Managers do nothing to foster a sense of meaning at work, but their attitudes can destroy employees’ sense that their work is meaningful, according to a study published in MIT Sloan Management Review.
According to the study, research increasingly points to the importance of a sense of meaning at work. Some studies suggest meaning is more important than any other component of work, including pay or working environment. Some companies have attempted to boost morale by finding ways to create a sense of meaning, but the study undermines the notion that this is the role of management. The study’s authors predicted working conditions would be a significant factor in meaning at work, but their research suggests meaning comes from the worker, not the workplace or manager.
Sense of Meaning at Work Does Not Come from Managers
Researchers identified 135 people working in 10 different professions. They asked participants to share stories about times when work felt meaningful, as well as moments when they felt their jobs were pointless.
They found meaning at work was an intensely personal experience that related to the way the work affected workers’ self-perceptions and reflected their values. Workers often related stories about how meaningful work related to personal experiences, such as a loved one’s working history or a memory of a family member.
Although managers did not contribute to workers’ sense of meaning, they did do things that undermined a sense of meaning at work. Undermining supportive relationships, forcing people to act against their values, and overriding workers’ judgments ranked among the most common behaviors that reduced meaning at work.What Does Meaningful Work Look Like?
Based upon the interviews, the researchers identified five traits of meaningful work:
- Reflective: Workers see their work as meaningful not in the moment, but after reflecting upon their actions.
- Self-transcendent: Employees see their work as more meaningful when it matters to other people.
- Episodic: Meaning happens periodically, rather than being a constant state.
- Poignant: People find their work meaningful even at times of mixed emotions, including negative feelings.
- Personal: People bring their human experiences to work, and their assessment of a job’s meaning depends on personal factors such as previous experiences and cultural values.
References:
- Bailey, C., & Madden, A. (2016, June 1). What makes work meaningful–or meaningless. Retrieved from http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/what-makes-work-meaningful-or-meaningless/?utm_medium=pr&utm_source=release&utm_campaign=featjune16
- Meaningful work not created, only destroyed, by bosses, study finds. (2016, June 3). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160603110259.htm
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