Experience Of Meaningful Work Research Articles

Meaningful app-work? Exploring meaningful work experiences of food delivery couriers in Poland

PurposeThe rise of app-based work in the gig economy, particularly within the food delivery sector, challenges traditional employment paradigms and raises questions about the potential for achieving meaningful work experiences. This study explores whether such work can be considered meaningful for food delivery couriers in Poland.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts a qualitative, case-study approach, conducting 30 in-depth interviews with food delivery couriers in Poland. The study investigates how these workers perceive the meaningfulness of their work, focusing on the interplay between subjective and organisational aspects of their work.FindingsThe findings reveal that despite the precarious nature of app-based work, couriers often find meaningful experiences through perceived autonomy, gamified control and the physical demands of their job. The study highlights the dual nature of app work, where the same elements that contribute to worker engagement and a sense of independence also perpetuate exploitation and job insecurity.Research limitations/implicationsThe study’s reliance on a convenience sample of 30 interviews conducted via social media may not represent the broader population of food delivery couriers. Future research should expand the sample size and include a more diverse range of participants to improve generalisability.Practical implicationsThe insights from this study can inform platform designers and policymakers to create more supportive environments for gig workers. Enhancing algorithmic transparency, providing better social protections and implementing fair gamification strategies can help mitigate the negative aspects of gig work and improve job satisfaction.Social implicationsThe study underscores the need for regulatory changes to ensure minimum guaranteed earnings and health and safety provisions for gig workers. By fostering a supportive and transparent work environment, the gig economy can better contribute to worker well-being and social equity.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the limited body of literature on meaningful work within the gig economy, particularly focusing on food delivery couriers in Poland. It provides new insights into how workers create and perceive meaningful work in a highly digitised and algorithmically managed environment.

Analyzing the impact of work meaningfulness on turnover intentions and job satisfaction: A self-determination theory perspective

Abstract While employees actively seek out workplaces that offer meaningful work experiences, the concept of meaningful work remains notably underexplored within the turnover literature. The present study addresses this gap by examining the role of work meaningfulness among knowledge workers and its direct and indirect effects on turnover intentions and job satisfaction through the lens of self-determination theory. Our findings show significant effects on turnover intentions and job satisfaction, with work meaningfulness emerging as a stronger predictor of job satisfaction, while still contributing to reducing turnover intentions. Most extant literature focuses on sources and ways to enhance work meaningfulness. We contribute to more recent research on its relationship with its outcomes especially the link with turnover intentions, offering insight into a relationship that has produced few, but conflicting,results.

Quiet Quitting as Compensatory Respect: Meaningful Work, Recognition, and the Entrepreneurial Ethic

AbstractThis paper employs Axel Honneth’s recognition theory to interpret ‘quiet quitting’ – the practice of limiting work efforts to contracted requirements – as a strategic response by workers facing misrecognition in their work environment. Honneth argues that misrecognition in any one of three social spheres (the family, political society, and the workplace) constitutes disrespect and causes psychological harm. While Honneth contends that experiences of disrespect tend to motivate collective “struggles for recognition,” we suggest that quiet quitters present an alternative response to disrespect, individually seeking recognition in other social spheres rather than engaging in collective action. Further, we draw on Honneth to suggest that the contemporary “entrepreneurial” work ethic – the widespread expectation that workers invest emotionally in their work role – can in practice undermine workplace recognition, contributing to quiet quitters’ compensatory emphasis on recognitive relations outside of work. This recognition-theoretical approach extends current discussions around quiet quitting and yields valuable insights for management theory and practice regarding the critical role of genuine employee recognition in promoting individual well-being and meaningful work experiences.

Job perception and satisfaction correlations: Examining intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction for fast-food restaurant managers in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija

This research investigated the correlation between job perception and both intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction among fast-food restaurant managers. Utilizing a descriptive-correlation research design, the study involved 20 regular managers from fast-food establishments. Data were collected through surveys and face-to-face informal interviews with 20 purposively selected respondents aged 21-45 years. The analysis employed Pearson correlation to examine the relationships between job perception and satisfaction variables. Findings revealed a very strong positive correlation between job perception and both types of job satisfaction. Managers who perceived their roles as fulfilling, well-aligned with their expectations, and supportive of their skills reported higher levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction. Specifically, job aspects such as personal fulfillment, recognition, and alignment with personal values strongly correlated with high intrinsic satisfaction. Similarly, factors like competitive salary, job security, and a supportive work environment were closely linked with higher extrinsic satisfaction. The results underscored that positive job perception significantly enhances both intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction, reflecting the critical role of managers’ views on their roles in determining their overall job satisfaction and motivation. The study suggests that fast-food restaurant operators should focus on improving job perception by enhancing both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This includes providing meaningful work experiences, recognizing managers’ contributions, ensuring competitive compensation, and fostering a supportive work environment. By addressing these areas, organizations can improve managerial satisfaction, reduce turnover, and enhance overall operational effectiveness.

