Pathways of purpose: longitudinal research on careers and meaningful work

This symposium explores the pursuit of meaningful work over time, focusing on how individuals and organizations foster, sustain, and adapt this sense of purpose throughout careers. Drawing on longitudinal research, the symposium examines how personal experiences, career transitions, and organizational factors shape perceptions of meaningful work. Presentations span qualitative and quantitative methodologies, offering nuanced insights into the subjective and structural elements that influence career trajectories. These presentations collectively illuminate the interplay between individual agency, external forces, and the pursuit of meaning through work and provide a foundation for understanding how perceptions of meaningful work evolve, the strategies individuals adopt to maintain fulfillment, and how organizations can support sustainable career paths. Privilege, Serendipity and Career Success: The Case of Elite MBA Graduates Author: Hannah Weisman; Harvard Business School Author: Leslie Perlow; Harvard Business School Call Me Maybe: The Calling Alignment Model Author: Shoshana Dobrow; London School of Economics and Political Science Author: Jennifer Tosti-Kharas; Babson College Author: Hannah Weisman; Harvard Business School Downshifting at Work: Journeys of Self-Learning Born from Quests to Work Less Author: Megan Gorges; Harvard Business School Promoted Out of or Away from Passion? How Nurses Navigate Promotions from Patient Care to Management Author: Solomiya Draga; Harvard Business School Author: Jon Michael Jachimowicz; Harvard Business School When Meaningful Work Meets Organizational Change: A Longitudinal Study of Employees’ Perceived Work Meaningfulness During a Merger Author: Shawn Chan; INSEAD Author: Yuna Cho; Sungkyunkwan University Author: Winnie Jiang; INSEAD Author: Lucas Dufour; Toronto Metropolitan University Author: Arnaud BANOUN; ESC Clermont Business School