Pathways to good work in challenging times—lessons from the community business sector
Work that is decent and fair is crucial to creating a motivated and skilled workforce. Community organisations are already delivering on many aspects of good work. A new report and toolkit co-developed by CUSP researchers as part of a Power to Change research project is designed to help organisations understand what good work is and improve existing practices by focusing on seven key dimensions. Here, Ian Vickers is summarising the findings.
Blog by Ian Vickers
Work that is decent and fair is crucial to any vision of a more just and sustainable society and economy. A recent study involving CUSP researchers shows how ‘good work’ can be realised by focusing on how community businesses are able to provide employment which is fair, decent and rewarding. The research, which was led by Dr Bianca Stumbitz at Middlesex University, involved in-depth interviews with staff, volunteers and leaders in eight case study community organisations.
The study lends further support to previous research on how the provision of good work can help nurture and retain a skilled and motivated workforce and protect their health and wellbeing. Good work is also shown to be good for business productivity and the delivery of quality services that meet community needs. The research, which was supported by Power to Change, examines seven key dimensions relating to the quality of work in community businesses and shows how these dimensions can be combined for effective and mutually beneficial outcomes.
- Meaningful work. This dimension is experienced by staff and volunteers in two main ways: the services provided are valued and fulfil a social purpose, and the work itself provides interest, engagement and stimulation. All community businesses aim to meet a social need and such purposeful work is often a key element of good work. Doing socially useful work that also provides variety and opportunities for learning can be a powerful motivating factor and source of job satisfaction.
- Voice, democratic governance and inclusive culture. Having a voice which is heard and acted upon and being included in organisational decision-making is a further crucial dimension where community businesses often excel compared with many other organisations. Democratic ownership and control is a core principle for many community businesses which is often embedded in legal forms and governance models that enabled ownership and control on behalf of employees and the communities they serve. A positive and supportive organisational culture was another key characteristic found across the case study organisations. Relationships with colleagues and employer were often described as very close-knit and family-like, characterised by open communication and trust. Reciprocity or ‘give and take’ between staff, managers and leaders was an important feature of this positive culture.
- Contract and job design. Most people would prefer the security of a permanent contract and regular hours, and the type and quality of the contracts offered is a key dimension of good work. However, many community businesses are resource-constrained and may be reliant on short-term contracts and grants and therefore find it hard to support permanent posts. Being able to demonstrate business growth and having healthy financial reserves can provide the confidence needed to underpin more secure contracts. Where this is not possible, a lack of permanent contracts and regular working hours can be partially compensated for by other benefits of working for a community business, such as the importance of being engaged in meaningful work and a positive workplace culture and flexible working conditions.
- Pay and benefits. Many employee participants rated other aspects of job quality more highly than pay and some reported that they could find higher paid work elsewhere if they so wished. Over two-thirds of the case study organisations are paying the real Living Wage, which is based on assessments of the true cost of living by the Living Wage Foundation. Two of the eight cases were also accredited Living Wage Employers. Organisations unable to pay the real Living Wage can compensate for this to some extent by providing other benefits beyond the statutory requirements, such as additional paid leave. Also important are transparent pay structures, with lack of transparency being a potential source of frustration and dissatisfaction.
- Skills and development. Provision for staff development, progression and recognition of achievements often translate into increased motivation, job satisfaction and staff retention. Larger organisations often provide formal training opportunities, but this can be costly and difficult for smaller organisations to afford. However, less formal in-house training, including mentoring and supervision, is also valuable and can be better tailored to the needs of the job than externally provided training courses. It can also create developmental opportunities for those mentoring and supervising junior and new staff. It can also strengthen staff relationships and the workplace culture.
- Flexible working, work-life balance and family-friendly support. In many of the community business cases, Covid-19 had triggered a culture shift which has resulted in the normalisation of flexible working arrangements home working. This has improved the work-life balance for many staff, including those with parental or care responsibilities, as well as productivity in some cases. Other family-friendly supports include the opportunity to agree working hours that allow staff to fit their job around their personal lives, or to bring children to work regularly or in emergencies. However, not all staff adapt well to working from home and for some, working from home can negatively impact motivation and productivity, as well as personal wellbeing. It is therefore important to provide staff with the options for flexibility that work for them, and which best maintain both productivity and wellbeing.
- Health and wellbeing. Work often has both positive and negative effects on employees’ mental and physical health. Community businesses often provide employment and volunteering opportunities for people with mental health needs. Our study included a couple of cases where employment and progression within the organisation had boosted participants’ self-confidence and mental health. However, the Covid-19 crisis has provided considerable challenges in terms of maintaining staff wellbeing, and particularly for employees who live alone. In many cases, keeping in touch through regular formal and informal Zoom meetings and telephone conversations has played an important role in ensuring staff do not feel excluded and isolated. Over the past year, many participants had also used the time saved by not having to commute to engage in physical pursuits such as jogging, going for long walks, meditation and yoga, with resulting improvements to their health and wellbeing.
Combining the dimensions and practices of good work
The findings in relation to these seven dimensions have informed the development of a Pathways to Good Work toolkit which includes many suggestions for practical changes which can lead to significant improvements in working conditions. Positive and mutually beneficial outcomes can be further increased if the good practices identified within the seven dimensions are combined. All seven areas are interlinked, so that community organisations can also benefit from ‘multiplier effects’, with a change in practice in one dimension having a positive influence on working conditions in at least one other dimension. For example, open communication and inclusion in decision-making can also translate into increased motivation and productivity, as well as staff wellbeing more generally. Good work is about a collaborative culture of ‘give and take’ between staff, volunteers and organisation leaders – i.e. staff and volunteers will be more likely to go the ‘extra mile’ for the organisation and the communities they serve if they are treated well.
Download
The full report, toolkit and case studies of four of the participating community businesses is avilalable via the project page.
Reference
Stumbitz, B., Vickers, I., Lyon, F., Osbourne, L., Wallis, E. (2021). ‘Good work’ and community business – Identifying pathways to good practice during Covid-19 and beyond. London: Power to Change. Available at: https://www.powertochange.org.uk/research/good-work-and-community-business/
