SOURCES OF MEANING INVENTORY IN ACADEMIA: AN INVENTORY DEVELOPMENT STUDY

Abstract

This paper presents findings from an inventory development study of the ‘Sources of Meaning Inventory in Academia’ in order to make sense of the psychological processes underlying the experience of meaning in academia. With this inventory, the sources that make the work of academicians meaningful will be determined. By managing the determined sources, it will be possible for the academicians to attribute more meaning to their work and thus increases their performance and productivity. The study was carried out in 3 complementary stages. In Study 1 (n=815), an item pool was created, and after focus group interviews and expert opinions, trial measurements were made by the draft inventory. In Study 2 (n=352), the pilot study of the inventory was carried out and exploratory factor analysis was performed. In Study 3 (n=669), confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis and criterion-related validity analysis were performed. As a result of the 3 studies, an inventory consisting of 31 items and 5 dimensions was obtained. According to the model formed, the dimensions of the sources of meaning inventory in academia are ‘passion for life’, ‘scientific contribution’, ‘benefiting’, ‘earning money and respect’ and ‘exploring and learning’. The dimensions of the source of meaning that are most related to the meaningfulness of the work were determined as ‘benefiting’ and ‘passion for life’.

Keywords

• meaning of work
• sources of meaning
• sources of meaning in academia
• inventory development

AKADEMİDE ANLAM KAYNAKLARI ENVANTERİ: BİR ENVANTER GELİŞTİRME ÇALIŞMASI

Abstract

Bu araştırmada akademide anlam deneyiminin altında yatan psikolojik süreçleri anlamlandırmak adına “Akademide Anlam Kaynakları Envanteri”ni geliştirmek amaçlanmıştır. Bu envanter sayesinde akademisyenlerin işlerini anlamlı kılan kaynaklar tespit edilecektir. Tespit edilen kaynakların yönetilmesi ile akademisyenlerin işlerine daha fazla anlam yüklemeleri ve bu sayede performans ve verimliliklerinin artması sağlanabilecektir. Envanter geliştirme süreci 3 araştırmadan oluşmuştur. Araştırma 1’de (n=815) madde havuzu oluşturulmuş, odak grup görüşmeleri ve uzman görüşleri sonrasında taslak envanter üzerinden deneme ölçümleri yapılmıştır. Araştırma 2’de (n=352) envanterin pilot çalışması gerçekleştirilmiş, keşfedici faktör analizi yapılmıştır. Araştırma 3’te (n=669) ise doğrulayıcı faktör analizi, güvenilirlik analizi ve ölçüt bağıntılı geçerlilik analizi yapılmıştır. Yapılan 3 aşamalı araştırma sonucunda 31 ifade ve 5 boyuttan oluşan bir envanter elde edilmiştir. Oluşan modele göre, akademide anlam kaynakları envanterinin boyutları; “yaşam tutkusu”, “bilimsel katkı sağlama”, “fayda sağlama”, “para ve saygınlık elde etme” ve “keşfetme ve öğrenme”dir. İşin anlamlılığı ile en yüksek ilişkili anlam kaynağı boyutları “fayda sağlama” ve “yaşam tutkusu” olarak belirlenmiştir.

Keywords

• İşin anlamı
• anlam kaynakları
• akademide anlam kaynakları
• envanter geliştirme

References

1. Akgündüz, Y., Adan Gök, Ö. & Alkan, C. (2020). The effects of rewards and proactive personality on turnover intentions and meaning of work in hotel businesses. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 20(2), 170-183.
2. Alparslan, A. M., Polatcı, S. & Yastıoğlu, S. (2021). Akademisyenlik mesleğinde işin anlam kaynakları- akademik performans ilişkisi üzerine bir araştırma. Yüksek Öğretim ve Bilim Dergisi, 11(2), 281-289.
3. 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.
4. Ayre, C. & Scally, A. J. (2014). Critical values for Lawshe’s content validity ratio: revisiting the original methods of calculation. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 47(1), 79-86.
5. Bailey, C. & Madden, A. (2016). What makes work meaningful – or meaningless? MIT Sloan Management Review, 57(4). http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/61282/
6. Balcı, A., Öztürk, İ. & Akar, F. (2019). Akademisyenlerin işlerini anlamlı kılan faktörlere ilişkin görüşleri. Mersin Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 15(3), 867-892.
7. Balcı, O. & Ağ, C. (2019). Yaşamın anlamı ve işin anlamlılığı arasındaki ilişki. Journal of Social and Humanities Sciences Research, 6(33), 348-362.
8. Baumeister, R. F. (1991). Meanings of Life. New York: Guilford Press.

