Meaningful work
Are the younger generations particularly in search of meaning at work? Is it really more difficult today to give meaning to one's work? Are we too demanding in our search for meaningful work?
We talk about the disease of "too much": too much work, too much competition, too many financial demands, too many unattainable objectives. We could also talk about a "too much" that is meaningless, or more simply, a lack of meaning. Fatigue is not only quantitative, linked to an excess, it is also qualitative, linked to a lack, an absence of meaning.
Giving meaning to our work should lead us to consider work as a means of contributing to the common good. Certainly, the risk would be to overvalue work as the only way to contribute to the common good. Over-investment in one's work can make it difficult to give meaning, as it can lead to activism. The search for meaning can also create a sense of lack and frustration because of the effort it requires and the disillusionment it causes.
However, I think that the quest for meaning can be an expression of an ethical thirst, a signpost to an ethical direction, a source of joy. It is a question of never ceasing to want to give meaning, an ethical meaning that cannot be reduced to the realization the illusions, rules or the reaching of financial goals, a meaning that is linked to the possibility of conceiving of oneself in the realization of real and quality work.
Factors and sources of meaning
Based on a humanistic and not exclusively instrumental vision of work, studies on spirituality at work highlight the importance of becoming oneself, creating unity with others and serving others. Similarly, psychological research identifies entry points for meaning: moral rectitude, opportunities for learning and development, autonomy, recognition, positive relationships and societal contribution. What these studies have in common is that they reveal recurring components of meaningful work: the personal dimension, the relational dimension and the societal dimension.
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It may be that individuals at work can only profoundly develop their humanity if they have the opportunity to experience all the components of meaning. This presupposes an awareness of the existence of these different components.
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In a recent study on the impact of artistic interventions in organizational settings, we put forward new categories of meaning that had not been previously identified in the meaningful work literature, such as new ways of seeing oneself, new ways of seeing work and organization, a better conflict resolution capacity, discovering potential in others, a community spirit, and a better understanding of clients’ expectations. Therefore, personal development is not limited to experiencing autonomy and developing competencies, but entails a deeper change in the way that people conceive of themselves, their work and their organization. Relationships with others go beyond working in a team, helping colleagues and serving customers as they encompass resolving conflicts, knowing others’ needs and engaging in community dynamics. Societal contribution is not only based on the desire to be useful to the society, but also on the desire to gain a deeper understanding of the human aspirations of external stakeholders.
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https://hal-audencia.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01718297
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296317303958?via%3Dihub
The role of the leader in the construction of meaning
As a starting point was the idea that there are many dangers in the process for leaders who want to impose a certain form of meaning. The major risk now widely denounced in academic literature is that of delivering a predetermined definition of meaning that is disconnected from the reality experienced by workers. But even without going as far as having a fixed vision of meaning, focusing on the components of meaning also risks distancing us from the complex reality of work. Our objective is to restore work to the heart of the reflection on meaning.
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Rather than concentrating on good practices by which leaders attempt to promote the diffusion of meaning, we examined the processes by which leaders make sense of their own work. Indeed, by giving meaning to their own activity, leaders may be better able to help other individuals enter into a similar process. It may also be that by being attentive to how other individuals make sense of their work, leaders can give meaning to their own activity.
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We show that meaningful leadership is closely connected to employees' meaningful work, inviting new scholars and incoming researchers to study the interactions between leaders' meaningful leadership and employees' meaningful work. Taking into consideration the links between the different meanings given to work by the various members of the organization, future studies will be able to contribute to the development of a dynamic and non-fixed, relational and non-individualistic perspective on meaning.
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Moral exemplarity
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Thus, leaders can try to give meaning to the different components of their activity. They can also strive to be moral exemplars. By moral exemplarity, we do not mean the transmission of a fixed set of values, but rather an invitation to seek consistency between values and actions. Based on 20 case studies constructed from autobiographical interviews with leaders of French family businesses, we show that these leaders find meaning in their leadership activity by maintaining coherence between their values and their ethical behaviors. We show that moral exemplarity does not consist in establishing an imitable behavioural standard; rather, it is an invitation to act in accordance with one's own values.
Voir FREMEAUX, S., RADU-LEFEBVRE, M. (2021). Meaningful work and moral exemplarity: the perspective of family business leaders, Revue de l'Entrepreneuriat