It is pressing to question the residual meaning of work when it masks a traffic that cannot exist without it. Continuing the furrow excavated by the MOW, IRT (1987) research group, this research was initiated with the collaboration of 264 Cameroonians’ caregivers in order to explore the direct effects and interaction between the meaning of work and the person-job fit perceived on engagement at work. Our results revealed that perceived coherence interacts with the meaning of work to create the psychological conditions that determine employees’ engagement in their work.
KeywordsMeaning of WorkPerson-Job FitEngagement at WorkHospital StaffEntropy
Adams, J. S. (1965). Inequity in Social Exchange. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advance in Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 267-299). Cambridge: Academic Press.
Aktouf, O. (1992). Management and Theories of Organizations in the 1990s: Toward a Critical Radical Humanism. Academy of Management Review, 17, 407-431. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1992.4281975
Akua Agyepong, I., Sewankambo, N., Binangwaho, A., Coll-Seck, A. M., Corrah, T., Ezeh, A., & Piot, P. (2017). The Path to Longer and Healthier Lives for All Africans by 2030: The Lancet Commission on the Future of Health in Sub-Saharian Africa. The Lancet, 390, 2803-2859. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31509-X
Allen, J., Meyer, N., & Smith, C. (1993). Commitment to Organizations and Occupations: Extension and Test of a Tree-Component Conceptualization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 538-551. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.78.4.538
Ambler, T. (1998). Mediation and Moderation: Roles and Tests (No. 98-904). Pan’Agra Working Paper, London: London Business School.
Arnold, H. J. (1982). Moderator Variables: A Clarification of Conceptual, Analytic and Psychometric Issues. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 29, 143-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(82)90254-9
Arnoux-Nicolas, C., Sauvet, L., Lhotellier, L., & Bernaud, J.-L. (2016). Development and Validation of the Meaning of Work Inventory among French Workers. International Journal of Education and Vocational Guidance, 17, 165-185.
Arronsson, G., Bejerot, E., & Härenstam, A. (1999). Healthy Work: Ideal and Reality among Public and Private Employed Academics in Sweden. Public Personnel Management, 28, 197-215. https://doi.org/10.1177/009102609902800203
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategic, and Statistical Considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173-1182. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.1173
Bernaud, J.-L. (2015). Le “sens de la vie” comme paradigme de conseil en orientation. Psychologie Française, 61, 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psfr.2013.06.004
Biccard, B. M., Madiba, T. E., Kluyts, H.-L., Mulemvo, D. M., Madzimbamuto, F. D., Youssouf, C., Perse, R. M. et al. (2018). Perioperative Patient Outcomes in the African Surgical Outcomes Study: A 7-Day Prospective Observational Cohort. The Lancet, 391, 1589-1598. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30001-1
Boudrias, J.-S., & Savoie, A. (2006). Les manifestations comportementales de l’habilitation au travail: Développement d’un cadre conceptuel et d’un instrument de mesure. Psycho-logie du Travail et des Organisations, 12, 119-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pto.2006.03.005
Brief, A. P., & Nord, W. R. (1990). Meaning of Occupational Work. Toronto: Lexington Books.
Britt, T. W., Adler, A. B., & Bartone, P. T. (2001). Deriving Benefits from Stressful Events: The Role of Engagement in Meaningful Work and Hardiness. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 6, 53-63. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.6.1.53
Bugental, J. F. T. (1969). Intentionality and Ambivalence. In R. B. MacLeod (Ed.), William James: Unfinished Business (pp. 93-98). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
Byrne, B. M. (2009). Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS: Basic Concepts, Applications, and Programming (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Caplan, R. D., Cobb, S., French, J. R. P., Harrison, R. V., & Pinneau, S. R. (1980). Job Demands and Work Health: Main Effects and Occupational Differences. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.
Chatman, J. A. (1989). Improving Interactional Organisational Research: A Model of Person-Organization Fit. Academy of Management Review, 14, 333-349. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4279063
Cissé, B. (2017). écrire l’Afrique-Monde, Philippe Rey.
Comte-Sponville, A. (2014). Petit traité des grandes vertues. Paris: Point.
Cronbach, L. J. (1987). Statistical Test for Moderator Variables: Flaws in Analyses Recently Proposed. Psychologica Bulletin, 102, 414-417. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.102.3.414
Duquesnoy, D., Gillet, N., Léger, I., Vigier, C., Dubourg, P., Galle-Gaudin, C., & Colombat, P. (2016). Utilisation de l’humour par les soignants: un lien avec la confrontation à la mort? Médecine Paliative soins de support accompagnement Ethique, 15.