9. Baumeister, R. F. (1998). The self. Gilbert, D. T. ve Fiske, S. T. (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (1. Baskı) içinde (680–740), New York: McGraw-Hill
10. Bertosso, H., Ebert, P., Bonemberger, A. M. O., Centenaro, A. & Severo, E. A. (2019). ‘Work for what?’ the meaning and the sense of work for the bankers. Revista de Administração da UFSM, 12(3), 492-508.
11. Beukes, I. & Botha, E. (2013). Organisational commitment, work engagement and meaning of work of nursing staff in hospitals. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 39(2), 1-10.
12. 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
13. Bunderson, J. S. & Thompson, J. A. (2009). The call of the wild: Zookeepers, callings, and the dual edges of deeply meaningful work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 54, 32-57.
14. Byrne, B. M. (2016). Structural equation modeling with Amos: Basic concepts, applications, and programming (3. baskı). Routledge.
15. Campbell, A. (1976). Subjective measures of well-being. American Psychologist, 31(2), 117-124.
16. Cartwright, S. & Holmes, N. (2006). The meaning of work: The challenge of regaining employee engagement and reducing cynicism. Human Resource Management Review, 16(2), 199-208.
17. Cascio, W. F. (2003). Changes in workers, work, and organizations. W. Borman, R. Klimoski ve D. Ilgen (Eds.), Handbook of Psychology, Volume twelve: Industrial and organizational psychology içinde (401–422). New York: John Wiley
18. Chalofsky, N. (2003). An emerging construct for meaningful work. Human Resources Development International, 6(1), 69-83.
19. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. New York, NY: Routledge Academic.
20. Creed, P. A., Rogers, M. E., Praskova, A. & Searle, J. (2014). Career calling as a personal resource moderator between environmental demands and burnout in Australian junior doctors. Journal of Career Development, 41(6), 547-561.
21. Cropanzano, R. & Wright, T.A. (2001). When a ‘happy’ worker is really a ‘productive’ worker: A review and further refinement of the happy-productive worker thesis. Consult. Psychol. J. Pract. Res., 53, 182–199.
22. Dan, C. I., Roşca, A. C. & Mateizer, A. (2020). Job Crafting and Performance in Firefighters: The Role of Work Meaning and Work Engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 894.
23. Darling, J. & Chalofsky, N. (2004). Spirituality in the workplace. Marquardt, M. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of life support systems (EOLSS) içinde (121-141). Oxford, UK: EOLSS.
24. Demirkasimoglu, N. (2015). The meaning of work in teachers’ lives: A qualitative study. The Anthropologist, 22(2), 412-423.
25. DeVellis R. F. (2017). Scale development. USA: SAGE Publications.
26. Dik, B. J. & Duffy, R. D. (2009). Calling and vocation at work: Definitions and prospects for research and practice. The Counseling Psychologist, 37, 424-450.
27. Dimitrov, D. (2012). Sources of meaningfulness in the workplace: A study in the US hospitality sector. European Journal of Training and Development, 36(2/3), 351-371.
28. Dinç, M. Uzunbacak, H. H. & Akçakanat, T. (2019). Örgütsel nostaljinin işten ayrılma niyeti üzerine etkisinde işin anlamlılığının aracılık rolü. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 36, 349-369.
29. Dobrow, S. R. & Tosti‐Kharas, J. (2011). Calling: The development of a scale measure. Personnel psychology, 64(4), 1001-1049.
30. Domene, J. F. (2012). Calling and career outcome expectations: The mediating role of self-efficacy. Journal of Career Assessment, 20(3), 281-292.
31. Duffy, R. D., Dik, B. J. & Steger, M. F. (2011). Calling and work‐related outcomes: Career commitment as a mediator. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 78, 863-868.
32. Elangovan, A. R., Pinder, C. C. & McLean, M. (2010). Callings and organizational behavior. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 76(3), 428-440.
33. Feldman, D. B. & Snyder, C. R. (2005). Hope and the meaningful life: Theoretical and empirical associations between goal–directed thinking and life meaning. Journal of Social and clinical Psychology, 24(3), 401-421.
34. Fındıklı, M, A., Keleş, H, N. & Afacan, C. (2017). İşin anlamı kavramı ve tercüme bir ölçeğin Türkçe'de geçerlik ve güvenirlik analizi. KAÜİİBFD, 8(16), 395-413.
35. Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. Sage.
36. Fourie, M. & Deacon, E. (2015). Meaning in work of secondary school teachers: A qualitative study. South African Journal of Education, 35(3).
