On the organisation of sustainable prerequisites for the subjective well-being and growth of individuals

Abstract

The effects that work has on individuals are not unknown. The importance of work in terms of the subjective well-being and growth of individuals through their work, however, is not as extensively discussed and documented. Risk factors and unhealthy factors have long been discussed at the expense of positive conditions for well-being and personal growth. We like to call work with that type of potential regenerative work. Hence, that is the type of work that we have chosen to focus on in this study. The following research objectives have guided us through the study: Which everyday work processes may contribute to sustainable prerequisites for the subjective well-being and growth of individuals? The study takes an explorative approach to two workplaces—a care unit at a hospital and a manufacturing company. Our aim is to increase the understanding of prerequisites for the well-being and growth of individuals through their work. Three themes emerged in this type of regenerative work: performance, general overview and participation, and dialogue. These themes are problemised by looking at their potential in relation to the organisation of the work. Prerequisites for performance, general overview and participation, and finally dialogue prove to be more efficient in contexts where the complexity of the work and organisation is acknowledged and where there is room for inter-subjective sense-making and self-organising.