Edmondson, A. (1996). Learning from Mistakes Is Easier Said than Done: Group and Organizational Influences on the Detection and Correction of Human Error. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 32, 5-32. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886396321001
Edwards, J. R., Caplan, R. D., & Harrison, R. V. (1998). Person-Environment Fit Theory: Conceptual Foundations, Empirical Evidence, and Directions for Future Research. In C. L. Cooper (Ed.), Theories of Organizational Stress. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Frankl, V. (1980). Nos raisons de vivre. à l’école du sens de la vie. Paris: Inter Edition/Dunod.
Frankl, V. E. (1969). The Will to Meaning. New York: New American Library.
French, J. R. P., Caplan, R. D., & Harrison, R. V. (1982). The Mechanisms of Job Stress and Strain. London: Wiley.
Galanter, M. (1980). Psychological Induction into the Large Group: Findings from a Modem Religious Sect. American Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 1574-1579. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.137.12.1574
Ganster, D. C., & Schaubroeck, J. (1991). Work Stress and Employee Health. Journal of Management, 17, 235-271. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700202
Gillet, N., Fouquereau, E., Bonnaud-Antignac, A., Mokounkolo, R., & Colombat, P. (2013). The Mediating Role of Organizational Justice in the Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Nurses’ Quality of Work Life: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 50, 1359-1367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2012.12.012
Gomez-Gonzalez, S. A., Leger, D., Bourdages, L., & Dionne, H. (2013). Sens et projet de vie. Québec: Presse de l’Université du Québec.
Goodman, P. S. (1977). Social Comparison Processes in Organizations. In B. M. Staw, & G. R. Salancik (Eds.), New Directions in Organizational Behavior (pp. 97-132). Chicago, IL: St Clair Press.
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the Design of Work: Test of a Theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16, 250-279. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90016-7
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1980). Work Redesign. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Health Ministry (2016). Profil sanitaire et analytique du Cameroun.
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 692-724.
Kelman, H. C. (1958). Compliance, Identification, and Internalization: Three Processes of Attitude Change. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2, 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1177/002200275800200106
Kemelgor, B. H. (1982). Job Satisfaction as Mediated of the Value Congruity of Supervisors and Their Subordinates. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 3, 147-160.
Kline, R. B. (1998). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. New York: Guilford Press.
Madore, I., Morin, A. J. S., Morizot, J., Boudrias, J-S., & Tremblay, M. (2007). Multiple Targets of Workplace Affective Commitment: Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Workplace Affective Commitment Questionnaire (WACQ).
May, D. R., Gilson, R. 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. https://doi.org/10.1348/096317904322915892
Mayer, R. C., & Davis, J. H. (1999). The Effect of the Performance Appraisal System on Trust for Management: A Field Quasi-Experiment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 123-136. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.84.1.123
Mbémbé, A. (2017). The Critique of Black Raison. Durham and London: Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822373230
Meglino, B. M., Ravlin, E. C., & Adkins, C. L. (1989). A Work Value Approach to Corporate Culture: A Field Test of the Value Congruence Process and Its Relationship to Individual Outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 424-434. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.74.3.424
Meyer, J. P., Stanley, D. J., Herscovith, L., & Topolnytschy, L. (2002) Affective, Continuance and Normative Commitment to the Organization: A Meta-Analysis of Antecedents, Correlates, and Consequences. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61, 20-52. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.2001.1842
Morin, A. J., Morizot, J., Madore, I., & Boudrias, J.-S. (2008). L’engagement affectif en milieu de travail: Une analyse multifocale de profils latents. Psychologie du Travail et des Organisations.
Morin, E. M. (2008). Meaning of Work, Mental Health, and Organizational Involvement. Montreal: IRSST.
Morin, E. M., & Cherré, B. (2001). Les cadres face au sens du travail. Revue Française de Gestion, 126, 83-93.
Morrow, P. C. (1993). The Theory and Measurement of Work Commitment. Greenwich: JAI Press.
MOW International Research Team (1987). The Meaning of Working. New York: Academic Press.
Noël, Y. (2015). Modèle linéaire généralisé à effet fixe et aléatoire de la variabilité inter et intra-individuelle. In D. J. Juhel, & G. Rouxel (Eds.), Développements et variabilités en psychologie (237-264). Rennes: Presse Universitaire de Rennes.
Nyock Ilouga, S. et al. (2018). Do the Meaning of Work and the Coherence between a Person and His Work Environment Express the Same Reality? Psychology, 9.
O’Reilly III, C., & Chatmann, J. (1986). Organizational Commitment and Psychological Attachment: The Effects Compliance, Identification and Internalization on Prosocial Behavior. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 492-499. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.71.3.492
Oldham, G. R., Kulik, C. T., Ambrose, M. L., Stepina, L. P., & Brand, J. F. (1986). Relations between Job Facet Comparisons and Employee Reactions. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 38, 27-47.
