Synopses & Reviews
An in-depth historical, philosophical, theological--and practical--exploration of work from an evangelical perspective. Hardy discusses several historical views of work from the ancient Greeks onward, highlighting the Christian concept of vocation as articulated by Luther and Calvin; these expositions lead to practical applications regarding the personal issue of career choice and the important (but often neglected) social issue of job design.
Review
Theology Today "This book is useful for those who seek to understand and interpret work in the modern world. It gives a realistic understanding of the complexity of the workplace and the complexity of working. . . It raises both the personal and the social and systematic issues surrounding work. It addresses those looking to enter the world of work, those already at work, those whose work is not paid work or employment work, and those who have responsibility for the form and character of the workplace."
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 186-208) and indexes.
About the Author
Professor of philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has written articles in the areas of philosophy and the theology of vocation.
Table of Contents
The shaping of human work : management theory and job design. Frederick W. Taylor : the imposition of science and the butalization of work -- Elton Mayo : the Hawthorne Experiment and the discovery of the human dimension of work -- Chris Argyris : conflicts between organizational structure and human self-realization -- Frederick Herzberg : human needs, motivation and hygiene -- Douglas McGregor : Theory X, Theory Y, and management by integration -- Peter F. Drucker : respect for persons, management by objectives, and responsible work -- Robert Levering : the ethics of trust and the politics of fair play in great workplaces -- The bottom line : must we choose between people and profits? -- Live options for job design : restoring a sense of vocation to work.