The Influence of Employee Wellbeing, HRD Practices and Organizational Culture on Commitment and Turnover Intention in the Aviation and Airport Industry

This study aims to analyze the influence of employee well-being, HRD practices, and organizational culture on commitment and turnover intention in the aviation and airport industry in Indonesia. The research method uses primary data collected through a Google Forms questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the AMOS application. The results indicate that employee well-being positively affects commitment, while HRD practices and organizational culture do not positively affect commitment. Additionally, commitment positively affects turnover intention. The implications of this research suggest that companies in the aviation and airport industry should develop optimal strategies to reduce turnover intentions by enhancing employee well-being and supporting meaningful work experiences.

Why people work past retirement age: The continuity of routines, future imaginaries, and practical evaluation

ABSTRACT In this article, we synthesise existing qualitative evidence published in English, aiming to comprehend why workers keep working past retirement age and to link human agency and social structures in the decision-making process behind such occupational choices. The study was prompted by the growing attention that later-life working has been garnering from policymakers and academics in the context of aging societies. Drawing upon agency and meaningful work theories, we disaggregate the iterational, projective, and practical-evaluative orientations of agency, and argue that practical evaluation leads to more reflexive and satisfying choices between working and retiring. Here, actors consider their contribution, self-development, and financial benefits achieved through work in light of their ageing and capacity to adjust work contexts to their needs. Beginning a process of practical evaluation is contingent upon work relations that facilitate meaningful work experiences. However, such meaningfulness, characterised by autonomy, recognition, and dignity, is unevenly distributed across populations, leaving some without access or experiencing it as fleeting. This study enriches understandings of the dynamics behind the decision to work beyond retirement age. Its insights have the potential to shape policies aimed at age-friendly workplaces that promote meaningful work. Overall, this can contribute to the well-being of older workers and society as a whole.

Prison and Love: The Role of Affection and Rehabilitative Actions in Reducing Recidivism and Beyond

Abstract: This study investigates the protective role of emotional relationships and rehabilitative actions in reducing recidivism within the prison context. Data were collected from three Italian prisons as part of the European project “Calypsos”. This study examines the role of love across its various expressions and components in the social reintegration of inmates, exploring how family ties, educational programs, and employment opportunities contribute to their well-being and socio-affective regeneration. Descriptive analyses and multiple linear regression were used to assess the impact of these factors on recidivism. The results indicate that stable family relationships, positive interactions with teachers, and meaningful work experiences significantly reduce the likelihood of reoffending. The findings highlight the necessity of policies supporting the maintenance of emotional bonds and the provision of educational and vocational training within prisons. This study concludes that integrating these elements into rehabilitation strategies can improve inmate outcomes, reduce recidivism, and enhance social cohesion. Finally, the article identifies love as a performative right as a future research direction.

323 Meaningful Work, Organizational Commitment, and Administrative Burden Among Attending Neurosurgeons: A National Survey

INTRODUCTION: “Meaningful work” is a complex, subjective concept that includes finding positive, personal meaning in work and its contribution to the larger good. Increasing administrative burdens likely represent significant barriers to the practice of meaningful work. The relationship between meaningful work and administrative burden and impact on organizational commitment have not been systematically studied among neurosurgeons. METHODS: An online questionnaire investigating meaningfulness of work, administrative burden, burnout, and practice patterns was emailed to attending neurosurgeon members of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. RESULTS: 308 US-based neurosurgeons participated in the survey. The majority (85.1%) found neurosurgery a meaningful career but 59.4% thought their administrative burden was excessive. Only 16.6% of neurosurgeons believed their organization cared about administrative burden with only 31.6% of neurosurgeons feeling any loyalty to their current organization. Unreasonable administrative burden prompted 17.2% of neurosurgeons to leave a recent position and 24.5% to consider leaving a current position. Neurosurgeons considering leaving had significantly lower scores in meaningful work (p < 0.0001); however, having left a previous position due to administrative burden did not impair future meaningful work experiences (p = 0.14). On multivariable regression, increasing administrative tasks increased burnout (p < 0.05); increasing burnout reduced meaningful work experience (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that most neurosurgeons believe their work to be meaningful but do not feel a strong normative commitment to their place of employment. Increased administrative burden risks burnout, undermines meaningful work, and led 17% of neurosurgeons to leave a recent position with another 24.5% contemplating leaving a current position.

