Activities previously considered the exception are now the norm, and it’s time for a serious work culture revamp
Post Date – 12:40 AM, Wednesday – 11/30/22
By Shrirang Ramdas Chaudhary, Moitrayee Das
We live in a world where our work defines our existence. An over-discussed workplace culture is now synonymous with stress and burnout, among other problems and health issues. The idea that “work is worship” has morphed into this toxic idea that if a person doesn’t exceed what is expected of them, they are not doing enough. The meaning of “enough” has also changed considerably over the years. Activities previously considered the exception are now the norm. Work seeps into our lives with no end in sight.
Job creep is defined as the constant pressure felt by employees to do more than the job requires (Dyne & Ellis, 2004). Those who did not fulfill the requirements of the job were considered lazy and inefficient rather than ideal workers. The over-productive capitalist world we live in today has us running and breathing “work” every second.
“Busy” badge
Anthony Klotz, an organizational psychologist and associate professor at UCL Management School of Management, believes that the lack of boundaries at work is one of the many reasons why work seems to be creeping into our lives (Tatum, 2022). Exceptions are turned into expectations when norms of reciprocity that have evolved over time no longer apply.
The level and intensity of being “busy” is seen as a badge of honor. Employers don’t seem to have a problem with this. They appreciate and promote these behaviors more. Although this toxic culture has been normalized, it appears to be partly withdrawing. The pandemic has spurred clarity on what’s happening in every area of life. People are reevaluating the concept of work and what it really means to them.
Katie Bailey, Professor of Work and Employment at King’s College London, explained (Tatum, 2022) that apparently most people disagree with the idea that doing a good job means doing more work. The younger generation has a better understanding and awareness of their overall health and they refuse to accept the fact that the only path to the top is “burnout”.
falling rate of return
Employees also realize that while demands from employers are gradually increasing, returns are not, a mismatch that makes them question their true benefactors of overtime. However, it is important to note that very few people can afford the option to change jobs or quit their jobs. In an age of rising unemployment, recession, social barriers and meager wages and salaries, finding a job has become a luxury.
Fineman (2006) argues that it is often difficult to distinguish between positive and negative aspects of work, which requires a more nuanced and balanced understanding of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). OCB is defined as “discretionary individual behavior that is not directly or explicitly recognized by a formal reward system and that generally contributes to the effective functioning of an organization” (Organ, 1988). Job creep is the result of an escalation in organizational citizenship behavior that causes employees to engage in work-related activities outside normal working hours.
Dyne and Elias (2004) provided OCB’s theory of defiance in terms of employees’ overfulfillment of obligations and explained the interplay between supervisors’ and peers’ perceptions of obligations and employees’ self-esteem and personal control. Research shows that job creep results in employees having poor work-life balance and often not having enough time to recharge through leisure or sleep (Jonge, Shimazu, & Dollard, 2018), which seriously affects their overall well-being.
silent killer
Scholars also believe that a lack of transparency and communication may be one of the reasons for the job creep effect (Harrin, 2018). Michael Wellin (2007) notes that in the job creep effect, behaviors and performances that were once optional are now expected. These non-subtle shifts in workplace norms are more problematic than they appear. Sias & Duncan (2019) interestingly explain how job creep is affected by the level and intensity of relationships between leaders and their members. Thus, the debate about positive and negative antecedents of OCB prospects and job creep can be better understood through the process of normative shift or psychopathization (Haslam, Tse, & Deyne, 2021).
While external competitive pressures, poor (task/product) planning, and lack of communication clearly play a role in stimulating work creep in teams; several interaction frameworks such as power distance, upward influence, locus of control, blurred boundaries, and aid organizations can reveal more Good way to protect from work creep.
Structural change, even if it is needed immediately, takes time to fully develop. However, we must remember that the everyday phenomena that may emerge over time, such as quiet resignations, job creep, and every such phenomenon, force us to re-examine a fact that we seem to forget very easily-human beings are not machine. However, when treated like one, they eventually wear out and shut down. Now is the time to acknowledge, understand and seriously revamp work culture instead of taking pride in it.
(Shrirang Ramdas Chaudhary is Pinsight Research Advisor, PV-Global Human Capital Company. Moitrayee Das is Assistant Professor of Psychology, Pune FLAME University)
