The Library
Determinants and consequences of having a sense of purpose in life and at work
Tools
Tools
Tools
Yemiscigil, Ayse (2020) Determinants and consequences of having a sense of purpose in life and at work. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
|
PDF
WRAP_Theses_Yemiscihil_2020.pdf - Submitted Version - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (2720Kb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3717707
Abstract
This thesis presents three empirical investigations on the consequences and determinants of having a sense of purpose in life and at work. The first chapter reviews the theoretical approaches to purpose in life to provide a conceptual basis for the empirical work. The second chapter discusses the literature on the determinants and consequences of sense of purpose in life, measured by the extent to which people have goals and aims that give their lives direction and meaning.
Using a longitudinal analysis in two national samples, the third chapter shows that sense of purpose in life is a unique long-term determinant of physical activity, a behaviour that contributes significantly to health and well-being. The fourth chapter applies an instrumental variables analysis to longitudinal data and shows that retirement increases sense of purpose in life. This effect is driven by adults with lower socioeconomic status who retire from dissatisfying jobs.
The fifth chapter studies social purpose in jobs, measured by subjective assessments that job is socially useful. Using data from 36 countries, this chapter shows that perceived social purpose is positively related to job satisfaction and this relationship is attenuated in countries with higher economic volatility.
Prior research has highlighted the potential benefits of sense of purpose for health and well-being and for motivating people at work. The current thesis provides a potential explanation as to why sense of purpose may be beneficial by showing its relationship to behavioural outcomes; presents some of the first causal evidence on how sense of purpose can change at the population level; and sheds light on when, why, and for whom work may be a source of sense of purpose. The scientific contributions and practical and policy implications of the findings are discussed in the sixth chapter.
| Item Type: | Thesis or Dissertation (PhD) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform |
||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Well-being, Goal (Psychology), Motivation (Psychology), Quality of life, Positive psychology, Contentment | ||||
| Official Date: | May 2020 | ||||
| Dates: |
|
||||
| Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
| Theses Department: | Warwick Business School | ||||
| Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
| Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
| Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Powdthavee, Nick | ||||
| Format of File: | |||||
| Extent: | x, 197 leaves : illustrations | ||||
| Language: | eng |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
