SINGAPORE: Professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET) are significantly more likely to find meaning and purpose in their work compared to clerical or service workers and cleaners and labourers, a survey showed.
The National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) surveyed 1,010 Singaporeans in the workforce aged 21 to 84 in October 2022.
More than six in 10 PMETs agreed that it is true or very true that they have found a meaningful career, and that their work makes a positive difference in the world, the study’s findings showed on Monday (Jan 16).
For clerical, sales and service workers, 42 per cent said that it was true or very true that they found a meaningful career, and 46 per cent agreed that their work makes a positive difference.
The corresponding numbers for production and transport operators, cleaners and labourers are 43 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.
“MEANINGFUL WORK HELPS YOU TO BE MOTIVATED”
“We feel that it’s important to highlight this because there’s a lot of talk about helping people to find a fulfilling career. And that’s important because when you find meaningful work and you find fulfillment, it helps you to be motivated to pursue your job further, improve yourself in your career … and also to stay longer in the job as well,” said senior research fellow Dr Laurel Teo.
“Conversely, if you find that your work is boring, it’s not meaningful, (you’re) not contributing to anything, you will not be able to find much satisfaction in your work. It’s demotivating and that also has consequences on your personal outlook as well.”
Stressing that the difference in results between PMETs and other occupations is significant, senior research fellow Dr Chew Han Ei noted that the results are a reflection of society and the changes that it wants.
Dr Chew noted Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s previous comments about Singaporeans valuing “brain work” more than “heart and hands work”.
He continued: “This is that point in the findings, where we don’t really value the ‘hand and heart work’. Sometimes, it reflects in the opinions of the workers in these professions because their work is not valued by society as much, so it may seem like their careers are not as meaningful.”
