IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i6p3626-d775001.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fostering Work Meaningfulness for Sustainable Human Resources: A Study of Generation Z

Author

Listed:
  • Patchara Popaitoon

    (Chulalongkorn Business School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand)

Abstract

This study is drawn from the psychology of sustainability exploring meaningful job characteristics for Generation Z and their influence on employee retention. We hypothesised that intrinsic qualities of job characteristics foster experienced meaningfulness which, in turn, enhances employees’ intention to stay. An online survey targeted to Generation Z was adopted for the study. We received 746 usable responses for the analysis. Nested model comparisons with a structural equation approach and chi-square difference tests were used to assess the mediating role of work meaningfulness in the hypothesised relationships. The best-fit model to data was then used for hypotheses testing. We found that skill variety, autonomy and task significance engender experienced meaningfulness for Generation Z. Work meaningfulness was the mechanism underpinning the relationships between these job characteristics and intention to stay. Task feedback was not significant for either meaningfulness or intention to stay, whereas task identity affected only intention to stay but not meaningfulness. This research contributes to the literature on work meaningfulness and generations by examining the work behaviours of Generation Z. Because experienced meaningfulness can enhance Generation Z’s willingness to stay and support organisational sustainability, an organisation can retain its generational cohort by providing selective work design strategies to fit the generation’s characteristics.

Suggested Citation

  • Patchara Popaitoon, 2022. "Fostering Work Meaningfulness for Sustainable Human Resources: A Study of Generation Z," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3626-:d:775001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3626/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3626/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blake A. Allan & Cassondra Batz-Barbarich & Haley M. Sterling & Louis Tay, 2019. "Outcomes of Meaningful Work: A Meta‐Analysis," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 500-528, May.
    2. Kelly Pledger Weeks & Caitlin Schaffert, 2019. "Generational Differences in Definitions of Meaningful Work: A Mixed Methods Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 1045-1061, June.
    3. Hyo-Sun Jung & Hye-Hyun Yoon, 2021. "Generational Effects of Workplace Flexibility on Work Engagement, Satisfaction, and Commitment in South Korean Deluxe Hotels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-13, August.
    4. Oldham, Greg R. & Fried, Yitzhak, 2016. "Job design research and theory: Past, present and future," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 20-35.
    5. Pichler, Shaun & Kohli, Chiranjeev & Granitz, Neil, 2021. "DITTO for Gen Z: A framework for leveraging the uniqueness of the new generation," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 64(5), pages 599-610.
    6. Christopher Michaelson & Michael Pratt & Adam Grant & Craig Dunn, 2014. "Meaningful Work: Connecting Business Ethics and Organization Studies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 121(1), pages 77-90, April.
    7. Rasa Smaliukiene & Svajone Bekesiene, 2020. "Towards Sustainable Human Resources: How Generational Differences Impact Subjective Wellbeing in the Military?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-21, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hazem Ali & Min Li & Xunmin Qiu, 2024. "Examination of HRM practices in relation to the retention of Chinese Gen Z employees," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhang, Guanglei & Wang, Huaying & Li, Mingze, 2023. "“A Little Thanks Changes My World”: When and why dirty work employees feel meaningfulness at work," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    2. Mai Chi Vu & Roger Gill, 2023. "Are Leaders Responsible for Meaningful Work? Perspectives from Buddhist-Enacted Leaders and Buddhist Ethics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(2), pages 347-370, October.
    3. Sandrine Frémeaux & François Henry, 2023. "Temporality and Meaningful Entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(4), pages 725-739, December.
    4. Xu, Mengxi & Wang, Wei & Ou, Carol & Song, Baoxiang, 2023. "Does IT matter for work meaningfulness?: Exploring the mediating role of job crafting," Other publications TiSEM 53be7105-cc88-4dee-a738-b, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Thalmus Mahand & Cam Caldwell, 2023. "Quiet Quitting – Causes and Opportunities," Business and Management Research, Business and Management Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 12(1), pages 9-19, July.
    6. 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.
    7. Christopher Michaelson, 2021. "A Normative Meaning of Meaningful Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 170(3), pages 413-428, May.
    8. Wei Si & Jialing Xiao & Leni Chen, 2023. "Fairly Meaningful: Mechanisms Linking Organizational Fairness to Perceived Meaningfulness," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(1), pages 53-72, September.
    9. Matthew D. Deeg & Douglas R. May, 2022. "The Benefits to the Human Spirit of Acting Ethically at Work: The Effects of Professional Moral Courage on Work Meaningfulness and Life Well-Being," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 181(2), pages 397-411, November.
    10. Jehanzeb Khan Gurmani & Noor Ullah Khan & Muhammad Khalique & Muhammad Yasir & Asfia Obaid & Nur Ain Ayunni Sabri, 2021. "Do Environmental Transformational Leadership Predicts Organizational Citizenship Behavior towards Environment in Hospitality Industry: Using Structural Equation Modelling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-29, May.
    11. Andrzej Janowski & Anna Szczepańska-Przekota, 2022. "The Trait of Extraversion as an Energy-Based Determinant of Entrepreneur’s Success—The Case of Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-21, June.
    12. Harry Hummels & Patrick Nullens, 2022. "‘Other-wise’ Organizing. A Levinasian Approach to Agape in Work and Business Organisations," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 211-232, October.
    13. Francesco Pace & Giulia Sciotto & Naomi Alexia Randazzo & Vincenza Macaluso, 2022. "Teachers’ Work-Related Well-Being in Times of COVID-19: The Effects of Technostress and Online Teaching," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-10, October.
    14. Andrew Soren & Carol D. Ryff, 2023. "Meaningful Work, Well-Being, and Health: Enacting a Eudaimonic Vision," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(16), pages 1-21, August.
    15. Nicholas Burton & Mai Chi Vu, 2021. "Moral Identity and the Quaker tradition: Moral Dissonance Negotiation in the WorkPlace," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 127-141, November.
    16. Mohammad Akramin Sakirun & Oscar Dousin, 2022. "Conceptualizing the Relationship between Stress, Job Satisfaction and Job Performance Using the Job Demand Control Support Theory: The Case of Firefighters in Malaysia," International Journal of Human Resource Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 12(1), pages 114-114, December.
    17. Stephan, Ute & Tavares, Susana M. & Carvalho, Helena & Ramalho, Joaquim J.S. & Santos, Susana C. & van Veldhoven, Marc, 2020. "Self-employment and eudaimonic well-being: Energized by meaning, enabled by societal legitimacy," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(6).
    18. Le-Le Wang & Lan-Xia Zhang & Bin Ju, 2023. "Sustainable Vitality and Learning: The Connotation, Scale, and Heterogeneity of Dualistic Psychological Thriving at Work," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-14, July.
    19. Kalina Grzesiuk & Dorota Jegorow & Monika Wawer & Anna Głowacz, 2023. "Energy-Efficient City Transportation Solutions in the Context of Energy-Conserving and Mobility Behaviours of Generation Z," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-28, August.
    20. Piia Seppälä & Lotta Harju & Jari J. Hakanen, 2020. "Interactions of Approach and Avoidance Job Crafting and Work Engagement: A Comparison between Employees Affected and Not Affected by Organizational Changes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-20, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3626-:d:775001. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.