Lay Theories of Work Passion Achievement PDF

Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Passion should be the fire that drives your life’s work (Nair, 2016) Definition of work passion Scientific definitions Positive feelings Motivational construct These lay definitions overlapped in...

Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Passion should be the fire that drives your life’s work (Nair, 2016) Definition of work passion Scientific definitions Positive feelings Motivational construct These lay definitions overlapped in most aspects with the four key components of prior scientific definitions of passion for work A key part of the identity (such as feeling positively toward the work, having an internal drive to engage in the work, and deriving a sense of personal meaning from working), but they also differed in other respects like Deriving a sense of meaning from work anticipating future engagement in the work and being motivated to do the work well. Lay definition Positive feelings Being internally driven Deriving a sense of personal meaning Being motivated to do the work well Anticipating future engagement Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved The Lay Theory Approach People have fundamental beliefs or theories about Themselves How the world works Lay theories are consequential Deep, often non-conscious assumptions that powerfully motivate people‘s thoughts, feelings and behaviors and shape interpretations and meaning that people give to events E.g., romantic relationships are destined to be or cultivated over time, intelligence is inborn and fixed or a malleable quality cultivate over time Implicit theories or mindsets Nonconscious nature, but at times , can be explicitly expressed Not necessarily objectively true or scientifically supported but direct behavioral responses to the events Self-fulfilling in reality Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved The Fit Theory of Passion Fit theory Dominant mindset among Americans (68% -78%) The idea that people find their passion through a fit with the line of work that is most suited to themselves Following your passion, chasing your dreams, following your heart, find your calling If you find out what you are passionate about, and find a career that suits you, then passion will be the result. Organizational behavior literature People should work in environments that are compatible with their values and abilities Appropriate person-work environment fit Positive professional outcomes (e.g., higher job satisfaction, lower stress, superior performance Poor person-environment fit Negative outcomes (e.g., greater psychological strain and job burnout) Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved The Develop Theory of Passion Develop theory Less prevalent among American working adults (20%-25%) Rejects this idealistic notion of a “perfect fit” More realistic, developmental approach Passion should be cultivated over time through experience within the line of work, rather than seeking it out as if it were waiting to be found Don’t set out to discover passion. Instead, set out to develop it.... it’s a path much more likely to lead you somewhere worth going. (Newport). Holding on to the fit theory ideal can put immense pressure on young adults who feel that it is necessary for them to find their calling. She recommends instead that people should focus on building clarity, skill, and success in their work (Trespicio). Fit and develop theories are not mutually exclusive beliefs Dominant theory Which theory influence one’s expectations, priorities, and vocational choices more significantly Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Implications of the Fit and Develop Theories People‘s dominant lay theories have powerful motivational implications for their vocational preferences, choices, further expectations, and actual work experiences. Preferences and Choices Compromise between Enjoyment and pay (top two professional goals) Fit theorists Enjoyment Develop theorists Higher paying This difference in the decision-making pattern can be explained by the discrepancies in their expectations. Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Implications of the Fit and Develop Theories Expectations Lay theories influence expectation about futures, inadvertently shape vocational preferences and choices Fit theorists Initial enjoyment matters a lot They expected to feel significantly more passionate about a line of work that they found enjoyable from the outset, compared to a line of work that they did not enjoy much at the start— even if it paid them more when forecasting about the near future and distant future Develop theorists Passion would grow over time Less likely to prioritize initial enjoyment over other vocational characteristics, like pay Low-paying line , initially enjoyable/ high-paying line, not enjoyable Develop theorists expect to feel equally passionate toward higher paying, less enjoyable kinds of work and lower paying, more enjoyable kinds of work Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Implications of the Fit and Develop Theories Changes in Passion Are people’s future projections accurate? Retrospective survey based on participants’ responses Fit theorist The initial high levels of passion remains constant over time Develop theorist Starting out at significantly lower levels of passion, but it grew over time Lay theories Motivate our past memories and future expectations How interpret one’s current experience and decisions for the future Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Implications of the Fit and Develop Theories Work Experiences and Outcomes Regardless of the dominant theory Similar levels of well-being and financial success No difference in average levels of passion, and satisfaction People can attain similar levels of passion, subjective well-being, and success at work There is no right approach Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Process: From Lay Theories to Outcome How each belief motivates people to these similar outcomes: the process Two key findings elucidate the different pathways through which people’s mindsets translate into their goals Their degree of perceived fit with their vocations The kinds of strategies that the fit and develop mindsets are associated with Perceived fit How good a fit they thought they had with their professions over time Fit theories Prioritizing fit with their vocations, self-select into vocations that match them from the outset Levels of fit had started off relatively high, constant over time Develop theories More willing to pick a vocation that may not necessarily be the perfect match for them at the start but cultivating a better match and passion over time Lower fit at the start but had grown over time A good fit is valued for both theorists. Initial fit is paramount to fit theorist, while develop theorists rely less on these initial perceptions of fit in shaping well-being. Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Process: From Lay Theories to Outcome Strategies Lay theories help people to generate and use more strategies that are consistent with how they believe passion is attained. Develop theorists More likely to generate their own strategies for cultivating passion (e.g., proactively fostering familiarity with their subject content, reminding themselves about how their subjects are relevant to their personal goals, and recognizing how their subjects could be applied to benefit the world at large). The more strongly students endorsed the develop theory, the greater the number of these effective strategies. And the more strategies they leveraged to self-regulate their motivation, the greater the difference between their self-reported passion when they first started in their college majors and when they were surveyed later in their college trajectories. Fit theorists Selecting a subject that they had already liked from the start as an effective strategy for achieving passion No significant association between the fit theory and describing strategies that related to increase in passion over time Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Advantages Versus Disadvantages of the Fit and Develop Theories Non of them always more advantageous than the other under every circumstance Conditional according to situational factors Fit theory Many different options to choose Can afford to test some of them out through trial and error Develop theory When job options are constrained Not always adoptive E.g., abusive relationships Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Cross- Cultural Differences Do people in different culture define work passion differently? Do they value work passion to the same extent? Collectivistic orientation, East Asian cultures May downplay the importance of personal passion relative to other factors such as social status and contributing to others needs Western Cultures that holds more individualistic values May place much more weight on whether or not one feels passionate about their work. Passion is an individual ideal, well aligned with Western values of self-actualization Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved Applications No “right” or superior belief People with different beliefs about how passion is achieved can find their own path to well-being. Central goal of the research on work passion To understand how we can help people experience passion in their own professional lives People’s lay theories are crucial These fundamental beliefs influence the kinds of strategies they will be open to adopting or they may be more resistant to trying E.g., fit theorists may not be open the idea of sticking with their current vocation and purposefully cultivating passion within it E.g., People who assume that passion is grown through experience may find it foolish to pursue passion by sampling multiple different kinds of work using a trial- and- error approach. Knowing people’s lay theories Make practitioners able to prescribe strategies that are well matched with the person Changing people mindset to facilitate more adaptive attitudes and behaviors Lay Theories of How Passion for Work Is Achieved