Does my job make sense? The mediating role of meaningful work between attitude and participation towards change in organizations

Organizational change often involves significant shifts in the way employees work, which could be disruptive and unsettling and could generate uncertainty and anxiety among employees. Furthermore, organizational change may be met with resistance from employees who are comfortable maintaining a balance in their professional status quo. Despite these challenges, organizational change is often essential for organizations to remain competitive and successful in the current rapidly changing environment. To be effective, it requires the active participation of employees, who need to generate meaning in both their job routine and the change itself. In fact, employees who perceive their work as meaningful are more likely to have a positive attitude towards change in organizations, which in turn leads to greater participation in change initiatives. In such a complex environment as higher education, this aspect is particularly challenged, especially for temporary staff (research fellows, post-docs, Ph.D. students, and young researchers) whose tasks and career goals are often not formalized. In fact, their work tends to diverge from what is expected and to turn towards duties that make them lose sight of their professional growth goals, rejecting any changes even if they possess both attitude and readiness. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the mediating role of meaningful work in the relationship between attitude and participation in change in organizations. A sample of researchers completed a survey measuring attitude, meaningful work, and organizational change participation. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the mediating effect of meaningful work.