37. Fox, A. (1980). The meaning of work. G. Esland & G. Salaman (Eds.), The politics of work and occupations içinde. Toronto: University Of Toronto Press.
38. Frankl, V. E. (1996). Duyulmayan anlam çığlığı-Psikoterapi ve Hümanizm. (S. Budak, Çev.) Ankara: Öteki Yayınevi, (Orijinal Baskı:1978).
39. Golparvar, M. & Abedini, H. (2014). A comprehensive study on the relationship between meaning and spirituality at work with job happiness, positive affect and job satisfaction. Management Science Letters, 4, 255-268.
40. Göçen, A. & Terzi R. (2019). Eğitim örgütleri için anlamlı iş ölçeği. Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 39(3), 1487-1512.
41. Graber, D. R. & Johnson, J. A. (2001). Spirituality and healthcare organizations. Journal of Healthcare Management, 46, 39-53.
42. Hackman, J. R. & Oldham, G. R. (1980). Work redesign. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
43. Hagmaier, T. & Abele, A. E. (2012). The multidimensionality of calling: Conceptualization, measurement and a bicultural perspective. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 81(1), 39-51.
44. Harpaz, I. (2002). Expressing a wish to continue or stop working as related to the meaning of work. European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology, 11, 177-198.
45. Hinkin, T. R. (1995). A review of scale development practices in the study of organizations. Journal of Management, 21(5), 967-988.
46. Holbeche, L. & Springett, N. (2004). In search of meaning in the workplace, Horsham, Roffey Park.
47. Hu, L. T. & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55.
48. Isaksen, J. (2000). Constructing meaning despite the drudgery of repetitive work. Journal Of Humanistic Psychology, 40(3), 84-107.
49. Kamdron, T. (2005). Work motivation and job satisfaction of Estonian higher officials. International Journal of Public Administration, 28(13-14), 1211-1240.
50. Karagöz, Y. (2019). SPSS-AMOS-META uygulamalı istatistiksel analizler. Ankara: Nobel Yayıncılık.
51. Keleş, H. N. (2017). Anlamlı iş ile psikolojik iyi oluş ilişkisi. The Journal of Happiness and Well-Being. 5(1), 154-167.
52. Lawshe, C. H. (1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel Psychology, 28(4), 563-575.
53. Lee, S. (2015). A concept analysis of ‘Meaning in work’and its implications for nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(10), 2258-2267.
54. Lips-Wiersma, M. (2002). The influence of spiritual ‘‘meaning-making’’ on career behavior. The Journal of Management Development, 21(7/8),497–519.
55. Lips-Wiersma, M. & Wright, S. (2012). Measuring the meaning of meaningful work. development and validation of the comprehensive meaningful work scale (CMWS). Group & Organization Management, 37(5), 655-685.
56. Littman-Ovadia, H. & Steger, M. (2010). Character strengths and well-being among volunteers and employees: Toward an integrative model. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(6), 419-430.
57. Lobene, E. V. & Meade, A. W. (2013). The effects of career calling and perceived overqualification on work outcomes for primary and secondary school teachers. Journal of Career Development, 40(6), 508-530.
58. Locke, E. A. & Taylor, M. S. (1990). Stress, coping, and the meaning of work. A. P. Brief &W. R. Nord (Eds.), Meanings of occupational work içinde (135-170). Lexington: Lexington Books.
59. Maharaj, I. & Schlechter, A. F. (2007). Meaning in life and meaning of work: Relationships with organisational citizenship behaviour, commitment and job satisfaction. Management Dynamics, 16(3), 24.
60. May, D. R., Gilson, 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, 11-37.
61. Meinertsen, B. R. (2021). Work and the Need for Meaning: Comments on ‘Should humans work?’. Telecommunications Policy, 45(1), 102095.
62. Melton, A. M. & Schulenberg, S. E. (2008). On the measurement of meaning: Logotherapy's empirical contributions to humanistic psychology. The Humanistic Psychologist, 36(1), 31-44.
63. Mendes, F. & Stander, M. W. (2011). Positive organisation: The role of leader behaviour in work engagement and retention. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 37(1), 1-13.
64. Mercurio, Z. A. (2019). The lived experience of meaningful work in a stigmatized occupation: A descriptive phenomenological inquiry. Doctoral dissertation, Colorado State University.
65. Mert, G. & Balcı, O. (2019). Çalışanların iş yaşamlarının anlam algısı ve psikolojik dayanıklılık durumlarının tespiti: Eğitim sektöründe bir araştırma. Journal of International Social Research, 12(65), 650-656.
