Value defines firm beliefs that a group or individuals can hold or practice. The term value partly defines a moral compass by means of which an individual or group in an organization determines what is right. Thus, work value defines workplace standards that influence behavior or choices that persons or organizations can embrace. The holy Quran emphasizes professional work values that can guide formulation of effective human capital policies to meet employees’ needs as well as attain desired work outcomes.
Firstly, the holy Quran emphasizes importance of value of work. For starters, God commanded Adam to work. In the same vein, prophet Mohamed encouraged self-reliance through work by emphasizing the joy of eating out of the work of one’s own hands (Ali & Al-Owaihan 2008, p. 11). Moreover, the Quran gives work a spiritual dimension by portraying it as an act of worship. Evidently, employees who are aware of the role that work plays in their relationships with God are best placed to produce desirable work outcomes. Thus, workers are motivated to work for self-reliance as well as worship.
Secondly, the Quran emphasizes the value of quality of work at the workplace. Prophet Mohamed wrote that God blessed a person who perfected his work. This encourages a worker who is faithful to God to accomplish more. Perfection here implies going the extra mile to produce the best possible results at the work place. Thus, an employee may feel obligated or duty bound to either pursue a route or take a course of action that can enhance the quality of his or her work output. Such a course of action could include taking up further training to improve on craft or paying close attention to relevant instructions to get work processes right.
Thirdly, cooperation constitutes of one the most emphasized components of Islamic Work Ethic (IWE) as defined by the Quran. The Quran concept of “Hadhari” emphasizes high levels of cooperation and consultation (Awan & Akram 2012). Through exchange of knowledge, ideas and thoughts, an employee or group of employees in an organization can improve their performance and productivity. That is why team work spirit is highly emphasized in organizations to encourage employees to work together and share skills, expertise and experiences.
Still, cooperation and sharing have a strong relationship with innovation capacity. For this reason, employees are highly encouraged to share their knowledge and experiences in their fields of practice as a means to help their colleagues learn. It’s already acknowledged that innovation comes from what is already known. Thus, organizations that encourage the sharing of experiences and ideas are in a better position to build human capital with broad capacities for invention and innovation.
Fourthly, the Quran encourages Muslims to learn from the time of birth to death. This makes it highly valuable for employees to pursue further education or training with a view to improving on job skills and expertise. The term “from cradle to grave”, as used in this context by Prophet Mohammad, implies unrestricted continuity. As such, workers are encouraged to overcome obstacles such as age and learn new things that pertain to their job requirements. This is also critical for employees who wish to expand their knowledge in a wide array of work subjects. That is why organizations today require employees to pursue further training before they can be promoted, given a pay rise or given more job responsibilities.
Fifthly, employers who embrace IWE do recognize the requirement to offer their employees commensurate remuneration, in the spirit of just and fair treatment (Chanzanagh & Akbarnejad 2011). For this reason, Prophet Mohammad admonished employers who “oppressed workers in wage”. As such, the modern day employer is duty bound to offer his or her employee remuneration that matches his or her individual efforts. In the same vein, fair remuneration encompasses awarding an employee perks that match those of colleagues in similar positions of employment. Moreover, an employer does well to use right and fair procedures when compensating his employees.
The Quran requirement for fairness and just treatment of employees extends beyond perks and remuneration. As per the Islamic workplace value system, an employee should ensure equity in all organizational procedures. For instance, no employee should be sacked, hired or promoted in a manner that is not procedural. In the same vein, all members of staff should be treated in a respectful manner and with impartially, especially when facing disciplinary action. Also, supervisors should demonstrate fairness in the enforcement of organizational rules and policies.
Equally important, the Quran encourages high levels of transparency at work. Thus, the Quran admonishes profiting by means of false representation in any form of trade. Prophet Mohammed further reinforces the value of transparency by linking work with intentions. This implies that an individual has to nurture genuine intentions to produce desirable work results. As such, both individuals and organizations are encouraged to be sincere and honest while carrying out business transactions, without harboring thoughts that are aimed at deceiving their partners. In the same vein, transparency ensures that workers remain faithful if put in charge of organizational procedures such as tendering, procurement, recruitment and outsourcing, among many others.
Additionally, the Quran encourages the spirit of altruism among employees. Thus, Prophet Mohammad categorically promises utmost God’s love to those who are “the most beneficial to people”. At the work place, the need for employees to demonstrate willingness to selflessly help their colleagues in the execution of certain tasks, procedures or duties cannot be overemphasized. In the same spirit, employees can be of great benefit to their work place colleagues by contributing towards their overall welfare and comfort.
Finally, the Quran does recognize the need for balance as workers meet their obligations to both God and employer. There are three main areas of life which demand a worker’s attention: worship, work and leisure. Thus, a worker makes sure to set aside time to attend to his or her spiritual needs through worship of God. To earn a decent living, a worker remembers to take his or her job seriously. Then, a worker takes time off for enjoyment with family and friends. In the same vein, an employer is obligated to ensure that his or her employee has sufficient time off for both rest and worship.
Indeed, the Quran does provide work values that serve as effective guidelines for organizations and individuals who seek the most desirable work outcomes. The values serve as compasses that give correct directions when certain decisions have to be made. Such values border on honesty, transparency, cooperation, altruism, quality, worship, justice and fairness. As such, the Quran does recognize that certain ethical attributes strongly relate to social-economic aspects of many forms of business practices. Evidently, all these values do apply to both individuals and corporate organizations in relation to their workplace behavior, duty and responsibilities.
References
Ali, A.J., & Al-Owaihan, A. (2008). Islamic work ethic: a critical review. Cross Cultural Management : An International Journal, 15(2), 5-19. Web.
Awan, K.Z., & Akram, M., (2012). The relationship between Islamic work ethics and innovation capability and knowledge sharing plays moderation role. International Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, 1(8), 34-38. Web.
Chanzanagh, H.E., & Akbarnejad, M., (2011). The meaning and dimensions of Islamic work ethic: initial validation of a multidimensional IWE in Iranian society. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 30, 916 – 924. Web.