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What Makes Work Meaningful?

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  • Samuel A. Mortimer

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

Prior scholarly approaches to meaningful work have largely fallen into two camps. One focuses on identifying how work can contribute to a meaningful life. The other studies the antecedents and outcomes of workers experiencing their work as meaningful. Neither of these approaches, however, captures what people look for when they seek meaningful work—or so I argue. In this paper, I give a new, commitment-based account of meaningful work by focusing on the reasons people have to choose meaningful work over other options. I draw on philosopher Ruth Chang’s account of voluntarist reasons (reasons that arise from an act of the will) to argue that commitments can create distinctive reasons to pursue certain work. It is the presence of these distinctive reasons that makes work meaningful.

Suggested Citation

  • Samuel A. Mortimer, 2023. "What Makes Work Meaningful?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(4), pages 835-845, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:185:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-023-05356-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-023-05356-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ruth Yeoman, 2014. "Conceptualising Meaningful Work as a Fundamental Human Need," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Meaningful Work and Workplace Democracy, chapter 1, pages 8-38, Palgrave Macmillan.
    2. Christopher Michaelson, 2021. "A Normative Meaning of Meaningful Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 413-428, May.
    3. Ruth Yeoman, 2014. "Conceptualising Meaningful Work as a Fundamental Human Need," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 125(2), pages 235-251, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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