Meaningful Work and Work-Family Interaction: A Scoping Review

The aim of this scoping review was to map the current situation of research on the relationship between work meaningfulness and work–family enrichment/work–family conflict. Four databases were used to identify relevant articles. Additional strategies were applied to search for relevant studies. In total, 24 articles were analyzed, of which 10 explored the relationship between work meaningfulness and work–family enrichment, and 14 explored the relationship between work meaningfulness and work–family conflict. Additionally, a meta-analysis was performed to summa­rize the relationship between work meaningfulness and work–family enrichment/work–family conflict. The meta-analytic results confirmed a moderate positive relationship between work mean­ingfulness and a positive work–family interaction and a weak negative relationship between work meaningfulness and negative work–family interaction. Theoretical explanations of the relationships are provided. The results are discussed, and ideas for future research are proposed.