Predictors of Work Meaningfulness and their Implications for the Banking Sector
Main Article Content
Abstract
This research explores the higher and lower-order determinants of Work Meaningfulness of employees in the banking industry in Punjab, India, and discusses their implications for banks. With a sample population of 600 banking professionals, the study utilized the Work and Meaning Inventory, Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), and Workplace Stressors Assessment Questionnaire to quantify the major variables. Psychological capital, Organizational support perceived, and Perceived work stress were treated as independent variables, while Work Meaningfulness was the dependent variable. Discriminant analysis indicated that Psychological Capital, Specifically Self-efficacy, Hope, Resilience, and Optimism, along with Perceived Organizational Support are stronger predictors of work meaningfulness than work stress dimensions such as Demands, Control, Support, Role, Relationships, and Rewards which are the lower predictors. These results point out that the development of psychological resources and organizational support system not only enhances work meaningfulness and employee well-being but also strengthens ethical judgment, reporting accuracy, and adherence to governance standards. On the other hand, unmanaged stressors and undefined roles enhance reporting errors, increase the risk of biased financial choices and decrease work meaningfulness. Enhancing self-efficacy, hopefulness, optimism and resilience training, role clarification, and fair rewards Fosters work meaningfulness which is necessity to ensure financial stability, transparency, and accountability in the banking industry.
Article Details
Section

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
1. Agustina, K., & Maisara, P. (2022). The Effect of Perceived Organizational Support, Meaning of Work and Proactive Personality on Employee Creativity (Study on Employees of Harno Surya Ngemplak Bothi). International Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting Research, 6(2), E-ISSN: 2614-1280, P-ISSN: 2622-477.
2. Allan, B. A., Dexter, C., Kinsey, R., & Parker, S. (2016). Meaningful work and mental health: job satisfaction as a moderator. Journal of Mental Health, 27(1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2016.1244718
3. Apodaca, S.P.(2010). The Mediating Effect of Perceived Organizational Support on Espoused Safety Attitudes: A Field Study (Master’s Thesis). Angelo State University.
4. Arnold, K.A., Turner, N., Barling, J., Kelloway, E.K., & McKee, M.C. (2007). Transformational leadership and psychological well-being: the mediating Role of meaningful work. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12(3), 193-203.
5. Azila-Gbettor, E. M., Mensah, C., & Abiemo, M. K. (2022). Self-efficacy and academic programme satisfaction: mediating effect of meaningfulness of study. International Journal of Educational Management, 36(3), 261–276. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijem-09-2021-0353
6. Bailey, C., & Madden, A. (2016, Summer). What makes work meaningful, Or meaningless. MIT Sloan Management Review, 52-63.
7. Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Euwema, M. C. (2005). Job resources buffer the impact of job demands on burnout. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 10(2), 170–180. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.10.2.170
8. Bakker, A.B, & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job Demands–resources model: state of the art. Journal of Management Psychology, 22(3),309–328. doi:10.1108/02683940710733115
9. Basinska, B. A., & Rozkwitalska, M. (2022). Psychological Capital and happiness at work: The mediating Role of employee thriving in multinational corporations. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 41(2), 549–562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00598-y
10. Bhatnagar, J., & Aggarwal, P. (2020). Meaningful work as a mediator between Perceived Organizational Support for environment and employee eco-initiatives, Psychological Capital and alienation. Employee Relations, 42(6), 1487–1511. https://doi.org/10.1108/er-04-2019-0187
11. Britt, T. W., Adler, A. B., & Bartone, P. T. (2001). Deriving benefits from stressful events: The Role of engagement in meaningful work and hardiness. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 6(1), 53–63. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.6.1.53
12. Caillier, J. G. (2021). The Impact of Workplace Aggression on Employee Satisfaction With Job Stress, Meaningfulness of Work, and Turnover Intentions. Public Personnel Management, 50(2), 159-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026019899976
13. Canboy, B., Tillou, C., Barzantny, C., Güçlü, B., & Benichoux, F. (2021). The impact of Perceived Organizational Support on Work Meaningfulness, engagement, and perceived stress in France. European Management Journal, 41(1), 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2021.12.004
14. Cardador, M. T., Grant, B. C., & Bruno, R. (2019). The positive impact of perceived union Support on Union member Work Meaningfulness: Examining mechanisms and boundary conditions. Labor Studies Journal, 44(4), 333–358. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160449x19835931
15. Ceylan, A., Çöl, G., & Gül, H. (2005). A Research on the Effects and Consequences of Social - Structural Features that Determine the Meaningfulness of Work on Empowerment. Doğuş University Journal, 1(6), 35–51. https://doi.org/10.31671/dogus.2019.283
16. Chen, C.-Y., & Li, C.-I. (2013). Assessing the spiritual leadership effectiveness: The contribu-ltion of follower’s self-concept and preliminary tests for moderation of culture and managerial position. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 240-255.
