The Theory of Purposeful Work Behavior: The Role of Personality, Higher-Order Goals, and Job Characteristics

The theory of purposeful work behavior integrates higher-order implicit goals with principles derived from the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality and the expanded job characteristics model to explain how traits and job characteristics jointly and interactively influence work outcomes. The core principle of the theory is that personality traits initiate purposeful goal strivings, and when the motivational forces associated with job characteristics act in concert with these purposeful motivational strivings, individuals experience the psychological state of experienced meaningfulness. In turn, experienced meaningfulness triggers task-specific motivation processes that influence the attainment of work outcomes. We describe testable propositions derived from the theory and discuss directions for future research.