When Work Becomes a Moral Imperative: Lessons from Mijeong Kwon

Mijeong Kwon, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. Her research focuses on the social dynamics of work motivation, particularly how people communicate and judge motivations for work.

Dr. Kwon's recent findings suggest that those who love their work often see this intrinsic motivation as a moral virtue while viewing working for money or recognition as less moral. She explores how this moralization of motivation can alienate colleagues and hinder the recognition of diverse work motivations.

The Moralization of Intrinsic Motivation

Kwon introduces the concept of the moralization of intrinsic motivation and explains that it involves attaching positive values to intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in work because it is inherently enjoyable or satisfying. When individuals moralize intrinsic motivation, they begin to view it as the "right" reason to work, while other motivations, such as financial gain or fame, may be seen as less virtuous or even wrong.

Positive and Negative Outcomes of Moralizing Intrinsic Motivation

Kwon's research highlights both the positive and negative consequences of moralizing intrinsic motivation. On the positive side, individuals who moralize intrinsic motivation are more likely to possess and cultivate it in others, leading to increased intrinsic motivation within an organization. This can result in higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and overall performance among employees.

However, there are also significant negative outcomes. For instance, individuals who moralize intrinsic motivation may experience guilt if they struggle to maintain their intrinsic motivation. This can lead to unnecessary stress and self-doubt, even if they are performing well at their jobs. Additionally, moralizing intrinsic motivation can cause individuals to neglect less interesting but essential tasks, potentially leading to self-exploitation and burnout.

Cultural Differences in Intrinsic Motivation

Kwon's research also explores cultural differences in intrinsic motivation.

She observes that people in the United States generally report high levels of intrinsic motivation, while it is lower in East Asia. Interestingly, intrinsic motivation levels in Latin America are even higher than in the United States. This suggests that the phenomenon of moralizing intrinsic motivation is not limited to one specific culture but may be prevalent in various regions around the world.

Implications for Managers and Leaders

Based on her findings, Kwon offers several recommendations for managers and leaders.

Firstly, she advises acknowledging and validating different reasons why employees work. Leaders should share personal stories that highlight the various benefits of their job, such as flexibility, to validate diverse motivations.

Secondly, Kwon suggests creating an environment that sustains and cultivates intrinsic motivation rather than emphasizing it directly. This can be achieved by providing low-risk learning opportunities and practicing transformative leadership to inspire employees.

Lastly, she emphasizes the importance of having clear guidelines for performance appraisal to avoid subjective value judgments. This helps ensure that employees are not left guessing about how they will be evaluated or feeling pressured to work excessive hours to demonstrate their passion.

The Role of Purpose in Organizations

Soren and Kwon discuss the increasing emphasis on purpose in organizations, particularly through initiatives such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) priorities, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While these efforts are generally seen as positive, Kwon cautions that they can also lead to the moralization of intrinsic motivation, which may have unintended negative consequences.

Kwon notes that in nonprofit organizations, where employees are often intrinsically motivated and paid less, there is a higher likelihood of moralizing intrinsic motivation. This can result in difficulties finding equally passionate colleagues and may lead to feelings of frustration and isolation among employees.

Diversity of Motivations in the Workplace

One key takeaway from the conversation is the importance of recognizing and valuing a diversity of motivations in the workplace. Soren and Kwon agree that having employees with different motivations, including those driven by utilitarian reasons, can create a stronger and more balanced team. Such diversity can help maintain boundaries and ensure employees do not become overly consumed by their work.

Kwon also mentions that organizations that emphasize both financial success and broader social goals tend to attract more employees. When employees know that the profits of a company will directly benefit them or other stakeholders, they are more likely to feel a sense of reciprocity and be motivated to contribute to the organization's success.

Final Thoughts

While intrinsic motivation can lead to greater engagement and satisfaction, moralizing it can negatively affect individuals and organizations. Managers and leaders should strive to create an inclusive work environment that acknowledges and values diverse motivations while providing clear performance guidelines and fostering a sense of purpose that benefits all stakeholders.

References

For more information on the topics discussed in this podcast episode, you can visit the following links:

• Mijeong Kwon's Personal Website

• University of Colorado Denver Business School

• Connect with Mijeong Kwon on LinkedIn

Designing Meaningful Experiences at Work: Lessons with Mat Duerden

In this episode of Meaningful Work Matters, Andrew Soren spoke with Mat Duerden, a professor of experience, design and management in the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University.

Duerden’s work in both research and teaching focuses on making experiences more impactful, particularly infusing meaning through designed experiences. He is passionate about finding meaning in every facet of life and designing experiences to help individuals do so.

Experience Design

Most moments, according to Duerden, will be ordinary and will likely be fleeting. This is because most of our day is defined by a continuous stream of consciousness, allowing the brain to operate efficiently without conscious effort.

