Meaning, Meaningfulness, and Purpose at Work: Towards Conceptual Clarity and Integration

Introduction

Why do people work, and what does work mean for them? Multiple career theories include meaning-related aspects of work. Specifically, Super’s lifespan theory (1990), Protean career theory (Hall, 1996), the kaleidoscope career model (Mainiero & Sullivan, 2005), and the subjective person-career fit framework (Talluri et al., 2025) focus on aligning career choices with personal values. Meaning is a key dimension of career sustainability, (De Vos et al., 2020; Donald et al., 2024) and is central in career construction theory (Savickas, 2001). Finally, according to Psychology of Working theory (Duffy et al., 2016; Blustein et al., 2023) meaningful work is essential for mental health and wellbeing.

As ideas of meaning, meaningfulness and purpose have become of interest to researchers, they represent related but distinct concepts: The meaning of work is connected to personal interpretations, a cognitive process of meaning-making, which can carry positive, negative, or neutral emotions (Pratt & Ashforth, 2003; Rosso et al., 2010). This process evaluates work in the context of one’s values, and may answer the question “Why”, in terms of explanation of one’s vocational choices: “Why do I work”. Meaningfulness refers to the emotional and experiential aspects of working, rewarding fulfilment that is beyond fleeting satisfaction (Bailey et al., 2019; Lysova et al., 2019; Rosso et al., 2010). This concept best answers the question “How”, providing a glimpse into lived experiences and processes of finding fulfillment and engagement in daily work: “How do I find satisfaction and joy in what I do?”. Finally, purpose refers to a sense of direction or destination, that guides an individual’s broader trajectory for their work and life (McKnight & Kashdan, 2009; Michaelson & Tosti-Kharas, 2024). This concept may correspond with the question “Where”, a long-term direction, or a self-transcendent goal, that an individual aspires to achieve through work: “Where, towards which ultimate goal, am I going with this career?”.

Despite the efforts to distinguish between the concepts, they are sometimes are so closely intertwined (e.g., Lips-Wiersma & Morris, 2009; Rosso et al., 2010) that it may be hard to determine whether a piece of research refers to one or the other. Therefore, we aim to promote conceptual clarity to help understand the nomological networks of the constructs, exploring the different aspects of the purpose of work, meanings people assign to work, and what makes work meaningful for them. We intend to focus on meaning, that related to producing positive impact and purpose, rather than on subjective career success in general. By integrating the aspects of meaning for a comprehensive understanding, we aim to advance theoretical and empirical insights and address current research questions on human fulfillment at work.

We welcome submissions from all countries and regions. Relevant research topics include:

• Authenticity and alignment of work with personal values
• Decent work and meaningfulness across occupations
• Human and technological interactions and the future of work
• The place of work in a whole-life framework
• Calling and serving higher purpose through work
• Sustaining purpose and meaning over time

Cited works:

Bailey, C., Yeoman, R., Madden, A., Thompson, M., & Kerridge, G. (2019). A review of the empirical literature on meaningful work: Progress and research agenda. Human Resource Development Review, 18(1), 83–113.

Blustein, D. L., Lysova, E. I., & Duffy, R. D. (2023). Understanding decent work and meaningful work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10(1), 289–314.

De Vos, A., Van der Heijden, B. I. J. M., & Akkermans, J. (2020). Sustainable careers: Towards a conceptual model. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 117, 103196.

Donald, W. E., Van der Heijden, B. I., & Manville, G. (2024). (Re) Framing sustainable careers: toward a conceptual model and future research agenda. Career Development International, 29(5), 513-526.

Duffy, R. D., Blustein, D. L., Diemer, M. A., & Autin, K. L. (2016). The psychology of working theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(2), 127–148.

Hall, D. T. (1996). Protean careers of the 21st century. Academy of Management Executive, 10(4), 8–16.

Lips-Wiersma, M., & Morris, L. (2009). Discriminating between meaningful work and the management of meaning. Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 491–511.

Lysova, E. I., Allan, B. A., Dik, B. J., Duffy, R. D., & Steger, M. F. (2019). Fostering meaningful work in organizations: A multilevel review and integration. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 110, 374–389.

Mainiero, L. A., & Sullivan, S. E. (2005). Kaleidoscope careers: An alternative explanation for the “opt-out” revolution. Academy of Management Executive, 19(1), 106–123.

McKnight, P. E., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Purpose in life as a system that creates and sustains health and well-being: An integrative, testable theory. Review of General Psychology, 13(3), 242–251.

Michaelson, C. W., & Tosti-Kharas, J. (2024). The meaning and purpose of work: An interdisciplinary framework for considering what work is for. Taylor & Francis.

Rosso, B. D., Dekas, K. H., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010). On the meaning of work: A theoretical integration and review. Research in Organizational Behavior, 30, 91–127.

Savickas, M. L. (2002). Career construction: A developmental theory of vocational behavior. In D. Brown (Ed.), Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 149–205). Jossey-Bass.

Super, D. E. (1990). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. In D. Brown, L. Brooks, & Associates (Eds.), Career choice and development (2nd ed., pp. 197–261). Jossey-Bass.

Talluri, S. B., Baruch, Y., & Donald, W. E. (2025). Navigating sustainable careers: A conceptual framework on person-career fit dynamics. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 104157.

List of Topic Areas

• Meaning of work
• Meaningful work
• Purpose of work
• Decent work
• Sustainable Careers

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cdevi

Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/cdi

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: September 1, 2026.

Closing date for manuscripts submission: March 1, 2027.