A Good Living Versus A Good Life

Abstract

The Problem

The expectation for meaningful work and work–life integration is firmly entrenched in the minds of the GenerationY/Millennial generations in the workplace. Yet, in updating the literature and rethinking the impact on Chalofsky’s (2003) construct for meaningful work, the question arose as to whether meaningful work can and should exist in a vacuum or should it be viewed as part of a meaningful life. If so, what are the implications for the construct and for human resource development (HRD). How far can and should HRD go to help ensure a meaningful and purposeful life for present and future generations in the workplace?

The Solution

This article provides a sketch of the current research and thinking about meaningful work and a basis for the rest of the articles in this issue. The tightness of the “fit” between self and work can determine how meaningful one’s work is perceived. How work fits within a meaningful life, and how one’s life fits within the context of the organization, the community, the society, and the planet can shape a meaningful existence.

The Stakeholders

The intended audience for this article includes HRD scholars, scholar-practitioners, consultants, and students interested in the construct of meaningful work, and the implications of reframing HRD around meaning and purpose.

Keywords

meaningful life meaningful work evolving construct

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bandura

. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bandura

(2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), 1-26.

Bettertogether. (2002). Work and social capital, Saguaro Seminar on Civic Engagement in America, John F, Kennedy School of Government. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. Retrieved from http://www.hks.harvard.edu/programs/saguaro/about/the-original-saguaro-seminar-meetings/work-and-social-capital

Booth School of Business. (2013). New paths to purpose: A project of the Chicago Booth Center for Decision Research, Overview, and Goals. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago. Retrieved from http://newpathstopurpose.org/grants/rfp/overview-and-goals

Bowie

(1998). A Kantian theory of meaningful work. Journal of Business Ethics, 17, 1083-1092.

Chalofsky

(2003). An emerging construct for meaningful work. Human Resource Development International, 6, 69-83.

Chalofsky

, (2010). Meaningful workplaces: Reframing how and where we work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Côté

J. E.

(2002). The role of identity capital in the transition to adulthood: The individualization thesis examined. Journal of Youth Studies, 5, 117-134.

Csikszentmihalyi

(1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.

10.

Erikson

E. H.

(1982). The life cycle completed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

11.

Fox

(1994). The reinvention of work. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

12.

Gardner

(1989). The moral aspects of leadership (National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

13.

George

Sims

McLean

Mayer

(2007). Discovering your authentic leadership. Harvard Business Review. Available from http://www.hbr.org

14.

Gayle

(1997). Workplace purpose and meaning as perceived by information technology professionals: A phenomenological study (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). The George Washington University, Washington, DC.

15.

Jamieson

Auron

Shectman

(2010). Managing use of self for masterful professional practice. OD Practitioner, 42(3), 4-11.

16.

Kissler

G. D.

(1994). The new employment contract. Human Resource Management, 33, 335-352.

17.

Maslow

A. H.

(1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50, 370-396. Retrieved from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm#r13

18.

Miller

(2008). Meaningful work over the life course (Unpublished dissertation). Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA.

19.

Minahan

(2011). The only tool you can always count on. Practicing: An Online OD Network Magazine. Retrieved from http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.odnetwork.org/resource/resmgr/practicing_od/892.pdf

20.

Putnam

(2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York, NY: Touchstone.

21.

Ryan

R. M.

Deci

E. L.

(2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68-78.

22.

Senge

(1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York, NY: Doubleday.

23.

Tapia

(2008). The Millennials: Why this generation will challenge the workplace like no other. Lake Forest, IL: Hewett.

24.

Turner

(2005). Patterns of learning in the lives of people who experience meaningful work (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). The George Washington University, Washington, DC.

25.

Walsh

(2013, April 18). Why women should embrace a “good enough” life. The Washington Post.

26.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (2000, January). Corporate social responsibility: Making good business sense. Conches-Geneva, Switzerland: Author.