Fourth IECO-RCC International Colloquium

The panelists and the organizer of the Colloquium, they answer to the question of how important it is for work to be meaningful and to what can organizations do to encourage meaningful work.

Several participants talk about their experience, and of the implications of considering meaningfulness at work. In particular, three PhD researchers, a member of the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley University; a visiting professor from Harvard University and the Dean of the School of Business and Economics CUA, in Washington DC.

Santiago Martínez, (IECO Researcher [Finland] – University of Valencia), explained how loving through work is the key to dignify professional work , and emphasized the need of a trustworthy environment as a condition for work to be dignified and as a requirement to find the intrinsic value that every particular task has.

Donna Hicks, PhD (Weatherhead Center for International Affairs – Harvard University), illustrated how people who feel their dignity injured are the ones who lose the sense of meaningfulness at work most easily.

Michael G. Pratt, PhD (Carroll School of Management – Boston College), clarified the difference between meaning and meaningfulness of work, explained the common barriers to meaningful work in organizations, and discussed how organizations can foster work meaningfulness for different types of employees and the benefits they derive from it (e.g., greater trust).

Francis J. Daly, (Kallman Executive Fellow CBE – Bentley University) pointed out that the meaning of work is not just its result, but more importantly how the worker relates to the work.

Moderator William English, PhD (Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University), opened the colloquium describing the historical evolution of the meaning of work from having a negative connotation – according to which work belonged to servants and slaves – to the importance it has today, when work is considered as part of personal development.

In April 4th, 2016, the Fourth IECO-RCC International Colloquium at Harvard addressed the topic “Building Trust in Organizations through Meaningful work”. This series of colloquia is an initiative of Manuel Guillén, IECO’s founder and director, and Valencia University representative at the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard. The event has been supported by the Abigail Adams Institute (Harvard). This year, the question of trust and loving through work inspired a lively discussion among the speakers and the audience on the dignity and meaningfulness of professional work. The guest speakers were: • William English, PhD, Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University (Moderator). • Francis J. Daly, Kallman Executive Fellow CBE – Bentley University. • Michael G. Pratt, PhD, Carroll School of Management – Boston College. • Donna Hicks, PhD, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs – Harvard University. • Santiago Martínez, IECO Researcher (Finland) – University of Valencia.