Work meaningfulness: An investigation at a public university

This doctoral study aims to investigate the factors affecting the academic and administrative staff working at a public university to find meaning in their jobs from the perspective of existential philosophy. The study is based on the multi-level model developed by Lysova, Allan, Dik, Duffy and Steger (2019), examining factors at the individual, job, organizational, and societal levels. A mixed-methods research design was employed. Quantitative data were collected through surveys administered to 505 employees working at the public university. The effects of personality traits, cognitive flexibility, task significance, hierarchical culture, perceived development opportunities, and complementary values on work meaningfulness were tested using structural equation modeling (Smart PLS). In the qualitative phase, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 participants, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. According to the results of the quantitative analysis, the impact of organizational-level factors could not be confirmed in this study. In contrast, individual-level factors such as cognitive flexibility and certain traits from the Big Five personality dimensions—namely extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability—were found to influence the subdimensions of meaningful work. At the job level, task significance, and at the societal level, complementary values were observed to affect at least one of the subdimensions of meaningful work. The qualitative findings align with the multi-level model developed by Lysova et al. (2019). The perception of meaningful work appears to be shaped by individual-level factors such as psychological and subjective well-being, motivational factors, and communication/relationships; job-related factors such as the nature of the work, working conditions, and job design; organizational-level factors such as organizational identity and culture, the physical and social context, leadership, and organizational policies and practices; and societal-level factors such as the sense of contributing to society and societal values. In conclusion, when both qualitative and quantitative findings are considered together, it is recommended that in order to enhance meaningfulness of work, individual factors should be supported, job design and working conditions should be revised, organizational improvements should be implemented, and alignment between personal/institutional values and societal values should be ensured. The study supports the multi-level perspective in the meaningful work literature and offers concrete suggestions for creating meaningful work experiences within universities—institutions that can significantly contribute to societal development.. Keywords: Work meaningfulness, finding meaning in work, existential philosophy.