Research published in Nature Communications suggests that individual beliefs about authority and justice can be influenced through workplace meetings in which workers are encouraged to participate.
Attitudes about authority and social justice are often thought to be lasting, stable traits that stem from early life experiences and are typically passed down generations. A second school of thought, on the other hand, posits that these types of beliefs can be swayed through social interventions, for example, in the workplace.
In two experimental studies, researchers Sherry Jueyu Wu and Elizabeth Levy Paluck set out to examine whether participatory workplace meetings can influence employee beliefs about authority and social justice.
An initial study was conducted among 1,752 workers at a textile factory in China. The sample was 94% female and participants were an average of 32 years old. Half the participants were randomly assigned to attend a weekly participatory meeting for six weeks, while the other half attended their usual morning meetings. The participatory meetings were 20-minute long group discussions where workers were encouraged to share their work experiences and offer personal strategies.
Four weeks after the intervention, all factory workers completed a survey measuring their participation in society and attitudes toward authority. Overall, the researchers found that most participants “slightly agreed” with statements outlining total obedience and respect toward authority. Those who participated in the group discussions, however, scored significantly lower in generalized attitudes toward authority than those who did not. They also scored significantly lower on the measure of belief in a just world.
The workers in the participatory meetings also perceived greater conflict between managers and workers in Chinese society. On the other hand, they reported a more positive attitude toward management of their own factory. The authors suggest that, after having their voices exercised and heard in the group discussions, employees’ feelings towards their workplace management improved, which contrasted with how they felt about authority figures in the greater society.
This shift in beliefs appeared to extend to workers’ day to day lives. Those involved in the group discussions also reported greater participation in family life and a greater interest in political participation. The researchers discuss the significance of these findings within the context of female factory workers in China who tend to be disempowered within their society. “That greater critique of authority and lowered belief in the justness of the world would accompany a self-reported increase in assertion of the self suggests a global shift that might be cautiously labeled ‘empowerment,’” the authors remark.
A second study more or less replicated these findings in a different sample — a group of 172 staff members at an American university. Staff members were randomly assigned to either continue with their usual weekly meetings or to participate in six weekly group discussions led by their supervisor.
Following the intervention, workers who had taken part in the participatory meetings were less likely to agree with unquestioned submission toward authority than those who had not. These workers also scored lower in belief in a just world.
In both studies, participants were workers positioned toward the bottom of their organization’s hierarchy. The researchers suggest that enabling such workers to speak their minds and contribute to meetings was likely especially empowering. Future research should explore whether beliefs can be similarly influenced in people in higher status positions.
The authors conclude that their findings suggest that a complete restructuring of the workplace may not be necessary to sway workers’ societal views. Instead, a small change in employee work life can spark lasting change.
The study, “Participatory practices at work change attitudes and behavior toward societal authority and justice”, was authored by Sherry Jueyu Wu and Elizabeth Levy Paluck.
(Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay)