17. Chan, X. W., Kalliath, T., Brough, P., O’Driscoll, M., Siu, O., & Timms, C. (2017). Self-efficacy and work engagement: test of a chain model. International Journal of Manpower, 38(6), 819–834. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijm-11-2015-0189
18. Clausen, T. & Borg, V. (2011). Job Demands, job resources and meaning at work. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 26(8), 665-681.https://doi.org/10.1108/02683941111181761
19. Cohen-Meitar R., Carmeli A., & Waldman D. A. (2009). Linking meaningfulness in the workplace to employee creativity. The intervening Role of organizational identification and positive psychological experiences. Creativity Research Journal, 2, 361-375.
20. Consiglio, C., Borgogni, L., Di Tecco, C., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2016). What makes employees engaged with their work? The Role of Self-efficacy and employee’s perceptions of social context over time. Career Development International, 21(2), 125–143. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-03-2015-0045
21. Crawford, E.R., LePine, J.A., & Rich, B.L.(2010). Linking job Demands and resources to employee engagement and burnout: A theoretical extension and meta-analytic test. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95, 834–848
22. Day, J. W., Holladay, C. L., Johnson, S. K., & Barron, L. G. (2014). Organizational Rewards: considering employee need in allocation. Personnel Review, 43(1), 74–95. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-09-2012-0156
23. De Crom, N., & Rothmann, S. (2018). Demands–abilities fit, work beliefs, meaningful work and engagement in nature-based jobs. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 44. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v44i0.1496
24. Demasi, R., Stutz, C., & Sachs, S. (2021). Caring for or involving the employee? The multiple pathways of internal CSR making work meaningful. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2021(1), 14787. https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2021.14787abstract
25. Demerouti, E., Bakker, A.B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W.B.(2001). The job Demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of applied Psychology, 86(3) 499–512.doi:10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499
26. Edú-Valsania, S., Laguía, A., & León, J.A.M. (2022). Burnout: A Review of Theory and Measurement. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health/International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3)
,1780.
27. Eisenberger, R., & Stinglhamber, F. (2011). Perceived Organizational Support: Fostering enthusiastic and productive employees. In American Psychological Association eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1037/12318-000
28. Erlmaier, T., Brosi, P., & Welpe, I. M. (2021). Taking a closer look at the bidirectional relationship between meaningful work and strain at work: a cross-lagged model. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 31(3), 341–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432x.2021.1990265
29. Geisler, M., Berthelsen, H., & Hakanen, J. J. (2019). No job demand is an island – interaction effects between emotional Demands and other types of job Demands. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00873
30. Ghislieri, C., Cortese, C. G., Molino, M., & Gatti, P. (2019). The Relationships of meaningful work and narcissistic leadership with nurses’ job satisfaction. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(8), 1691–1699. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12859
31. Gillet, N., Gagné, M., Sauvagère, S., & Fouquereau, E. (2013). The Role of supervisor autonomy Support, Organizational Support, and autonomous and Controlled motivation in predicting employees' satisfaction and turnover intentions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22 (4), 450-460.
32. Gloria, C. T., & Steinhardt, M. A. (2016). Relationships among positive emotions, coping, Resilience and mental health. Stress & Health, 32, 145-156.
33. Guan, X., & Frenkel, S. (2020). Organizational Support and employee thriving at work: exploring the underlying mechanisms. Personnel Review, 50(3), 935–953. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-10-2019-0569
34. Hackman, J., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16(2), 250–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90016-7
35. Hair, J.F., Black, W.C., Babin, B.J., & Anderson, R.E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Prentice-Hall.
