Absolute autonomy, respectful recognition and derived dignity: Towards a typology of meaningful work

Abstract

Theoretical and empirical contributions to meaningful work (MW) have flourished in the last two decades; investigating how the interplay of organizational factors with employee attitudes and experiences enables or denies MW. This paper reviews MW literature in the fields of management and organizational behaviour, political philosophy, the humanities and sociology with the aim of identifying and comparing conceptualizations of MW and how they relate to low-skilled work. The review illustrates that a wide range of MW concepts either interpret low-skilled work as bereft of essential sources for MW, or focus exclusively on workers' innate drive to make meaningful experiences and thereby neglect the politics of working life. Making the point that low-skilled work can also be meaningful, the paper develops a framework for low-skilled work that has at its heart the interplay between the unique characteristics and dynamics of the labour process and workers' agential responses. The framework rests on a combination of labour process analysis and industrial relations approaches, along with sociological concepts of agency. It develops three interdependent conceptual dimensions of core autonomy, respectful recognition and derived dignity that aim to capture MW in low-skilled work settings. The framework contributes to vibrant debates in the MW literature by showcasing how meaningfulness emerges through bottom-up collective and individual practices, relations and strategies that are reflective of the formal structures, demands and relations of low-skilled work.

Innovative conceptual contributions—Raising the game for theory‐driven reviews

“…Associate Editor David Fan recommends 'Absolute autonomy, respectful recognition, and derived dignity: Towards a typology of meaningful work' by Laaser and Bolton (2022). This is an excellent exemplar of a literature review deriving from a rigorous theoretically-informed model.…”

“…David underscores that this paper 'develops a typology of MW for low-skilled work that rests on the interdependent conceptual dimensions of core autonomy, respectful recognition, and derived dignity'. Laaser and Bolton (2022) Associate Editor Jonathan Pinto highlights the paper 'The identity of entrepreneurs: Providing conceptual clarity and future directions' by Wagenschwanz (2021). This is a remarkable literature review, rigorously implemented through Tranfield et al's (2003) procedure, that clarifies the 'theoretical and terminological inconsistencies that have hampered the development of a coherent understanding of the identity of entrepreneurs'.…”

“…David underscores that this paper ‘develops a typology of MW for low‐skilled work that rests on the interdependent conceptual dimensions of core autonomy, respectful recognition, and derived dignity’. Laaser and Bolton (2022) integrate different disciplines to better understand meaningful low‐skilled work by developing these three interdependent conceptual dimensions through a causal complexity perspective. In terms of Post et al.’s (2019) typology, this paper generates theory by clarifying constructs to discern MW in the context of low‐skilled activities.…”

Migrant worker well-being as a struggle for meaningful work: Evidence from Bangladeshi migrants in a developing country

“…A sociological perspective elaborated in Laaser and Bolton (2022) and Laaser and Karlsson (2022) proposes a MW typology based on three interdependent dimensions – autonomy, recognition and dignity – and captures the tensions between worker agency and the structural conditions of work. Laaser and Bolton focus largely on the central role of what they refer to as ‘core autonomy’ in building communities of coping to secure a safe space to mediate managerial demands.…”

The Analysis of Regional Autonomy Implementation in Indonesia: Based on the Ruling Government Paradigm

“…The autonomous system chosen to be implemented and real autonomy can be found in Article 31. According to Laaser & Bolto, real autonomy results from combining formal and material autonomy [33]. Formal autonomy concerns are not subject to any positive constraints.…”