothing.” (Cedricj, 2012). In other cultures, such as Mexican or French, importance is given to different pursuits. Work in the former is taken as an endeavor to support one’s family, whereas, in the latter, work is seen as a profession adopted not only for money but for the pursuit of pleasure. Most Eastern cultures also give importance to work because it gives one the opportunity to support their family.
My previous employer had been a very kind and intelligent man who valued teamwork and took into consideration everyone’s point of view before making any decision. This created an atmosphere of trust. The different ideas brought about would increase innovation and a sense of teamwork. Therefore, when the new employer took over, our meetings and briefings were used to include the participation of every single employee. This way, it can be said that our previous workplace culture was unintentionally induced in the new employer. Now he expects us to participate while making decisions. This is how workplace culture works. If a similar rule is applied to a larger societal culture, it will ensure that everybody is respectful of the other. We can say that teamwork has always been more successful while making decisions rather than a single authoritative figure’s decisions.
In addition to the implementation of teamwork, the culture of respecting boundaries and privacy has also had a very healthy impact on the workspace environment. For example, although two people sit next to each other, they try not to create a problem in other’s productivity. Therefore, it can also be said that a larger space or better facilities may have a positive impact on a worker’s efficiency. It, for the most part, depends upon a healthy and positive work environment. Even a cramped place can be a productive one if everyone keeps in mind the work ethics. The U.S. Workplace Survey shows that people employ their own desks to perform their work less frequently. All the innovators spend less time on their desks, instead, they keep “collaborating and socializing from conference rooms, open meeting areas, and café spaces. They also spend more time working away from the office entirely, averaging 74% of an average week in the office compared to 86% for respondents with the lowest innovation scores.” (Gensler, 2016). Therefore, better facilities and a larger workspace are beneficial to only a certain extent.
Work requires great mental activity; therefore, in order to perform a job efficiently, one needs to be in their comfort zone. The first requisite of a workspace is a space where one has the proper equipment to execute their tasks, and the second important thing is the least interference of others while doing so. All the employees should be supervised by their boss in order to ensure that no one is becoming a hindrance to someone else’s work. The employees should also be trained thus to ensure that they work in harmony with each other while also respecting everyone’s personal space. A professional environment needs to be different from the culture that we reside in. The culture outside the workplace is problematic. People are not as respectful of privacy as they are or should be at a workplace. Therefore, because an employee is an educated person, he or she is expected to act differently. This is how workplace culture should be different than the culture practiced outside an office.
From personal experience, I claim that humanities change the perspective from which we look at different artifacts. Even when they do not seem to possess any worth. One looks at a spoon and wonder how the artist put thought into it and molded it such. The artistic sense is heightened, especially if one looks at something made from the artist manually. One looks at the artifact and thinks about different theories and notions that might have been going on in the minds of the artist; different interpretations can be inferred. One cannot help but appreciate the genius of the artist. Humanities have always helped people in making the intellectual sense of the world. For instance, when I look at the urn made by our previous boss, I look at the way it was carved and how the colors speak more than the words written over it. The colors, although they are dull, they give hope to us.
Works Cited
- (2012, October 14). The Meaning of Work in Different Cultures. Retrieved from cedricj.wordpress.com: https://cedricj.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/the-meaning-of-work-in-different-cultures/
- (2016). Creating an Innovative Ecosystem. New York: Gensler.