Employees often derive moral purpose from their work. This is usually beneficial; research has found that employees with a strong moral purpose experience greater meaning at work and devote greater effort to their jobs. Employees are also attracted to careers and jobs that they view as morally meaningful.
Research: How Regulatory Changes Can Hurt Workers’ Motivation
What managers need to know.
October 29, 2024
Illustration by Dakarai Akil
Summary.
In our polarized political landscape, employees increasingly find that they hold moral beliefs that conflict with the laws and regulations they are subject to at work. New research suggests that when workers feel this conflict between their moral beliefs and legal regulations, they’re less likely to take problems into their own hands, raise suggestions to improve work procedures, or champion new ideas. But how workers and employers frame the purpose of these regulations may make a difference.