According to this study, exposure to physical risks in the workplace has not decreased since 1991 and psychosocial risks may have harmful health consequences in the current socioeconomic situation, which is characterized by high demands, work intensification, lack of autonomy, insufficient social ties, and a sense of insecurity toward work. The fifth European survey on working conditions ( Eurofound, 2012) conducted in 34 countries on a sample of 44,000 workers, showed the essential role of relation to work in the individuals’ lives. The role of meaning of work as a psychological resource for employees facing adverse working conditions is discussed, especially regarding its implications for research and practice within organizational contexts. Mediation analyses for meaning of work demonstrated indirect effects of several adverse working conditions on turnover intentions. Meaning of work is negatively related to both perceived working conditions and turnover intentions. Results show that adverse working conditions were positively and significantly associated with turnover intentions. This study examines the role of this psychological resource as a mediator for the relationships between perceived working conditions and turnover intentions in a sample of 336 French workers from different job contexts. Although potential mediators for these relationships were previously identified, the importance of meaning of work has not yet been investigated.

Perceived working conditions lead to various negative outcomes for employee behaviors, including turnover intentions. 2Department of Education and Psychology (Psychology Section), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.1Centre de Recherche sur le Travail et le Développement, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France.

Caroline Arnoux-Nicolas 1*, Laurent Sovet 1, Lin Lhotellier 1, Annamaria Di Fabio 2 and Jean-Luc Bernaud 1

Job turnover definition