Abstract

As Freud once said, a healthy person must be able to work and love. This PDE emphasizes the need for this health in our work and guides us on a journey of discovery of meaning in our work. This journey is intended to sharpen perceptions of meaning in work and to make these perceptions of meaning more conscious. This PDE is addressed to all workers, both managers and staff, who desire to search for meaning in work. ;Meaningless work is painful and it is not just because of the mere absence of meaning. The emotion arising from an absence of meaning is highly negative, not neutral. Fortunately, there are grounds for hope for those who want to search for "the high ground of meaning" in work. However, the topography of this high ground is varied and complex, replete with both opportunities and obstacles. As wise travelers for the search for meaning in work, we as managers and "workers" must be aware of the common dangers along the way as well as be able to spot meaning when it comes into view. For without this ability, we are apt to jump from one meaningless job to another without understanding why. ;As managers we should be interested in fostering meaning in work for ourselves and for the staff we manage. Not only does meaning enrich work and subsequently our lives and those we manage, it also positively affects motivation and subsequently performance. ;Indeed, meaning in work is often an essential element of motivation and motivation is commonly the energy for action, achievement, and contribution. ;There are many paths to the high ground of meaningful work. However, some of them are much more traveled than others. As travelers to this high ground of meaning, we must at least be familiar with the more commonly traversed ones: The path of goals, purposes, and missions. The path of freedom, commitments, and freely chosen commitments, i.e. responsibleness. The path of the process of work itself independent of the purpose. The path of creativity. The path of empowerment, participation, job enrichment, job design, and enriched work systems. ;These paths and their potential "meaning value" are discussed in this PDE; the importance of a worthwhile purpose coupled with a meaningful process is emphasized.