Is meaningful work the silver bullet? Perspectives of the social workers
| Pages | 612-632 |
| Published date | 07 October 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-09-2018-0267 |
| Date | 07 October 2019 |
| Author | Kim-Lim Tan,Tek-Yew Lew,Adriel K.S. Sim |
| Subject Matter | Strategy,International business |
Is meaningful work the silver bullet?
Perspectives of the social workers
Kim-Lim Tan, Tek-Yew Lew and Adriel K.S. Sim
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of meaningful work against
dimensionsof job burnout, with psychologicalcapital (PsyCap) as the mediator.
Design/methodology/approach –Data from 223 social workers were analyzed using the partial least
squares–structuralequation modeling.
Findings –As expected, meaningful work displayed a positive, direct and significant relationship with
PsyCap. Contrary to expectations, meaningful work did not establish a negative direct relationship
with all, but one dimension of job burnout. However, the results showed that it had indirect
relationships with all job burnout dimensions through PsyCap where it displayed a mediating influence
over the relationship.
Practical implications –Given the malleable attributes of PsyCap and the resultsshowing meaningful
work beinga strong predictor of PsyCap, this study suggeststhat organizations should focuson imbuing
greater meaningfulness in workto improve social workers’ PsyCap, which is essential in reducing their
propensityfor experiencing job burnout.
Originality/value –This is one of the firststudies to explore in detail the effects of meaningfulwork on the
dimensions of job burnout, with PsyCap being the mediator. This study has advanced the body of
knowledgeon meaningful work by contesting the claim thatmeaningful work was an effective predictorin
reducing job burnout. In addition, this study has extended the understanding of the upward-spiral
conceptand the resource caravan concept.
Keywords Meaningful work, Psychological Capital, Social workers, Job burnout
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Bolstered by the belief that a happy employee is one that delivers a return on investment,
many organizations today are constantly looking at their employees’ well-being to improve
performance and productivity. On average, an organization could expect a three to five
dollar return for every dollar of investment in employee well-being (Rath and Harter, 2010).
With its intuitive appeal and burgeoning research, meaningful work promisesto be “the next
big thing that organizations should leverage on to improve performance” (Steger, 2017,
p. 60). It is for these reasons that scholars such as Steger (2017) have advocated that
organizations should move “beyond engagement and commitment and strive for
meaningful work” (p. 60).
It has been established over the past decade that employees experiencing meaningful
work are more likely to manifest desired behavior. For instance, they reported higher levels
of well-being (Arnold et al.,2007), positivity in emotions (Steger et al.,2013), as well as
being more satisfied with life (Allan et al.,2016a). Other benefits include lower propensity of
facing burnout (Creed et al.,2014), higher job satisfaction (Allan et al., 2018), clarity of
career aspirations (Steger and Dik, 2010), enhanced organizational commitment (Jung and
Yoon, 2016), lower intentions of resigning (Fairlie, 2011) and superior work performance
Kim-Lim Tan is based at the
Curtin University Malaysia,
Miri, Malaysia and Human
Capital Leadership
Institute, Singapore,
Singapore.
Tek-Yew Lew and
Adriel K.S. Sim are both at
the Curtin University
Malaysia, Miri, Malaysia.
Received 30 September 2018
Revised 16 March 2019
Accepted 20 April 2019
PAGE 612 jJOURNAL OF ASIA BUSINESS STUDIES jVOL. 13 NO. 4 2019, pp. 612-632, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1558-7894 DOI 10.1108/JABS-09-2018-0267
(Tong, 2018). Similarly, industry reports have demonstrated the growing importance of
meaningful work among employees. For instance, the Asian Millennium Workforce and the
Travel Industry survey have shown that almost half of the respondents agreed meaningful
work was a key driver for employee engagement and connection, and 20 per cent of the
respondents were prepared to accepta lower salary in exchange for more meaningful work
(McKinsey, 2014). Another global survey showed that 73 per cent of 23,000 respondents
indicated the ability to find a greater purpose in work helped them in achieving job
satisfaction (Linkedin, 2016).
Despite the growing research, gaps remain. First, research to date focused on the effect of
meaningful work within for-profit settings (Nawrin, 2018;Vidwans and Raghvendra, 2016;
Jung and Yoon, 2016). Little is known about the effects of meaningful work in non-profit
organizations (NPOs). Considering that many employees working in NPOs are driven by its
altruistic mission, Park et al. (2018) have highlighted the source of their motivation might be
distinct, as they work in a unique organizational context and operate with fewer resources
compared to for-profit organizations. Therefore, we argue that the direct application of
findings obtained from past studies focusing on for-profit organizations might not be
applicable.
Second, studies examining the effects of meaningful work on respective dimensions of job
burnout are conspicuously missing.Job burnout is a common phenomenon that happens to
all professions including nurses (Ang et al.,2016), educators (Arens and Morin, 2016),
health workers (Dreison et al., 2016), church ministers (Buys and Rothmann, 2010),
students (Chang et al.,2015), hospitality staff (Chiang and Liu, 2017), physical instructors
(Clapper and Harris, 2008), social workers (Travis et al., 2016) and civil servants(Hao et al.,
2015). While Fairlie (2011) showed that meaningful work could address job burnout, other
studies have revealed differentiated effects from the same predictor could be observed
across the dimensions of job burnout (Bakker et al., 2000;Roncalli and Byrne, 2016). In
addition, Lizano’s (2015) systematic review of 19 studies found all but two observed
differential impacts on job burnout dimensions. The inconsistency in the findings
necessitates further investigation on the effects of a singular unique predictor on the
dimensions of job burnout. Maslach and Jackson(1981) have pointed out the importance of
having a separate examination of the burnout dimensions, which by having a composite
score might mask nuanced interrelationships between the various burnout dimensions and
the predictor. Taken together,this study extends the body of knowledge of meaningful work
on the dimensions of job burnout, whichearlier studies did not provide for.
Finally, several lines of inquiry (Isaksen, 2000) have suggested individual personalities,
such as psychological capital (PsyCap), may affect the construction and deconstruction of
one’s perception of work, which can influence the magnitude of outcomes. However, this
hypothesis has not been widely tested. While many of the existing studies have examined
how job, organizational and societal levels may affect individuals’ perception of work (Allan
et al., 2016b), it is ultimately, the person and the environment that influence the degree of
meaningful work in an organization. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of
meaningful work by establishing if and how PsyCap affects the relationship between
meaningful work and the dimensions of job burnout.
Putting these gaps together, this study unravels the complexity of meaningful work and its
effectiveness in addressing job burnout. This study has responded to the issue raised by
Brenninkmeijer and VanYperen (2003) to analyze job burnout as a multidimensional
construct. By incorporating PsyCap, this study explores in depth the relationship between a
job and personal resources. In the process, it makes theoretical contributions by examining
the gain spiral concept and reaffirmingon the necessity of setting up a resource caravan as
advocated by Hobfoll (2014) within organizations. Finally, it responds to Bakker and
Demerouti’s (2017) call to furthertest the effects personal resources have on job demands.
VOL. 13 NO. 4 2019 jJOURNAL OF ASIA BUSINESS STUDIES jPAGE 613
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