Socio-Cultural Reserves of Economic Growth: Productivity of the Work Chosen According to One’s Calling

Abstract

The article summarizes theoretical views on the essence of socio-cultural factors in economic growth. We single out their components (mental attitudes, morality, cultural traditions, professional recognition), which, when used effectively, promote the growth of work performance efficiency. W also consider theoretical and methodological approaches to the category of “professional calling”, define its essence and features (such as deep commitment to the chosen field of work, high responsibility and dedication in the profession, selflessness and creative attitude to the work, spiritual connection of man with the profession, positive mental attitude in the work). The aim of the research is to evaluate the impact of professional calling as a social and cultural phenomenon on the economic performance of work (for example, wages, efficiency and quality of work, motivation to work, etc.) that are directly linked to labor productivity as the basis for material reproduction and productivity of the economy. We analyze the sociological research conducted in 2014 and 2016 in the Vologda Oblast. The results allows us to identify groups of employees by work according to their calling and by work within their specialty: the first group includes those working within their specialty and according to their calling (39.7%); the second group – those working within their specialty but outside their calling (4.5%); the third group – those working according to their calling but outside their specialty (10.8%); the fourth group – those working outside their specialty and outside their calling (12.1%). Scientific novelty of the research consists in identifying the groups of workers in the region on the grounds of “working within one’s specialty” and “working according to one’s calling” and in determining the economic effects of each of the selected groups. In the current study, we empirically confirm the hypothesis that the work according to one’s calling gives a more pronounced economic impact than the work within one’s specialty, and is accompanied by the growth of satisfaction with work and life in general. We reveal that if the specialty and calling do not match, then those who chose their work according to their calling realize their labor potential more intensively and have higher wages. We prove that the economic effect of working according to one’s calling is expressed in a greater return on wages, which, on the one hand, broadens the tax base, on the other hand – increases consumer demand on the part of such workers. In addition, an increased level of implementation of the employment potential leads to growth of labor productivity. We conclude that it is necessary to take into account the phenomenon of professional calling in career guidance and in the work of personnel departments of enterprises and organizations

Keywords

• employment potential
• implementation of labor potential
• professional calling
• specialty