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Quand le travail perd son sens. L'influence du sens du travail sur la mobilité professionnelle, la prise de parole et l'absentéisme pour maladie : une analyse longitudinale avec l'enquête Conditions de travail 2013-2016

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Abstract

Exposed to numerical targets, rigid procedures and frequent reorganisation, employees often feel that their work loses its meaning. How do they react to these difficulties? Do they seek to leave to find a better job, or do they act collectively to influence management practices? What is the link between changes in the meaningfulness of work and the number of days of sick leave? Economists have only recently begum to address the question of meaningful work, and do not have a consensus definition. After reviewing the literature in economics and management, we propose an original definition of meaningful work with reference to the critical theory of "living work" and the psychodynamics of work. The analysis of the 2013-2016 panel of the Working Conditions survey (which includes nearly 17,000 employees), shows that a meaningless work in 2013 is clearly associated with a change of job (exit) between 2013 and 2016. When endogeneity issues are taken care of meaningless work is also associated with collective (joining a union) over the same period. Changes in the meaning of work also have a very significant impact on the variation in the number of days of sickness absence

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Coutrot & Coralie Perez, 2021. "Quand le travail perd son sens. L'influence du sens du travail sur la mobilité professionnelle, la prise de parole et l'absentéisme pour maladie : une analyse longitudinale avec l'enquête Conditions d," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 21020, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    • Handle: RePEc:mse:cesdoc:21020
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    meaningful work; working conditions; organizational changes; exit; voice; absenteism; psychosocial risks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • J28 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Safety; Job Satisfaction; Related Public Policy
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • M5 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics
    • M54 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Labor Management

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