Symposium 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology 2019

An Approach to Leading Others for Meaningful Work (#373)

Michael F Steger 1
  1. Center for Meaning and Purpose, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States

The role of work in society and in the lives of individuals has changed drastically over human history. As we closed in on the end of the last millennium, there was a strong sense that emerging technological sea changes and the rise of globalisation would usher in the need for radically evolved business models. Yet, the management structure and practices of most modern organization would look comfortably familiar to any leader from the early 20th Century. Meaning and purpose at work have become promising focal points for those looking to the future of organizational development. Currently, the weight of scholarship on meaningful work focuses on what individuals can do to increase their experience of meaningful work. In this talk, that focus is shifted to what leaders may be able to do to create conditions in which meaningful work is more likely to flourish for those they lead. Existing literature on leadership and meaningful work will be reviewed, the CARMA model of organizational conditions that encourage meaningful work will be described, and data will be presented that indicate that workers who perceive their leaders and managers to be providing CARMA are more likely to experience positive work outcomes, including meaningful work.