Theoretical Model for the Exploration of Meaning in Vocation

This dissertation sought to investigate the Hierarchical Model of Vocational Meaning (HMVM), a theoretical model that could be used to explore constructs of meaning thought to be associated with vocation. There is a gap in the literature between what is provided and what is needed to research vocational meaning effectively. The HMVM represents a theoretical paradigm for examining four levels of meaning that include (1) Survival, (2) Egocentrism, (3) Group Welfare, and (4) Universal Connection. Each level of meaning is measured by the Vocational Meaning Survey (VMS) that assesses the respective meaning constructs in terms of importance. The four scales of the VMS consist of Basic Needs (Survival), Self Enhancement (Ego Centrism), Team Enhancement (Group Welfare), and Transcendence (Universal Connection). The investigation of the HMVM employed the use of the VMS to explore the model with respect to (1) the relationship of the HMVM constructs to each other, (2) whether the constructs are associated with age, gender, and race, and (3) the extent to which the constructs predict (a) meaningful work and (b) life satisfaction in the presence of age, gender and race. The sample population consisted of n=252 MTurkers. The participants were at least 18 years of age and resided in the U. S. The strength of the relationships among the four constructs of the HMVM was investigated through Pearson correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM). The relationship between the four HMVM constructs with respect to (a) age was through Pearson correlations, to (b) gender through t-tests, and to (c) race through MANOVA. Hierarchical regression was employed to ascertain whether the four dimensions of the HMVM predict (a) meaningful work (MW) and (b) life satisfaction (LS) in the presence of age, gender and race. The results of the analyses revealed that all correlations between pairs of HMVM constructs were statistically significant (r = .159, p < .05), and that the correlations between Self Enhancement and Transcendence and between Team Enhancement and Transcendence exceeded practical significance (r > .50). No dimensions of the HMVM were significantly (p < .05) associated with age. The dimensions Team Enhancement and Transcendence significantly (p< .05) differentiated genders with males scoring higher than females. All four dimensions of the HMVM differentiated among four racial/ethnic groups with Blacks earning higher scores that the respective comparison groups. The dimensions Team Enhancement and Transcendence captured significant (p < .001) independent variation in predicting both meaningful work and life satisfaction. The background variables age, gender and race failed to perform as mediating variables and were unrelated to either criterion variable, MW or LS. Implications of the results for refinement of the HMVM theory and for improving the psychometric quality of the VMS, as the operational form of the theory, are discussed.