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The motivational potential of meaningful work: Relationships with strengths use, work engagement, and performance

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  • Jessica Van Wingerden
  • Joost Van der Stoep

Abstract

Research in the field of work and organizational psychology increasingly highlights the importance of meaningful work. Adding to this growing body of research, this study examined the complex linkage between meaningful work and performance. More specifically, we hypothesized that meaningful work has a positive relationship with an employee’s performance in several and interrelated ways, via employees’ use of strengths, via work engagement, and via strengths use affecting work engagement. We conducted a structural equation modeling on a sample of 459 professionals working at a global operating organization for health technology. The results provided support for the proposed model which showed a better fit than the sequential mediation model and the direct effects model. This indicates that the meaningful work–performance relationship is predicted best by multiple pathways via employees’ use of strengths and work engagement. The main theoretical, practical, and methodological implications of the results are discussed.

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  • Jessica Van Wingerden & Joost Van der Stoep, 2018. "The motivational potential of meaningful work: Relationships with strengths use, work engagement, and performance," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-11, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0197599
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197599
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sousa-Poza, Alfonso & Sousa-Poza, Andres A., 2000. "Well-being at work: a cross-national analysis of the levels and determinants of job satisfaction," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 517-538, November.
    2. Christopher Michaelson & Michael Pratt & Adam Grant & Craig Dunn, 2014. "Meaningful Work: Connecting Business Ethics and Organization Studies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 77-90, April.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Soyeon Kim & Neena Gopalan & Nicholas Beutell, 2023. "Sustainability through Humility: The Impact of Humble Leadership on Work–Family Facilitation in the U.S. and Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-16, September.
    3. Marine Miglianico & Philippe Dubreuil & Paule Miquelon & Arnold B. Bakker & Charles Martin-Krumm, 2020. "Strength Use in the Workplace: A Literature Review," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 737-764, February.
    4. José M. Peiró & David Montesa & Aida Soriano & Malgorzata W. Kozusznik & Esther Villajos & Jorge Magdaleno & Nia Plamenova Djourova & Yarid Ayala, 2021. "Revisiting the Happy-Productive Worker Thesis from a Eudaimonic Perspective: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-27, March.
    5. Jessica Van Wingerden & Rob F Poell, 2019. "Meaningful work and resilience among teachers: The mediating role of work engagement and job crafting," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(9), pages 1-13, September.
    6. Andra Cătălina Roșca & Alexandru Mateizer & Cristina-Ioana Dan & Evangelia Demerouti, 2021. "Job Demands and Exhaustion in Firefighters: The Moderating Role of Work Meaning. A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-13, September.
    7. Sucipto & Bambang Budi Wiyono & Ach. Rasyad & Umi Dayati & Lasi Purwito, 2021. "The Contribution of Individual Characteristics of Managers to the Success of Equivalency Education Programs of the Community Learning Center in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, October.
    8. Damian Grabowski & Agata Chudzicka-Czupała & Katarzyna Stapor, 2021. "Relationships between work ethic and motivation to work from the point of view of the self-determination theory," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(7), pages 1-17, July.
    9. Wenjing Gui & Qiyu Bai & Lei Wang, 2022. "Workplace Incivility and Employees’ Personal Initiative: A Moderated Mediation Model of Emotional Exhaustion and Meaningful Work," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    10. Wei Hsu & Yen-Chi Chao & Chih-Hao Yang, 2023. "Factors influencing home care workers’ loyalty in long-term nursing services," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.

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