Giving meaning to work: the challenge for successful companies
DirectoryDisharmonious inspiration, taken from issue 319, January/February of Sviluppo&Organisation.Authors:group of organizational scholars
In the aseptic open spaces of multinationals, in the dim offices of a public administration and even in startups with a Silicone flavour, the mantra of having'an impact'resounds incessantly. But what impact? On whom? And, above all, why? The search for meaning in organizations, a theme explored in depth by authors such as Daniel Pink (Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us, 2009) and Frédéric Laloux (Reinventing organizations, 2014), clashes with the reality of working environments that often promise meaning and then deliver alienation. Yes, indeedalienation, a concept that crosses disciplines and eras, from the idealist philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel to Marxism, from modern sociology to contemporary psychology. In the context of organizations, it continues to be a central theme, especially in an era in which work seems increasingly emptied of meaning and dominated by the logic of efficiency and control, of a 'procedural' culture, to the detriment of effectiveness and a search for the meaning of what is done and why it is done.
Max Weber, in his classicThe Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism(1905), underlined the passage of the workfrom economic necessity to spiritual calling. This ideal, revisited in a contemporary key, is reflected in leadership manuals that urge you to 'find your purpose'. Yet, the very concept of meaning in work clashes withincreasing precariousnessand with organizational dynamics which, as David Graeber showed inBullshit Jobs(2018), produce roles without tangible utility. It's hard to find meaning when your job exists only to keep a bureaucratic system going.
Organizations tend to construct identity narratives that promise employees a heroic journey. Google, for example, presents itself as a place of innovation and creative freedom. However, the case of tech workers fired without warning contradicts this narrative. If organizational narratives act as a social glue, as sociologists Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann argue inReality as a social construction(1966), then their discrepancy with everyday reality creates frustration and cynicism.
Cinema has often intercepted this tension. InFight club(1999), the protagonist, employed in an anonymous insurance company, discovers the emptiness of his job and rebels.The truman show(1998) is another powerful metaphor: the protagonist believes he is living an authentic existence until he discovers he is trapped in an illusion. Many contemporary organizations resemble this scenario: they sellfreedom and self-realization, but they impose invisible boundaries.
Studies by Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane Dutton (2021) onjob craftingshow that people find more meaning in work when they can change its contents and methods. Thejob craftingis a process through whichworkers proactively change their rolesand/or job to align them with their skills and interests, their strengths and values. Academic research shows that this practice improves work well-being, commitment and satisfaction, reducing stress and burnout. Their other studies highlight three key strategies: changing tasks, relationships and the meaning of work. The research also highlights that organizational support and autonomy favor this practice, improving performance and intrinsic motivation. Although scientific research has highlighted its benefits in terms of well-being and productivity, data on its specific diffusion in companies is still limited. In the United States, a 2023 Gallup survey found that less than a third of workers feel engaged in their work, suggesting potential space for the adoption of practices such asjob craftingto increase theengagement. In Italy, a study involved 924 employees from 11 companies, examining the incidence ofjob craftingand the factors that influence it. However, the study does not provide specific data on the percentage of companies that formally adopt this practice. In general, while this concept is recognized and studied, precise statistics on its practical diffusion within organizations in different geographical contexts are lacking.
And therefore, if the margin for maneuver is reduced, we fall back into“disillusioned worker syndrome”described by the psychologist Karl Weick inSensemaking in organizations(1995): when meaning disappears, the worker takes refuge in apathy or conformism.
If the current organizational system has failed to give meaning to work, are there alternatives? Laloux, with his model of Teal organizations, suggests more horizontal and trust-based structures. However, these experiences remain exceptions. For many, the search for meaning remains a utopia, a promise broken every Monday morning.
In conclusion, perhaps the problem is not only in organizations, but in our own obsession with finding meaning in work. What if the true act of rebellion was to accept that, in many cases, work is just a means of survival and that meaning must be sought elsewhere?
ONLINE bibliography
Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966).Reality as a social construction. The Mill.Graeber, D. (2018).Bullshit Jobs: A Theory. Simon & Schuster.Laloux, F. (2014).Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness. Nelson Parker.Pink, D. H. (2009).Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Riverhead Books.Weber, M. (1905).The Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. Rizzoli.Weick, K. E. (1995).Sensemaking in Organizations. Sage Publications.Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J. E. (2001).Crafting a Job: Revisioning Employees as Active Crafters of Their Work. Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 179-201.