Respect in Management

Abstract Employees want to be respected at work and feel disenfranchised when they are not. But what is respect? This article explicates and defends a principle of respect for persons grounded in human dignity. It argues that as members of the moral community managers have an obligation to respect employees. It then articulates five moral norms that are derivative of the principle of respect for persons: safety, nondiscrimination, human resource practices, justice, and ethical culture. A respectful workplace is the product of leadership taking active steps to instantiate respect in policies and practices in these areas. Instantiating respectful practices promotes employee well-being and enhances productivity. The respectful workplace is a humane working environment where employees flourish and the shared purposes of the organization are achieved.