Self-Determination and Meaningful Work: Exploring Socioeconomic Constraints

Allan, Blake A.; Autin, Kelsey L.; Duffy, Ryan D.

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00071

Cited by 129 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(78 reference statements)

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“…In this case, meaningful work may relate directly to these outcomes but only as one of many factors in people’s lives that predict wellbeing, making relations between meaningful work and general wellbeing relatively smaller. This is consistent with meaningful work’s correlations to life satisfaction (0.33–0.49; Arnoux‐Nicolas et al, , Shockley et al, ), negative affect (−0.04 to −0.32; Allan et al, ; Steger et al, ), and general health (0.24–0.50; Arnold and Walsh, , Soane et al, ), which have been small to large in effect size.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Outcomes of Meaningful Work: A Meta‐Analysis

Allan

Batz-Barbarich

Sterling

et al. 2018

J Management Studies

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376

337

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Using job characteristics theory as a framework, we calculated meta‐analytic effect sizes between meaningful work and various outcomes and tested a mediated model of meaningful work predicting proximal and distal outcomes with meta‐analytic structural equation modelling (MASEM). From 44 articles (N = 23,144), we found that meaningful work had large correlations (r = 0.70+) with work engagement, commitment, and job satisfaction; moderate to large correlations (r = 0.44 to −0.49) with life satisfaction, life meaning, general health, and withdrawal intentions; and small to moderate correlations (r = −0.19 to 0.33) with organizational citizenship behaviours, self‐rated job performance, and negative affect. The best MASEM fitting model was meaningful work predicting work engagement, commitment, and job satisfaction and these variables subsequently predicting self‐rated performance, organizational citizenship behaviours, and withdrawal intentions. This meta‐analysis provides estimated effect sizes between meaningful work and its outcomes and reveals how meaningful work relates directly and indirectly to key outcomes.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Outcomes of Meaningful Work: A Meta‐Analysis

Allan

Batz-Barbarich

Sterling

et al. 2018

J Management Studies

Self Cite

376

337

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The WAMI was specifically developed to capture the multidimensional experience of meaningful work. We observed that a number of experimental studies from recent years have used the WAMI (e.g., Allan et al, 2016; Tavares, 2016; Tims et al, 2016), which is encouraging for the field.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

“…One article was identified through the reference list of a retrieved full text. The full texts of 72 articles were read, and 14 definitions of meaningful work were identified (Bowie, 1998; Chalofsky, 2003; Pratt and Ashforth, 2003; Miller, 2008; Lips-Wiersma and Morris, 2009; Martela, 2010; Rosso et al, 2010; Fairlie, 2011; Lips-Wiersma and Wright, 2012; Pavlish and Hunt, 2012; Steger et al, 2012; Robertson, 2013; Bendassolli et al, 2015; Lee, 2015a; Allan et al, 2016). Some authors used the same multidimensional framework for meaningful work – for example, the Kantian model, in which meaningful work can be created by certain objective normative ethical work characteristics (Bowie, 1998; Pavlish and Hunt, 2012) – but provided different definitions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sweeping the Floor or Putting a Man on the Moon: How to Define and Measure Meaningful Work

Both-Nwabuwe¹,

Dijkstra²,

Beersma³

2017

Front. Psychol.

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Meaningful work is integral to well-being and a flourishing life. The construct of “meaningful work” is, however, consistently affected by conceptual ambiguity. Although there is substantial support for arguments to maintain the status of conceptual ambiguity, we make a case for the benefits of having consensus on a definition and scale of meaningful work in the context of paid work. The objective of this article, therefore, was twofold. Firstly, we wanted to develop a more integrative definition of meaningful work. Secondly, we wanted to establish a corresponding operationalization. We reviewed the literature on the existing definitions of meaningful work and the scales designed to measure it. We found 14 definitions of meaningful work. Based on these definitions, we identified four categories of definitions, which led us to propose an integrative and comprehensive definition of meaningful work. We identified two validated scales that were partly aligned with the proposed definition. Based on our review, we conclude that scholars in this field should coalesce rather than diverge their efforts to conceptualize and measure meaningful work.

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“…Relatedly, amotivation (a psychological state closely related to burnout; Appleton & Hill, 2012;Lonsdale, Hodge & Rose, 2009) is also negatively correlated with work meaning (Allan, Autin, & Duffy, 2016).…”

Section: Organizational Nostalgia Increases Work Meaning When Burnoutmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organizational nostalgia lowers turnover intentions by increasing work meaning: The moderating role of burnout.

Leunissen

Sedikides

Wildschut

et al. 2018

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology

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We report three studies addressing the relevance of organizational nostalgia for the meaning that employees ascribe to their work (work meaning). We hypothesized, and found, that organizational nostalgia enhances work meaning and thereby reduces turnover intentions. In Study 1, an employee survey, spontaneously experienced organizational nostalgia was associated with higher work meaning. In Study 2, an organizational-nostalgia induction increased work meaning, which subsequently predicted lowered turnover intentions. In Study 3, an organizational-nostalgia induction increased work meaning and thereby lowered turnover intentions, especially among employees who reported relatively high levels of burnout. When burnout is high, organizational nostalgia functions as a rich source of meaning that benefits employees' work experience. The Moderating Role of Burnout Most people have a strong need for meaningful work (Cartwright & Holmes, 2006; Pratt & Ashford, 2003;Steger, Littman-Ovadia, Miller, Menger, & Rothmann, 2013). Work meaning entails perceiving one's work as significant and meeting the psychological needs for personal growth and purpose (i.e., eudaimonic wellbeing). It entails a combination of experiencing positive meaning in one's work (i.e., the sense that one's work matters and is meaningful), seeing one's work as a path toward making meaning (i.e., the sense that one's work deepens understanding of one's self and the world), and perceiving one's work to contribute to the greater good (i.e., the sense that one can have a broader, positive impact on others through one's work) (Steger, Dik, & Duffy, 2012).Work meaning confers benefits to employees and their organization. For example, it fosters the sense that work is a key part of one's identity and a vital contributor to well-being (Arnold, Turner, Barling, Kelloway, & McKee, 2007;Harpaz & Fu, 2002). Employees who derive meaning from their work report greater job satisfaction, work unit cohesion, and organizational commitment (Kamdron, 2005;Nord, Brief, Atieh, & Doherty, 1990;Sparks & Schenk, 2001;Steger et al., 2012). On the other hand, low work meaning is associated with high turnover (Steger et al., 2012).With mounting evidence pointing to the merits of work meaning for employees and organizations, it becomes critical to understand its sources. In this article, we focus on one such source: organizational nostalgia. We propose that organizational nostalgia increases work meaning and, by so doing, lowers turnover intentions. We further argue that, if organizational nostalgia replenishes work meaning, it should be particularly beneficial to employees with depleted psychological resources, that is, those with high levels of burnout.Next, we present the rationale for these predictions. Organizational NostalgiaAccording to The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998), nostalgia is "a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past" (p. 1266). Nostalgic recollections typically involve important personal experiences or landmark events from one's lif...

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Self-Determination and Meaningful Work: Exploring Socioeconomic Constraints

Cited by 129 publications

References 40 publications

Outcomes of Meaningful Work: A Meta‐Analysis

Outcomes of Meaningful Work: A Meta‐Analysis

Sweeping the Floor or Putting a Man on the Moon: How to Define and Measure Meaningful Work

Organizational nostalgia lowers turnover intentions by increasing work meaning: The moderating role of burnout.

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