Engaging in Work Even When It Is Meaningless

Steger, Michael F.; Littman-Ovadia, Hadassah; Miller, Michal; Menger, Lauren M.; Rothmann, Sebastiaan

doi:10.1177/1069072712471517

Cited by 121 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(61 reference statements)

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“…Using a snowball sampling strategy, potential participants were encouraged to forward this link to their acquaintances. A similar approach was applied by Steger et al (2013) to increase their pool of participants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Work Conditions and Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role of Meaning of Work

et al. 2016

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Perceived working conditions lead to various negative outcomes for employee behaviors, including turnover intentions. Although potential mediators for these relationships were previously identified, the importance of meaning of work has not yet been investigated. This study examines the role of this psychological resource as a mediator for the relationships between perceived working conditions and turnover intentions in a sample of 336 French workers from different job contexts. Results show that adverse working conditions were positively and significantly associated with turnover intentions. Meaning of work is negatively related to both perceived working conditions and turnover intentions. Mediation analyses for meaning of work demonstrated indirect effects of several adverse working conditions on turnover intentions. The role of meaning of work as a psychological resource for employees facing adverse working conditions is discussed, especially regarding its implications for research and practice within organizational contexts.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived Work Conditions and Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role of Meaning of Work

et al. 2016

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“…Employees believing that their work and efforts make sense, are worthwhile and pay off will experience positive emotional states (Elovainio et al, 2015;Tummers & Den Dulk, 2013), report higher intrinsic motivation (Lloyd, Bond, & Flaxman, 2017), job satisfaction (Steger, Littman-Ovadia, Miller, Menger, & Rothmann, 2013) and personal accomplishment (Maslach, 2011).…”

Section: Hypothesis 1amentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, a transparent definition of an institution's interests, conceptions, and value-oriented leadership may support employees' perceptions of job-related meaningfulness (Auinger, Böhnisch, & Stummer, 2005;. Differences in perceived meaningfulness may explain why identical occupational demands induce different stress perceptions and differences in emotional exhaustion (Steger et al, 2013;Varga et al, 2012). Hence the following research hypothesis was put forward:…”

Section: Meaningfulness and Engagementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Job-related meaningfulness moderates the association between over-commitment and emotional exhaustion in nurses

et al. 2018

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“…Personal-nostalgia inductions typically (Batcho, 2013;Cheung et al, 2013 rather than by increasing work meaning? This is a pertinent question in light of evidence that (dispositional) PA is correlated with meaning in life (Hicks, Trent, Davis, & King, 2012;King, Hicks, Krull, & Del Gaiso, 2006;Trent, Lavelock, & King, 2013;Steger et al, 2013).…”

Section: Study 2: Testing the Effect Of Organizational Nostalgia On Wmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…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).…”

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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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Engaging in Work Even When It Is Meaningless

Cited by 121 publications

References 48 publications

Perceived Work Conditions and Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role of Meaning of Work

Perceived Work Conditions and Turnover Intentions: The Mediating Role of Meaning of Work

Job-related meaningfulness moderates the association between over-commitment and emotional exhaustion in nurses

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

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