Premium
Work meaning among mid‐level professional employees: A study of the importance of work centrality and extrinsic and intrinsic work goals in eight countries
Author(s) -
Kuchinke K Peter,
Ardichvili Alexandre,
Borchert Margaret,
Cornachione Edgard B,
Cseh Maria,
Kang HyeSeung Theresa,
Oh Seok Young,
Rozanski Andrzej,
Tynaliev Urmat,
Zav'jalova Elena
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
asia pacific journal of human resources
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.825
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1744-7941
pISSN - 1038-4111
DOI - 10.1177/1038411111413217
Subject(s) - centrality , meaning (existential) , work (physics) , globe , psychology , public relations , assertiveness , valuation (finance) , social psychology , sociology , business , political science , engineering , mechanical engineering , mathematics , combinatorics , neuroscience , psychotherapist , finance
We conducted a survey‐based study on the meaning of work of some 1500 mid‐level professional employees in private and public organizations in eight countries. Using the country clustering described in the GLOBE series of studies and the theoretical framework of the Meaning of Work study, five hypotheses were tested. The study found support for the universal valuation of work and family as major life domains and the relative importance of leisure, religion, and community involvement. Work centrality was related in differentiated ways to performance orientation, assertiveness, and humane orientation indices. Extrinsic and intrinsic work goals differed and were related to country clustering. The report concludes with implications for the theory and practice of human resource development and offers suggestions for further research.