Experience design is all about creating extraordinary experiences, which Duerden says generally fall into one or more of these categories: memorable, meaningful, and transformative. Each extraordinary experience involves  varying degrees of emotional response, personal insight, and behavioral change.

Memorable experiences are triggered by emotional reactions that prompt the brain to acknowledge the moment and imprint it for future recollection. Meaningful experiences involve emotional reactions leading to personal insights or reflections that alter one's perception of themselves or the world. Transformative experiences go a step further, encompassing emotional reactions, personal insights, and significant changes in behavior or outlook.

Duerden also highlights the temporal aspect of experiences, noting that the impact of an experience may not be immediately apparent but can evolve over time through reflection

Duerden highlights that experience design finds much of its inspiration from the theater, particularly the idea of staging concepts to elicit a specific feeling or outcome. He draws parallels between theater terminology and experience design, mentioning concepts like staging experiences, audience versus actor participation, and front stage versus backstage contributors.

Duerden’s ongoing research focuses on designing experiences that create intentional flows of ordinary and extraordinary moments. This intentional orchestration aims to optimize attention and engagement, ultimately shaping individuals' perceptions and behaviors.

Brilliant at the Basics

Duerden breaks down the types of extraordinary experiences even further, providing details about what these would look like within the context of a work environment. He introduces the concept of experience maps, also known as journey or touchpoint maps, as a powerful tool for experience design.

These maps break down experiences into individual touchpoints, highlighting significant shifts in attention or experience. In a workday, these touchpoints would include everything from the commute to work to interactions with coworkers to actual tasks. Identifying the reactions one has to each of these touchpoints can understand why they are having the experience that they are during their workday.

In a work environment, Duerden says it is important to understand employees' daily experiences and suggests collaborative efforts to map out current experiences to identify areas for improvement.

But, before trying to create an extraordinary experience, Duerden says that a manager must become adept at the basics of the employee experience, underscoring the need for empathy and attention to detail in experience design.

Duerden also introduces the concept of experiential competencies in the workplace, such as storytelling and reflection, as essential skills for deriving meaning from experiences. He suggests that organizations can promote reflection through intentional nudges and help employees develop competencies to unpack and derive meaning from their experiences effectively.

Meaning is Learning

Duerden explains that meaning is inherently connected to learning, as meaningful experiences involve a connection with one's identity or worldview that either reinforces or challenges existing beliefs or values. He draws from philosophical perspectives, discussing the oscillation between existential anxiety and authenticity in life and how designing experiences can offer opportunities for individuals to confront or resolve these states.

In a work environment, Duerden encourages managers to move beyond mere compliance, where employees perform tasks due to external rewards or threats, and lean towards intrinsic motivation driven by a deeper sense of meaning.

Co-Creation of Work Experiences

Duerden also reflects on the co-creation of experiences, emphasizing the importance of human-centered design and collaborative problem-solving in creating meaningful work experiences. Managers should be focused on increasing employee voice and sense of control within organizations for enhancing well-being.

He suggests that co-creation of the work experience itself is a powerful way to achieve this, as it fosters autonomy, competence, and relatedness among employees. Duerden advocates for a needs-based approach to experience design, suggesting that organizations should engage in ongoing conversations with employees to better understand their unique perspectives and preferences.

For Duerden, there are many parallels between storytelling and experience design, because of the importance of grounding stories in compelling needs for effective communication and problem-solving.

Overall, experience design hinges on the idea of humanity, as it requires the understanding of individual needs and the value of curiosity in driving meaningful experiences.

More Resources on Experience Design

For those looking to learn more about experience design, Duerden suggests his book Designing Experiences, along with other texts like Idea Flow and The Power of Moments.

Discovering Your Calling: Lessons from Jeffery Thompson

In this episode of Meaningful Work Matters, Andrew Soren spoke with Jeff Thompson, Director of the Sorensen Center for Moral and Ethical Leadership at BYU, where he has also been a professor for over 20 years. Jeff’s calling in life is to assist people in discovering and pursuing their own sense of calling, and his work focuses on meaningful work, particularly in health care.

Thompson has spent his career researching how individuals discover a sense of calling in their work, which he came to through his work helping to make physicians feel valued at work, as well as understanding why medical professionals struggle to work for corporate entities. Ultimately, he is passionate about ensuring that organizations feel safe and that people can express their values at work.

Discovering a Calling

Thompson offers a nuanced definition of a calling, describing it as the intersection of one's natural talents, passions, and a sense of purpose that beckons them. He emphasizes the importance of passion, purpose, and place in defining a calling, drawing parallels to eudaimonic theories of meaningful work.

