Posted 2/18/2008 01:55:00 PM by Douglas

I don't think it's much of a stretch to think that going to work is a more productive way of taking care of yourself than going to war, although this country has an alarming long history of convincing other to our viewpoint with the barrel of a rifle.

Companies that empower their employees to cut costs in the workplace not only improve their bottom lines, but also may foster civic engagement and contribute to peace in the societies where they operate, according to research published in the November 2007 issue of the Journal of Organizational Behavior.

Author Gretchen Spreitzer, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, examined survey data from 65 countries around the world, comparing detailed measures of employee workplace empowerment with broader measures about the quality of civic life. Her analysis, based on surveys taken between 1981 and 2001, shows that empowered, satisfied employees tend to live in open, peaceful societies -- and that improvements in workplace empowerment often precede social changes. Employees, it seems, can take lessons learned in the workplace and apply them to social and political life.

Well, duh. Ms. Spreitzer's research grant not withstanding, the broader question is how to convince the have-nots of the world to stop shooting each other and get a job.