Email this article 
Hide
Show all
Original Research
Antecedents and outcomes of meaningful work among school teachers
Submitted: 17 July 2016 | Published: 24 March 2017
About the author(s)
Elmari Fouché, Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, South AfricaSebastiaan (Snr) Rothmann, Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, South Africa
Corne van der Vyver, School of Education Studies, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa
Abstract
Research purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate antecedents and outcomes of meaningful work among school teachers.
Motivation for the study: Meaningful work underpins people’s motivation and affects their well-being and job satisfaction. Furthermore, it is a significant pathway to healthy and authentic organisations. However, a research gap exists regarding the effects of different antecedents and outcomes of meaningful work.
Research approach, design and method: A cross-sectional survey was used with a convenience sample of 513 teachers. The Work-Life Questionnaire, Revised Job Diagnostic Survey, Co-worker Relations Scale, Work and Meaning Inventory, Personal Resources Scale, Work Engagement Scale, Turnover Intention Scale and a measure of self-rated performance were administered.
Main findings: A calling orientation, job design and co-worker relations were associated with meaningful work. A low calling orientation and poor co-worker relationships predicted burnout. A calling orientation, a well-designed job, good co-worker relationships and meaningful work predicted work engagement. Job design was moderately associated with self-ratings of performance. The absence of a calling orientation predicted teachers’ intention to leave the organisation.
Practical/managerial implications: Educational managers should consider implementing interventions to affect teachers’ calling orientation (through job crafting), perceptions of the nature of their jobs (by allowing autonomy) and co-worker relations (through teambuilding) to promote perceptions of meaningful work. Promoting perceptions of meaningful work might contribute to lower burnout, higher work engagement, better self-ratings of performance and retention of teachers.
Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding the effects of three antecedents, namely a calling orientation, job design and co-worker relationships on meaningful work. It also contributed to knowledge about the effects of meaningful work on employee and organisational outcomes.
Keywords
Metrics
Total abstract views: 8639Total article views: 9552
Crossref Citations
1. Using a 10‐day mindfulness‐based app intervention to reduce burnout in special educators
Amy Russell, Sinéad Smyth
Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs vol: 23 issue: 4 first page: 278 year: 2023
doi: 10.1111/1471-3802.12599
2. Anlamlı İş ve İşle Bütünleşme İlişkisinin İncelenmesi
Erdem KARATAŞ, Murat ÖZDEMİR
Kuramsal Eğitimbilim vol: 15 issue: 3 first page: 676 year: 2022
doi: 10.30831/akukeg.1053090
3. Factors Affecting the Teaching of 21st Century Skills According to Teachers' Perceptions
Bünyamin Oğuz, Adem Yurdunkulu, Ahmet Göçen
Gazi Üniversitesi Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi vol: 44 issue: 3 first page: 1977 year: 2024
doi: 10.17152/gefad.1495446
4. Nexus between Distributed Leadership, Meaningful Work and School Academic Optimism in Turkish Schools: A Multilevel SEM Analysis
Murat Özdemir, Şule Polat, Mehmet Küçükçene, Sakine Sincer, Nesrin Aydın Yürükçü
Education and Science vol: 50 issue: 222 first page: 187 year: 2025
doi: 10.15390/EB.2025.13286
5. Vocación de carrera: una revisión sistemática y crítica de la literatura sobre sus efectos y agenda de investigación
Lucas Pujol-Cols, Mariana Lazzaro-Salazar
Cuadernos de Administración vol: 37 year: 2025
doi: 10.11144/Javeriana.cao37.vcrsc
6. A study investigating ways to entice teachers who have left the teaching profession to return
Alice Palm
The Independent Journal of Teaching and Learning vol: 17 issue: 2 first page: 159 year: 2024
doi: 10.17159/mggt2c40
7. Toward Perceived Sustainable Employability: Capabilities of Secondary School Teachers in a South African Context
Tessa de Wet, Sebastiaan Rothmann
Frontiers in Psychology vol: 13 year: 2022
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.842045
8. El trabajo con sentido y el florecimiento humano de los docentes: claves para la calidad en el proceso educativo
Pau Xipell Font, Alfonso Méndiz Noguero
WPOM-Working Papers on Operations Management vol: 16 year: 2025
doi: 10.4995/wpom.22811
9. Motivation as a facilitator of self-leadership in nurse academics
Vhothusa Edward Matahela, Gisela Hildegard van Rensburg
Heliyon vol: 8 issue: 6 first page: e09580 year: 2022
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09580
10. Work engagement: the role of psychological ownership and self-regulatory focus behavior
Eric Delle, Anthony Sumnaya Kumasey, Anthony Nkrumah Agyabeng, Atia Alpha Alfa, Farhad Hossain
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance vol: 10 issue: 1 first page: 77 year: 2023
doi: 10.1108/JOEPP-12-2021-0344
11. The meaning of work from teachers’ perspectives: A qualitative inquiry in junior high schools
Umi Anugerah Izzati, Ratna Suhartini, Bima Yatna Anugerah Ramadhani, Khorriyatul Khotimah, Meidina Mahmudatus Sholikhah, Nacjwa Alifia Annabila, Ni'matuzahroh, M.-W. Suen
SHS Web of Conferences vol: 224 first page: 05004 year: 2025
doi: 10.1051/shsconf/202522405004
12. The mediating role of meaning at work in promoting teacher commitment and reducing burnout
Suyatno Suyatno, Dholina Inang Pambudi, Wantini Wantini, Abdurrohim Abdurrohim, Asih Mardati
Frontiers in Education vol: 7 year: 2022
doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.962163
13. Unveiling the dual-pathway effect of CSR perception environmental on employee pro-environmental behavior: evidence from Chinese marine enterprises
Xu Duan, Jiangyue Wu
Frontiers in Psychology vol: 16 year: 2025
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1649048
14. Fostering meaningful work in organizations: A multi-level review and integration
Evgenia I. Lysova, Blake A. Allan, Bryan J. Dik, Ryan D. Duffy, Michael F. Steger
Journal of Vocational Behavior vol: 110 first page: 374 year: 2019
doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2018.07.004
15. The Association Between Work as a Calling and Turnover Among Early Childhood Education Professionals
Allison N. Herman, Tracy Dearth-Wesley, Robert C. Whitaker
Early Childhood Education Journal vol: 52 issue: 3 first page: 481 year: 2024
doi: 10.1007/s10643-023-01450-6
16. Teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction: the important role of positive emotions in the workplace
Benjamin Dreer
Educational Studies vol: 50 issue: 1 first page: 61 year: 2024
doi: 10.1080/03055698.2021.1940872
17. Understanding Decent Work and Meaningful Work
David L. Blustein, Evgenia I. Lysova, Ryan D. Duffy
Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior vol: 10 issue: 1 first page: 289 year: 2023
doi: 10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031921-024847
18. Organizational Justice, Professional Identification, Empathy, and Meaningful Work During COVID-19 Pandemic: Are They Burnout Protectors in Physicians and Nurses?