The idea of a calling can be traced throughout history, finding its roots with Martin Luther in the Protestant Reformation. Prior to Luther's time, work was often viewed as mundane or even burdensome, but Luther introduced the notion that work could be a noble endeavor, a partnership with God to bless humanity. This transformed the perception of work, imbuing it with a sense of purpose and dignity. The term "calling" emerged from this religious context but has since become secularized, with individuals from diverse backgrounds seeking meaningful work experiences.

There are some contemporary challenges with the idea of a calling, as Thompson explains, noting that while there is a widespread desire for meaningful work, there is often ambiguity about who or what is doing the calling. This ambiguity may lead to a sense of entitlement to a fulfilling career without a clear understanding of its origins or implications.

The Popularity of Meaningful Work

In recent years, Thompson says, there has been a surge in interest in meaningful work and finding a calling, especially among students. Thompson explains that, as an educator, he has observed a shift in  students' aspirations towards finding meaningful work. He notes a growing desire among individuals to feel valued and make a meaningful contribution, reflecting an inherent human urge to matter in society.

Transcendent Calling

Thompson also explores the idea of a "transcendent calling," as discussed in a recent article he co-authored with Stuart Bunderson.

Drawing inspiration from Abraham Maslow's theory of self-transcendence, the idea proposes that a transcendent calling occurs when an individual's inner passion aligns with an external purpose or societal need. This alignment represents the pinnacle of motivation and fulfillment, bridging personal fulfillment with broader societal contribution.

Thompson’s own studies reflect this theory, particularly one on zookeepers, which challenged stereotypes about their profession. Despite low pay and challenging working conditions, zookeepers expressed a profound sense of calling and dedication to their work. This dedication stemmed from their passion for animals and their belief in the importance of their role in conservation efforts.

Exploitation in the Workplace

Through this research, Thompson also discovered the idea of “commitment camouflaging”, where employees hide their dedication to avoid exploitation by management.

Thompson says that many people will find value in their work, despite challenging circumstances. Even the jobs that seem the most menial can be imbued with purpose and meaning.

Teachers are among those professionals who often face significant exploitation in the workplace, but many remain committed to their calling due to the importance of their work. According to Thompson, individuals may be able to mitigate the negative effects of such exploitation if they feel a profound sense of calling.

Leadership and a Sense of Calling

Thompson emphasizes the concept of dignity, which highlights the infinite worth of individuals and the importance of recognizing their contributions, especially in the workplace. He suggests that leaders should remain aware of their employees’ desire to find a calling, and they should view that quest as noble.

Therefore, they should strive to honor, reward, and respect that endeavor accordingly for all employees.

Thompson provides a number of ways to put this into practice, including expressing gratitude, offering opportunities for initiative and growth, and fostering a sense of community among like-minded individuals.

Final Thoughts

All employees should feel that their work is respected and their desire for a greater purpose is understood. For anyone who feels their calling is not recognized, Thompson advises seeking support from peers.

He also urges every person to understand that there are risks to the search for a calling, as leaning too far into that desire can cause a severe moral burden that is hard to emerge from.

Meaning is inherently existential in nature and, therefore, it can be difficult to find. It is likely an ongoing quest that will last a lifetime.

The Many Paths to Meaningful Work: Lessons from Michael Pratt

In this episode of Meaningful Work Matters, Andrew Soren spoke with Michael Pratt, the O'Connor Family Professor at Boston College in the Carroll School of Management. His problem-centered and process-oriented research explores individual connections to work and collectives like organizations and professions.

Pratt has spent 20+ years studying what makes work meaningful, the diversity in how individuals define meaningfulness in their work, and how organizations can foster deeper meaning among their workforce.

Meaningful Work Defined

How do we define meaningful work? To Pratt, meaningful work is purposeful, significant, and worthwhile. He finds that the question, “What makes my work worth doing?” often helps us understand why it is (or is not) meaningful.

Pratt explains that questions of meaningful work emerged with the Industrial Revolution as an antidote to alienation. In factories and on assembly lines, workers were disassociated from the impact and value of their work, and job design and other meaningfulness strategies were introduced to combat this alienation.

Work Orientations

Pratt explains that work orientation is our internalized evaluation of what makes work worth doing. For example, the cultural push set in motion by Steve Jobs in the mid-aughts that we should all ‘love what we do’ is a way of thinking about a work orientation.

In his research, Pratt has found that there are generally six work orientations, and they each focus on either the self, others, or the work itself:

Utilitarian - ‘I work because I have to.’

Passion - ‘I love what I do!’

Status - ‘I want to climb the ladder.’

Service - ‘I work for a cause beyond myself.’

Kinship - ‘I work because of those I work with.’

Craftsmanship - ‘I want to produce the best work.’

Many of us have more than one dominant orientation which can evolve over time. Work orientation can also shift across cultures, and through time depending on where we are in our lives and what is most important to us.

Cultural Influences on Meaningful Work

The first place we learn about meaningful work is probably from our families. From there, religion, social media, TV and movies play a large influence on what we consider meaningful.

