Dimensions of Work

Conditions

Work and wellbeing are frequently brought together on the dimension of working conditions. These include material, legal, contractual, social, and institutional conditions under which a work activity takes place. Working conditions influence other dimensions and how they are perceived by the working person significantly. 

Floating Item

Power structures

Scope

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Interactive Example

Move the slider to explore how working conditions can differ

Noise, time pressure, temporary contracts

Good conditions?

Many people have clear ideas about the conditions they ideally do or do not want to work under. To a certain degree, this is dependent on one’s personal situation. While some people crave a quieter environment, others feel isolated – sometimes, the ideal lies neither in ‘a lot’ nor ‘a little’ but in the balance of two states.

In Conversation

McMindfulness

Hane Maung explains why promoting 'mindfulness' at work may have negative consequences, too:

Hane Maung, Lancaster University

Understanding work quality

Dimensions of Work

Research shows that not just the surrounding conditions matter when evaluating whether people experience higher or lower quality of work. Here you can find information and illustrations on the diverse aspects that matter for work quality. We have further developed a tool based on this model which allows you to explore and reflect on your own work quality. This tool is suitable for both paid and unpaid activities – so you don’t have to be in employment to give it a try.

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Conditions

legal, contractual and health-related conditions

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Scope

impact on time, identity and other areas of life

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Aesthetic

self-image, external perception, ergonomics, beauty

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Character

content, meaning, meaningfulness, product, value

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Recognition

personal and social appreciation

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Reward

what you receive – money, benefits, experience, emotions

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Power structures

power dynamics, hierarchies, social roles, relationships

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Self-reflection tool

Find out more about the quality of your work

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