66. Miller, C. S. (2008). Meaningful work over the life course. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Fielding Graduate University, USA.
67. Morin, E. (2008) The meaning of work, mental heaşth and organizational commitment. Psychological health studies and research projects report. IRSST
68. Morse, N. C. & Weiss, R. S. (1955). The function and meaning of work and the job. American Sociological Review, 20, 191-198.
69. Neck, C. P. & Milliman, J. F. (1994). Thought self-leadership: Finding spiritual fulfillment in organizational life. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 9(6), 9-16.
70. Peiró, J. M., Kozusznik, M. W., Rodríguez-Molina, I. & Tordera, N. (2019). The happy-productive worker model and beyond: Patterns of wellbeing and performance at work. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3), 479.
71. Polit, D. F. & Beck, C. T. (2006). The content validity index: are you sure you know what's being reported? Critique and recommendations. Research in Nursing & Health, 29(5), 489-497.
72. Reich, R. B. (2001). The future of success working and living in the new economy. New York: Knopf.
73. Roberson, L. (1990). Functions of work meanings in organizations: Work meanings and work motivation. A. P. Brief & W. R. Nord (Eds.), Meanings of occupational work içinde (107–134). Lexington: Lexington Books.
74. Rosso, B. D., Dekas, K. H. & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010). On the meaning of work: A theoretical ıntegration and review. Research in Organizational Behavior, 30, 91-127.
75. Schlechter, A. F. & Maharaj, I. (2007). Meaning in life and meaning of work: Relationships with organisational citizenship behaviour, commitment and job satisfaction. management Dynamics. Journal of the Southern African Institute for management scientists, 16(3), 24-41.
76. Sparks, J. R. & Schenk, J. A. (2001). Explaining the effects of transformational leadership: an investigation of the effects of higher‐order motives in multilevel marketing organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 22(8), 849-869.
77. Steger, M. F. & Dik, B. J. (2010). Work as meaning. P. A. Linley, S. Harrington & N. Page (Eds.) Oxford handbook of positive psychology and work içinde (131-142). Oxford University Press
78. 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. Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
79. Şencan, H. (2005). Sosyal ve davranışsal ölçümlerde güvenirlik ve geçerlilik. Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
80. Lawshe, C. H. (1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel Psychology, 28(4), 563-575.
81. Tabachnick, B. G. & Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using multivariate statistics (6. baskı). Pearson Education.
82. The jamovi Project (2021). Jamovi. (Version 1.6.23) [Computer Software]. https://www.jamovi.org ,
83. Toptaş, B. (2018). Öğretmenlerin işlerini anlamlı bulma düzeyleri ve işlerini anlamlı bulmalarını etkileyen etmenler. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 18(1), 521-542.
84. Treadgold, R. J. (1997). Engagement in meaningful work: Its relationship to stress, depression, and clarity of self- concept. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 57(11), 7219
85. Uzunbacak, H. H. & Akçakanat, T. (2018). İşin anlamı, zindelik, mutluluk ve iş tatmini ilişkileri üzerine görgül bir araştırma. Electronic Journal of Social Sciences, 17(68), 1691-1702.
86. Wright, T.A., Cropanzano, R.& Bonett, D.G. (2007). The moderating role of employee positive well being on the relation between job satisfaction and job performance. Journal of Occupational Health Ppsychology, 12(2), 93–104.
87. Wrzesniewski, A. (2003) Finding positive meaning in work. K. S. Cameron, J. E. Dutton & R.E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline içinde (296-308), Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco, 296-308.
88. Wrzesniewski, A., Dutton, J. E. & Debebe, G. (2003). Interpersonal sensemaking and the meaning of work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 25, 93–135.
89. Wrzesniewski, A., McCauley, C., Rozin, P. & Schwartz, B. (1997). Jobs, careers, and callings: people’s relations to their work. Journal of Research in Personality, 31, 21-33.
90. Yurdabakan, İ. & Çüm, S. (2017). Scale development in behavioral sciences (based on exploratory factor analysis). Turkish Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 11(2), 108-126.