Unpacking the Structure of Work Meaningfulness: A Bifactor Model Approach and Its Organizational Outcomes

Work meaningfulness has garnered increasing attention as a core psychological construct closely associated with employees’ key attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. Rather than being a purely subjective appraisal, meaningful work is now recognized as a multidimensional concept involving diverse psychological elements, such as personal values, social relationships, and a sense of purpose. This study modeled work meaningfulness using a bifactor structure consisting of a general factor and four specific factors, and examined how each relates to three representative organizational outcomes: affective organizational commitment, turnover intention, and burnout. Survey data were collected from 407 full-time employees across various industries in South Korea, and analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results supported the bifactor structure, showing acceptable model fit. The general factor of work meaningfulness consistently predicted greater organizational commitment, lower turnover intention, and reduced burnout, indicating its broad psychological benefits. In contrast, the specific factors showed diverse and sometimes conflicting associations with the outcomes, with some dimensions demonstrating incremental predictive validity and others showing unexpected negative effects. These findings suggest that work meaningfulness is a complex psychological structure formed by the interplay of multiple resources, rather than a unitary emotional experience. The effects of its subdimensions on employee attitudes and behaviors may vary depending on situational and contextual factors. This study contributes to both theory and practice by offering a refined understanding of the structure of meaningful work and providing empirical evidence for designing more nuanced, meaning-centered HR strategies within organizations.