That’s according to recent studies by Scott Dust, Ph.D., a management professor at the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business. This literature particularly emphasizes the stigma around what has been referred to as “dirty work.” Collaborating with doctoral candidates Sodiq Babatunde and Ben Fagan, Dust’s study provides valuable insights into how stigmas associated with certain careers affect well-being and offers guidance for managers on addressing these challenges.
The research specifically examines the effects of job stigma on individuals engaged in roles that are often viewed negatively by society. This is a field of professions – important and impactful, but often seen as unglamorous. Ultimately, the findings powerfully capture the experiences of people who perform dirty work. Beyond the immediate effects on nurse training and supply, they have deeper consequences across many other specialties.
The Importance of Understanding Job Stigma
Ben Fagan, one of the doctoral candidates who participated in the study, explained to us why it’s important to understand job stigma. “This research is central to understanding job stigma,” he stated. As he explained, its uses go beyond individual jobs. This study provides groundbreaking information that can alter misguided assumptions in disciplines ranging from public health to energy policy. In the end, it will help the people who usually get demonized in their job.
The analysis relied primarily on samples from the US and UK. Sodiq Babatunde wanted people to understand that these samples are culturally relevant no matter where you find yourself. This international perspective greatly increases the importance of the findings’ relevance. It illustrates that the issues confronted by the people who keep discriminated against professions running go far past regional lines.
Fagan continued to explain the significance of this research for practitioners. “It’s specifically helping managers understand how you handle these stigmas,” he explained. When they provide leaders with an understanding of stigma around the job, organizations help create healthy, affirming spaces. By doing so employees can prosper, no matter what others might think.
The Role of Stigmatized Jobs
As Sodiq Babatunde pointed out, some stigmatized jobs can actually be incredibly profitable. He illustrated this point with specific examples from Nigeria. In that nation, people will take jobs that would otherwise be looked down upon but they still typically come with massive financial payoffs. Babatunde added that these positions are largely seen as invisible jobs. If they are willing to go against the grain, they have the ability to make hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This lens disputes long-standing notions of what success or fulfillment looks like at work. Profit can be achieved, even amid public disapproval. This opens up the opportunity for people to find value in their preferred tracks, contrary to the common belief. Ms Babatunde gave a poignant reminder of the bedlam there would be if our society failed to acknowledge these critical lifeworks. He concluded, “It would be pandemonium if folks weren’t doing the jobs that we look down on.”
Our new research looks at how people can more boldly maneuver around job stigma. They can do so by taking an attitude that would closely resemble the spirit of Taylor Swift’s hit single “Shake It Off.” This method helps participants learn to judge less and be less judgmental by examining their values and motivations, not by giving in to shame-based outside critiques.
Practical Applications for Managers
The ramifications of Dust’s research are quite significant for management strategies. By recognizing the many forms that negative job stigma can take, managers can better address their employees’ needs. Fagan noted that the study’s findings offer critical direction. In doing so, they provide important guidance on how to engage in perception management related to dirty work and other embattled occupations.
Our first practical application looks at building an inclusive workplace culture. This culture, in turn, respects and values the contributions of each employee, from the staff to the shop floor. These managers should implement training initiatives that help employees understand the value of each function within the organization. This person-centered, trauma-informed approach encourages empathy toward people who do stigmatized work.
Additionally, associations can think about creating pathways mentorship programming to people in these roles. Through these programs, companies can be matched with seasoned professionals who are familiar with their specific challenges. With this support, workers across the U.S. can lean into their careers without shame or stigma preventing them from living purposefully.
