Work Ethic Essay Example

As a child we are raised to follow certain rules and regulations and are taught to behave according to our parents’ morals and beliefs. The problem is when we become adults and enter the workforce, we find that some places of employment are aligned with our beliefs and morals and some operate totally against them. Most believe that work ethic comes from within. Our morals and values tend to determine how we behave in the workplace. So, what is work ethic? How has the definition of work ethic changed over time? Who or what determines proper work ethic? These are all questions that have a variety of answers to and in this paper I will explain them in detail.
What is work ethic? “Work ethic is a set of values on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence” (wikipedia.com). Work ethic has also been described as “a belief in moral benefit of work and its ability to enhance character” (wikipedia.com). It is believed that your work ethic determines how successful you are. It is said that workers exhibiting a good work ethic in theory and ideally in practice, should be selected for better positions, more responsibility and ultimately promotion (wikipedia.com). On the other hand it is said that workers that have bad work ethic, shouldn’t be promoted, paid high wages or even placed in positions of greater responsibility. The free market of western capitalism has an economic theory that states “workers who work hard and play by the rules will be rewarded eventually and will move ahead and those who don’t should be allowed to enjoy the fruits of their own poor performance” (wikipedia). Work ethic is a combination of how one feels about their job and how one performs his/her job responsibilities. “This involves attitude, behavior, respect, communication and how one gets alone with others” (allaboutphilospy.com).
Generally speaking someone with good work ethic has certain characteristics like honesty and accountability. Basically, it comes down to what a