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A Sociological Perspective on Meaningful Work: Community versus Autonomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2023

Andrey Bykov Open the ORCID record for Andrey Bykov [Opens in a new window]
Andrey Bykov*
Affiliation:
HSE University, Russia
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Abstract

In this article, I present a sociological approach to the problem of meaningful work that dwells on its broad social and cultural sources, as opposed to the focus on subjective and organizational factors currently prevailing in the field. Specifically, I consider two sociological perspectives, those of community and autonomy, as important conceptual tools for understanding the ambivalent character of modern culture in providing individuals with a sense of meaningfulness of their activities. I also review some of the existing research on meaningful work and interpret it through this conceptual distinction, both to show the latter’s relevance for the field and to identify the gaps it might help fill. As a result, based on the sociological perspectives, I propose a general conceptual model and discuss five directions to further advance the theoretical comprehension of meaningful work, and I suggest some implications of these perspectives for normative business ethics.

Keywords

autonomycommunitycritical theorymeaningful workmoralitysociology
Type
Article
Information
Business Ethics Quarterly , Volume 34 , Issue 3 , July 2024 , pp. 409 - 439
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Society for Business Ethics

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