일-가정 병행 여성의 ‘괜찮은 일’ 및 ‘의미 있는 일’ 경험의 잠재프로파일 분석: 일의 심리학 이론을 중심으로

The study examines the patterns in the experiences of decent work and mean-ingful work of working women with children as well as the psychological processes pre-dicting these patterns based on the Psychology of Working Theory. The survey was com-pleted by 791 working women with children. The latent profile analysis identified three subtypes: highly meaningless work, which was characterized by the low level of all factors below the mean of the whole group and the particular lower level of meaningful work fac-tors; adequate work, where all factors were close to the mean of the whole group; and a fulfilling work, where both decent and meaningful work experiences were at a high level. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine psychological processes that predicted the probability to belong to these groups, and found that work volition, ca-reer adaptability, critical behavior, problem-focused coping, and cognitive reappraisal were significant predictors, after controlling for average household income per month. The findings imply that decent work may be prerequisites for meaningful work and psycho-logical processes can facilitate more positive work experiences and suggest interventions based on the levels of work experience.

Roles, Social Positions and Influences of Leadership in Significant Work Experiences

Objective: This article explores the concept of meaningful work in a multifaceted context, focusing on the different social positions that act as leaders and the roles played by these leaders. The study, carried out with collaborators from Brazilian startups, adopts an exploratory qualitative approach, combined with descriptive elements to capture the essence of meaningful work from the perspective of participants. Thus, its goal was to investigate the relationships between social positions, leadership roles, and meaningful work experiences, providing insights for leaders, human resource managers, and professionals involved in startups. Method: Qualitative research involved interviews with collaborators from Brazilian startups, exploring significant work experiences. The study adopts a descriptive approach to present the essence of the phenomenon. Results and Conclusions: The results identified several social positions (manager, colleague, working group, family, etc.) and leadership roles (sensei mentor, inspirational example, etc.) that influence positively or negatively the significant work experiences. Leaders play crucial roles in promoting a meaningful work environment, impacting employees’ perception of the value and significance of their work activities. Research Implications: The insights in this study offer opportunities for executives, human resource managers and startup leaders to improve work environments by promoting more meaningful experiences for their employees. It also highlights the importance of developing leadership in organizations. Originality/Value: This study stands out by exploring the intersection between social positions, leadership roles and meaningful work. It contributes to the practical understanding of how different leaders and their functions influence the work experience, offering a valuable and original perspective in the context of Brazilian startups.

Exploring Sport Employees’ Conceptualizations of Meaningful Work

Modern sport management scholars have paired the fields of positive organizational behavior and human resource development with sport management to enhance the productivity of sport organizations through their employees. One area of study receiving increased attention is meaningful work, an emerging employee well-being metric whose definition is debated. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which sport employees conceptualize meaningful work. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 32 sport employees. The following themes were identified: meaningful work is work that serves, meaning gained from sport organizations, and individual meaningful work experiences. Discussion offers valuable implications for practitioners of sport management, as well as the emerging scholarly field of human resource development in sport management, and the evolving discourse surrounding meaningful work.

The Gender Gap in Meaningful Work

An understanding of differences in nonmonetary work conditions is fundamental for a complete characterization of individuals’ well-being at work. Thus, to fully characterize gender inequalities in the labor market, scholars have begun to explore gender differences in nonmonetary work conditions. We examine one such condition—meaningful work—using nationally representative survey data linked with worker and employer administrative data. We document a large and expanding gender gap in meaningful work, wherein women experience their jobs as more meaningful than men do. We then explore patterns underlying this difference. We find little correlation between women’s higher experience of meaningful work and either labor market decisions related to first parenthood or women’s underrepresentation in leadership jobs. Instead, the gender gap appears to be highly correlated with the sorting of more women into occupations with a high level of beneficence: the sense of having a prosocial impact. Though both women and men experience such jobs as more meaningful, women do so by a larger margin. Next, we consider the relationship between the gender difference in meaningful work and the gender wage gap, contributing to the discussion on compensating differentials in work amenities. We find that, whereas the gender gap in meaningful work closes a substantial part of the wage gap in lower paid jobs, it does little to close the gap in higher paid jobs in which the gender wage gap is largest. This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis. Funding: J. Rickne received financial support from the Wallenberg Academy Fellow Grant, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life, and Welfare 2019-01251. O. Folke received financial support from the Swedish Research Council 2018-00703_VR, The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life, and Welfare 2019-01251. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01807 .