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common Method Biases in Behavioral Research: A Critical Review of the Literature and Recommended Remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 879-903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
Porter, L. W., & Lawler, E. E. (1968). Managerial Attitudes and Performance. Homewood, IL: Dorsey Press.
Porter, L., Steers, R., Mowday, R., & Boulian, P. (1974). Organizational Commitment, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover among Psychiatric Technicians. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59, 603-609. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0037335
Posner, B. Z., Kouzes, J. M., & Schmidt, W. H. (1985). Shared Values Make a Difference: An Empirical Test of Corporate Culture. Human Resource Management Review, 24, 293-309.
Pratt, M. G., & Ashforth, B. E. (2003). Fostering Meaningfulness in Working and at Work. In K. S. Cameron, J. E. Dutton, & R. E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive Organizational Scholarship: Foundations of a New Discipline (pp. 309-327). San Francisco, CA: Berret-Koehler.
Pronost, A. M., Le Gouge, A., Le Boul, D., Gardembas-Pain, M., Bertou, C., Giraudeau, B. et al. (2012). Relationships between the Characteristics of Oncohematology Services Providing Palliative Care and the Sociodemographic Characteristics of Caregivers Using Health Indicators: Social Support, Perceived Stress, Coping Strategies, and Quality of Work Life. Support Care Cancer, 607-614. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1139-3
Proulx, T., Markman, K. D., & Lindberg, M. J. (2013). Introduction: The New Science of Meaning. In K. D. Markman, T. Proulx, & J. Lindberg (Eds.), The Psychology of Meaning (pp. 3-14). Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
Renn, R. W., & Vandenberg, R. J. (1995). The Critical Psychological States: An Under-Represented Component in Job Characteristics Model Research. Journal of Management, 21, 279-304.
Rosso, B. D., Dekas, K. H., & Wrzesniewski, A. (2010). On the Meaning of Work: A Theoretical Integration and Review. Research in Organizational Behavior, 30, 91-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.riob.2010.09.001
Rounds, J. B., Dawis, R. W., & Lofquist, L. H. (1987). Measurement of Person-Environment Fit and Prediction of Satisfaction in the Theory of Adjustment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 31, 297-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(87)90045-5
Ruffin, J. E. (1984). The Anxiety of Meaningless. Journal of Counselling and Development, 63, 40-42. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1984.tb02678.x
Salancik, G. (1977). Commitment and the Control of Organizational Behavior and Belief. In B. Staw, & G. Salancik (Eds.), New Directions in Organizational Behavior (pp. 1-54). Chicago: St. Clair.
Sarr, F. (2016). Afrotopia. Philippe Rey.
Sartre, J. P. (1996). L’existentialisme est un humanisme. Paris: Folio.
Sauer, P. L., & Dick, A. (1993). Using Moderator Variables in Structural Equation Models. Advances in Consumer Research, 20, 637-640.
Seeman, M. (1972). Alienation and Engagement. In A. Campbell, & P. E. Converce (Eds.), The Human Meaning of Social Change (pp. 467-527). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Sharma, S., Durand, R. M., & Gur-Arie, O. (1981), Identification and Analysis of Moderator Variables. Journal of Marketing Research, 18, 291-300. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800303
Spreitzer, G. M., Kizilos, M. A., & Nason, S. W. (1997). A Dimensional Analysis of the Relationship between Psychological Empowerment and Effectiveness, Satisfaction, and Strain. Journal of Management, 23, 679-704.
Staw, B. (1977). Two Sides of Commitment. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23, 40-64. https://doi.org/10.2307/2392433
Staw, B. M., & Ross, J. (1978). Commitment to a Policy Decision: A Multitheoretical Perspective. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23, 40-64. https://doi.org/10.2307/2392433
Steger, M. F., Dik, B. J., & Duffy, R. D. (2012). Measuring Meaningful Work: The Work and Meaning Inventory (MWI). Journal of Career Assessment, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072711436160
Thomas, K. W., & Velthouse, B. A. (1990). Cognitive Elements of Empowerment: An “Interpretive” Model of Intrinsic Task Motivation. Academy of Management Review, 15, 666-681.
Tumel, M.-J., & Morin, A. (2008). Engagement des employés en milieu de santé: Examen des effets positifs et négatifs. Psychologie du Travail et des Organisations.
Vahey, D. C., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Clarke, S. P., & Vargas, D. (2004). Nurse Burnout and Patient Satisfaction. Medical Care, 42, 57-66. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mlr.0000109126.50398.5a
Wall, T. D., & Payne, R. (1973). Are Deficiency Scores Deficient? Journal of Applied Psychology, 56, 95-105.
Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.