36. Hämmig, O. (2017). Health and well-being at work: The key Role of supervisor Support. SSM - Population Health, 3, 393–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2017.04.002
37. Hunter, E.M., Neubert, M.J., Perry, S.J., Witt, L.A., Penney, L.M. & Weinberger, E. (2013). Servant leaders inspire servant followers: antecedents and outcomes for employees and the organization. The Leadership Quarterly, 24 (2), 316-331.
38. Isabeles, C. J. O., & Avitia, C. a. G. (2020). Relationship between Perceived Organizational Support and work engagement in Mexican workers. Psicogente, 24(45), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.17081/psico.24.45.4084
39. James, L. A., & James, L. R. (1989). Integrating work environment perceptions: Explorations into the measurement of meaning. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(5), 739–751. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.74.5.739
40. Jex, S. M., & Thomas, J. L. (2003). Relations between stressors and group perceptions: Main and mediating effects. Work & Stress, 17(2), 158–169. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267837031000146804
41. Keles, H.C. & Fındıklı, M.A. (2016).The effect of the Meaningfulness of Work on job satisfaction, job stress and intention to leave. Global Journal of Business Economics and Management Current Issues, 6(2),61-69
42. Kluemper, D. H., Little, L. M., & DeGroot, T. (2009). State or trait: effects of state Optimism on job‐related outcomes. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30(2), 209–231. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.591
43. Kosfeld, M., Neckermann, S., & Yang, X. (2016). THE EFFECTS OF FINANCIAL AND RECOGNITION INCENTIVES ACROSS WORK CONTEXTS: THE ROLE OF MEANING. Economic Inquiry, 55(1), 237–247. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.12350
44. Krause, N. (2004). Stressors arising in highly valued Roles, meaning in life, and the physical health status of older adults. The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 59(5), S287–S297. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/59.5.s287
45. Kurniawan, C. K., & Indrayanti, N. (2023). Schwartz’s Values, Perceived Organizational Support (POS), and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Work Meaningfulness [Schwartz’s Values, Perceived Organizational Support (POS), dan Work Engagement: Peran Mediasi dari Work Meaningfulness]. ANIMA Indonesian Psychological Journal, 38(1), 038107. https://doi.org/10.24123/aipj.v38i1.4877
46. Kuzhiyengal Mambra, A. J. & College of Social Science & Humanities, Srinivas University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India. (2021). Study on Stress Management among Co-operative Bank Employees in Malappuram district. In International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp. 424–425) [Journal-article]. https://www.ijirt.org/research
47. Luthans, F., Avolio, B.J., & Youseff, C. (2007). Psychological Capital: Developing the Human Competitive Edge. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
48. Libby, R. (1985). Availability and the generation of hypotheses in analytical review. Journal of Accounting Research 23(2), 648–667.
49. Luthans, F., & Youssef-Morgan, C. M. (2017). Psychological Capital: An EvidenceBased Positive Approach. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4(1), 339–366. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113324
50. Mahmood, M. H., Coons, S. J., Guy, M. C., & Pelletier, K. R. (2010). Development and Testing of the Workplace Stressors Assessment Questionnaire. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 52(12), 1192–1200. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0b013e3181fb53dc
51. Malinowski, P., & Lim, H. J. (2015). Mindfulness at work: Positive affect, Hope, and Optimism mediate the relationship between dispositional mindfulness, work engagement, and Well-Being. Mindfulness, 6(6), 1250–1262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0388-5
52. May, D. R., Gilson, R. L., & Harter, L. M. (2004). The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), 11–37. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317904322915892
53. Meneghel, I., Borgogni, L., Miraglia, M., Salanova, M., & Martínez, I. M. (2016). From social context and Resilience to performance through job satisfaction: A multilevel study over time. Human Relations, 69(11), 2047–2067. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726716631808
54. Meng, L., Lin, X., Du, J., Zhang, X., & Lu, X. (2023). Autonomy Support and prosocial impact facilitate meaningful work: A daily diary study. Motivation and Emotion, 47(4), 538–553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-023-10006-5
55. Mouton, A. R., & Montijo, M. N. (2017). Hope and work. In Oxford University Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199399314.013.30
56. Mufarrikhah, J. L., Yuniardi, M. S., & Syakarofath, N. A. (2020). The Role of Perceived Organizational Support on Employee Work Engagement. Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology(GamaJoP), 6(2), 151-164. https://doi.org/10.22146/gamajop.56396
