Sociological Investigation of the Relationship between Social Capital and Work Ethics with Emphasis on Jürgen Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action

Introduction Today, one of the crucial factors influencing the occupational, organizational, and socio-cultural developments of industrial companies is the extent to which employees adhere to work ethics. This factor is widely recognized as pivotal to the success of industrial institutions. Therefore, this research aimed to conduct a sociological study on the relationship between social capital and work ethics among the employees of Arsal Goldasht Industrial Company. The theoretical framework of this research drew from the perspectives of influential thinkers, such as Max Weber, Emmanuel Levinas, and experts in the field of social capital, with a primary focus on Jürgen Habermas's theory of communicative action. Materials & Methods This study employed a survey research method, utilizing a questionnaire as the primary data collection tool. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed using face validity and the Cronbach's alpha technique. The statistical population comprised 400 employees of the company, from which a sample size of 197 individuals was determined using Cochran's statistical formula. The sample was selected through simple random sampling to gather data. The collected information was analyzed using SPSS software. Discussion of Results & Conclusion The research findings revealed a statistically confirmed positive and direct correlation between all components of social capital—social trust, social participation, social support, and social cohesion—and the dependent variable of work ethics. Furthermore, the results of the multivariate regression analysis indicated that the variables in the regression model, namely social trust, social support, social participation, amount of work experience, social cohesion, and age, collectively had the most significant impacts on the employees' work ethics, explaining 48% of the variance in the mentioned variable. In line with Habermas' theoretical framework, the intrusion of economic and political systems, i.e., money and power, was seen as colonizing the life world. In this era of colonialism, authoritarian capitalism seeks to impose its political and economic principles across all facets of society, including family dynamics, workplaces, and distribution of resources. If political principles come to dominate our social existence, the potential for individuals to freely engage with one another based on their own values and norms diminishes, creating barriers to communication and understanding. Habermas proposes that the resolution to these crises lies in rebalancing the world. This rebalancing can be achieved by expanding the public sphere in both political and economic realms, thereby creating room for communicative action. In essence, Habermas believes that the solution to this issue lies in rationalizing both the life world and the system in their respective domains. This entails allowing the system and its structures to become more distinct and intricate, while simultaneously refining the life world to enable free communication and emergence of stronger arguments. Indeed, rationalizing both the life world and the system should facilitate their mutual enhancement rather than causing a negative impact on each other. A more rational system should promote rationality in the life world and this rationality, in turn, should be utilized to comprehend the more rational methods of the system. Ultimately, Habermas introduces the ideal speech situation as the ultimate criterion of truth. In his philosophy, this ideal speech situation represents a theoretical scenario where differences and conflicts are logically discussed through communicative rationality, devoid of domination, under completely equal and unlimited discourse conditions. People must acknowledge their differences in order to reconcile them through dialogue. Essentially, the further we move away from coercive communication conditions, the more dynamic and healthy our society becomes. Therefore, in line with Habermas' theory of communicative action, establishment of a global environment where employees can interact and converse free from systemic constraints and where a minimum of Habermas' ideal speech situation is realized can significantly impact the work ethics and performance of employees by facilitating their access to networks of interaction, participation, agreement, and cohesion (social capital).