Purpose and Meaning in the Workplace

Bryan J. Dik, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at Colorado State University and cofounder and chief science officer of Career Analytics Network/jobZology.

Dr. Dik received a BA in psychology from Calvin College and a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Minnesota. His research is primarily in the area of career development, especially perceptions of work as a calling meaning, purpose, religion, and spirituality in career decision making and planning measurement of vocational interests and career development interventions.

He serves on the editorial boards of six research journals, including the Journal of Counseling Psychology, the Journal of Vocational Behavior, and the Journal of Career Assessment. He was coeditor of Psychology of Religion and Workplace Spirituality and coauthor of Make Your Job a Calling: How the Psychology of Vocation Can Change Your Life at Work.

Dr. Dik is the recipient of the 2 Early Career Professional Award from the Society for Vocational Psychology.

Zinta S. Byrne, PhD, is an industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologist with interests in employee engagement and retention, organizational (in)justice and politics, stress within the workplace, computer-mediated communication, and other related topics associated with the employee amp ndash organization relationship.

Her research interests originally developed out of her years of work experience as a research and development computer software design and development engineer and research and development project manager for Hewlett-Packard Company, prior to retraining as an I/O psychologist. Her experience working for Personnel Decisions International as the western regional manager for the Global Products Division shortly after completing her PhD in psychology also influenced her research interests.

She is currently an associate professor of psychology at Colorado State University and owner and president of Atniz Consulting, LLC (a consulting business focused on employee amp ndash organization relations, productivity, and leadership coaching).

She has published articles and chapters in psychology and management journals and books, has presented at psychology and management conferences, reviews for and serves on a number of editorial boards, and has the forthcoming books Organizational Psychology and Behavior: An Integrated Approach to Understanding the Workplace and Understanding What Employee Engagement Is and Is Not: Implications for Theory, Research, and Practice.

Michael F. Steger, PhD, is an associate professor of counseling psychology and applied social psychology at Colorado State University.

Dr. Steger received his BA from Macalester College his MS from University of Oregon and his PhD, with a dual specialization in counseling and personality psychology, from the University of Minnesota.

His research interests concern better understanding the factors that promote human flourishing and that ameliorate psychological suffering. In particular, he has focused on researching how people generate the sense that their lives are meaningful, as well as on investigating the benefits of living a meaningful life. He is intensely interested in how the concept of meaning can be applied to create healthier, happier, and more productive workplaces. His current research examines meaning in work and in life, health, and health-risking and health-promoting behaviors.

He is an associate editor for the Journal of Personality and serves on the editorial boards of numerous journals. His previous book was Designing Positive Psychology: Taking Stock and Moving Forward.