My research investigates what makes work and life feel meaningful and how to improve ethical decision-making.

Meaningful Work and Meaning in Life

People are increasingly seeking meaningful work. However, the majority of working adults in the United States believe that their current work lacks meaning. My research examines social, cognitive, economic, and organizational factors that make people feel that their work and lives are meaningful—that it is purposeful, significant, and makes sense (e.g., Ward & King, 2017, Research in Organizational Behavior). For instance, I have shown that income is associated with higher meaning in life (Ward & King, 2019, Journal of Positive Psychology) and that wealth can compensate for low happiness in promoting meaning (Ward & King, 2016, Social Psychological and Personality Science). My research also identifies factors that can thwart the pursuit of meaningful work (Ward, 2024, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin). 

I also strive to illuminate how meaningful work and meaning in life shape important individual, team, and organizational outcomes. My research aims to document precisely why having meaning is beneficial. For example, I have demonstrated that meaning in life improves coping with daily stressors because it makes people feel more confident in their ability to cope and less focused on their negative emotions (Ward et al., Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2023). My future research will continue identifying how meaningful work and meaning in life can benefit well-being, motivation, and performance. 

Ethical Decision-Making

Understanding unethical behavior is often tricky, as people may be swayed towards unethical temptations for numerous reasons. Integrating disparate areas of research on situational and individual factors, my research explores who is most prone to behave unethically and when they are most likely to do so. For example, I have shown that trusting one’s intuition can lead to improved ethical decision-making and heightened sensitivity to moral transgressions (Ward & King, 2018, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology). I have also demonstrated that due to their strong moral identity, religious people exhibit more ethical behaviors after recollections of past ethical failures (Ward & King, 2018, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology). My future research will continue to address theoretical gaps in our understanding of ethical self-regulation and motives guiding ethical behavior. 

For further information about my research, please explore my Publications.  

For access to materials and data, please view my OSF profile.