54:33 minutes
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August 5, 2025
#28 Operational Excellence Meets Dignity
Why Good Jobs Are Good Business with Zeynep Ton
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About The Speaker
Zeynep Ton is a professor of the practice at the MIT Sloan School of Management and the co-founder and president of the nonprofit Good Jobs Institute, whose mission is to help companies thrive by creating good frontline jobs. In her research, teaching, and consulting work, Zeynep focuses on helping organizations design systems that delight customers; provide meaningful, dignified, and well-paying frontline jobs; and drive high productivity and strong investor returns. She has received numerous awards for teaching excellence at MIT Sloan and previously at Harvard Business School. Her research has been published in leading managerial and scholarly journals and has been widely featured in the media. Zeynep is the author of two books: The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost
Profits and The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone’s Work. Originally from Turkey, Zeynep came to the U.S. on a volleyball scholarship to Penn State, where she earned a B.S. in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering. She later earned her D.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She now lives in Cambridge with her husband and four children.
Episode Description
Senthil sits with renowned MIT Sloan professor Zeynep Ton, author of The Good Jobs Strategy and The Case for Good Jobs, for a conversation to reveal how investing in frontline employees with fair pay, stable schedules, and meaningful career paths is not just ethical—but a true competitive advantage.
Hear compelling stories, research insights, and real-world examples from leading companies like Costco, Sam’s Club, and Mercadona that show how systemic change, not piecemeal fixes, creates better jobs and stronger businesses. Zeynep dives into the essential elements of a good job system and demystifies why more businesses haven’t made the switch—addressing the mindsets and organizational silos that keep most companies trapped in the “vicious cycle” of poor labor practices.
The conversation covers:
-Why “bad jobs” are a choice, not a necessity
-How pay, stability, empowerment, and operational excellence create mutually reinforcing systems for business and worker success
-What leadership qualities set apart organizations that transform frontline work
-Practical advice for leaders who want to start their good jobs journey
This episode is essential listening for business leaders, students, or anyone interested in reimagining work at the ground level—showing how dignity and profitability can go hand in hand.
