Is meaningful work always a resource toward wellbeing? The effect of autonomy, security and multiple dimensions of subjective meaningful work on wellbeing

Purpose Using conservation of resources as a theoretical lens, the paper aims to investigate distinct objective meaningful work (OMW) and subjective meaningful work (SMW) domains as resources that contribute to wellbeing. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional questionnaire was conducted with 879 employees, measuring OMW resources (job security and autonomy), SMW using the well-validated multidimensional Comprehensive Meaningful Work Scale (CMWS) focusing on five dimensions (integrity with self, expressing full potential, unity with others, service to others and balancing tensions), and three wellbeing outcomes (positive affect, negative affect and job stress). The authors conducted structural equation modeling, mediation analysis with PROCESS macro including bootstrapping, and dominance analysis, to identify the core relationships between OMW and SMW dimensions and three wellbeing constructs. Findings OMW resources are largely beneficially related to SMW dimensions; both OMW and SMW resources are mostly beneficially related to wellbeing outcomes; and the overall associations of OMW with the three wellbeing constructs are partially mediated by SMW. The dominance analyses of SMW with wellbeing shows expressing full potential is the most important predictor of positive affect, and integrity with self is the most important (negatively related) predictor of negative affect and job stress. Practical implications Our research, in pulling apart the different dimensions of MW, shows that to enhance wellbeing, HR professionals should not just pay attention to practices that support self-transcendent MW but also those that support the self. When not balanced, MW can lead to a loss of wellbeing. Originality/value The findings highlight that (1) while the current MW literature places a lot of emphasis on SMW, OMW remains an important consideration, and (2) while the MW literature often focuses on self-transcendent meanings, such as making a difference, the self-oriented dimensions of SMW are more dominant toward wellbeing. This is valuable to employees, managers, and HR professionals considering how to improve MW and wellbeing.