Wednesday 22 July 09:50 - 11:20

Hall: 02 - Teatrino

Chair and Presenter: Mcwha-Herman Ishbel

Division: Division 1: Work and Organizational Psychology

This symposium showcases the forthcoming Research Handbook of Decent Work. The book takes an interdisciplinary and international approach to explore the concept of decent work and its importance in today's society. Decent work refers to employment that is productive, provides a fair income, offers social protection, and respects workers' rights. It is a fundamental human right, essential for promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, and achieving sustainable development. It is featured in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 8 and is linked to many more, including quality education, the elimination of poverty, and gender equality.
Research on decent work has accelerated over the past decade, drawing attention to its importance beyond disciplinary boundaries, and across various geographic, economic, and social contexts. Academic researchers have operationalised the concept and scrutinised its applicability in different contexts and for various workers across the globe. Beyond all this scrutiny, what has emerged is a compelling case for decent work as a means to promote social justice and well-being and create a more equitable and sustainable society. A strength of this session is the diversity of voices and perspectives, with speakers from across the globe sharing their research. FollowinganintroductionfromtheChair,DavidBlusteinwilltakeacontemporaryperspectivetoexploreif/howexistingideasofdecentworkmaybeunderstoodthroughaneoliberallens.Thisisimportantbecauseinitiativestoenhancedecentworkshouldprioritiseuniversalconceptssuchasdignityanddecency.Providingaclearexemplarofhowdecentworkexperiencescanvaryindifferentlocations,EstherGarcia-BuadeswillshareinsightsfromempiricalresearchundertakeninthetourismsectorintheBalearicIslands.Movingtoadifferentregionsoftheglobe,InesMeyerwillfocusonhowdecentworkisunderstoodandstudiedin"Africa",highlightinghowcertainperspectivesmightbeexcludedandtheneedforinclusionofdiversevoicesinconceptualisation.Examiningmigrantworkersexperiencesofdecentwork,MahaYomnSbaa'sresearchwillfocusonhowindividualperceptionsofdecentworkcanchangeduetolifeexperiences,andwhatwecanunderstandfromthisaboutthefundamentalmeaningofdecentwork.ThesymposiumbringsthisalltogetherwithTaniaFerraro'sworkinterrogatingtheroleofHRmanagersinsideorganisationsinshapingdecentworkforemployees.