Building Community at Work

Employees and managers alike seek ways to be happy and effective in the workplace--an arena in which we all spend many hours of our week. Community is an essential ingredient in a healthy and productive work environment: when asked what people like about their jobs, it's not uncommon to hear "We're like a family," or "Here, I'm part of a community." Considering the numerous models conceptualized to support creation of emotionally satisfying and behaviorally productive work settings, it is perhaps surprising that the topic of community at work has been underexplored. Based on sound theoretical foundations and empirical findings from the science of management and community research and action, Building Community at Work guides scholars, employees, and leaders of organizations toward creating communities at work in any institutional sector. To make abstract theory concrete, Neil Boyd weaves scientific models and concepts together with the story of a young business owner's journey to becoming an industry leader in building communities. The book also provides practical considerations for professionals to analyze and conceive ways to create communities at work. In Boyd's accessible and grounded analysis, find the building blocks for transforming the workplace into a flourishing community.

Neil Boyd is the David J. & Deborah West Professor of Management, and Chair of the Management & Organizations Department in the Freeman College of Management at Bucknell University. His published work examines topics about people in organizations, human resource management, management consulting, and managing for sustainability. His work has appeared in leading publication outlets in the fields of management, public management, and community psychology. His recent work examines psychological experiences of community at work and how employees and organizations can benefit when a workplace is infused with a culture of community. He is also well known for his extensive research at the intersection of organization studies and community psychology, and his work on "other-regarding" motivation constructs (i.e., public service motivation, sense of community responsibility, and prosocial motivation) is leading to new discoveries in behavioral public management.

Series Foreword Acknowledgement Introduction Chapter 1: Amanda's Journey Begins & The Concept of Community: Origins and History Chapter 2: Life is Great & The Community Imperative Chapter 3: It's Not All Roses & Defining and Measuring Community at Work Chapter 4: Seeking Help & Planning to Build Community Chapter 5: Putting It All Together & Building Community References Index