57. Nieto, A., Contador, I., Palenzuela, D. L., Ruisoto, P., Ramos, F., & Fernández-Calvo, B. (2022). The Distinctive Role of Grounded Optimism and Resilience for predicting Burnout and Work Engagement: A study in Professional Caregivers of Older Adults. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 100, 104657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2022.104657
58. Ouweneel, E., Blanc, P. M. L., Schaufeli, W. B., & Van Wijhe, C. I. (2012). Good morning, good day: A diary study on positive emotions, Hope, and work engagement. Human Relations, 65(9), 1129–1154. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726711429382
59. Quick, J.C., Frey, M.M., & Debra, L.N.(2017).Job Stress. Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology, 20(4), 467-474
60. Ramsden, K. (2019). The effects of Psychological Capital and job satisfaction on work engagement of Support staff at a holdings establishment (Meridian Holdings). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/106090
61. Robertson, I. T., Cooper, C. L., Sarkar, M., & Curran, T. (2015). Resilience training in the workplace from 2003 to 2014: A systematic review. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 88(3), 533–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12120
62. Ross, C. E., & Wright, M. P. (1998). Women’s work, men’s work, and the sense of Control. Work and Occupations, 25(3), 333–355. https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888498025003004
63. Salminen, S. R., Mäkikangas, A., & Feldt, T. (2014). Job resources and work engagement: Optimism as moderator among Finnish managers. Journal of European Psychology Students, 5(1), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.5334/jeps.bu
64. Schmitt, A., Gielnik, M. M., Zacher, H., & Klemann, D. K. (2013). The motivational benefits of specific versus general Optimism. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(5), 425–434. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.820338
65. Schneck, S. (2013). My Wage is Unfair! Just a Feeling or Comparison with Peers? SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2226258
66. Schnell, T., Höge, T., & Pollet, E. (2013). Predicting meaning in work: Theory, data, implications. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(6), 543–554. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.830763
67. Sen, N. D. C., & Khandelwal, N. R. (2017). Workplace Well-Being: The Role of job crafting, Perceived Organizational Support and perceived autonomy Support. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.25215/0403.070
68. Shatté, A., Perlman, A., Smith, B., & Lynch, W. D. (2016). The positive effect of Resilience on stress and business outcomes in difficult work environments. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 59(2), 135–140. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0000000000000914
69. Şimşek, Ö. F. (2012). Higher-order factors of personality in self-report data: Self-esteem really matters. Personality and Individual Differences, 53(5), 568–573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.04.023
70. Singh, S. K., Pradhan, R. K., Panigrahy, N. P., & Jena, L. K. (2019). Self-efficacy and workplace well-being: moderating Role of sustainability practices. Benchmarking an International Journal, 26(6), 1692–1708. https://doi.org/10.1108/bij-07-2018-0219
71. Soane, E., Shantz, A., Alfes, K., Truss, C., Rees, C., & Gatenby, M. (2013). The association of meaningfulness, well‐being, and engagement with absenteeism: A moderated mediation model. Human Resource Management, 52(3), 441–456.
72. Soren, A., & Ryff, C. D. (2023). Meaningful Work, Well-Being, and Health: Enacting a eudaimonic vision. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(16), 6570. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20166570
73. Steger, M.F. and Dik, B.J. (2009). If one is looking for meaning in life, does it help to find meaning in work?” Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 1(3), 303-320.
74. Steger, M.F., Dik, B.J. & Duffy, R.D. (2012). Measuring meaningful work: the work and meaning inventory (WAMI). Journal of Career Assessment, 20(3), 322-337.
75. Tabibnia, G., & Lieberman, M. D. (2007). Fairness and cooperation are rewarding. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1118(1), 90–101. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1412.001
76. Thompson, J.A. & Bunderson, J.S (2009).The call of the wild: Zoo-keepers, callings, and the double-edged sword of deeply meaningful work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 54(1), 32–57.
77. Torp, S., Vinje, H. F., & Haaheim-Simonsen, H. K. (2016). Work, well-being and presence among researchers. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 18, 199-212
78. Winwood, P. C., Colon, R., & McEwen, K. (2013). A practical measure of workplace Resilience. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 55(10), 1205–1212. https://doi.org/10.1097/jom.0b013e3182a2a60a
79. Yeoman, R. (2021). The future of Meaningfulness in Work, organizations, and systems. In Routledge eBooks (pp. 31–48). https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429243394-3