Synchronicity in the Workplace: A Mixed Method Study of the Associations Between Synchronicity, Meaningful Work and Work Engagement

Synchronicity in the Workplace: A Mixed Method Study of the Associations Between Synchronicity, Meaningful Work and Work Engagement | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Synchronicity in the Workplace: A Mixed Method Study of the Associations Between Synchronicity, Meaningful Work and Work Engagement Tony Han-wei Lee, Bethany Butzer This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6057897/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study used an explanatory sequential mixed-method design to examine associations between work-related synchronistic experiences (WRSEs), meaningful work, and work engagement, as well as the lived experiences of individuals encountering WRSEs. The quantitative component used self-report questionnaires from 108 full-time employees to test the hypothesis that WRSEs would be positively associated with meaningful work and work engagement, and that meaningful work would mediate the relationship between WRSEs and work engagement. These hypotheses were supported. Qualitative phenomenological data, gathered through semi-structured interviews with seven participants who scored high on the self-report questionnaires, identified four themes: types of WRSEs, mechanics of WRSEs in work and careers, WRSEs enhancing meaningful work, and WRSEs enhancing work engagement. The integrated quantitative and qualitative findings underscored the mediating role of meaningful work in linking WRSEs to work engagement. This study highlights WRSEs’ potential to enhance work engagement through meaningful connections, offering implications for employees and employers. synchronicity coincidence work-related synchronistic experiences meaningful work work engagement Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Introduction Synchronicity, a term coined by Carl Jung, refers to the experience of meaningful coincidences that appear to be causally unrelated yet are profoundly significant to the individual. 1 The prevalence of such experiences had been explored in various studies, for example, Henry 2 surveyed 991 participants, predominantly older adults, recruited through a London-based newspaper, The Observer . The findings revealed that 84% of respondents acknowledged experiencing meaningful coincidences. Further corroborating the widespread nature of meaningful coincidences, Coleman et al. 3 conducted a study involving 681 individuals affiliated with the University of Missouri-Columbia. Using the Weird Coincidence Scale, 3 they assessed the frequency and nature of self-reported synchronicity experiences. The study found that participants reported a variety of such experiences, for instance, thinking of someone and then receiving a call from them, and being in the right place at the right time to further their work or career. Despite its potentially high prevalence in the general population, the concept of synchronicity has not been extensively studied in work-related contexts. The current study aimed to address this gap by exploring the associations between work-related synchronistic experiences (WRSEs), meaningful work, and work engagement. Synchronicity, Meaningful Work, and Work Engagement Synchronicity and Meaningful Coincidence: Concepts and Implications Synchronistic events are distinct from mere coincidences, as they carry emotional significance and symbolic content for the person experiencing them. The synchronistic acausal connection principle that Jung 1 posited involves the concurrence of unrelated events, deep emotional experiences, and the subjective symbolic content of the events, which often occur during life changes or times of deep introspection. Synchronistic events are seen as occasions for individuals to find connections between their internal psyche and the external world, such as Jung's encounter with a scarab beetle, 1 when his patient, a young woman resistant to therapy and overly rational, was recounting a dream in which she received a golden scarab beetle. At that moment, Jung heard a tapping on the window and, upon opening it, caught a beetle that closely resembled the golden scarab from her dream. He presented the beetle to the woman, creating a direct connection between her internal dream experience and the external reality. This unexpected and seemingly irrational event helped break through her rational defences, facilitating a significant psychological shift. As Jung’s example suggests, synchronicities challenge conventional scientific boundaries between mind and matter, offering a unique perspective on how inner and outer worlds intersect, 4 and thus have the potential to provide a deeper understanding of human behaviour and experience. 5 Synchronistic experiences not only challenge the idea that life lacks meaningful structure and significance, but also fulfil the human yearning for purpose, connection, and agency in a seemingly chaotic universe. 6 Research suggests that synchronistic experiences enhance emotional wellbeing, providing a sense of coherence, direction in life, and coping mechanisms for existential challenges, 7 and may be perceived as messages or signs, offering glimpses into something extraordinary unfolding in our lives. 8 Recently, coined the term “meaningful coincidences”, to make the concept of synchronistic experiences more accessible to the general public, and encompass various significant non-causal events. This term includes Jung's original definition of synchronicity, and also covers other phenomena not captured by Jung's definition, such as simulpathity (experiencing another's distress at a distance) and serendipity (finding something valuable by chance). 8 In the current study, the term "work-related synchronistic experiences" (WRSEs) is used to describe meaningful coincidences specifically related to work and career. Given that synchronicity seems to help individuals with creating a sense of meaning in their lives, 8 WRSEs may enable individuals to find deeper meaning in their work, potentially leading to greater work engagement. Work Engagement: Conceptualisation and Antecedents Work engagement is crucial for the success of any organisation, embodying an employee's involvement, commitment, and enthusiasm in their job. Schaufeli and Bakker 9 characterised it as a positive state related to work, which encompassed three main dimensions: 1) vigour (i.e., having high energy levels and mental resilience during work, along with a readiness to exert effort and maintain persistence despite challenges); 2) dedication (i.e., a deep involvement in one's work, accompanied by feelings of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, and a sense of challenge); and 3) absorption (i.e., when one becomes fully immersed and engrossed in their work, losing track of time and finding it hard to disengage from work tasks). Work engagement is influenced by several factors, including work demands, work resources, and personal resources. 10 Positive predictors of engagement include autonomy, skill variety, feedback, and decision-making opportunities. 11 Moreover, social support has a positive influence on engagement, as demonstrated in a meta-analytic study of over 230 published and unpublished articles encompassing diverse organisational settings and roles. 12 According to Gallup's Q12 meta-analysis, employees who were engaged showed higher productivity and were more responsive to customer needs, leading to a 23% increase in profitability for their companies. 13 Moreover, work engagement is associated with positive employee outcomes such as job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and lower turnover intentions. 9 Therefore, understanding and fostering work engagement is crucial for organisations aiming to excel in today's dynamic business environment. Conversely, low engagement is associated with negative outcomes like burnout, absenteeism, and reduced productivity. 14 A recent Gallup survey 15 found that only 10% of employees in the United Kingdom reported feeling engaged at work, highlighting the need for environments that connect work with a greater sense of meaning, potentially through WRSEs. Meaningful Work and Its Impact on Work Engagement Meaningful work is often considered a significant driver of work engagement. 16,17 Defined as the alignment of individual values, beliefs, and goals with one's job, meaningful work transcends mere task completion to emphasise a deeper sense of purpose and significance. 18 Research has highlighted the significance of meaningful work in Human Resource Development (HRD) practices, with meaningful work correlating strongly with positive outcomes such as work engagement, employee performance, and job satisfaction. 17 Even when controlling for factors such as leadership, organisational features, and supervisory relationships, meaningful work remained a robust predictor of these positive outcomes, making it a valuable lever for HRD practitioners to enhance employee engagement and organisational results. 19 Fairlie's survey of 574 employed Americans and Canadians revealed that meaningful work characteristics had the highest positive correlations with work engagement and a composite measure of work adjustment, 19 which included job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and low turnover cognitions. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that meaningful work characteristics uniquely contributed to work engagement, exhaustion, and work adjustment, even when controlling for other work traits and personality factors. These results emphasised the potential role of meaningful work in promoting engagement and reducing negative outcomes like burnout and depression. Steger et al. 20 expanded on this by conducting a study with a community-based sample of 252 employees in Israel, comprising white-collar workers across various organisations and industries. Participants completed self-report questionnaires that asked about their levels of work engagement, affective disposition, and perceptions of meaningful work. The study found a positive association between meaningful work and work engagement and also found a moderating effect of meaningful work on the connection between affective disposition and engagement. Specifically, when meaningful work was low, a positive affective disposition was strongly linked to work engagement, but this relationship became negligible when meaningful work was high. This underscored the role of meaningful work in enhancing engagement beyond the influence of affective disposition. Despite numerous theoretical models outlining various work characteristics (i.e., Job Characteristics Model 21 and Job Descriptive Index 22 ), few have prioritised what is fundamentally significant for individuals at work 14 . The current study follows up on suggestions made by Ahmed et al., 23 who called for more empirical studies to specifically investigate meaningful work and its relationship with work engagement, noting its potential to enhance psychological wellbeing at work. Preliminary Research on Potential Associations Between Synchronicity, Work, and Career In their exploration of synchronicity experiences in a sample of 45 Jewish Israeli adults, Russo-Netzer and Icekson 7 found that heightened awareness and the detection of meaning in synchronistic events were associated with greater life satisfaction and meaning in life. Participants, aged 25 to 63 years and recruited through various methods, were asked to describe their experiences with synchronicity through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This research suggested that individuals who were attuned to and could make sense of synchronistic events found deeper meaning in their lives and, by extension, in their work. Such findings suggest that synchronistic experiences, with their capacity to weave a sense of coherence and meaning through the fabric of daily life, emerged as an important element in enhancing work engagement. Indeed, meaningful work served as a critical bridge, linking the transpersonal aspects of synchronicity to conventional economic indicators of work engagement, illustrating how personal experiences of synchronicity were associated with career motivation and satisfaction. Additional research has explored the potential connection between synchronistic experiences and work engagement, particularly through the lens of chance events affecting career development. Chance events are unexpected occurrences with substantial career impacts, holding the potential to significantly shape one's career trajectory. 24 Bright et al. 25 explored chance events, such as serendipity, happenstance, and synchronicity, revealing their influence on career trajectories in a sample of 95 undergraduate students and 40 adults with at least two years of professional work experience. Approximately 74% of participants believed that chance events (including synchronistic events) had impacted their career decisions, a finding that emphasised the potential role of chance events in shaping career paths. However, unlike chance events, which were described as occurring completely randomly, synchronicity involved a deeper, acausal order of reality that transcended ordinary causal explanations and was marked by significant personal meaning and timing. 1,26,27 Statement of Positionality In this research, the positionality of the first author is shaped by an 18-year tenure as a chartered accountant within the corporate sector, which has profoundly influenced my perspectives on work engagement and meaningful work. Adopting a social constructivist worldview, 28 I contend that external professional experiences mirror our internal states, an idea that aligns with Jung’s theory of synchronicity, suggesting a correspondence between events in the external world and one’s inner experiences. 1 Hence, my personal, professional, and academic experience posit that individual attitudes toward work significantly shape work experiences, and that synchronicity — by highlighting meaningful coincidences — can enhance work engagement and foster a more profound sense of purpose in professional life. I engaged in personal reflexivity throughout the research process in an effort to be mindful of how my individual perspective could impact the study, with a goal of bracketing out my experiences during the data analysis, as is common practice in qualitative phenomenological research. 28 Summary and Purpose of the Present Study The review of existing literature suggests that synchronistic events are associated with greater life satisfaction and meaning in life, 7 and that meaningful work and work engagement are positively associated with each other. 