Think of the example set by the character Gordon Gecco in the movie Wall Street: ‘Greed is good.’ It’s harder to imagine a corporate leader touting this sentiment today as more and more companies declare that the purpose of business should not just be about satisfying shareholders, but that profit must be paired with a focus on people and the planet as well.

Pratt offers three ways to consider culture’s influence on meaningfulness:

• Push: We adopt what we learn in our environment, which is pushed upon us and becomes how we think.

• Pull: We seek meaningfulness to feel better and more fulfilled in our careers.

• Move: We enter a space looking to change culture to create meaningfulness. (Pratt calls this the ‘cultural entrepreneur’).

Pratt emphasizes that we should all remain open to a broader interpretation of what meaningfulness looks like in other’s work and careers.

In North American we have a tendency to shame those who don’t subscribe to a calling orientation driven by either passion or service. Why should we shame someone who sees work in a more utilitarian way as a vehicle to support what they really care about? The reality is that all work orientations can be valuable. Seeing how different people find meaning in work brings greater viewpoint diversity to our workplaces, which may even help protect employees from burning out or being exploited for their passion.

Do We Consciously Choose a Work Orientation?

Pratt suggests that those of us who are unhappy in our work lives should consider reflecting on our work orientation and how culture influences our choices or perceptions.

You may consider:

• What parts of your job do you find more energizing, interesting, or fulfilling?

• Can you implement job crafting techniques to help?

Advice for Organizations

Pratt offers a helpful reminder: not everyone views work the same way.

For organizations, he recommends first evaluating what work orientations are currently present amongst your staff. Next, consider how you’re appealing to diverse orientations. For example, are there opportunities for a teammate subscribing to kinship to connect and collaborate with others? Or for a utilitarian teammate to add a few more responsibilities in exchange for a pay bump?

Ideally, the approach should be tailored to your workforce in a way that reflects the diversity of the team.

Final Thoughts

Pratt sees an upward trend towards considering meaningful work more. Questions like: How does work show up in my life? How is my work meaningful? What is making my work less meaningful?

There are many ways to make work meaningful, and they’re all legitimate.

Resources to explore:

Check out the Job Crafting Exercise

Connect with Michael! He’s happy to share more resources directly.

The Double-Edged Sword of Meaningful Work: Lessons FROM Andrew Soren

In the bustling world of work and productivity, the quest for meaningful work has become a north star for many. But is all meaningful work beneficial?

Andrew Soren, founder of Eudaimonic by Design, hosts the debut episode of Meaningful Work Matters, which delves into the intricate dance between the highs and lows of engaging in work that matters deeply to us.

The Allure of Meaningful Work

Meaningful work is not a luxury but a fundamental component of our well-being. As Andrew elucidates, work that feels significant and worthwhile can enhance our commitment, engagement, and satisfaction. The benefits extend beyond the personal sphere, fostering a culture of creativity, innovation, and altruism within organizations.

The Hidden Costs

The research also reveals the dark sides of meaningful work: the potential for exploitation and burnout. When work has a high moral stake and becomes an obsession or when employers leverage our passion without decent working conditions, meaningful work can transform from a source of fulfillment into a wellspring of dissatisfaction, stress, and burnout.

The Crucial Element of Decency

Central to the discussion is the concept of "decent work" - safe, equitable, and dignified work. Drawing from the principles set by the Industrial Labor Organization, Soren advocates for a balance between meaning and decency. He argues that meaningful work, devoid of decency, can lead to exploitation and burnout. Conversely, work grounded in respect, equity, and security paves the way for true fulfillment.

Navigating the Path Forward

Andrew presents a blueprint for cultivating environments where meaningful and decent work can thrive. We need policies and regulations to ensure decent working conditions for those engaged in meaningful work. In organizations, we can design the cultures, practices, and leadership behaviors that enable those engaged in meaningful work to thrive. At the individual level, we can create interventions to help people understand what makes work personally significant and worthwhile and craft work that makes the most of an individual's strengths, values, and passions.

Your Role in Shaping Meaningful Work

As listeners, we're invited to reflect on our workplace and community roles. Whether you're a leader, policymaker, or team member, this podcast encourages you to consider how you can contribute to a more equitable and fulfilling work culture.

Join the Conversation

Meaningful Work Matters is not just a podcast; it's a call to action. As we navigate the complexities of the modern workforce, let's engage in conversations that matter. Share your thoughts, experiences, and aspirations with us. How do you define meaningful work? What steps can we take to ensure that work is meaningful and decent?

Visit our Resources page for insights and discussions on creating a better world through meaningful work. Together, we can make work a source of joy, growth, and fulfillment for all.

Resources to explore:

• Meaningful Work, Well-Being, and Health: Enacting a Eudaimonic Vision by Andrew Soren and Carol D. Ryff