Employees and managers alike seek ways to be happy and effective in the workplace--an arena in which we all spend many hours of our week. Community is an essential ingredient in a healthy and productive work environment: when asked what people like about their jobs, it's not uncommon to hear "We're like a family," or "Here, I'm part of a community." Considering the numerous models conceptualized to support creation of emotionally satisfying and behaviorally productive work settings, it is perhaps surprising that the topic of community at work has been underexplored.
Based on sound theoretical foundations and empirical findings from the science of management and community research and action, Building Community at Work guides scholars, employees, and leaders of organizations toward creating communities at work in any institutional sector. To make abstract theory concrete, Neil Boyd weaves scientific models and concepts together with the story of a young business owner's journey to becoming an industry leader in building communities. The book also provides practical considerations for professionals to analyze and conceive ways to create communities at work. In Boyd's accessible and grounded analysis, find the building blocks for transforming the workplace into a flourishing community.
This book serves as a guide for scholars, employees, and leaders of organizations to conceive and build community in the workplace--necessary for a healthy and productive work environment. Weaving scientific theory, models, and concepts together with the story of a young executive learning how to foster community in her business, Neil Boyd illustrates the practical considerations to consider in building community at work. Building Community at Work translates the theoretical foundations and empirical findings from the science of management and community research into clear ways to harness community to improve the workplace.
Series Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Amanda's Journey Begins and the Concept of Community: Origins and History
Life Is Great and the Community Imperative
It's Not All Roses and Defining and Measuring Community at Work
Seeking Help and Planning to Build Community
Putting It All Together and Building Community
References
Index
Neil Boyd is the David J. & Deborah West Professor of Management, and Chair of the Management & Organizations Department in the Freeman College of Management at Bucknell University. His published work examines topics about people in organizations, human resource management, management consulting, and managing for sustainability. His work has appeared in leading publication outlets in the fields of management, public management, and community psychology. His recent work examines psychological experiences of community at work and how employees and organizations can benefit when a workplace is infused with a culture of community. He is also well known for his extensive research at the intersection of organization studies and community psychology, and his work on "other-regarding" motivation constructs (i.e., public service motivation, sense of community responsibility, and prosocial motivation) is leading to new discoveries in behavioral public management.
