It is not surprising that seeking fulfillment is associated with one’s career choices. One set of survey results showed that 70% of employees say their purpose in life is defined by their work and 63% of employees expect their employers to provide opportunities to fulfill their purpose in their day-to-day work. Another surveying firm’s results suggested that creating meaning for employees in their work was associated with a 55% increase in motivation, 42% increase in loyalty, and a 32% increase in pride. Meaningfulness in work is associated with less absenteeism, greater workplace social support, greater job satisfaction, and better values alignment with company leadership.
Fulfillment from a career arises from both tangible and intangible characteristics of what is experienced through work. Beyond the tangible benefits of work, such as salary, healthcare, and retirement benefits, work fosters fulfillment in both the dignity it provides and the meaningfulness it expresses.
Dignity recognizes the importance of work to each person’s experience of worth and value. Saint Pope John Paul II said, “Work is a good thing for man – a good thing for humanity – because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense becomes more of a human being” (Laborem exercens). Dignity contributes to fulfillment and is seen in career opportunities that excite a person’s capacity for reason through autonomy and self-determination. Dignity also is present in the opportunity and exercise of social relationships. No person lives independent of all other persons; the social aspect of work, therefore, cannot and should not be ignored or diminished, but instead should be sought and nurtured in a career.
If dignity through work is central to human fulfillment, then we can expect that dignity brings meaningfulness to a career. Meaningfulness in work has enjoyed a significant amount of attention from vocational and organizational psychologists, and their findings provide insight to the drivers of meaningfulness in work. The available evidence calls out several meaningfulness-enhancing characteristics such as work that supports self-esteem, or a person’s sense of self-worth, a sense of directedness or intentionality in life, and belongingness, or social identification and interpersonal connectedness with individuals encountered through work. A sense of authenticity or alignment between one’s career choices and one’s conceptualization of a “true self” also matters to meaningfulness. Likewise, the ability to develop a sense of competence and perceived impact in one’s work is important. A final influencer of meaningfulness is transcendence. Transcendence is a mechanism of meaningfulness when individuals can subordinate themselves in their work to a greater good than themselves.
The practicality of seeking and finding fulfillment through dignity and meaningfulness incorporates attention to at least three tasks: (1) purposeful reflection on what is important, (2) seeing opportunity for advancing one’s dignity through work, and (3) taking action to strategically structure one’s work.
Meaningfulness in a career is unique to you. You need to define where your vocational interests lie and how they contribute to a greater good that fuels your motivation. This process is not simply self-reflection but should be informed by talented individuals such as career advisors who can aid you with career interest tests and job search information, University of Dallas professors that teach means of discerning and applying one’s strengths, and spiritual directors that help you to discipline your life and find the focus and fulfillment identified by St. Pope John Paul II.
Management research has shown that the fit between the person and the work organization’s culture is an important determinant of job choices and work outcomes. Accordingly, you should develop knowledge and skills to research work opportunities, interpret signals of an organization’s culture, recognize work designs that foster autonomy, self-determination, and social relationships, and analyze the fit between your career aspirations and the opportunity.
An important buzzword in contemporary management is “job crafting”. Job crafting is the proactive and intentional structuring of how you approach your work and to what tasks you prioritize your efforts. It also attends to how you define and develop work and social relationships and how you align work with your interests and values.
If you do not strategically manage your career fulfillment, then you are a rudderless ship relying on the currents to randomly bring you to a safe and desirable harbor. Finding career fulfillment relies on you preparing yourself to know and pursue opportunities that fit with your sense of purpose and on you crafting opportunities to foster dignity and meaningfulness in your work.
The innovative and forward-thinking business culture in Texas is ideal for professionals looking to build (or reinvigorate) their careers with an MBA. Wherever your interests take you, earning your MBA in Texas provides ample opportunities to engage with the newest technologies, explore entrepreneurial ventures, and connect with industry leaders.
Strategically located in the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in Irving, Texas, the University of Dallas’ Master of Business Administration program equips future leaders with the skills needed to navigate today’s business challenges through an ethical lens.
Our Master of Business Administration program was created to prepare professionals to lead with expertise and integrity in this new age of technology.
By earning your MBA in Dallas, you will be ushered into the vibrant network of professors, students, and alumni who are eager to assist you in building a meaningful and impactful career.
Download our guide, Using Business as a Force For Good: A Guide to the Flexible MBA at UDallas to discover how the MBA program equips business leaders with the skills to drive meaningful change.
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PRO TIP: The University of Dallas also boasts a vibrant legacy of scholars-turned-leaders employed across all industries. As an MBA student at UDallas, you will have opportunities to engage with prominent figures in Texas’ burgeoning business scene.