Decent work’s contribution to the economy for the common good

Purpose This paper aims to relate conceptually decent work and the economy for the common good describing the main contributions of the former to the latter. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper analyses the relationships between the values of the economy for the common good that have been explicitly stated and the psychological dimensions of the decent work concept. Findings Four conceptual propositions concerning the contributions of decent work to the economy for the common good are presented. Research limitations/implications Because the four conceptual propositions were not submitted to empirical research, future studies are suggested. Practical implications The pursuit of decent work is aligned with the economy for the common good, which contributes to reinforcing both proposals. Social implications Both decent work and the economy for the common good are synergistic and values-based approaches that consider the social system as a whole instead of proposing strategies to improve the competitive advantage of one over the other. This synergistic idea through cooperation contributes to overcoming the limitations of “business as usual”. Originality/value This is the first paper discussing the relationships between decent work and the economy for the common good