Nonmonetary Incentives and the Implications of Work as a Source of Meaning (aeaweb.org)

From a research paper [PDF]: Many workers care about more than financial compensation in their job. Nonmonetary incentives often matter, too. A firm's mission and the design of one's job can create meaning and purpose for employees. As a result, firms will have reason to care about meaning of work. We believe economists can usefully contribute to the debate about the implications of meaningful work. We are not arguing that financial compensation is unimportant. Lazear (in this volume) provides an excel- lent review of monetary incentives in certain organizations. But we believe that in order to manage modern organizations and understand the future of work, studying workers' nonmonetary motives will be crucial.

Comments

Jobs are the only remaining social structures.

[lucasnate1]

In individualist capitalist societies, all social structures are broken. Nations, tribes, friendships, romances, families, it all breaks down. The only social institute that remains is work.

This causes people to seek purpose in their work, to identify themselves with it, to hate those who do not work as hard.

This is all very convenient for the ruling caste, a new form of religion, bypassing all stupid rituals, enslaving people directly, while they thank you for it.