Harm, Then Good? How Work Meaningfulness Emerges from Doing Harm

AbstractMeaningful work has been identified as an important antecedent of an array of positive outcomes for both workers and their employers. However, many work roles involve harming others, an experience that has previously been linked to negative outcomes such as dissatisfaction and burnout. How does meaningfulness emerge when one's work includes such challenging circumstances? Drawing on interviews and observations in the veterinary industry, we elucidate new theory about the relationship between harm‐doing and the experience of meaningful work. Workers' interpretations of the worthiness of the harm, as well as the types of actions they take to remediate it, influence whether their involvement in harm‐doing episodes undermines or heightens their sense of meaningfulness. We further detail how dimensions of harm‐doing episodes shape opportunities for remediation, as well as whether the episodes ‘stick’ in workers' memories and hence figure into their ongoing, holistic accounts of work meaningfulness. Based on these findings, we introduce a novel ‘work‐bounded, worker‐centric’ view of meaningfulness that incorporates both the nature of work and workers' interpretations of it. Our research has implications for the work meaningfulness and workplace harm literatures, as well as for the many individuals whose work involves doing harm.

The “sense” behind proactive behaviors: Feedback seeking, meaningfulness, and personal initiative

With organizations increasingly requiring employees to proactively manage their job and career, researchers have examined various proactive behaviors, such as feedback-seeking behavior and personal initiative. However, few studies have explored the relationships and dynamics among these behaviors. Based on sensemaking theory, this paper argues that employees' feedback-seeking behavior is positively associated with their performance through two stages: meaningfulness and personal initiative. Our hypotheses were tested and supported using two samples: 196 supervisor-subordinate dyads from one large organization in China (Study 1) and panel data of 207 full-time employees from the UK (Study 2). Our findings highlight the importance of recognizing the distinctiveness of different forms of proactive behavior and the synergistic way they contribute to performance. We also demonstrate that employees can seek feedback and construct meaningful work experiences in an agentic manner, which contributes to the literature on career crafting and career self-management.

대학생의 재학 중 일경험과 직업가치의 관계 분석

Objectives This study analyzes the relationship between work experience in school and job values of male and female college students. In particular, it is to confirm the effect of work experience on job value according to gender. Using the 2017~2020 Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey, let's analyze the consistent effect of college student's work experience in school on job value.
 Methods Using The Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey (GOMS) 2017-2020 and subjects of this surveys were 35,217 people who four-year male and female college students(8,933 people in 2017, 9,116 people in 2018, 9,350 people in 2019, and 7,824 people in 2020). A t-test was conducted to verify the change in job value according to the work experience in school of male and female college students. And Regression analysis was conducted to analyze the impact.
 Results The study results can be summarized as follows. First, it was found that male students' work experience and work experience related to their major consistently increased intrinsic job value and had a positive (+) effect. Second, it was found that female students' work experience related to their major consistently increased the intrinsic job value and had a positive (+) effect. On the other hand, it was analyzed that female students' work presence or absence of work experience consistently increases the external job value and has a positive (+) effect. Third, the consistent effect of the number of work experiences of unversity students was not confirmed. However, it was confirmed that there was no effect except for 2020.
 Conclusions The work experience in school of a male and female college students was identified as an important factor influencing job values. First, male and female college students should have work experience related to their major in order to increase their intrinsic job values. Second, it seems necessary to differentiate the career guidance of male and female students. Third, the number of work experiences in school should be selected and focused on meaningful work experiences rather than work experiences that do not help university students' career development. This result presents the direction of work experience in school for the development of job values of university students. And I think it will be helpful for the school and the government to establish policies on the work experience of university students.

The Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) For Meaningful Work

The increasing workplace use of artificially intelligent (AI) technologies has implications for the experience of meaningful human work. Meaningful work refers to the perception that one’s work has worth, significance, or a higher purpose. The development and organisational deployment of AI is accelerating, but the ways in which this will support or diminish opportunities for meaningful work and the ethical implications of these changes remain under-explored. This conceptual paper is positioned at the intersection of the meaningful work and ethical AI literatures and offers a detailed assessment of the ways in which the deployment of AI can enhance or diminish employees’ experiences of meaningful work. We first outline the nature of meaningful work and draw on philosophical and business ethics accounts to establish its ethical importance. We then explore the impacts of three paths of AI deployment (replacing some tasks, ‘tending the machine’, and amplifying human skills) across five dimensions constituting a holistic account of meaningful work, and finally assess the ethical implications. In doing so we help to contextualise the meaningful work literature for the era of AI, extend the ethical AI literature into the workplace, and conclude with a range of practical implications and future research directions.

