How companies are responding to post‐9/11 workplace values

Abstract

AbstractLast September, the world watched in horror as tragedy struck innocent individuals who were simply going to work. When planes piloted by terrorists crashed into American symbols of commerce and national defense in New York and Washington, D.C., the American worker was shocked out of complacency about the sense of stability, security, and community that had traditionally been found in the workplace. Issues of physical safety and security came to the forefront of workplace concerns, and individuals began coping with new business conditions, such as longer travel times.No one knows what the full impact of the tragedies of September 11 will be on the psyche of the American worker or the productivity of the workplace. But as the impact of terrorism is absorbed, it is obvious that interpersonal relations in workplaces around the country are undergoing substantial long‐term changes. Many individuals are rethinking the meaning and purpose of their work, as well as the support they derive from their fellow co‐workers. And evidence shows that the terrorist attacks were a shock that accelerated a change in workplace perspective that was already underway. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.