The meaningfulness of managerial work: case of Taiwanese employees

The importance and benefit of work meaningfulness has been recognized from many previous studies. The purpose of this study aimed at how employees in Taiwan sense their work as meaningful by introducing prosocial motivation along with two organizational-related factors – task significance and external prestige.

In total, 451 questionnaires were used to analyze the relationships among task significance, external prestige, prosocial motivation and work meaningfulness.

The results confirm the research hypotheses. This study advanced our understanding of how work meaningfulness arises through an integration of an individual’s psychological state with work contexts. The implications for managerial practices and future research are discussed.

This research represented an initial empirical test for measuring these constructs in Taiwanese society. While all the measurements have good reliabilities, it is only a good start. The examination of these constructs using these measurements needs additional research, preferably, in different cultural and industrial contexts.