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Flow (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)

Contrary to what we usually believe .. The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times. The best moments occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to the limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.

(Flow: The psychology of optimal experience, 1990)

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HOT TOPICMeaning at Work

Charlotte Rayner

Simon Phillips and Sue Wellman

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Objectives

• Academic background to Meaning at Work• Practitioner application of Meaning at

Work• Our Big Ideas for the future• Process of academia and practitioners

working together

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References• Chalofsky N.E. (2010) Meaningful workplaces: Reframing

how and where we work San Francisco, Wiley • Pink D. H. (2010) Drive: the surprising truth about what

motivates us Edinburgh, Canongate Books• Rosso, B.D., Dekas, K.H., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010) On

the meaning of work: A theoretical integration and Review Research in Organization Behavior (30) 91-127

• Steel, P. and Konig C.J. (2007) Integrating theories of motivation Academy of Management Review (31) 899-913

• Steger, M.F. Dik, B.J., Duffy, R.D (2012) Measuring meaningful work, Journal of Career Assessment Vol 20, pp332-337

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What is Meaning at Work?“Following Rosso, Dekas, and Wrzesniewski

(2010), we define MW not as simply whatever work means to people (meaning), but as work that is both significant and positive in valence (meaningfulness).” Steger et al, 2012

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Why is this important?• Benefits to workers include claims of

health and wellbeing, job satisfaction and work group cohesion.

• Benefits to organisations include claims of links to empowerment, engagement, work becoming more central to individuals, and high tenure.

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Why is this important?• Benefits to workers include claims of

health and wellbeing, job satisfaction and work group cohesion. Happiness?

• Benefits to organisations include claims of links to empowerment, engagement, work becoming more central to individuals, and high tenure. Productivity?

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The bad news ....MONEY IS A PROBLEM

As a motivatorIn its connection to effort

In its role as ‘reward’

Dan Pink (2010) reviews some interesting problems

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The topic has been studied tangentially for many years e.g.

Self Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan)

People have three needs:

Competence

Autonomy

Relatedness

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Rosso, Dekas, & Wrzniewski 2010 Literature review of different approaches: Sources

and mechanisms of meaning

Sources of meaning: Alignment of values,

self-realisation,

the work itself,

feeling of accomplishment,

future career,

co-workers,

customers,

family & non-work

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Rosso, Dekas, & Wrzniewski 2010 Literature review which shows different

approaches and also we are all different.

Mechanisms of meaning:

How far work central to me,

identity with role,

authenticity,

self-efficacy,

competence,

connectedness and belonging in groups, transcendence

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Rosso, Dekas, & Wrzniewski 2010 Final proposal for SOURCES concern two

dimensions:

Individual Agency Communality

Self-directed work Other-directed

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Take a breath!

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State of Play now is effectively the same as 2 years ago....

Rosso, Dekas and Wrzesniewski (2010) still dominant analysis

Data = nil

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Back to The StoryMeaning at Work – a new topic .....

Taking an idea out for a walk

The start of cooperative working with Simon

The insight for data gathering

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Data from a 2012 studyEngagement: Variable (after Bakker)

Significance

F1

Leadership

F2

Vigour &

Motivation

F3

Absorbed

When I am off work I miss my job .812

When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work .767

I learn a great deal from my manger .859

My manager is inspiring .861

I share all my ideas about work with my manager .715

At my job, I feel vigorous .698

My ideas and opinion are highly valued .731

At work, I feel bursting with energy .649

My manager supports my learning on the job .816

My manager welcomes constructive feedback .809

I am immersed in my work .688

At my job, I am resilient mentally .621

At work I always persevere, even when things don’t go well .628

I can continue working for long periods at a time .800

related to each other. The Table below shows the three Factors.

Table 5 One

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Question 1 What do you appreciate in your job now? What the money buysWhat it does for my self esteemThe work is intellectually stimulatingIt’s important to others I am employedMy manager makes it worthwhileI like XXXXX as an employerMy colleagues’ company / friendshipMy job enhances my home lifeMy job develops me as a personMy ideas are listened to here – I contributeIt’s really enjoyable at workMy identity is wrapped up in my jobMy skills/ abilities are used really well

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Meaning: Variable

Loading

F1

Job,

31% variance

F2

Self, 16% variance

F3

Others, 10% Variance

My manager makes it worthwhile .670

My job enhances my home life .685My ideas are listened to here – I contribute .798

The work is intellectually stimulating .728

My job develops me as a person .727

What it does for my self esteem .664

It’s really enjoyable at work .677

My skills/ abilities are used really well .729

What the money buys .814

It’s important to others I am employed .785

My colleagues’ company / friendship .762

Table 7

As factor 3 (Others) had such a low alpha score, it is not valid.

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Thank you

Charlotte.rayner@port.ac.uk