Abstract

MORAES, Rosângela Dutra de; VASCONCELOS, Ana Cláudia Leal  and  CUNHA, Stephane Caroline de Paula da. Pleasure in work: the place of autonomy. Rev. Psicol., Organ. Trab. [online]. 2012, vol.12, n.2, pp. 217-227. ISSN 1984-6657.

Research in psychodynamics of work indicates that pleasure can integrate creative suffering, insofar as it is possible to subvert the suffering by the use of practical intelligence. When it is not possible to transform the suffering, we try to give it meaning. Based on the theoretical framework of the psychodynamics of work, this article presents an extract of the pleasure in work from two surveys conducted in Manaus, Amazonas, in different work contexts: industrial workers and street vendors. The aim of this study is to understand the mobilizers of pleasure and the transformation process of suffering at work, analyzing the organization of work. We used qualitative methodology, valuing speech. The participants were thirty-four workers from seven industries and ten hawkers who work in downtown Manaus. The data collection instrument in the two surveys was a semi-structured individual interview. The results indicate that the organization of work in the industries is characterized by pressure, rigidity, and reduced autonomy. As mobilizers of pleasure in work, most notable were cooperation among peers, good job performance, and obtaining new knowledge. Hawkers have broad autonomy in the organization of work; autonomy was identified as the main mobilizer of pleasure, which favors the coping strategies of suffering related to poor working conditions. We conclude that autonomy in the organization of work is an important element for subjective mobilization. In its absence, the industrial workers are mobilized around cooperation and seek to transform situations that aggravate suffering.

Keywords : Psychodynamics of Work; Pleasure in Work; Autonomy.

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