19,20 Given that meaning is an important concept within Jung’s definition of synchronicity, 1,29 it is possible that the meaning that is imbued in WRSEs may be associated with increased meaningful work and work engagement. Indeed, meaningful work may be associated with WRSEs as individuals discover deeper meaning and purpose in these synchronistic events, and perceive them as messages or signs from a higher power 8 . This, in turn, may be tied to work engagement, as individuals who experience meaningful work are more likely to be highly engaged. 20 This study is guided by the following research questions: Quantitative: What are the associations between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement? Does meaningful work mediate the association between WRSEs and work engagement? Qualitative: What are the lived experiences of individuals who have encountered synchronistic events in their work and career? The hypotheses are that: WRSEs will be positively associated with meaningful work and work engagement, suggesting that individuals who report more frequent WRSEs will experience higher levels of meaningful work and engagement. Meaningful work will mediate the relationship between WRSEs and work engagement, indicating that WRSEs contribute to work engagement by enhancing the perception of meaningful work. Method Research Design The research approach adopted for this study was a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, which allowed for a comprehensive exploration of the interplay between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement. 30 The explanatory sequential design is characterised by two distinct phases (Figure 1). In the current study, the initial phase entailed gathering and analysing questionnaire data to determine the associations and mediation among the variables, thus addressing the quantitative research questions and hypotheses. 31 Following this, the qualitative phase aimed to provide context and a richer comprehension of the participants' lived experiences by conducting in-depth interviews with individuals who scored highly on WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement, 28,32 thereby aligning with the qualitative research question. The qualitative phase used a phenomenological method to explore participants' experiences in depth. 28 In the integration phase, quantitative and qualitative findings were analysed in relation to each other to provide further insights into the research phenomena. Ethical approval was obtained from [Blinded Ethics Panel], following the guidelines set forth by the [Blinded Ethical Guidelines] and [Institution Blinded for Review]. Participants 124 participants were initially recruited for the quantitative study. Of these, 108 met the inclusion criteria, as shown in Table 1. The participants' ages ranged from 20 to 80. All participants were fluent in English and held full-time jobs. Recruitment was conducted via professional networking sites and social media groups. The inclusion criteria focused on those fully employed or self-employed, excluding part-time workers and unemployed, as they might not have enough work-related experience to adequately respond to the questionnaire. Table 1 Quantitative Participants Demographics Measure Category Avg ± SD % N Age Years 44.3 ± 11.4 108 Gender Male 45 42.1 107 Female 62 57.9 Place of residency Canada 20 18.5 Czech Republic 4 3.7 United Kingdom United States of America Other 46 13 25 42.6 12.0 23.1 Ethnicity Education Work industry Years of work experience Asian White Other High School diploma Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Doctorate / PhD Professional degree (MD, JD, etc) Rather not say Consulting Education Finance Government Healthcare Hospitality Other Years 20 77 9 15 32 40 10 9 2 8 18 16 9 18 6 33 21.3 ± 12.1 18.9 72.6 8.5 13.9 29.6 37.0 9.3 8.3 1.9 7.4 16.7 14.8 8.3 16.7 5.6 30.6 106 108 108 105 For the qualitative phase, seven individuals who scored highly on the WRSE, meaningful work, and work engagement questionnaires from the quantitative phase were selected for in-depth interviews (Table 2). High scores were defined as being within the top 30% of the distribution for each questionnaire. This criterion ensured that the participants chosen exhibited significant levels of the phenomena being studied, allowing for rich, in-depth insights into their WRSEs, meaningful work and work engagement. Table 2 Qualitative Participants Demographic s Pseudonym Age Gender Ethnicity Work industry Average SA (out of 5) Average MD (out of 7) Average WAMI (out of 5) Average UWES (out of 5) Oscar 29 Male Asian Finance 3.9 6.2 4.5 4.3 Fred 61 Male Black Healthcare 4.6 7.0 5.0 3.5 Nine 43 Female White Education 4.2 6.5 4.9 4.7 Zoe 66 Female White Healthcare 5.0 7.0 5.0 4.8 Ellen unspecified Female White Education 4.0 6.0 5.0 3.9 Neil 31 Male Asian Consulting 4.4 6.4 5.0 4.3 Eric 40 Male White Education 4.4 6.7 4.6 4.5 Note. SA = Synchronistic Awareness Subscale; MD = Meaning Detection Subscale; WAMI = Work and Meaning inventory; UWES = Utrecht Work Engagement Scale Quantitative Procedure, Questionnaires and Data Analysis Potential participants were provided with a URL link to access the questionnaires on Google Forms. The first page outlined the study’s purpose, procedures, and participant rights, with informed consent obtained by clicking an icon to continue. Participants then completed the online questionnaires, which included a section for demographic information and measures of WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement. The questionnaires took between 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The following questionnaires were utilised. Demographic Questionnaire The Demographic Questionnaire, created by the researcher, gathered information about the participants’ age, gender, birthplace, current residence, ethnicity/race, educational background, role level, industry, years of work experience, and employment status. WRSEs The Synchronicity Awareness and Meaning-Detecting (SAMD) Scale 33 was utilised to measure participants' WRSEs. The scale comprises 22 items divided into two subscales: Synchronicity Awareness (SA) and Meaning Detecting (MD). The researcher slightly modified the wording of the SAMD items to make them specific to WRSEs. The SA subscale includes nine items measuring the frequency of synchronistic experiences related to work or career, with responses rated on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 5 (all the time). Example items include “I felt that I was ‘in the right place, at the right time’ with my work/career” and “I ran into a situation or a personal encounter that opened up new opportunities related to my work.” Higher scores on this subscale indicate a greater frequency of WRSEs. The MD subscale consists of 13 items that assess the degree to which participants find meaning in these unexplained events, rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 7 (to a high degree). Example items include “I find meaning in unexplained work-related occurrences” and “I tend to be attentive to intuition in my everyday work life.” Higher scores on this subscale indicate a greater tendency to detect meaning and significance in WRSEs. The SAMD has demonstrated robust psychometric properties. Russo-Netzer and Icekson (2023) found that the SA subscale had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87, indicating good internal reliability, while the MD subscale had a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93, indicating excellent internal reliability. Russo-Netzer and Icekson also validated the scale through exploratory factor analysis, which supported the two-factor structure. During data collection, feedback from participants indicated a potential misunderstanding in the Likert scale description for the SA subscale, where "3 = Rarely" was interpreted as fewer than "2 = Twice or more." To address this, the wording was changed to "3 = Occasionally (between twice or more and often)" to clarify that option 3 was between 2 and 4. Given that this change was made after 43 participants had already completed the questionnaire, an independent samples t -test was conducted to compare the mean score on SA between the two versions of the questionnaire (V1: "Rarely,” N = 43; V2: "Occasionally,” N = 65). The results showed no statistically significant difference between the two versions, suggesting that the change in wording did not affect the mean responses. Meaningful Work The Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI) 34 was used to measure the extent to which individuals perceive their work as meaningful. The WAMI is a 10-item scale designed to assess different dimensions of meaningful work through participants' self-reports. Examples include items such as "I have found a meaningful career" and "I have a good sense of what makes my job meaningful.” Participants rated each statement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Absolutely untrue) to 5 (Absolutely true). Higher scores on the WAMI indicate a stronger perception of one’s work as meaningful. The WAMI scale has demonstrated robust psychometric properties, with high internal reliability and confirmed validity through factor analyses. 34 Work Engagement The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) 9 was used to measure work engagement. The UWES assesses three dimensions of work engagement: vigour, dedication, and absorption. The total number of items on the UWES is 17, distributed across the three subscales as follows: Vigour (6 items), Dedication (5 items), and Absorption (6 items). Participants rated their agreement with each statement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). Example items include: “When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work” (Vigour), “My job inspires me” (Dedication), and “When I am working, I forget everything else around me” (Absorption). Higher scores on the UWES indicate higher levels of work engagement, reflecting greater energy and resilience (Vigour), a strong sense of significance and enthusiasm towards work (Dedication), and being fully engrossed and happily absorbed in work tasks (Absorption). The UWES demonstrates high internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding 0.80 for its subscales and above 0.90 for the composite score, ensuring reliable measurements. 9 Only the composite score was used in the present study, in order to reduce the likelihood of Type I error by limiting the total number of statistical tests. Quantitative Data Analysis The quantitative data analysis was conducted using statistical software Jamovi. 35 The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess normality of distribution of results from the three questionnaires. Given the non-normal distribution that was found for all three questionnaires (specifically MD, WAMI, and UWES – see Table 3), a non-parametric test (Spearman's rho) was used to assess correlations between the questionnaires. For the mediation analysis, the Jamovi mediation package was used, specifically nonparametric bootstrap sampling, which provided robust estimates and confidence intervals for the mediation effects. Table 3 Descriptive Statistics for SAMD, WAMI, and UWES Questionnaires Scale Mean SD Minimum Maximum Shapiro-Wilk W Shapiro-Wilk p SA (out of 5) 2.26 1.20 0.11 5.00 0.98 0.040 MD (out of 7) 4.59 1.48 1.00 7.00 0.96 0.005 WAMI (out of 5) 3.86 0.89 1.70 5.00 0.92 <.001 UWES (out of 5) 3.58 0.81 1.12 4.88 0.96 0.003 Note. SA = Synchronistic Awareness Subscale; MD = Meaning Detection Subscale; WAMI = Work and Meaning inventory; UWES = Utrecht Work Engagement Scale Qualitative Procedure and Data Analysis The qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews containing seven open-ended questions exploring participants' experiences and perceptions of WRSEs. Each interview session was conducted on Microsoft Teams online conferencing software, audio-recorded with participant consent and transcribed verbatim for analysis. The interviews lasted approximately 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the depth of participant responses. The interview protocol followed a structured phenomenological approach 36 that focused on understanding the nuanced and lived experiences of WRSEs and their impact on meaningful work and work engagement. The questions were designed to delve deeply into participants' subjective experiences, capturing the richness and complexity of how WRSEs may influence their professional lives. Key questions included: "Could you share a specific instance where you experienced a significant synchronicity that impacted your work or career?" and "In what ways, if any, did this synchronistic event influence your experience of meaningful work?” The qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis to identify codes, patterns, and themes in participants' descriptions of their experiences. 37 Following a phenomenological method, the analysis aimed to synthesise the themes into structural, textural, and composite descriptions. 38 The transcripts were manually reviewed multiple times by the first author to ensure that the transcription accurately captured participants' statements verbatim from the interviews. After this verification process, the transcript documents were uploaded into the ATLAS.ti software, 39 where the formal coding and analysis commenced. Using ATLAS.ti's “Coding” function, each transcript was systematically reviewed to identify significant statements, and preliminary codes were applied directly within the software. This process facilitated the capture of key phrases and core concepts related to WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement, enabling an organised and comprehensive coding process supported by the software’s analytical tools. The coding refinement process involved utilising the "Network" function in ATLAS.ti. to visualise the relationships between the list of preliminary codes, which facilitated the merging of many small codes into a more manageable number. This process reduced the initial list to approximately 26 refined codes. Through further grouping and visualisation using the same “Network” function in Atlas.ti, these codes were mapped onto four emergent themes. The final step involved synthesising the identified themes into structural, textural, and composite descriptions, capturing the essence of participants' lived experiences. 38 Data Integration The final step of the analysis was data integration, which focused on analysing the convergence and divergence between quantitative results and qualitative themes. This process involved mapping the connections between each quantitative outcome and the qualitative insights to gain a comprehensive understanding of the data. 32 Specifically, this process included comparing the quantitative findings from the correlations and mediation effects with the qualitative themes that emerged from the interviews. Results Quantitative Results Descriptive Statistics Table 3 presents the descriptive statistics for the SAMD, WAMI, and UWES questionnaires ( N =108). Correlation Analysis Table 4 shows the correlation matrix between SA, MD, WAMI, and UWES. All correlations were positive and statistically significant. The correlations were all moderate to strong (with most of the Spearman’s rho values being greater than 0.40), particularly the correlation between WAMI and UWES, and between SA and MD. Table 4 Correlation Matrix Measure 1 2 3 1 Synchronicity awareness 2 Meaning detection 0.74*** 3 Meaningful work 0.45*** 0.48*** 4 Work engagement 0.43*** 0.38*** 0.68*** *** p < 0.001 Mediation Test Results Two mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate whether meaningful work mediates the association between WRSEs and work engagement. As described in the Method section, the SAMD questionnaire (which measured WRSEs) included two subscales: SA and MD. These two subscales served as the predictor variables in each of the mediation analyses, while meaningful work was the mediator, and work engagement was the outcome variable. In the first mediation analysis, meaningful work was a significant mediator of the association between SA and work engagement (Figure 2). The total effect (c) was 0.30, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals ranging from 0.24 to 0.36. When meaningful work was entered into the model as a mediator, the direct effect of SA on work engagement (c’) was reduced to 0.09, and was no longer significant, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals ranging from 0.04 to 0.13. The indirect effect (ab) (i.e., the mediated effect) for meaningful work was estimated to be 0.21, with 95% bootstrap confidence interval ranging from 0.17 to 0.26. The mediation analysis revealed that meaningful work accounted for 70.8% of the variance in the relationship between SA and work engagement. In the second mediation analysis, meaningful work was a significant mediator of the association between MD and work engagement (Figure 3). The total effect (c) was 0.21, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals ranging from 0.17 to 0.26. When meaningful work was entered into the model as a mediator, the direct effect of MD on work engagement (c’) was reduced to 0.03, and was no longer significant, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals ranging from -0.01 to 0.07. The indirect effect (ab) was estimated to be 0.18, with 95% bootstrap confidence interval ranging from 0.15 to 0.23. The mediation analysis revealed that meaningful work accounted for 86.4% of the variance in the relationship between MD and work engagement. Qualitative Results Following Moustakas' phenomenological method, 38 the qualitative analysis revealed 26 codes, which were consolidated into four themes (Figure 4), each shedding light on different aspects of synchronistic experiences in the context of work and career. Theme 1: Five Types of WRSEs The first theme outlined five types of WRSEs that influenced professional lives: meeting the right people, unexpected events, timely information, intuitive nudges and dreams, and intentional and meditative practice. Meeting the Right People The first type of WRSE involved encountering the right people at a precise moment in one's professional life. Such encounters opened doors to new opportunities and significant career advancements. For example, Neil's transformation into a successful transformational coach and author of a best-selling book stemmed from pivotal WRSEs at a Supercoach network conference. He recounted, "I was just meeting the right people, at the right place, at the right time… divinely you know, spoke to me, and the people I get to meet are all meant to be". Unexpected Events This type of WRSE involved unanticipated events that aligned with one's work, serving to affirm choices and navigate professional complexities. For instance, Eric, a world-renowned spiritual teacher and best-selling author, expressed his initial dissatisfaction with the proposed cover design of his new book from his publisher. This dissatisfaction spurred him to review his manuscript more critically, leading to the discovery of several significant errors. He reflected on this WRSE, stating, “I went back over the manuscript... because I kicked up a fuss about the cover, I need to make sure it's really good… I saw several big errors". Timely Information This WRSE showcased how individuals encountered crucial information that significantly impacted their work at the precise right time. This involved the unexpected discovery of resources such as books, podcasts, or conversations that were precisely relevant to current challenges or interests at work. Zoe, a nutritional therapist, who supported her clients' overall health during their cancer treatment, expressed, "I will end up talking to somebody who's got the information I need, and [then meeting someone] with a very difficult rare problem and I will know how to fix it". Intuitive Nudges and Dreams This WRSE was characterised by intuitive nudges or dreams that guided professional decisions. These experiences often manifested as sudden insights or dreams that led to significant career advancements and meaningful work outcomes. For instance, Ellen, an HR specialist who facilitates spiritual retreats and circles for world-renowned corporate clients, recounted a dream that contributed to the success of her nationwide work project: "I had a dream... [about] getting a representative for every State... and the next day, someone called me out of the blue [and said], ‘I know exactly who to put you in touch with'". Intentional and Meditative Practice The final type of WRSE encompassed experiences where meditation or intention-setting led to profound moments of clarity and serendipitous occurrences that directly benefited participants’ work. For example, during a meditation session, Eric remembered an old bitcoin investment password he had lost and forgotten. He explained, "For some reason in the meditation, the sun just hit my face, and I thought, oh I've still got that half a bitcoin somewhere... I immediately cashed out £15,000… which I used to help with a work project". Theme 2: Mechanics of WRSEs in Work and Careers This theme explored the mechanics of how WRSEs impact one’s work and career, categorised into three phases, which are outlined below. Phase 1: Ineffable Experience Participants often described their WRSEs as ineffable moments of profound impact on their professional and personal lives, characterised by a deep sense of wonder and connection to something beyond themselves. Ellen captured the essence of these moments, saying, "That was like, 'wow!' You know, it's so cool that happens… I don't think you ever get to fully understand the scope of it". Such synchronicities were perceived not just as random occurrences, but as extraordinary events intentionally aligned with participants’ life trajectories, often prompting a wake-up call from societal and habitual conditioning. Neil reflected, "We're being educated by traditional mode of education, where we are told who is supposed to be... we have been conditioned in all sorts of ways”. Ellen agreed: “I guess it's a process of undoing, it's like you're undoing all of the things that tell you that makes no sense". Phase 2: Leap of Faith and Four Possible Benefits In the second phase following a WRSE, individuals often chose to trust the process and took a leap of faith. The complexity of the decision-making process during this phase typically involved navigating through initial uncertainty and relying on faith. As Neil recounted, "So in the end, what I have to learn is to surrender, to let it go". This leap of faith led to four types of benefits, which are outlined below. The first possible benefit of acting upon WRSEs was career transformation. Such was the case for Eric, whose career trajectory shifted dramatically during a pivotal family crisis meeting. As his father revealed his secret double life to him and his mother, an unexpected call from a Buddhist teacher offered him an unforeseen opportunity. Amidst the chaos, this call led Eric to agree to give his first talk on spiritual experiences — an event that marked the beginning of his career in spirituality and public speaking. He reflected, “Had he not rang at exactly the moment that I was so discombobulated by the trauma of my dad making this revelation, I probably would have said no… that phone call came in at exactly that moment, led to my whole career". The second advantage of embracing WRSEs was the potential for enhanced productivity through accessing a state of flow. Such experiences also enabled individuals to feel fully present, diminishing the impact of external distractions and increasing both productivity and personal fulfilment. Neil recounted, "So it seems like it's without effort... everything just flows". The third potential benefit of WRSEs lay in their ability to facilitate effortless problem-solving. These occurrences frequently resulted in spontaneous and organic resolutions to work-related challenges. This phenomenon was illustrated by Ellen's experience, as she recounted: “My dream is to do my work all over the world… [without] doing the logistical work. ... In the last two days, there's been three opportunities for me to travel somewhere without me having to organise it". The final possible benefit of WRSEs was financial support or gains, often arriving unexpectedly and closely tied to one's professional path. For example, while conducting a spiritual retreat in South Africa, Eric unknowingly interacted with the retreat centre's owner who had chosen to attend anonymously. This encounter only revealed itself during a casual farewell, where she expressed her intent to financially support his work, resulting in a substantial donation that secured his return to South Africa for workshops twice a year for a decade. He remarked, “So many weird synchronicities that then led to basically funding a big part of my career for ten years". Phase 3: Acceptance and Awareness The final phase after experiencing WRSEs involved acceptance, increased self-awareness, and self-evolution. These experiences, once perceived as extraordinary, gradually integrated into the normal fabric of professional and personal life. Participants described a profound realisation of the ubiquity and significance of these WRSEs as they became more attuned to their occurrences. Fred noted, "Once you begin to pay attention, then you get more… because they have always been there, but once you don't pay attention, you don't see them. But when you begin paying attention, they show up more". Following the recognition of WRSEs, the participants developed a profound level of self-awareness. As they developed a deeper understanding of themselves, they not only experienced WRSEs more frequently but also found these events to be more impactful, both professionally and personally. These WRSEs often resonated with insights that such experiences were not merely coincidences, but were for self-evolution that aligned with broader existential purposes. Eric related his reaction to an unsatisfactory book cover to a Buddhist perspective, stating, "We have this idea… ‘Guru as the environment, Guru is the environment’. Which is kind of like the Buddhist way of saying not so much everything happens for a reason, but everything happens for your evolution”. Theme 3: WRSEs Enhancing Meaningful Work This theme focused on how WRSEs fostered a heightened sense of meaningful work. These experiences were pivotal in deepening human relationships, reinforcing the alignment of participants’ life purposes with their careers, and deepening their sense of interconnectedness with the universe. First, WRSEs enhanced participants' sense of meaningful work by confirming their life purposes within their professional activities, acting as profound affirmations of being on the right path. For instance, Fred, who works as an addiction psychiatrist, frequently interprets everyday occurrences — such as angel numbers or messages on advertisements — as signs reaffirming his professional path. He shared, "All these signs, synchronicities… that I see on daily basis. God is telling me that I am at the right place, at the right time, on the right path – I'm doing what I came here to do". While WRSEs affirmed personal life purposes within professional contexts, they also played a crucial role in deepening interpersonal relationships at work. This second dimension involved more profound interpersonal engagements, often manifested as moments where individuals could help others, enriching both their personal and professional lives. For example, Fred shared, "I'm in the right place, at the right time, on the right path because I'm helping people, overcome their addiction... I’m being used as a channel of healing". Beyond these interpersonal connections, WRSEs led to the third and final enhancement of meaningful work – a profound realisation of interconnectedness. This deeper connection extended beyond immediate interpersonal relationships to a universal scale, weaving individuals' daily work into a grand, cosmic scheme. For instance, Neil reflected on the harmonious work connection with the planet and others, transcending individualistic pursuits: "Rather than thinking, I'm just here, me by myself, isolated as a person. … But you know, we're all connected one way or another… to make humanity a better place… in our own unique way to serve our purpose". Theme 4: WRSEs Enhancing Work Engagement The final theme explored the substantial influence of WRSEs on enhancing work engagement through five types of dynamic interactions. The first way that WRSEs contributed to work engagement was by aligning work with an individual's life purpose. WRSEs influenced individuals to perceive their work as meaningful and aligned with their higher calling, which led to enhanced work engagement. This was more than just a job; it stemmed from an understanding of how their work contributed to a greater good, thus fulfilling a cosmic or existential purpose. Eric reflected, "It makes you feel like there's, again you're doing something with a higher purpose… it definitely gives you more motivation". Second, WRSEs fostered work engagement by motivating hard work and learning. These experiences evoked a deep sense of purpose that led individuals to exceed their regular duties, pursue continuous learning, and contribute more significantly within their roles, ultimately promoting both personal growth and organisational advancement. Nina, who found her dream job at a special education school the same day she resigned from an unfulfilling job, stated, "[Having WRSEs] makes me want to be more motivated, and want to learn more, and makes me want to read books and, lead workshops, and share my skills". Third, WRSEs elevated work engagement through perceived guidance from an overarching esoteric force. This guidance boosted participants’ confidence and alleviated stress, contributing to a more relaxed and focused working environment. Fred explained, "Once it begins, I know that I'm not alone. At work… I’m guided and protected by unforeseen forces... that give me confidence. I'm more efficient, more confident, more relaxed knowing that somebody has my back". Additionally, during challenging times, past WRSEs were perceived as powerful forms of encouragement that bolstered work engagement and resilience, where such experiences affirmed that despite current challenges, there was a meaningful direction and supportive force guiding their professional efforts. Eric stated, "[I] remind myself... think of all the crazy synchronicity... that's happened in the past, I trust that something might happen here too... as long as you do your work with an open heart and mind, it'll work out". Fourth, WRSEs enhanced work engagement by boosting creativity and curiosity. Neil explained this transformative impact on his creative process: "[My WRSE] helps me to understand… my creativity in my work... [it’s about] being in this flow. ... [My transformative experience] helps me to be able to tap into these skills more". Nina illustrated how these experiences opened her up to new possibilities: "Every moment I'm grateful for, and I'm open to. And I stopped trying to control the situation and I let the universe do its thing… I just like to be in the moment and see where it goes". The final way WRSEs contributed to work engagement was through the profound joy and gratitude they evoked. These emotions were deeply felt and enhanced participants’ engagement with their work and their outlook on their professional roles. For instance, Zoe shared her daily experience, "All the time, I go to bed happy, I wake up happy, I enjoy seeing my clients and when there's synchronicities turn up, it's just beautiful". Similarly, Nina noted, "It makes me cherish going into work... I just cherish those moments, and I cherish my job". Structural, Textural and Composite Descriptions Structural Description and Textural Description See Appendix A. Composite Description WRSEs involve occurrences such as meeting the right people, unexpected events, timely information, intuitive nudges and dreams, and revelations from intentional and meditative practice. The sense of ineffability and guidance from an esoteric force fosters a deep personal awakening, compelling individuals to engage in meaningful actions and enhancing self-awareness in their professional lives. Emotionally, WRSEs align work activities with deeper life goals, enhanced human relationships, and foster a sense of interconnectedness, illustrating how WRSEs enhance meaningful work. This alignment transforms work into a fulfilling aspect of life, enhancing confidence, motivation, creativity, joy, and gratitude, which enhances work engagement. Discussion Summary & Interpretation of Quantitative Results The correlations between meaningful work and work engagement indicate that greater perceptions of meaningfulness in work are associated with higher levels of engagement, aligning with prior research. 19,20 The positive correlations between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement substantiated the first research question and supported Hypothesis 1. Finally, the strong correlation between SA and MD suggested that individuals more attuned to WRSEs ascribed greater significance to these experiences, and was consistent with the positive association between SA and MD found in Russo-Netzer and Icekson. 33 The mediation analyses highlighted the role of meaningful work in linking SA and MD to increased work engagement, confirming the second research question and supporting Hypothesis 2. This finding is aligned with theoretical expectations that synchronicities may augment the perception of meaning in work, thereby catalysing greater engagement. 16,17 The mediation results showcase the potentially transformative role of meaningful work, as articulated by Bailey et al. and Hasan et al., 16,17 with meaningful work mediating a substantial portion of the associations between SA, MD and work engagement. These findings corroborate previous research suggesting that the perception of meaning in work is a crucial mechanism through which synchronistic experiences enhance work engagement. 18,20 Summary & Interpretation of Qualitative Results The qualitative results supported previous research suggesting that meaningful work, when intensified by synchronistic experiences, increases job satisfaction and organisational commitment. 18,20 The results also corroborated literature on the positive associations between meaningful work and work engagement, 16,17,19 demonstrating that participants felt more engaged when their work was imbued with meaning. Theme 1: Types of WRSEs The findings from Theme 1 demonstrated that WRSEs impacted individuals' professional lives in five main ways, leading to professional insights and advancements. These experiences not only echoed but in some cases also extended the four types of meaningful coincidences described by Beitman, 8 which are synchronicity, serendipity, seriality, and simulpathity. For example, the concept of serendipity, involving finding something valuable by chance, 8 was present in the current findings where individuals like Eric discovered significant manuscript errors due to initial dissatisfaction with a book cover. In contrast, the current finding of WRSEs involving intuitive nudges and intentional meditative practices extended beyond Beitman’s framework, 8 suggesting a broader spectrum of meaningful coincidences that could significantly impact work engagement and meaningful work, and hints at the possibly of a spiritual layer of synchronicity that may facilitate personal and professional development in ways not fully captured by existing theories on coincidences. Theme 2: Mechanics of WRSEs The findings from Theme 2 on the mechanics of WRSEs align with and extend the five stages of the Exceptional Human Experience (EHE) process outlined by Brown. 41 The first phase of WRSEs (ineffable experience) and Brown's first stage of exceptional experiences (EEs) (the initiating experience) 41 served as pivotal events that disrupted the status quo and captured attention. Participants in the current study described these moments as profound and beyond full comprehension, mirroring Brown’s description of EEs that prompt individuals to question reality and seek understanding. The second leap of faith phase taken by participants following a WRSE resonated with Brown’s Stage 2, where experiencers broadened their search beyond conventional norms, and brought both outward exploration and inward reflection, facilitating personal discovery and deeper exploration. The final phase of WRSEs, which involved acceptance, increased self-awareness, and integration of these experiences into daily life, paralleled EHE’s Stages 3 to 5. Participants’ realisation of the ubiquity and significance of WRSEs aligned with Stage 3, where experiencers vacillate between old and new worldviews, achieving resolution and integrating new perspectives. This acceptance fostered a deeper understanding of interconnectedness, resonating with Stage 4’s shift to seeing the universe as a unified whole. Finally, Stage 5’s integration of one’s inner calling with contributions to the world was mirrored in participants’ evolved engagement with their professional and personal lives, highlighting continuous self-evolution. 41 Theme 3: WRSEs Enhancing Meaningful Work The three dimensions from Theme 3, where WRSEs were shown to influence meaningful work, aligned with several mechanisms outlined by Rosso et al.'s literature review, 18 which synthesised various sources and mechanisms regarding how work becomes meaningful. These mechanisms included authenticity, self-efficacy, purpose, self-esteem, belongingness, and transcendence. For example, participants who experienced WRSEs often described these events as affirmations of their personal life purposes within their professional roles, thereby fostering a stronger sense of authenticity. They interpreted everyday occurrences as signs that validated their career paths, which enhanced the alignment between their personal values and professional activities, ultimately increasing the meaningfulness of their work. WRSEs also deepened interpersonal relationships at work, which resonated with Rosso et al.’s mechanism of belongingness. 18 Participants recounted how meaningful interactions, such as receiving recognition from colleagues and managers or helping others, enriched both their personal and professional lives. These experiences reinforced their sense of self-worth and self-esteem, further contributing to the overall meaningfulness of their work. Additionally, WRSEs fostered a profound sense of interconnectedness with the universe, aligned with Rosso et al.'s mechanism of transcendence. 18 Participants often felt guided by a higher power or esoteric force during moments of clarity and direction, reinforcing their belief that their work was part of a larger, meaningful whole. This perception of being connected to a broader cosmic scheme provided a deeper sense of purpose and significance to their professional activities. While these findings generally align with Rosso et al.'s mechanisms, 18 WRSEs often introduced a greater spiritual dimension, with participants interpreting these events as spiritual affirmations of their professional path. This added depth to the mechanisms of authenticity and purpose by incorporating the belief in esoteric guidance, and it expanded the notion of transcendence to include a dynamic interaction with the spiritual aspects of work. Theme 4: WRSEs Enhancing Work Engagement The findings from Theme 4 are aligned with Self-Determination Theory (SDT) by Ryan and Deci, 42 particularly through the fulfilment of the three psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. First, WRSEs aligned work with an individual's life purpose, fostering autonomy by enabling self-determined and meaningful engagement. Second, WRSEs motivated participants to exceed regular duties and pursue continuous learning, thus fulfilling the need for competence through challenges and mastery. Third, perceived guidance from esoteric forces enhanced relatedness and autonomy by creating a sense of belonging and security, while also boosting confidence and control. Fourth, WRSEs boosted creativity and curiosity, aligning with the need for competence by promoting exploration and learning. Finally, the joy and gratitude evoked by WRSEs fulfilled the need for relatedness, enhancing overall wellbeing and work engagement by fostering a deep emotional connection and satisfaction. Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative Findings Both the quantitative and qualitative findings underscored the central role of meaningful work in the relationship between WRSEs and work engagement. The significant positive relationships between SA, MD, meaningful work, and work engagement that were found in the correlational analysis were consistent with the qualitative findings from Themes 3 and 4, which suggested that WRSEs enhanced work engagement by fostering a sense of meaningful work. Theme 3 of the qualitative results focused on how WRSEs fostered a heightened sense of meaningful work by deepening human relationships, aligning participants' life purposes with their careers, and enhancing interconnectedness with the universe, which aligned with the quantitative findings showing meaningful work mediated a substantial amount of the variance between WRSEs and work engagement. Additionally, Theme 4 revealed that WRSEs contributed to work engagement by aligning work with life purpose, motivating hard work and continuous learning, and providing perceived guidance and confidence. These findings underscored that WRSEs enhanced work engagement primarily through their impact on meaningful work, as demonstrated by the quantitative mediation analyses and qualitative narratives. While nothing within the qualitative and quantitative results directly contradicted each other, a divergence was found in relation to the qualitative finding of an impact of WRSEs on work engagement beyond meaningful work, specifically by boosting creativity and curiosity, and evoking profound joy and gratitude. The qualitative findings suggest that WRSEs enhance work engagement not only through meaningful work, but also through pathways that involved fostering creativity, curiosity, joy, and gratitude. This divergence indicated additional factors influencing engagement beyond the mediating role of meaningful work, highlighting areas for further research to capture the full spectrum of WRSEs' influence on work engagement. Limitations and Future Research Despite the robust findings and comprehensive analysis presented in this study, a primary limitation of this research was its correlational design, which restricted the ability to establish causation. Although mediation tests suggested a directional path between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement, definitive causal inferences could not be made. Future research could employ experimental or longitudinal designs to clarify these relationships. For instance, running workshops to help employees recognise and find meaning in WRSEs and measuring changes in attitudes before and after the workshops would provide direct insights into how such interventions could impact work experiences and engagement. Additionally, while every attempt was made to reduce researcher bias in the present study, the first author’s positionality — as an experienced chartered accountant with a longstanding career in corporate settings and an interest in WRSEs — may have influenced the interpretation of participants' descriptions of WRSEs, work engagement and meaningful work. Next, this research relied on self-selection into the study, as well as self-reported data, introducing several potential biases. Participants' reports of their experiences, feelings about the meaningfulness of their work, and their engagement levels were subjective and may not always accurately reflect reality. There is inherent subjectivity in recognising synchronicities, as what one person perceives as a meaningful coincidence, another might see as a random event. 43–45 In addition, participants joined the study with the knowledge that the study topic was about the experience of synchronicities in one’s work and career. Thus it is possible that WRSEs were perceived as being more important and significant for these participants, as compared to individuals who are not particularly interested in WRSEs. Similarly, while the phenomenological method required recruitment of participants who scored high on the SAMD questionnaire (i.e., who had in-depth experience with the phenomenon of interest), interviews with participants who scored low on this questionnaire could have been equally valuable in order to obtain a more balanced perspective. The limitations of self-selection and self-report data are difficult to fully address, but future research could benefit from experimental studies to provide more objective validation of findings. Future research would also benefit from embedding questionnaires about WRSEs into a larger study of organisational behaviour in order to recruit participants who do not have a strong preconceived interest in WRSEs. In addition, the exclusion criteria for the quantitative survey, which omitted individuals not working full-time, may have led to the exclusion of valuable insights from those who work part-time but have profound WRSEs. This limitation could result in a narrow view of the impact of WRSEs, primarily reflecting the experiences of full-time employees. Including a broader range of employment statuses in future research could provide a more comprehensive understanding of WRSEs across diverse work contexts. Finally, most of the interviewees in this study had roles focused on directly helping others. This might have influenced the findings, as these roles could have inherently provided more opportunities for meaningful work and engagement compared to profit-driven roles in private companies. For example, Oscar, the only interviewee from a profit-driven accounting firm, provided less rich qualitative data. Therefore, the qualitative results might not have been representative of employees in traditional, profit-driven roles in private companies. There may also have been a selection bias, where participants in helping professions were more likely to volunteer to be interviewed. Future research could interview participants from a variety of industries and job types to better compare the impact of WRSEs across different work environments, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of how WRSEs are associated with meaningful work and engagement in various contexts. Conclusion This study explored the relationships between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement. Through a mixed-methods approach, the research found that WRSEs were positively associated with both meaningful work and work engagement. The quantitative analysis also revealed that meaningful work significantly mediated the association between WRSEs and work engagement. The qualitative findings complemented the quantitative results by providing rich, contextual insights into the lived experiences of individuals who had encountered synchronicities in their careers. Taken together, these findings offer implications for both employers and employees by suggesting that WRSEs might offer a novel solution to disengagement at work, by fostering meaningful connections that enhance engagement. For example, employers could leverage WRSEs to design roles aligned with employees' personal values, enhancing job satisfaction and commitment through initiatives such as personal development programs and meaningful work projects. Training programs that increase awareness of WRSEs could foster deeper engagement by highlighting meaningful coincidences. For employees, becoming aware of and actively engaging with WRSEs could create fulfilling career paths and aid in career growth by aligning roles with life purpose. Declarations Conflict of Interest: The author declares no conflict of interest related to this study. Ethics approval and consent to participate This study was approved by the the Alef Trust Research Ethics Committee in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by Alef Trust (in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University), United Kingdom. All participants provided informed consent before taking part in the study. The research adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication Not applicable. This manuscript does not contain data from any individual person. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Author Contribution T.H.L. conceptualised the study, designed the methodology, and conducted the quantitative and qualitative data collection. T.H.L. also performed the statistical analyses and thematic analysis and wrote the first draft manuscript. B.B. provided supervision, critical revisions, contributed to the interpretation of findings, and helped to refine the manuscript’s theoretical framework. 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New Ideas in Psychology . 2015;39:34-44. doi:10.1016/j.newideapsych.2015.07.001 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Appendices.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 27 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 May, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 26 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 23 Apr, 2025 Editor invited by journal 03 Apr, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 02 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 02 Apr, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6057897","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":448844550,"identity":"5df1b611-7826-4555-8cac-ad8e546eadbb","order_by":0,"name":"Tony Han-wei Lee","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA1klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLCCBwwMCQzsDUCWgQVh1TwgIgGEeA6AtEiQokUiAcQkQos9e+8xiYQKmzyDm8+vbvhRIMHA396dgN8WnnNpEgln0ooNbueU3ewBOkzizNkN+LVI5JhJJLYdTtx2OyftBg9Qi4FELjFa/v1P3HbzTNrNP8RraTiQuO0G+7HbxNly5oyxRcKx5MT9Z3LYbssYSPAQ9At7e4/hjQ81dokz248/u/nmj40cf3svfi1AwAKNCx4DMElIOQgwf4Ba+IAY1aNgFIyCUTACAQBEtUnO0dEfigAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Alef Trust","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tony","middleName":"Han-wei","lastName":"Lee","suffix":""},{"id":448844554,"identity":"11a05ff1-20c4-4a68-85b1-ce76b18f56c0","order_by":1,"name":"Bethany Butzer","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Alef Trust","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bethany","middleName":"","lastName":"Butzer","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-02-18 16:23:20","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6057897/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6057897/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":82048572,"identity":"d45f2a4b-b50a-4d9c-8f0e-be6728cb6d47","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-06 09:46:57","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":38197,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eExplanatory Sequential Design\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6057897/v1/38af1899ceb46e11914302d9.jpg"},{"id":82048576,"identity":"4df3badb-305f-476b-9b18-29f0fdd1899e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-06 09:46:57","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":24812,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMediation Test – SA\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNotes: \u003c/em\u003e*** \u003cem\u003ep \u0026lt; 0.001. \u003c/em\u003e“In mediation analysis, the c path is the total effect, the c’ path is the direct effect, and the ab path is the mediated effect. While there are a range of approaches to interpret mediation results, the central result is the size of the ab effect, often tested for significance via bootstrap confidence interval, as conducted herein”.\u003csup\u003e40(p12)\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6057897/v1/f0746272e6d137e9857ef3a0.jpg"},{"id":82050374,"identity":"841e5b57-16f8-4104-b9e6-3656fcb42871","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-06 09:54:57","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":24063,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMediation Test – MD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNotes: \u003c/em\u003e*** \u003cem\u003ep \u0026lt; 0.001\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6057897/v1/276268c967a4d1106d4e45fb.jpg"},{"id":82051639,"identity":"f766d784-8c68-4efc-a55b-922192a0c197","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-06 10:02:57","extension":"jpg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":60687,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eQualitative Themes\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6057897/v1/34949418e34528ccc14245af.jpg"},{"id":82054068,"identity":"2b00f629-a286-4f89-ade9-d241534dec88","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-06 10:18:58","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1653235,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6057897/v1/573e4c1a-b2fa-4ae3-8e1a-be4493400da2.pdf"},{"id":82048573,"identity":"ef125ea8-01fb-4a3d-a206-c13d5e561907","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-06 09:46:57","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":16315,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Appendices.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6057897/v1/4c12f8a578c4e6e9c60d9614.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eSynchronicity in the Workplace: A Mixed Method Study of the Associations Between Synchronicity, Meaningful Work and Work Engagement\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eSynchronicity, a term coined by Carl Jung, refers to the experience of meaningful coincidences that appear to be causally unrelated yet are profoundly significant to the individual.\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e The prevalence of such experiences had been explored in various studies, for example, Henry\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e surveyed 991 participants, predominantly older adults, recruited through a London-based newspaper, \u003cem\u003eThe Observer\u003c/em\u003e. The findings revealed that 84% of respondents acknowledged experiencing meaningful coincidences. Further corroborating the widespread nature of meaningful coincidences, Coleman et al.\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e conducted a study involving 681 individuals affiliated with the University of Missouri-Columbia. Using the Weird Coincidence Scale,\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e they assessed the frequency and nature of self-reported synchronicity experiences. The study found that participants reported a variety of such experiences, for instance, thinking of someone and then receiving a call from them, and being in the right place at the right time to further their work or career. Despite its potentially high prevalence in the general population, the concept of synchronicity has not been extensively studied in work-related contexts. The current study aimed to address this gap by exploring the associations between work-related synchronistic experiences (WRSEs), meaningful work, and work engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSynchronicity, Meaningful Work, and Work Engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSynchronicity and Meaningful Coincidence: Concepts and Implications\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSynchronistic events are distinct from mere coincidences, as they carry emotional significance and symbolic content for the person experiencing them.\u0026nbsp;The synchronistic acausal connection principle that Jung\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e posited involves the concurrence of unrelated events, deep emotional experiences, and the subjective symbolic content of the events, which often occur during life changes or times of deep introspection. Synchronistic events are seen as occasions for individuals to find connections between their internal psyche and the external world, such as Jung\u0026apos;s encounter with a scarab beetle,\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e when his patient, a young woman resistant to therapy and overly rational, was recounting a dream in which she received a golden scarab beetle. At that moment, Jung heard a tapping on the window and, upon opening it, caught a beetle that closely resembled the golden scarab from her dream. He presented the beetle to the woman, creating a direct connection between her internal dream experience and the external reality. This unexpected and seemingly irrational event helped break through her rational defences, facilitating a significant psychological shift.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs Jung\u0026rsquo;s example suggests, synchronicities challenge conventional scientific boundaries between mind and matter, offering a unique perspective on how inner and outer worlds intersect,\u003csup\u003e4\u003c/sup\u003e and thus have the potential to provide a deeper understanding of human behaviour and experience.\u003csup\u003e5\u003c/sup\u003e Synchronistic experiences not only challenge the idea that life lacks meaningful structure and significance, but also fulfil the human yearning for purpose, connection, and agency in a seemingly chaotic universe.\u003csup\u003e6\u003c/sup\u003e Research suggests that synchronistic experiences enhance emotional wellbeing, providing a sense of coherence, direction in life, and coping mechanisms for existential challenges,\u003csup\u003e7\u003c/sup\u003e and may be perceived as messages or signs, offering glimpses into something extraordinary unfolding in our lives.\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRecently, \u0026nbsp;coined the term \u0026ldquo;meaningful coincidences\u0026rdquo;, to make the concept of synchronistic experiences more accessible to the general public, and encompass various significant non-causal events. This term includes Jung\u0026apos;s original definition of synchronicity, and also covers other phenomena not captured by Jung\u0026apos;s definition, such as simulpathity (experiencing another\u0026apos;s distress at a distance) and serendipity (finding something valuable by chance).\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e In the current study, the term \u0026quot;work-related synchronistic experiences\u0026quot; (WRSEs) is used to describe meaningful coincidences specifically related to work and career. Given that synchronicity seems to help individuals with creating a sense of meaning in their lives,\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e WRSEs may enable individuals to find deeper meaning in their work, potentially leading to greater work engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWork Engagement: Conceptualisation and Antecedents\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWork engagement is crucial for the success of any organisation, embodying an employee\u0026apos;s involvement, commitment, and enthusiasm in their job. Schaufeli and Bakker\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e characterised it as a positive state related to work, which encompassed three main dimensions: 1) vigour (i.e., having high energy levels and mental resilience during work, along with a readiness to exert effort and maintain persistence despite challenges); 2) dedication (i.e., a deep involvement in one\u0026apos;s work, accompanied by feelings of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, and a sense of challenge); and 3) absorption (i.e., when one becomes fully immersed and engrossed in their work, losing track of time and finding it hard to disengage from work tasks).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWork engagement is influenced by several factors, including work demands, work resources, and personal resources.\u003csup\u003e10\u003c/sup\u003e Positive predictors of engagement include autonomy, skill variety, feedback, and decision-making opportunities.\u003csup\u003e11\u003c/sup\u003e Moreover, social support has a positive influence on engagement, as demonstrated in a meta-analytic study of over 230 published and unpublished articles encompassing diverse organisational settings and roles.\u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003e According to Gallup\u0026apos;s Q12 meta-analysis, employees who were engaged showed higher productivity and were more responsive to customer needs, leading to a 23% increase in profitability for their companies.\u003csup\u003e13\u003c/sup\u003e Moreover, work engagement is associated with positive employee outcomes such as job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and lower turnover intentions.\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e Therefore, understanding and fostering work engagement is crucial for organisations aiming to excel in today\u0026apos;s dynamic business environment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"_Toc171847175\"\u003eConversely, low engagement is associated with negative outcomes like burnout, absenteeism, and reduced productivity.\u003csup\u003e14\u003c/sup\u003e A recent Gallup survey\u003csup\u003e15\u003c/sup\u003e found that only 10% of employees in the United Kingdom reported feeling engaged at work, highlighting the need for environments that connect work with a greater sense of meaning, potentially through WRSEs.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMeaningful Work and Its Impact on Work Engagement\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeaningful work is often considered a significant driver of work engagement.\u003csup\u003e16,17\u003c/sup\u003e Defined as the alignment of individual values, beliefs, and goals with one\u0026apos;s job, meaningful work transcends mere task completion to emphasise a deeper sense of purpose and significance.\u003csup\u003e18\u003c/sup\u003e Research has highlighted the significance of meaningful work in Human Resource Development (HRD) practices, with meaningful work correlating strongly with positive outcomes such as work engagement, employee performance, and job satisfaction.\u003csup\u003e17\u003c/sup\u003e Even when controlling for factors such as leadership, organisational features, and supervisory relationships, meaningful work remained a robust predictor of these positive outcomes, making it a valuable lever for HRD practitioners to enhance employee engagement and organisational results.\u003csup\u003e19\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFairlie\u0026apos;s survey of 574 employed Americans and Canadians revealed that meaningful work characteristics had the highest positive correlations with work engagement and a composite measure of work adjustment,\u003csup\u003e19\u003c/sup\u003e which included job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and low turnover cognitions. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that meaningful work characteristics uniquely contributed to work engagement, exhaustion, and work adjustment, even when controlling for other work traits and personality factors. These results emphasised the potential role of meaningful work in promoting engagement and reducing negative outcomes like burnout and depression. Steger et al.\u003csup\u003e20\u003c/sup\u003e expanded on this by conducting a study with a community-based sample of 252 employees in Israel, comprising white-collar workers across various organisations and industries. Participants completed self-report questionnaires that asked about their levels of work engagement, affective disposition, and perceptions of meaningful work. The study found a positive association between meaningful work and work engagement and also found a moderating effect of meaningful work on the connection between affective disposition and engagement. Specifically, when meaningful work was low, a positive affective disposition was strongly linked to work engagement, but this relationship became negligible when meaningful work was high. This underscored the role of meaningful work in enhancing engagement beyond the influence of affective disposition.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite numerous theoretical models outlining various work characteristics (i.e., Job Characteristics Model\u003csup\u003e21\u003c/sup\u003e and Job Descriptive Index\u003csup\u003e22\u003c/sup\u003e), few have prioritised what is fundamentally significant for individuals at work\u003csup\u003e14\u003c/sup\u003e. The current study follows up on suggestions made by Ahmed et al.,\u003csup\u003e23\u003c/sup\u003e who called for more empirical studies to specifically investigate meaningful work and its relationship with work engagement, noting its potential to enhance psychological wellbeing at work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"_Toc171847176\"\u003ePreliminary Research on Potential Associations Between Synchronicity, Work, and Career\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn their exploration of synchronicity experiences in a sample of 45 Jewish Israeli adults, Russo-Netzer and Icekson\u003csup\u003e7\u003c/sup\u003e found that heightened awareness and the detection of meaning in synchronistic events were associated with greater life satisfaction and meaning in life. Participants, aged 25 to 63 years and recruited through various methods, were asked to describe their experiences with synchronicity through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. This research suggested that individuals who were attuned to and could make sense of synchronistic events found deeper meaning in their lives and, by extension, in their work. Such findings suggest that synchronistic experiences, with their capacity to weave a sense of coherence and meaning through the fabric of daily life, emerged as an important element in enhancing work engagement. Indeed, meaningful work served as a critical bridge, linking the transpersonal aspects of synchronicity to conventional economic indicators of work engagement, illustrating how personal experiences of synchronicity were associated with career motivation and satisfaction.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditional research has explored the potential connection between synchronistic experiences and work engagement, particularly through the lens of chance events affecting career development. Chance events are unexpected occurrences with substantial career impacts, holding the potential to significantly shape one\u0026apos;s career trajectory.\u003csup\u003e24\u003c/sup\u003e Bright et al.\u003csup\u003e25\u003c/sup\u003e explored chance events, such as serendipity, happenstance, and synchronicity, revealing their influence on career trajectories in a sample of 95 undergraduate students and 40 adults with at least two years of professional work experience. Approximately 74% of participants believed that chance events (including synchronistic events) had impacted their career decisions, a finding that emphasised the potential role of chance events in shaping career paths. However, unlike chance events, which were described as occurring completely randomly, synchronicity involved a deeper, acausal order of reality that transcended ordinary causal explanations and was marked by significant personal meaning and timing.\u003csup\u003e1,26,27\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStatement of Positionality\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this research, the positionality of the first author is shaped by an 18-year tenure as a chartered accountant within the corporate sector, which has profoundly influenced my perspectives on work engagement and meaningful work. Adopting a social constructivist worldview,\u003csup\u003e28\u003c/sup\u003e I contend that external professional experiences mirror our internal states, an idea that aligns with Jung\u0026rsquo;s theory of synchronicity, suggesting a correspondence between events in the external world and one\u0026rsquo;s inner experiences.\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e Hence, my personal, professional, and academic experience posit that individual attitudes toward work significantly shape work experiences, and that synchronicity \u0026mdash; by highlighting meaningful coincidences \u0026mdash; can enhance work engagement and foster a more profound sense of purpose in professional life. I engaged in personal reflexivity throughout the research process in an effort to be mindful of how my individual perspective could impact the study, with a goal of bracketing out my experiences during the data analysis, as is common practice in qualitative phenomenological research.\u003csup\u003e28\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847178\"\u003eSummary and Purpose of the Present Study\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe review of existing literature suggests that synchronistic events are associated with greater life satisfaction and meaning in life,\u003csup\u003e7\u003c/sup\u003e and that meaningful work and work engagement are positively associated with each other.\u003csup\u003e19,20\u003c/sup\u003e Given that meaning is an important concept within Jung\u0026rsquo;s definition of synchronicity,\u003csup\u003e1,29\u003c/sup\u003e it is possible that the meaning that is imbued in WRSEs may be associated with increased meaningful work and work engagement. Indeed, meaningful work may be associated with WRSEs as individuals discover deeper meaning and purpose in these synchronistic events, and perceive them as messages or signs from a higher power \u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e. This, in turn, may be tied to work engagement, as individuals who experience meaningful work are more likely to be highly engaged.\u003csup\u003e20\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study is guided by the following research questions:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuantitative:\u003c/em\u003e What are the associations between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement? Does meaningful work mediate the association between WRSEs and work engagement?\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003e\u003cem\u003eQualitative:\u003c/em\u003e What are the lived experiences of individuals who have encountered synchronistic events in their work and career?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hypotheses are that:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eWRSEs will be positively associated with meaningful work and work engagement, suggesting that individuals who report more frequent WRSEs will experience higher levels of meaningful work and engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMeaningful work will mediate the relationship between WRSEs and work engagement, indicating that WRSEs contribute to work engagement by enhancing the perception of meaningful work.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e"},{"header":"Method","content":"\u003ch2\u003eResearch Design\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe research approach adopted for this study was a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, which allowed for a comprehensive exploration of the interplay between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement.\u003csup\u003e30\u003c/sup\u003e The explanatory sequential design is characterised by two distinct phases (Figure 1). In the current study, the initial phase entailed gathering and analysing questionnaire data to determine the associations and mediation among the variables, thus addressing the quantitative research questions and hypotheses.\u003csup\u003e31\u003c/sup\u003e Following this, the qualitative phase aimed to provide context and a richer comprehension of the participants\u0026apos; lived experiences by conducting in-depth interviews with individuals who scored highly on WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement,\u003csup\u003e28,32\u003c/sup\u003e thereby aligning with the qualitative research question. The qualitative phase used a phenomenological method to explore participants\u0026apos; experiences in depth.\u003csup\u003e28\u003c/sup\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eIn the integration phase, quantitative and qualitative findings were analysed in relation to each other to provide further insights into the research phenomena. Ethical approval was obtained from [Blinded Ethics Panel], following the guidelines set forth by the [Blinded Ethical Guidelines] and [Institution Blinded for Review].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eParticipants\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e124 participants were initially recruited for the quantitative study. Of these, 108 met the inclusion criteria, as shown in Table 1. The participants\u0026apos; ages ranged from 20 to 80. All participants were fluent in English and held full-time jobs. Recruitment was conducted via professional networking sites and social media groups. The inclusion criteria focused on those fully employed or self-employed, excluding part-time workers and unemployed, as they might not have enough work-related experience to adequately respond to the questionnaire.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc171846133\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc171846134\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuantitative Participants Demographics\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"610\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasure\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 246px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCategory\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvg\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;SD\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e%\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eN\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 246px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYears\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e44.3\u0026nbsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026nbsp;11.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e108\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGender\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 246px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e107\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 246px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e62\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e57.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlace of residency\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 246px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCanada\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 246px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCzech Republic\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 246px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUnited Kingdom\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUnited States of America\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOther\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e12.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e23.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 151px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEducation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWork industry\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYears of work experience\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 246px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAsian\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhite\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOther\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHigh School diploma\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBachelor\u0026rsquo;s degree\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMaster\u0026rsquo;s degree\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDoctorate / PhD\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eProfessional degree (MD, JD, etc)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRather not say\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eConsulting\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEducation\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFinance\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGovernment\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHealthcare\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHospitality\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOther\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYears\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 95px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e77\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e32\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e21.3\u0026nbsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026nbsp;12.1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e18.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e72.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e37.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e16.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e30.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 53px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e106\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e108\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e108\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e105\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the qualitative phase, seven individuals who scored highly on the WRSE, meaningful work, and work engagement questionnaires from the quantitative phase were selected for in-depth interviews (Table 2). High scores were defined as being within the top 30% of the distribution for each questionnaire. This criterion ensured that the participants chosen exhibited significant levels of the phenomena being studied, allowing for rich, in-depth insights into their WRSEs, meaningful work and work engagement.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc171846135\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc169437692\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eQualitative Participants Demographic\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003es\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePseudonym\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAge\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGender\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWork industry\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAverage SA\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(out of 5)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAverage MD\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(out of 7)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAverage WAMI\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(out of 5)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAverage UWES (out of 5)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOscar\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAsian\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFinance\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFred\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e61\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBlack\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHealthcare\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNine\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhite\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEducation\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eZoe\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e66\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhite\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHealthcare\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.8\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEllen\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eunspecified\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhite\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEducation\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.9\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNeil\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAsian\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eConsulting\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.0\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 73px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEric\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 70px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 56px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWhite\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 84px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEducation\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e6.7\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.6\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 64px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote.\u003c/em\u003e SA = Synchronistic Awareness Subscale; MD = Meaning Detection Subscale; WAMI = Work and Meaning inventory; UWES = Utrecht Work Engagement Scale\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847184\"\u003eQuantitative Procedure, Questionnaires and Data Analysis\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePotential participants were provided with a URL link to access the questionnaires on Google Forms. The first page outlined the study\u0026rsquo;s purpose, procedures, and participant rights, with informed consent obtained by clicking an icon to continue. Participants then completed the online questionnaires, which included a section for demographic information and measures of WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement. The questionnaires took between 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The following questionnaires were utilised.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc171846138\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDemographic Questionnaire\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Demographic Questionnaire, created by the researcher, gathered information about the participants\u0026rsquo; age, gender, birthplace, current residence, ethnicity/race, educational background, role level, industry, years of work experience, and employment status.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc171846139\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWRSEs\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Synchronicity Awareness and Meaning-Detecting (SAMD) Scale\u003csup\u003e33\u003c/sup\u003e was utilised to measure participants\u0026apos; WRSEs. The scale comprises 22 items divided into two subscales: Synchronicity Awareness (SA) and Meaning Detecting (MD). The researcher slightly modified the wording of the SAMD items to make them specific to WRSEs. The SA subscale includes nine items measuring the frequency of synchronistic experiences related to work or career, with responses rated on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (never) to 5 (all the time). Example items include \u0026ldquo;I felt that I was \u0026lsquo;in the right place, at the right time\u0026rsquo; with my work/career\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;I ran into a situation or a personal encounter that opened up new opportunities related to my work.\u0026rdquo; Higher scores on this subscale indicate a greater frequency of WRSEs. The MD subscale consists of 13 items that assess the degree to which participants find meaning in these unexplained events, rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 7 (to a high degree). Example items include \u0026ldquo;I find meaning in unexplained work-related occurrences\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;I tend to be attentive to intuition in my everyday work life.\u0026rdquo; Higher scores on this subscale indicate a greater tendency to detect meaning and significance in WRSEs. The SAMD has demonstrated robust psychometric properties. Russo-Netzer and Icekson (2023) found that the SA subscale had a Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha of 0.87, indicating good internal reliability, while the MD subscale had a Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha of 0.93, indicating excellent internal reliability. Russo-Netzer and Icekson also validated the scale through exploratory factor analysis, which supported the two-factor structure.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring data collection, feedback from participants indicated a potential misunderstanding in the Likert scale description for the SA subscale, where \u0026quot;3 = Rarely\u0026quot; was interpreted as fewer than \u0026quot;2 = Twice or more.\u0026quot; To address this, the wording was changed to \u0026quot;3 = Occasionally (between twice or more and often)\u0026quot; to clarify that option 3 was between 2 and 4. Given that this change was made after 43 participants had already completed the questionnaire, an independent samples \u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e-test was conducted to compare the mean score on SA between the two versions of the questionnaire (V1: \u0026quot;Rarely,\u0026rdquo; N = 43; V2: \u0026quot;Occasionally,\u0026rdquo; N = 65). The results showed no statistically significant difference between the two versions, suggesting that the change in wording did not affect the mean responses.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc171846140\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMeaningful Work\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI)\u003csup\u003e34\u003c/sup\u003e was used to measure the extent to which individuals perceive their work as meaningful. The WAMI is a 10-item scale designed to assess different dimensions of meaningful work through participants\u0026apos; self-reports. Examples include items such as \u0026quot;I have found a meaningful career\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;I have a good sense of what makes my job meaningful.\u0026rdquo; Participants rated each statement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Absolutely untrue) to 5 (Absolutely true). Higher scores on the WAMI indicate a stronger perception of one\u0026rsquo;s work as meaningful. The WAMI scale has demonstrated robust psychometric properties, with high internal reliability and confirmed validity through factor analyses.\u003csup\u003e34\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc171846141\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWork Engagement\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e was used to measure work engagement. The UWES assesses three dimensions of work engagement: vigour, dedication, and absorption. The total number of items on the UWES is 17, distributed across the three subscales as follows: Vigour (6 items), Dedication (5 items), and Absorption (6 items). Participants rated their agreement with each statement on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). Example items include: \u0026ldquo;When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work\u0026rdquo; (Vigour), \u0026ldquo;My job inspires me\u0026rdquo; (Dedication), and \u0026ldquo;When I am working, I forget everything else around me\u0026rdquo; (Absorption). Higher scores on the UWES indicate higher levels of work engagement, reflecting greater energy and resilience (Vigour), a strong sense of significance and enthusiasm towards work (Dedication), and being fully engrossed and happily absorbed in work tasks (Absorption). The UWES demonstrates high internal consistency, with Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha values exceeding 0.80 for its subscales and above 0.90 for the composite score, ensuring reliable measurements.