Wann erleben wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiter*innen ihre Arbeit als sinnvoll?

Meaning at work is an important issue for work engagement as studies in economic contexts show. Nevertheless there is no scholarly discussion for academic contexts. Contrarily, working in academic institutions is associated with high meaning at work per se as these working conditions offer high autonomy and recognizable benefits for others. Still, working conditions in academic institutions are getting increasingly challenging and thus bear risks for loss of meaning. In this paper we present the first results of an in-depth qualitative study in an Austrian University of Applied Sciences. We consider this as a starting point for further scholarly discussion as our analysis shows that meaning at work is a pivotal issue for the management of academic institutions.