Training in the age of liberalization and crisis: Understanding the learning experiences of young Active Labour Market Programme Participants

AbstractVocational Training has been a prominent aspect of Active Labour Market Policy (ALMP) across EU member states, as part of efforts to boost the employability and human capital of young unemployed people and address new social risks arising within knowledge economies. However, young people's learning experiences of these programmes, and how these shape their early formative experiences in the labour market is underexplored. We address this gap by presenting new analysis of an extensive qualitative dataset, involving interviews with participants in Greece's Continuous Vocational Training (CVET) Program. Drawing on Unwin and Fuller's influential theory of restrictive and expansive learning environments which was developed through examination of formal apprenticeship programmes, we explore the extent to which these short‐term vocational training programs provide meaningful learning and work experiences for young people. We show that vocational training facilitated through ALMPs is often experienced as restrictive, underpinned by a lack of meaningful training, occupation‐specific skills, supportive guidance and quality employment prospects. Furthermore, we show how ALMPs in such contexts not only fail to support young people, but they also reinforce and legitimize precarious work practices by socializing the younger generation of workers into low‐pay, temporary and routine jobs.

Organizational democracy and meaningful work: The mediating role of employees corporate social responsibility perceptions.

Meaningful work is an important field of research, relating to both organizational outcomes and employee welfare. Organizational democracy has been theoretically proposed as an important antecedent to meaningful work. Nevertheless, this relationship is yet to be empirically explored. Thus, the objective of the current research is to explore the relationship between organizational democracy and meaningful work. We used structural equation modeling with self-reported, cross-sectional data from different nations and industries to test a mediation model in which corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions mediate the positive relationship between organizational democracy and meaningful work. Our findings confirmed that CSR perceptions partially mediate in the relationship between organizational democracy and meaningful work. Thus, based on our findings we can conclude that organizational democracy can play a direct role in increasing the experience of meaningful work, but also an indirect role trough the employees experience of CSR. Our findings have theoretical implications by adding to the classical theoretical literature that connect organizational democracy and meaningful work, and by disentangling the role of CSR perceptions in this relationship. Moreover, our findings have practical implications as our results give important knowledge to managers and organizational stakeholders that wish to increase the experience of meaningful work in organizations.

Employee reactions to CSR in the pursuit of meaningful work: A case study of the healthcare industry.

With the growing interest in the microfoundations of corporate social responsibility ('micro-CSR'), many questions linger regarding how the workforce reacts to CSR, which has consequences for their meaningful work experiences. To address this lack of understanding, we conducted an inductive, comparative case study of two healthcare organisations to examine how employees experience meaningful work through reacting to their organisation's CSR initiatives. We demonstrate how CSR triggers employees' meaning-making of work, which takes the form of a misalignment perceived between CSR at the strategic-level and CSR as it is implemented at the employee-level, limiting the experiences of meaningful work. We identify four proactive behaviours in which employees engage to infuse their work with meaning as a way of dealing with this experienced misalignment. We consolidate these behaviours into a typology of meaning-infusing behaviours in the context of CSR. Specifically, we found that when guided by the need for making a positive impact on their beneficiaries, employees engage in what we call 'reshaping work for impact' next to 'collectively enabling impact'. In contrast, when guided by the need for having a sense of meaningful membership, employees are guided by either 'creating a sense of belonging' or 'envisioning prosocial potential'. Through these behaviours, they either navigate within given organisational structures or enact new ones. Overall, we expand research on the CSR-meaningful work relationship, emphasising the role of employees' proactive behaviours in understanding their experiences and reactions to CSR initiatives in their pursuit of meaningful work. Moreover, we highlight implications for micro-CSR research and practice.

Karakteristik Pekerjaan, Kewargaorganisasian Dan Kinerja Dosen Universitas Islam Riau

This study aims to determine the effect of job characteristics and organizational citizenhip behavior on the performance of lecturers at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Islamic University. The sample in this study were 40 lecturers at Faculty of Economics and Business UIR. The analytical method used is a structural equation model using SMARTPLS. The results of the study prove that job characteristics and organizational citizenhip behavior have a significant effect on the performance of lecturers at Faculty of Economics and Business Riau Islamic University. Job characteristics are proven to create psychological conditions, namely meaningful work experience, feelings of responsibility for work results, as well as an overview of the actual results of work that will increase internal motivation, job satisfaction and effective work results so that in the end it will improve the final performance of lecturers. . Organizational citizenship behavior has also been proven to create a willingness to cooperate with lecturers at the Faculty of Economics and Business voluntarily even though there is no formal reward system that can ultimately improve their performance.
 
 Keywords : Skills, Leadership, Developing Economy, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Indonesian Entrepreneurship