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Fitting into the Big Picture: Meaning-Making Language

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Motivating Language Theory

Abstract

This chapter explores the meaning-making dimension of motivating language. We define workplace meaning and discuss why it is vital to employee motivation, performance, and well-being. We also link meaning-making language to key related theories, such as the job characteristics model, sense making, interpersonal sense making, the theory of purposeful work, logotherapy, job Calling, and respectful inquiry. This chapter portrays the breadth of meaning-making language as captured by various categories: cultural storytelling, links between personal and work values, organizational/cultural changes, behavioral guidance, cultural values and mental models, collective/higher purpose, task significance/individual contribution, and innovation.

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Correspondence to Jacqueline Mayfield .

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Mayfield, J., Mayfield, M. (2018). Fitting into the Big Picture: Meaning-Making Language. In: Motivating Language Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66930-4_3

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