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Datification and the Pursuit of Meaningfulness in Work

Author

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  • Mari‐Klara Stein
  • Erica L. Wagner
  • Pamela Tierney
  • Sue Newell
  • Robert D. Galliers

Abstract

Proliferation of digital means of tracking worker activities has contributed to the rise of data‐driven approaches to managing people, with employees often required to record their activities for accountability purposes. Increased requirement for such datification work occurs at a juncture where meaningfulness is one of the most sought‐after work features. Datification work could both facilitate and hinder the pursuit of meaningfulness, yet literature provides little guidance into the nature of the connection and how it transpires. Our inductive study of academic professionals using an accountability system suggests that datification work characteristics link to meaningful work experiences in complex ways. We advance current theory on work meaningfulness by theorizing the role of a new work condition – datification – in meaningfulness experiences of professionals, outlining how system design and the institutional context become important elements influencing meaningful work experiences, and explaining how meaningfulness experiences are constructed through system appropriations.

Suggested Citation

  • Mari‐Klara Stein & Erica L. Wagner & Pamela Tierney & Sue Newell & Robert D. Galliers, 2019. "Datification and the Pursuit of Meaningfulness in Work," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 685-717, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:56:y:2019:i:3:p:685-717
    DOI: 10.1111/joms.12409
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    Cited by:

    1. Ahi, Alan A. & Sinkovics, Noemi & Shildibekov, Yelnur & Sinkovics, Rudolf R. & Mehandjiev, Nikolay, 2022. "Advanced technologies and international business: A multidisciplinary analysis of the literature," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4).
    2. Mai Chi Vu & Nicholas Burton, 2022. "The Influence of Spiritual Traditions on the Interplay of Subjective and Normative Interpretations of Meaningful Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 543-566, October.
    3. Gazi Islam, 2022. "Business Ethics and Quantification: Towards an Ethics of Numbers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 176(2), pages 195-211, March.
    4. Sleimi Mohammad & Elayan Malek Bakheet & Hajleh Lamar Abu, 2022. "Core Job Characteristics and Personal Work Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Critical Psychological States: Empirical Evidence from Northern Cyprus Hotel Sector," Organizacija, Sciendo, vol. 55(3), pages 228-240, August.
    5. Zhining Wang & Shuang Ren & Doren Chadee & Yuhang Chen, 2024. "Employee Ethical Silence Under Exploitative Leadership: The Roles of Work Meaningfulness and Moral Potency," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(1), pages 59-76, February.
    6. Yuan Li & Xiyuan Li & Qingmin Chen & Ying Xue, 2020. "Sustainable Career Development of Newly Hired Executives—A Dynamic Process Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Thomas Calvard, 2019. "Integrating Social Scientific Perspectives on the Quantified Employee Self," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-19, September.
    8. Mikko Hänninen & Anssi Smedlund, 2021. "Same Old Song with a Different Melody: The Paradox of Market Reach and Financial Performance on Digital Platforms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(7), pages 1832-1868, November.
    9. Abdullah Zafar Sheikh & John Chandler & Basharat Hussain & Stephen Timmons, 2022. "Performance measurement and management in the British higher education sector," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 4809-4824, December.

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