The Double-Sided Nature of Meaningful Work: Promoting and Challenging Factors within the Swedish Equine Sector

Abstract

Meaningful work is related to a range of positive outcomes, but also negative effects. Research regarding meaningful work and lifestyle-oriented work; i.e., when making a livelihood based on a leisure interest and personal lifestyle, is deficient. The aim of this qualitative study is therefore to explore factors that promote and challenge meaningful work in a lifestyle-oriented setting. The study focuses on the perspective of employees within the Swedish equine sector, and is based on individual interviews. The results show that person–environment fit, task significance, and occupational culture seem to be important factors in the promotion of meaningful work. In addition, the analysis also illustrates how the nature of meaningful work has an inherent duality, constructed by a balancing act between doing good for oneself and for others. The tension is reinforced by the fact that the same factors can both promote meaningful work and challenge meaningfulness. This study shows that meaningful work not only comes with satisfaction, enjoyment, and fulfillment, but also an acceptance of challenging working conditions, which may lead to sacrifices and exhaustion. The double-sided nature of meaningful work can therefore affect the employees’ well-being, and challenge the willingness and ability to remain in the occupation.

“Few things in life are easy and worth doing”: how the bi-directional relationships between meaningful work and work-related stress can both help and hinder wellbeing

“…This finding supports previous studies that show how meaningful work leads to a deeper sense of commitment, even a sense of duty, which can magnify and exacerbate stressors (Bunderson and Thompson, 2009;Bergman Bruhn, 2022). A recent study (Lavy, 2022) found that teachers' daily sense of meaningfulness was associated with increased stress the following day, which could be due to an increased sense of responsibility to others.…”

“…The sense of meaningfulness can cause employees to accept challenging-even dangerous-working conditions, leading to personal sacrifices, exhaustion, and other negative health outcomes (Bergman Bruhn, 2022). Linked to this, in unscrupulous organizations meaningful work could be a mechanism to exploit employees (Bailey et al, 2017).…”