There are many models arguing on the work characteristics (Hackman & Oldham, 1975; Spector, 1975; Blazer et al., 2000). Sadly very few models explain as what could be of prime importance for individuals at work (Fairlie, 2011b). The current paper has attempted to outline that, out of the several antecedents empirically highlighted in the work engagement literatures; meaningful work could one of the most significant. The paper has critically appraised the literature, pin pointing towards the paucity of empirical studies on meaningful work and its relationship with work engagement and how it could be value for business practitioners to address this issue respectively.
The paper has extended the idea to encourage future researchers to investigate the relationship and forward robust evidence on the importance of meaningful work for predicting work engagement and work wellbeing. The review aims to highlight meaningful work as an important job resource, necessary for enhancing psychological wellbeing at work.
Ahmed, U., Majid, A. H. A., & Zin, L. M. (2016). Construct Validation of 17-item Utrecht University Work Engagement Scale Amongst the White Collar employees of Malaysian Universities. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 6(5), 306-312.
Ahmed, U., Phulpoto, W., Umrani, W., & Abbas, S. (2015). Diving Deep in Employee Training to Understand Employee Engagement. Business and Economics Journal, 7(1), 1-4.
Asik-Dizdar, O., & Esen, A. (2016). Sensemaking at work: meaningful work experience for individuals and organizations. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 24(1), 2-17.
Brief, A. P., & Nord, W. R. (1990). Meanings of occupational work: A collection of essays: Free Press.
Brief, A. P., & Nord, W. R. (1990). Meanings of occupational work: A collection of essays: Free Press.
Chalofsky, N., & Krishna, V. (2009). Meaningfulness, commitment, and engagement: The intersection of a deeper level of intrinsic motivation. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(2), 189-203.
Demerouti, E., Cropanzano, R., Bakker, A., & Leiter, M. (2010). From thought to action: Employee work engagement and job performance. Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research, 65, 147-163.
Demerouti, E., Mostert, K., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). Burnout and work engagement: a thorough investigation of the independency of both constructs. Journal of occupational health psychology, 15(3), 209.
Dubin, R. (1956). Industrial workers' worlds: A study of the “central life interests” of industrial workers. Social problems, 3(3), 131-142.
Fairlie, P. (2011a). Meaningful Work, Employee Engagement, and Other Key Employee Outcomes: Implications for Human Resource Development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 13(4), 508-525.
Fairlie, P. (2011b). Meaningful Work: A Sleeping Giant in the Context of Other Work Characteristics, Work Engagement, and Other Employee Outcomes. Paper presented at the The 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association at.
Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self?determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331-362.
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success: Hachette UK.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational behavior and human performance, 16(2), 250-279.
Hobfoll, S. E. (2001). The influence of culture, community, and the nested?self in the stress process: advancing conservation of resources theory. Applied Psychology, 50(3), 337-421.
Hobfoll, S. E., & Shirom, A. (2001). Conservation of resources theory: Applications to stress and management in the workplace.
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of management journal, 33(4), 692-724.
Littman-Ovadia, H., & Steger, M. (2010). Character strengths and well-being among volunteers and employees: Toward an integrative model. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(6), 419-430.
Littman-Ovadia, H., & Steger, M. (2010). Character strengths and well-being among volunteers and employees: Toward an integrative model. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(6), 419-430.
Morse, N. C., & Weiss, R. S. (1955). The function and meaning of work and the job. American Sociological Review, 20(2), 191-198.
Olivier, A., & Rothmann, S. (2007). Antecedents of work engagement in a multinational oil company. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 33(3), 49-56.
Perrin, T.-T. (2003). US Tort Costs: 2003 Update–Trends and Findings on the Costs of the US Tort System. London: Tillinghast Towers Perrin.
Petchsawang, P., & Duchon, D. (2012). Workplace spirituality, meditation, and work performance. Journal of management, spirituality & religion, 9(2), 189-208.
Rich, B. L., Lepine, J. A., & Crawford, E. R. (2010). Job engagement: Antecedents and effects on job performance. Academy of management journal, 53(3), 617-635.
Rosso, B. D., Dekas, K. H., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010). On the meaning of work: A theoretical integration and review. Research in organizational behavior, 30, 91-127.
Rothmann, S., & Buys, C. (2011). Job demands and resources, psychological conditions, religious coping and work engagement of reformed church ministers. Journal of psychology in Africa, 21(2), 173-183.
Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600-619.
Salanova, M., Agut, S., & Peiró, J. M. (2005). Linking organizational resources and work engagement to employee performance and customer loyalty: the mediation of service climate. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(6), 1217.
Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Salanova, M. (2006). The measurement of work engagement with a short questionnaire a cross-national study. Educational and psychological measurement, 66(4), 701-716.
Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness studies, 3(1), 71-92.
Shuck, B., & Rose, K. (2013). Reframing employee engagement within the context of meaning and purpose: Implications for HRD. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 1523422313503235.
Steger, M. F., & Dik, B. J. (2009). If one is looking for meaning in life, does it help to find meaning in work? Applied Psychology: Health and Well?Being, 1(3), 303-320.
Steger, M. F., Dik, B. J., & Duffy, R. D. (2012). Measuring meaningful work: The work and meaning inventory (WAMI). Journal of Career Assessment, 1069072711436160.
Steger, M. F., Dik, B. J., & Duffy, R. D. (2012). Measuring meaningful work: The work and meaning inventory (WAMI). Journal of Career Assessment, 1069072711436160.
Steger, M. F., Littman-Ovadia, H., Miller, M., Menger, L., & Rothmann, S. (2013). Engaging in work even when it is meaningless: Positive affective disposition and meaningful work interact in relation to work engagement. Journal of Career Assessment, 1069072712471517.
Steger, M. F., Littman-Ovadia, H., Miller, M., Menger, L., & Rothmann, S. (2013). Engaging in work even when it is meaningless: Positive affective disposition and meaningful work interact in relation to work engagement. Journal of Career Assessment, 1069072712471517.
Stringer, C., & Boverie, P. (2007). The role of meaning in work: A study of the transformational power of meaningful work. Transformative Learning: Issues of Difference and Diversity, 305.
Ahmed, U., Majid, A. H. A., & Zin, M. L. M. (2016). Meaningful Work and Work Engagement: A Relationship Demanding Urgent Attention. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 6(8), 105-111.
Copyright: © 2016 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode