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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Organizational Psychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1500036

Finding the lost heaven: an exploratory study of perceived work meaningfulness among start-up cofounders

Provisionally accepted
Deniz Dirik Deniz Dirik *Burak Özdoğan Burak Özdoğan
  • Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Türkiye

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates the psychological mechanisms through which startup cofounders derive meaningfulness from their work in the dynamic and uncertain context of entrepreneurship. While entrepreneurial research has extensively examined firm-level outcomes such as performance and growth, the subjective experiences of entrepreneurs have remained underexplored. This study addresses this gap by employing a qualitative research design, using in-depth interviews with 12 startup cofounders to explore their perceived work meaningfulness. Drawing from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the Job Characteristics Model (JCM), this research identifies key dimensions of meaningful work, including significance, autonomy, identity, challenge and resilience, recognition and support, and work-life balance. Our findings suggest that the complex interplay of intrinsic motivation and external validation contributes significantly to perceived entrepreneurial well-being and resilience. The study extends existing literature by demonstrating how startup ventures offer fertile ground for psychological fulfillment, not merely through financial success but through personal growth and societal impact. Implications for entrepreneurship theory and practice are discussed.

    Keywords: entrepreneurial meaningfulness, Meaningful work, meaningful entrepreneurship, significance, autonomy, cofounder identity

    Received: 28 Sep 2024; Accepted: 31 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Dirik and Özdoğan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Deniz Dirik, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Türkiye

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.