Antecedents and Outcomes of Experienced Meaningful Work: A Person-Job Fit Perspective

Abstract

Meaningful work has become an increasingly valued job outcome for many employees. It is also
receiving increased attention in the management and organizational behavior research
literatures. In this study, antecedents and consequences of meaningful work are examined. A
particular type of person-job fit, self-concept-job fit, is proposed and found to be a significant
predictor of meaningful work. Meaningful work is also found to be significantly correlated with
intentions to exit the organization. Results indicate that meaningful work is as strongly related to
intentions to leave as are the more traditional job attitudes included in many models of employee
turnover. This study contributes to the research literature by examining a person-job fit approach
to meaningful work, provides evidence for the need to expand the person-job fit construct, and
provides empirical support for existing theory.