Term Paper on "Finding Meaningful Purposeful and Satisfying Work"

Term Paper 13 pages (3934 words) Sources: 10 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Satisfying Work

People have different reasons why they work or why they choose to be on a paid labor. Some do it to earn a living thereby being able to buy the basic items that he/she needs for school, home or just for personal consumption. These are the type of people who value money more than the type of work itself. These are the type of people who sees the work as the medium for survival.

Some join the paid labor force for mere personal fulfillment. These are the people who enjoy working while earning. What matters for them is the type of work they are having and not the compensation that goes along with it.

Because of the varied reasons people related to work, there is one big question that lies within. How one finds fulfillment and enjoyment on the type of work he/she has? Can anybody manage his own emotions and make himself enjoy the work he has?

Purpose of the Study

This paper is aimed at analyzing the various ways and means to find meaningful, purposeful and satisfying work. Specifically, this paper is intended for:

finding the real essence of work and defining the concept of "meaningful, purposeful and satisfying work" categorizing the different factors that affect an individual's decision for the choice of work identifying the factors that makes an individual find happiness with the type of work he/she has

Methodology

First, this paper conducted an interview with an individual who has been working for several years already in a privately own company. This person has been commended by the supervisor because of his evident passion for work. The person has been awarded twice for being a model employee of the department and he really fits the qualification of a person who has found "meaningful, purposeful and satisfying work."

Some of the questions that were asked for the interviewee are:

Tell me about your work. What is satisfying about it? Do you find any difficulty in that line of work? How do you overcome such difficulties?

How did you get into this line of work? What keeps you in it? How do others help keep you motivated, engaged? Who are they? How do they support you?

How do you handle change? How is your current work different from work situations in the past? What accounts for such differences?

How do you see for yourself in the future?

Describe any other insights you can share with others about what makes work satisfying?

Furthermore, an in-depth literature review is done to get more and detailed concepts regarding the work and how it can be made more meaningful, purposeful and satisfying. With the information that are sourced out, the responses of the interviewee can be validated and/or emphasized.

The Interview

The interviewee, who wishes his identity to be kept in public, is a 35-year-old man, with a family of his own, and working in a marketing department of one multinational pharmaceutical company. He revealed that he has been with that company for 13 long years already and further disclosed that he is willing to stay in that company until he retires.

This man is a marketing graduate and he started as a mere medical representative of the company. His first area of responsibility was on one of the most rural area of the country. He stated he did not bat an eyelash in accepting the offer even if it would mean that he had to live far away from his parents. He had to make sacrifices - learned the new style of living, lived on his own and tried to meet both ends meet. He enjoyed the work, he said. He found happiness just by servicing the doctors (whom he would eventually sell his products). He was pretty satisfied even with a meager salary.

Until he got married. He aid that he needed to move out of that rural area where he was assigned because he wanted to prepare for the education of his possible children. He knew back then if he wants to provide better education for his kids, he should move in to the town or to an urban area. He requested his mother company unsure if his request would be granted. But it did. From that day onwards, the interviewee has been working for the same company, assigned in the city. He had even received several promotions and salary appraisal. Now, he is under the marketing department, working as one of the brand managers.

The interviewee revealed that he finds his work satisfying because he enjoys doing it. He wakes up every morning always looking forward for a days work. It is the kind of job that he had dreamt about when he was still a college student. It is the kind of job that he can apply all his skills and knowledge. This, plus the fact that his supervisors provide him with the necessary motivation that he needs. He got promoted several times already. His ideas and suggestions are always considered carefully by the top management. He is respected by his colleagues and mentors in the same the he respects them.

Difficulties are normal parts of work. The interviewee revealed that he has had his own ups and downs when it comes to work or to the workplace. But he chose to consider those difficulties as part of the challenges and opportunities to improve and grow as a worker.

He started working in this company because the job opportunity was very much related to his educational background and he is staying in this company because he still feels productive just by working in the company. He can still feel that he can contribute more for the company and that he is still an asset for the company. Aside from the idea that he is now earning decently well, he has his mentors and colleagues that incessantly back him up whenever he feels down. Competition is present in his work, but it is positively done.

The interviewee revealed that he had met a lot of changes in the company - may it be in the policies, work location and even on the kinds of works he had to take responsibility with. However, as he views it, every change that occurs is for his or the company's betterment. He accepted every change and considered them as part of development. Some are hard to bear, but though positive point-of-view, everything turned out pretty well in the end.

The interviewee further revealed that he sees himself continuously working with the company in several more years to come. The reason for this is his love for work and for the people within the company. He concluded the interview by saying that:

Not everybody can feel as satisfied and happy as he is when it comes to work. The feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment can be easily achieved if the person himself is open-minded and is in the kind of work truly designed for him. One needs to be in a work where he can maximize his potential. And one can find happiness in a work if the people around him are happy for him also."

Literature Review

Finding Job Satisfaction

Finding a job is easy, but finding satisfaction in the job is a different thing. Not all people who are part of the labor force can find extreme feeling of happiness and fulfillment when they are working. Some factors that may affect dissatisfaction in the workplace are:

Low wages

Because of the ever changing world, technological advancement and ever-increasing costs of living, more and more employees find their salaries and wage not enough to accommodate their everyday living expenses. With low wages, satisfaction and happiness inside the company will really be hard to achieve.

Indefinite employee benefits and Unsecured Health insurance

Aside from the salary, more and more employees are becoming more concerned on the employee benefits. These may include clothing, housing and transportation allowances, rice or food ration, vacation or leave benefits, medical benefits such as health card, maternity and paternity benefits and the likes. Employees would also want to ensure about the government taxes and benefits which would assure that they will be gaining something even after they retire from working. Hence, if the company does not have any written contract regarding these benefits, these will surely become an issue in the company and will not provide any positive motivation for the employees.

Unaccommodating Supervisors and Colleagues

Most often than not, wages and benefits are not the only thing that add to the dissatisfaction of the workers. The supervisors and the colleagues will ultimately become part of one's daily life. A worker will go everyday, and work everyday with these people. If there will be no positive interaction among all the workers and the supervisors, the workers will not feel any comfort working in this kind of environment. With unaccommodating supervisors and co-workers, meaningful, purposeful and satisfying work is also impossible to have.

If these factors… READ MORE

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