Project title

Social productivity: Towards a labour market of doing good

Research question

What is social productivity, how does social productivity affect the worker’s well-being, and how can the welfare state accommodate and reward social productivity?

Project description

In most Western societies there is a strong social norm that everyone in the labour population should work, with ‘work’ being an activity that is financially rewarded and has some measurable economic output. This project seeks to address the challenges posed by the social norm of paid work by exploring social productivity (‘maatschappelijke productiviteit’) as an alternative to economic productivity.

While economic productivity is vital for welfare and public expenditures, its over-emphasis has dramatic social and environmental consequences. Social productivity encompasses all activities – paid and unpaid – that contribute to a better society. Recognizing its value would reward unpaid but meaningful work and promote paid work as long as it benefits society.

This is more inclusive, because almost everyone is able to contribute in some way through volunteering, informal helping or paid work. If doing good indeed enhances one’s well-being, a labour market based on social productivity would benefit both workers and society. During the fellowship, Arjen de Wit will write a book discussing the definition of social productivity, its usefulness, and possible applications.

Selected publications

  • De Wit, A. (2024). Maatschappelijke productiviteit als beleidsdoel in de bijstand. Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken, 40(1), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.5117/TVA2024.1.007.WIT
  • De Wit, A., Qu, H. & Bekkers, R. (2022). The health advantage of volunteering is larger for older and less healthy volunteers in Europe: a mega-analysis. European Journal of Ageing, 19, 1189–1200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-022-00691-5
  • De Wit, A., & Bekkers, R. (2017). Government Support and Charitable Donations: A Meta-Analysis of the Crowding-Out Hypothesis. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 27(2), 301-319. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muw044