Learning Goal Orientation and Work Meaningfulness: A Mediating Role of Workplace Thriving

Abstract

Employees' sense of purpose in their work is becoming more important to modern businesses' ability to compete, so it's important to learn more about how positive psychological constructs like learning goal orientation (LGO) and the widely acknowledged concept of workplace thriving may affect employees' sense of purpose in their work. Grounded in self-determination theory (SDT), we posit that individuals with high LGO characterized by a drive to develop competence through learning are more likely to experience workplace thriving. Data collected from a cross-sectional survey that was specifically created for this research is used as the basis for the analysis by the author. The authors surveyed 288 employees of the manufacturing industry in KP industrial zone. They voluntarily participated in the research by responding to a questionnaire. SPSS 26.0 statistical package and the hayes process macro for mediation analysis were used to examine the data. Results from mediation revealed that workplace thriving fully mediates the LGO and work meaningfulness relationship. These findings underscore the importance of fostering LGO and thriving in organizational settings to amplify employees’ sense of purpose. Practical implications suggest that organizations can cultivate work meaningfulness by promoting learning cultures, providing autonomy, and designing roles aligned with employees’ growth aspirations. This study advances the literature on goal orientation and positive organizational psychology by integrating personal and contextual factors to explain how dynamic psychological states bridge learning motivation and work meaningfulness experiences.