Context (archaeology)

Engineering

Philosophy

Biology

Construct (python library)

Social psychology

Set (abstract data type)

Biochemistry

Computer science

Qualitative research

Paleontology

Mechanical engineering

CLARITY

Psychology

Work (physics)

Epistemology

Sociology

Chemistry

Programming language

Meaning (existential)

Social science

Academy of Management Proceedings

Meaning in the context of work plays a significant role in many of our lives. Yet empirically grounded clarity about what the construct signifies is lacking. In our paper, we disaggregate meaning in the context of work to meaning in work and meaning at work (Pratt & Ashforth, 2003; Wrzesniewski, 2003). Using mixed methods approach we discover the dimensions of the two constructs based on qualitative (semi-structured interviews) and quantitative (survey and CFA) studies, develop robust scales to measure meaning in work and meaning at work, and probe the relationships between the two constructs based on qualitative (semi-structured and structured interviews) and quantitative (survey and CFA) studies. Our results clearly indicate that the empirically supported main dimensions of meaning in work are fulfilment, connection, perceived importance of the work and purpose of the work; that meaning at work is represented by a wider set of dimensions than we had envisaged based on the existing literature; and that the relationship between meaning in work and meaning at work is interesting and dynamic with several nuances. We conclude our paper by discussing the theoretical and empirical contributions, the managerial implications, and the future research areas.

Meaning in Work and Meaning at Work: Empirically Based Clarity of the Constructs