Introduction to the Forum on Meaning/ful Work Studies in Organizational Communication

Abstract

On the first day of Nikki’s undergraduate seminar, Organizing Work, she asks students to list the idioms and phrases commonly used to make sense of the “work” experience. She shares the example of her father repeatedly using the phrase “daily grind” when she was growing up (important to note, he was not referring to the ubiquitous Starbucks of today). Slowly but surely, the chalkboard fills with an array of idiomatic expressions: “on the clock,” “work like a dog,” “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” “work your fingers to the bone,” “all in a day’s work,” and a host of others, including the Marxian favorite, “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” Students are asked to reflect on the meanings embedded within the list and how language constitutes cultural meanings and values of work.