Isabel Correia, Andreia E. Almeida
Frontiers in Psychology vol: 11 year: 2020
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.566139
19. Public school teachers’ satisfaction with retention factors in relation to work engagement
Ronny Shibiti
SA Journal of Industrial Psychology vol: 46 year: 2020
doi: 10.4102/sajip.v46i0.1675
20. Teacher well-being: Investigating the contributions of school climate and job crafting
Benjamin Dreer
Cogent Education vol: 9 issue: 1 year: 2022
doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2022.2044583
21. Work engagement and perceived customer value, the mediating role of meaningfulness through work
Marita Heyns, Sean McCallaghan, Werner Beukes
South African Journal of Economic and management Sciences vol: 24 issue: 1 year: 2021
doi: 10.4102/sajems.v24i1.3749
22. Job demands, job resources, and work engagement among South African nurses
Mercia Gerida Patience, Roslyn De Braine, Nelesh Dhanpat
Journal of Psychology in Africa vol: 30 issue: 5 first page: 408 year: 2020
doi: 10.1080/14330237.2020.1821315
23. The Role of Meaningful Work, Work Engagement, and Strength Use in Enhancing Teachers’ Job Performance: A Case of Indonesian Teachers
Maria Dewinta Anggraheni, Niko Sudibjo, HG Retno Harsanti
Open Education Studies vol: 7 issue: 1 year: 2025
doi: 10.1515/edu-2025-0078
24. Capabilities and work functionings of special education teachers in Namibia
Annelisa Murangi, Sebastiaan Rothmann, Mirna Nel
SA Journal of Industrial Psychology vol: 48 year: 2022
doi: 10.4102/sajip.v48i0.2046
25. Primary school teachers are immune: a journey in the sea of psychological well-being, buoyancy, and engagement
Zhihan Chen
BMC Psychology vol: 12 issue: 1 year: 2024
doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01592-1
26. State-owned enterprises: Developing and validating a model of employee retention
Christinah H. Maphanga, Benjamin H. Olivier
SA Journal of Industrial Psychology vol: 51 year: 2025
doi: 10.4102/SAJIP.v51i0.2312
27. Self-Leadership Practices of Nurse Educators at South African Nursing Education Institutions
Vhothusa Edward Matahela, Gisela Hildegard Van Rensburg
The Open Nursing Journal vol: 15 issue: 1 first page: 422 year: 2021
doi: 10.2174/1874434602115010422
28. Does meaningful work affect affective commitment to change? Work engagement contribution
Faisaluddin Faisaluddin, Efi Fitriana, Yus Nugraha, Zahrotur R. Hinduan
SA Journal of Industrial Psychology vol: 50 year: 2024
doi: 10.4102/sajip.v50i0.2143
29. Understanding What Makes Teaching Meaningful: A Systematic Literature Review of Antecedents and Determinants of Meaningful Work in Education
Olievia Prabandini Mulyana, Umi Anugerah Izzati, Jelita Citrawati Jihan, Yunia Dwie Nucahyanie, Meita Santi Budiani, Ni Wayan Sukmawati Puspitadewi, Dinda Cahya Novianti, Dinar Ester Marturia Oktaviana Simanjuntak
IJORER : International Journal of Recent Educational Research vol: 5 issue: 6 first page: 1542 year: 2024
doi: 10.46245/ijorer.v5i6.719
30. Who takes care of the burden of emotions in palliative care workers? A study with the job demands-resources perspective
Giulia Sciotto, Francesca Sinatra, Cristina Moavero, Francesco Pace
BMC Psychology vol: 13 issue: 1 year: 2025
doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02930-7
31. Development and Validation of the Career Crafting Assessment (CCA)
Joo Young Lee, Christopher L. Chen, Eli Kolokowsky, Sharon Hong, Jason T. Siegel, Stewart I. Donaldson
Journal of Career Assessment vol: 29 issue: 4 first page: 717 year: 2021
doi: 10.1177/10690727211002565