Meaningful Work Across Cultures: A Global Synthesis of Insights and Implications

By Mohammed Mansouri and Timo Lorenz

This book offers the first genuinely global synthesis of meaningful work. While research in the field has expanded rapidly, it remains heavily shaped by Western, WEIRD-based theories and measurement tools. Bringing together evidence from more than 25 countries across North America, Europe, East Asia, the Arab world, Latin America, and Africa, the book examines how culture influences experiences of meaningful work.

It argues that meaningful work is a culturally mediated and institutionally shaped phenomenon experienced through diverse pathways, including autonomy, duty, spirituality, dignity, social recognition, and relational contribution. Integrating insights from organisational psychology, cross-cultural research, philosophy, labour ethics, and the sociology of work, the book provides an internationally relevant framework for scholars, graduate students, and practitioners seeking to understand and improve meaningful work.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 3032372860
• ISBN13: 9783032372864
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Springer