InsightsonExecutiveWellbeingbyAudreyMcGibbon,2015

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ExistentialVoidversusMeaning,Purpose&Fulfilment?HughMackayin“TheGoodLife:WhatMakesLifeWorthLiving?”describesabackdropofgrowinganxiety,senseofuneaseandpessimismwithinAustraliansocietywhichmanifestsasalesscaringandmorematerialisticoutlook;asearlyas2002,83%ofAustraliansdescribedAustraliansocietyas‘toomaterialistic,withtoomuchemphasisonmoneyandnotenoughonthethingsthatreallymatter’(Eckersley,Hamilton,&Denniss,2005).Australiansarebeingsoldthemessagetheycanonlybehappyiftheyhavemoremoneyandmorethings–asapromoterofsocialstatuswiththeimpliedpromiseofincreasedwellbeing(Mackay,2013),andthismaybeespeciallytrueofexecutivesinlargeorganisations.Yet,agrowingbodyofresearchshowsthatmaterialism–thepursuitofmoneyandpossessions–seemstobreednothappiness,butdissatisfaction,depression,anxiety,anger,isolationandalienation.Whilstresearchclearlytellsusthatmoneycantosomedegreebuyhappiness,ithasalsobeenshownthatthisrelationshiphasitsthresholdandissubjecttothelawofdiminishingreturns(Diener&Biswas-Diener2008)).Lifeatthetopinlargeorganisations,especiallythoseintheprivatesectorbutincreasinglyeventhoseinthepublicsector,hasbecomeheavilyorientedtowardscommercialsuccessatbothanorganisationalandindividuallevel,andindividualschargedwiththeresponsibilityofensuringthe‘success’andviabilityoforganisationalperformanceareoftenheavilyvestedinthenotionofmaterialrewardandgain.Eckersleyetal(2005)calloutthatacultureofindividualism,whilstsupposedlyaboutautonomyandfreeingustolivetheliveswewant,infactoffersadifferentandconfusingrealityi.e.onewithaheightenedsenseofrisk,uncertaintyandinsecurity;aperceptionthattheonusofsuccesslieswiththeindividual;reducedsocialwellbeing,diminishedconnectednessandlowerlevelsofsupport.Seniorpeoplearetypicallymotivatedbypursuitoffinancialwealth,recognition,statusandpowerbutsuchextrinsicgoalsand‘rewards’areassociatedwithloweroverallwellbeingasaresultnotonlyofincreasedanxietyanddepressionbutalsolesssupportiveandlesspositiverelationships(Eckersley,Hamilton,&Denniss,2005).Ithasbeenrepeatedlyestablishedthatthepursuitofsuchexternalmaterialisticorconsumeristvaluesareassociatedwithlowerlevelsofwellbeingacrossphysical,emotionalandpsychologicaldomains(Kasser,2002)andthatastrongfocusonmoneyandpossessionsisinoppositiontopromotinggoodinterpersonalrelationships(Ricard,2011).

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Consumerismbothfostersandexploitstherestless,insatiableexpectationthat‘therehasgottobemoretolife’(Eckersley,Hamilton,&Denniss,2005),anditispossibleifnotprobablethatleadersatthetopoforganisationsonvastlyhigherincomesthanthenationalaverageaswellasseductivebonusandincentiveprogramsmaybemorevulnerableto‘sellingtheirsouls’–executivesoftenexperiencetheirwork,familylivesandspiritualwellbeinginseparatecompartments(Cavanagh,1999)and“thisseparationleavesthemfeelingdry,unfulfilledandunhappy,oftenexperiencedasaprofoundvoidorabsenceintheirlives,anexistentialvacuum”(DeClerk,2005).Thequestformeaningfulworkthathasasenseofpurposeor‘point’thatisalignedtoanindividual’svalueshasbecomeastrongdriverandthebasisofmanyexecutives’personalidentity,requiringcareercommitment,careerresilience,careerplanning,jobinvolvement,worksatisfaction,goalattainment,intrinsicmotivation,work-lifebalance,andasetofworkvaluesthatalignandintegratewithlifevalues(DeClerk,2005)