This special issue addresses the interconnected but conceptually distinct notions of meaning, meaningfulness, and purpose in work contexts. While meaning relates to personal interpretations and values alignment, meaningfulness encompasses the emotional and experiential aspects of work fulfillment, and purpose refers to long-term direction and self-transcendent goals. The special issue seeks to clarify these constructs and their relationships to advance theoretical understanding of human fulfillment at work.
The collection welcomes empirical and theoretical research examining how workers assign meaning to their roles, experience fulfillment through work, and pursue purposeful careers. The focus extends across diverse occupational contexts and considers how meaning and purpose sustain over time and interact with broader life considerations, technological change, and the concept of decent work.