Work ethic is a belief that work and diligence have a moral benefit and an inherent ability, virtue or value to strengthen character and individual abilities. Desire or determination to work serves as the foundation for values centered on the importance of work or industrious work. Social ingrainment of this value is considered to enhance character through hard work that is respective to an individual's field of work.
In ancient Greece, work was seen as a burden, and their term for it, "ponos," shared its root with the Latin word "poena," signifying sorrow. In Hebrew, work was associated with toil, representing the laborious act of extracting sustenance from the challenging earth. It was viewed as a consequence of the original sin in the Adam and Eve narrative. The Bible in reflects this, stating that due to their transgression, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground."
Factors of a good work ethic
Proponents of a strong work ethic consider it to be important for achieving goals, that it gives strength to their orientation and the right mindset. A work ethic is a set of moral principles a person uses in their job. People who possess a strong work ethic embody certain principles that guide their work behaviour; to develop and process a strong work ethic will inevitably result in the production of high-quality work which is consistent. The output motivates them to stay on track. A good work ethic fuels an individual's needs and goals, it is related to the initiative by a person for the objectives. It is considered as a source of self respect, satisfaction, and fulfillment.
Factors are: Goal-oriented actions: It is not about making plans or the next logical steps; it is about getting things done so that the work invested would not be counter-productive. Prioritized focus: Focusing on qualitative activities that a person is responsible for and in areas where they can make a difference or a high impact based on objectives. Being available and reliable: Spending time on the work and building oneself up for the task. Conscientiousness: A desire to do a task well, being vigilant and organized. Creating a rewarding routine/system: Engaging in tasks that provide strength and energy which can be transferred to your ultimate goals, creating a habit and a habitat for success. Embracing positivism: Shape a problem with the statement "good, (action) (problem)", e.g. "I'm tired and it is time for a workout" leads to "Good. Workout tired".
Work ethic also has been measured as a multidimensional variable composed of seven factors, including self-reliance, ethical behavior, valuing leisure time, hard work, giving importance/centrality of work, productive use of time, and delay of gratification.
A negative work ethic is a behavior of a single individual or a group that has led to a systematic lack of productivity, reliability, accountability and a growing sphere of unprofessional/unhealthy relationships (e.g., power politics, lack of social skills, etc.).
Assumptions
Assumptions about good work ethic, drawn out in the philosophical writings of Goldman, are:
The path to what you want is to take action. The success of action plans depend upon how congruent one's worldview (Weltanschauung) is with the society's. Many problems faced are only a temporary breakdown of self management. Setting time limits for achieving goals helps to overcome the edge of discomforts that time can have on subjective needs. A positive problem-solving or goal attainment experience improves one's ability to cope with the next difficulty. Hardships in life is a normality, they become a problem when they are the same over and over. A person is what s/he does, and feelings flow from behavior. Feelings can be viewed as beliefs about one's wants. How hard you work will determine how far you go.
Capitalist view
The Puritans who settled in New England around the 17th and 18th centuries believed that working hard at one's call was a sign that one would be saved. They were followed by Calvinists who believed in predestination and had faith that they were chosen or had the call from God to fulfill their duty in the world. To both of them, accumulation of wealth was an indicator of working to their fullest capacity as a response to the call and assurance for earning salvation. These ideologies are the foundations of the Protestant work ethic.
Max Weber quotes the ethical writings of Benjamin Franklin: