Meaning of work: Gen Z’s perspective

Abstract

This study applies Rosso et al.’s (2010) meaningful work pathways to explore how Gen Z workers construct meaning across diverse structural and cultural contexts. Drawing on qualitative data from LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) workshops with 105 participants in Thailand and Australia, it examines how young workers navigate autonomy, precarity, and identity within differing socio-economic conditions. Findings reveal that work function as a vehicle of agency and growth through skill development, autonomy, and recognition, yet tensions arise between authenticity and obligation amid economic and cultural pressures. Participants blur boundaries between work and life, viewing both as interconnected sources of purpose and well-being. Cross-cultural and intersectional factors–including familial duty, class, and migration–further shape meaning-making, highlighting the dynamic interplay between individual aspiration and structural constraint.