Connecting Purpose to Motivation, Engagement, and Performance
There is a strong desire to embrace purpose as illustrated by the popularity of Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life,
which by its tenth anniversary had sold more than 60 million copies.
The connection of purpose to motivation, engagement and performance is
already established. The positive psychology movement that studies the
flourishing aspects of psychology connects purpose to motivation,
engagement and performance, recognizing both purpose and calling as
sources to motivation, drive toward, and commitment to, an
accomplishment.
Embracing a calling, purpose or personal vision in one's vocation, as
well as the feeling of living out a calling, is linked to a positive
work experience and well-being. And an increased level of meaning or purpose is connected with work gratification, life fulfillment, well-being and happiness.
Organizations in which employees experience a higher level of
engagement have increased levels of performance than organizations that
do not. Shuck and Rose take this even further by discovering that "engagement and
performance are a secondary consequence to work that is interpreted as
meaningful and purpose-driven".