This theoretical monograph discusses the philosophical foundation and basic concepts of the experience of meaningfulness. It explores meaningfulness as an existential experience of what matters in life and work, including the perception of what is valuable and right. As a human phenomenon and an existential experience, meaningfulness is inseparable from values and meanings. Values and meanings are important because they guide behaviour and choices. While the research area of ‘meaningful work’ recognises the need for further research into the relationship between meaning and values, and calls for understanding meaningfulness as a profoundly human, existentially meaningful experience, there is a lack of research addressing these themes. Positioned at a meta-theoretical research level, this dissertation argues that, to understand the existential nature of meaningfulness, we need to identify the philosophical assumptions concerning the phenomenon and experience of meaningfulness and the experiencer.

The aim of this dissertation is to advance theorising and research on meaningfulness in the research area of meaningful work based on Viktor E. Frankl’s thought. Frankl is the pioneer of scholarly research on ‘meaning in life’ and the founder of ‘logotherapy’. Through logotherapy, Frankl highlighted existential themes concerning values, life’s meaningfulness, and personal meaning in life in the disciplines of psychology and psychiatry. The central research area on meaning-fulness within organisational science, ‘meaningful work’, exploits Frankl’s ideas or individual logotherapeutic concepts, such as the motivational concept of ‘will to meaning’. However, logotherapy as a comprehensive axiomatic system of thought, or meta-level theoretical framework remains inadequately understood.

This dissertation is guided by the question: How can integrating logotheory advance theorising on meaningfulness as an existential experience and research on meaningful work? To answer the research question, the dissertation compiles a meta-level theoretical framework of logotherapy and conceptualises it as ‘logotheory’. The proposition is that logotheory consists of four interrelated meta-level theories that pertain to the view of human nature, the ontology of values and meanings, epistemology, and the view of motivation. Grounded on problematisation methodology, philosophical inquiry, and phenomenological-hermeneutic analysis, the dissertation uses logotheory as a theoretical lens through which assumptions about meaningfulness are revealed and a new understanding of the existential experience of meaningfulness is developed. The research process is based on a hermeneutic circle that narrows towards a reasoned interpretation. The dissertation’s central hermeneutic interpretation processes concern integrating logotheory and understanding meaningfulness as an existential experience.

This dissertation makes two theoretical key contributions. First, it highlights logotheory as a scientific-philosophical approach, where the existential experience of meaningfulness is based on the individual striving for truthfulness. On this quest, our freedom is responsible, we use our conscience as a meaning organ, and our motivation stems from ‘meaning fulfilment’. The second key contribution consists of conceptualising the relationship of meaning simultaneously as a relationship of value. This theoretical argument opens up the possibility to explore and understand the experience and criteria of meaningfulness in relation to one’s value-orientation and various value bases. Overall, this dissertation contributes to understanding meaningfulness as an existential experience in the research areas of meaningful work, meaningful life, and logotherapy, as well as within the disciplines of organisational science and psychology. In addition to the key contributions, the theoretical novelty of this dissertation contains three conceptual frameworks: the basic structure of the existential experience of meaningfulness; conceptual meaning contexts; and meaningfulness as a social phenomenon in organisational science. Theoretical contributions also involve developing a value-based typology of meaningfulness, highlighting meta-level motivation, and revealing meta-level assumptions related to meaningfulness in the research area of meaningful work and within organisational science. The adoption of the meta-level research approach further makes a methodological contribution. For the research areas of meaningful work and logotherapy, the dissertation proposes future research avenues.

This theoretical monograph structures research on meaningfulness in a fundamental way, as it discusses critically the basic concepts employed in the field. Our conceptual understanding of meaningfulness impacts what and how we strive for in life and work – just as the management theories impact the management and leadership practices in organisations. The immediate practical implications of this dissertation are summarised into five calls for action finalising the book. Leaning on these, the reader can embark on a personal journey towards existentially meaningful work and life.