Finding Meaning and Meaningfulness at Work: a Short Introduction

“What is the meaning of life?”. This is a big question with many implications for a lot of us. In the same spirit, we have started to question and chase after the meaning of work, not least what makes work meaningful, and our sense of belonging.

One way to understand the meaning and meaningfulness of work is to examine them through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a motivational psychology theory from 1943 used to understand the motivations of human behaviors'. It depicts five hierarchical levels of basic human needs. In order to ’proceed’ to higher levels, lower levels must first be fulfilled.

Moving from physiological needs (e.g. food, water, clothing, shelter, sleep) to safety and security needs (e.g. health, employment/job security, family), we further proceed to needs of love and belonging (e.g. friendship, sense of connection, being a part of a group) followed by the needs of self-esteem (e.g. respect, achievement, confidence) and finally, to self-actualization needs (e.g. creativity, inner potential, acceptance). In our need hierarchy, work seems to be a pretty basic need.

Despite being widely contested and criticized, the model remains popular, and there are different variations of it. Let us take a closer look at those that apply in the context of the workplace:

• Physiological needs refer to the employees’ most basic needs like coffee and lunch breaks, necessary tools, a comfortable working environment, and the safety of steady income that one can use to fulfill other physiological needs as a place to live.
• Safety at the workplace can range from working in order to provide safety in other areas of life (e.g. financial stability) to feeling emotionally safe and supported at the workplace. Nothing lowers the feeling of motivation more than the constant worry of losing one’s job.
• In the center of love and belonging lies exactly that: the need to belong and fit in one’s workplace. This also encompasses diversity, equity and inclusion, and to feel accepted the way one is.
• Self-esteem. It is important that one’s work is recognized and encouraged, which builds one’s confidence in oneself and one’s abilities.
• Self-actualization can be seen as maximizing one’s potential at work. At the core lies one’s feeling of being trusted and empowered. All this leads to work satisfaction and how engaged individuals are; to the sense of belonging and to the feeling of doing meaningful work. Again, in order to fulfil higher needs, lower needs must first be fulfilled.

I asked our new best friend — or enemy — ChatGPT, what meaningful work is. Here is what it told me:

“Meaningful work can refer to personal fulfilment (work is in line with an individual’s interests, values and passions), making an impact and/or contribution to society, personal growth and development, autonomy and control over one’s work, and finally, one having positive relationships with colleagues and encouraging work environment”.

Ultimately, it’s not so different from Maslow’s Theory, which some might call ancient. What all of this means to individuals is highly subjective and deeply personal — and also generation specific.

Some may argue that work is just work, no strings attached. Some say that work should not be fun and all smiles but instead, be taken seriously. If this is what work should be, where and how do we derive its meaningfulness from?

Numerous studies have shown that finding meaningfulness and purpose at work is essential for one’s well-being at work. Among the most cited sources of meaningful work include when a person is able to contribute to society, when one feels valued and respected and can experience personal growth. This has a positive spillover effect on one’s private sphere as well. Work that is consistent with one’s values and morals gives one a sense of belonging and a feeling of safety, meeting both physical and psychological needs.

In the tech space, the balance between freedom and responsibility is probably more profoundly highlighted than in any other field. Specifically for startups It has been found that meaningfulness and passion for what one does are the strongest motivations for starting. Job security and steady, 20-year-long careers may not be seen as bearing strong relevance anymore and short-term contracts are becoming increasingly common.

From the business point of view, meaningful work appears to be a critical factor for success. That, in turn, calls on companies and organizations to look at how to better manage meaningfulness in the workplace. More on this and other topics related to meaningful work will be addressed. Stay tuned!

About the author:

Piia Lepistö-Johansson is a Volunteer Researcher & Content Writer at women++. She holds a BSc in Business Administration and has a strong background in research and education. Piia is fascinated by the intricate and delicate understandings of gender and gender identity in working life. Deeper understandings and understanding deeper meanings have always driven her forward. She also has a special crush on the use of language in the form of stories and storytelling, and narratives and discourses. Helping people to search, analyze, ponder and find the joy of discovering makes her tick. She lives in Kanton Zürich, savouring the brilliant Swiss chocolate and cheese culture, but is proud to come from the happiest country in the world…