\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e Only the composite score was used in the present study, in order to reduce the likelihood of Type I error by limiting the total number of statistical tests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuantitative Data Analysis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe quantitative data analysis was conducted using statistical software Jamovi.\u003csup\u003e35\u003c/sup\u003e The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess normality of distribution of results from the three questionnaires. Given the non-normal distribution that was found for all three questionnaires (specifically MD, WAMI, and UWES \u0026ndash; see Table 3), a non-parametric test (Spearman\u0026apos;s rho) was used to assess correlations between the questionnaires. For the mediation analysis, the Jamovi mediation package was used, specifically nonparametric bootstrap sampling, which provided robust estimates and confidence intervals for the mediation effects.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDescriptive Statistics for SAMD, WAMI, and UWES Questionnaires\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScale\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 57px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMean\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSD\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinimum\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaximum\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShapiro-Wilk \u003cem\u003eW\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 101px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShapiro-Wilk \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSA (out of 5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 57px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2.26\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.20\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.98\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 101px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.040\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMD (out of 7)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 57px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.59\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.48\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 101px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWAMI (out of 5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 57px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.86\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.89\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.70\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5.00\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.92\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 101px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;.001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 142px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eUWES (out of 5)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 57px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.58\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 47px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.81\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1.12\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 76px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4.88\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.96\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 101px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNote.\u003c/em\u003e SA = Synchronistic Awareness Subscale; MD = Meaning Detection Subscale; WAMI = Work and Meaning inventory; UWES = Utrecht Work Engagement Scale\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847185\"\u003eQualitative Procedure and Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews containing seven open-ended questions exploring participants\u0026apos; experiences and perceptions of WRSEs. Each interview session was conducted on Microsoft Teams online conferencing software, audio-recorded with participant consent and transcribed verbatim for analysis. The interviews lasted approximately 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the depth of participant responses. The interview protocol followed a structured phenomenological approach\u003csup\u003e36\u003c/sup\u003e that focused on understanding the nuanced and lived experiences of WRSEs and their impact on meaningful work and work engagement. The questions were designed to delve deeply into participants\u0026apos; subjective experiences, capturing the richness and complexity of how WRSEs may influence their professional lives. Key questions included: \u0026quot;Could you share a specific instance where you experienced a significant synchronicity that impacted your work or career?\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;In what ways, if any, did this synchronistic event influence your experience of meaningful work?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis to identify codes, patterns, and themes in participants\u0026apos; descriptions of their experiences.\u003csup\u003e37\u003c/sup\u003e Following a phenomenological method, the analysis aimed to synthesise the themes into structural, textural, and composite descriptions.\u003csup\u003e38\u003c/sup\u003e The transcripts were manually reviewed multiple times by the first author to ensure that the transcription accurately captured participants\u0026apos; statements verbatim from the interviews. After this verification process, the transcript documents were uploaded into the ATLAS.ti software,\u003csup\u003e39\u003c/sup\u003e where the formal coding and analysis commenced. Using ATLAS.ti\u0026apos;s \u0026ldquo;Coding\u0026rdquo; function, each transcript was systematically reviewed to identify significant statements, and preliminary codes were applied directly within the software. This process facilitated the capture of key phrases and core concepts related to WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement, enabling an organised and comprehensive coding process supported by the software\u0026rsquo;s analytical tools.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe coding refinement process involved utilising the \u0026quot;Network\u0026quot; function in ATLAS.ti. to visualise the relationships between the list of preliminary codes, which facilitated the merging of many small codes into a more manageable number. This process reduced the initial list to approximately 26 refined codes. Through further grouping and visualisation using the same \u0026ldquo;Network\u0026rdquo; function in Atlas.ti, these codes were mapped onto four emergent themes. The final step involved synthesising the identified themes into structural, textural, and composite descriptions, capturing the essence of participants\u0026apos; lived experiences.\u003csup\u003e38\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847186\"\u003eData Integration\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final step of the analysis was data integration, which focused on analysing the convergence and divergence between quantitative results and qualitative themes. This process involved mapping the connections between each quantitative outcome and the qualitative insights to gain a comprehensive understanding of the data.\u003csup\u003e32\u003c/sup\u003e Specifically, this process included comparing the quantitative findings from the correlations and mediation effects with the qualitative themes that emerged from the interviews.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003ch2\u003eQuantitative Results\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"_Toc171847190\"\u003eDescriptive Statistics\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3 presents the descriptive statistics for the SAMD, WAMI, and UWES questionnaires (\u003cem\u003eN\u003c/em\u003e=108).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"_Toc171847191\"\u003eCorrelation Analysis\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 4 shows the correlation matrix between SA, MD, WAMI, and UWES. All correlations were positive and statistically significant. The correlations were all moderate to strong (with most of the Spearman\u0026rsquo;s rho values being greater than 0.40), particularly the correlation between WAMI and UWES, and between SA and MD.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc171846151\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 4\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCorrelation Matrix\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 236px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasure\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 91px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 236px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSynchronicity awareness\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 91px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 236px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMeaning detection\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.74***\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 91px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 236px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMeaningful work\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.45***\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.48***\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 91px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 66px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e4\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 236px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWork engagement\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.43***\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 104px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.38***\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 91px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.68***\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*** \u003cem\u003ep \u0026lt; 0.001\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"_Toc171847192\"\u003eMediation Test Results\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate whether meaningful work mediates the association between WRSEs and work engagement. As described in the Method section, the SAMD questionnaire (which measured WRSEs) included two subscales: SA and MD. These two subscales served as the predictor variables in each of the mediation analyses, while meaningful work was the mediator, and work engagement was the outcome variable. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the first mediation analysis, meaningful work was a significant mediator of the association between SA and work engagement (Figure 2). The total effect (c) was 0.30, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals ranging from 0.24 to 0.36. When meaningful work was entered into the model as a mediator, the direct effect of SA on work engagement (c\u0026rsquo;) was reduced to 0.09, and was no longer significant, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals ranging from 0.04 to 0.13. The indirect effect (ab) (i.e., the mediated effect) for meaningful work was estimated to be 0.21, with 95% bootstrap confidence interval ranging from 0.17 to 0.26. The mediation analysis revealed that meaningful work accounted for 70.8% of the variance in the relationship between SA and work engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the second mediation analysis, meaningful work was a significant mediator of the association between MD and work engagement (Figure 3). The total effect (c) was 0.21, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals ranging from 0.17 to 0.26. When meaningful work was entered into the model as a mediator, the direct effect of MD on work engagement (c\u0026rsquo;) was reduced to 0.03, and was no longer significant, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals ranging from -0.01 to 0.07. The indirect effect (ab) was estimated to be 0.18, with 95% bootstrap confidence interval ranging from 0.15 to 0.23. The mediation analysis revealed that meaningful work accounted for 86.4% of the variance in the relationship between MD and work engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eQualitative Results\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing Moustakas\u0026apos; phenomenological method,\u003csup\u003e38\u003c/sup\u003e the qualitative analysis revealed 26 codes, which were consolidated into four themes (Figure 4), each shedding light on different aspects of synchronistic experiences in the context of work and career.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTheme 1: Five Types of WRSEs\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first theme outlined five types of WRSEs that influenced professional lives: meeting the right people, unexpected events, timely information, intuitive nudges and dreams, and intentional and meditative practice.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMeeting the Right People\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first type of WRSE involved encountering the right people at a precise moment in one\u0026apos;s professional life. Such encounters opened doors to new opportunities and significant career advancements. For example, Neil\u0026apos;s transformation into a successful transformational coach and author of a best-selling book stemmed from pivotal WRSEs at a Supercoach network conference. He recounted, \u0026quot;I was just meeting the right people, at the right place, at the right time\u0026hellip; divinely you know, spoke to me, and the people I get to meet are all meant to be\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eUnexpected Events\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis type of WRSE involved unanticipated events that aligned with one\u0026apos;s work, serving to affirm choices and navigate professional complexities. For instance, Eric, a world-renowned spiritual teacher and best-selling author, expressed his initial dissatisfaction with the proposed cover design of his new book from his publisher. This dissatisfaction spurred him to review his manuscript more critically, leading to the discovery of several significant errors. He reflected on this WRSE, stating, \u0026ldquo;I went back over the manuscript... because I kicked up a fuss about the cover, I need to make sure it\u0026apos;s really good\u0026hellip; I saw several big errors\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTimely Information\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis WRSE showcased how individuals encountered crucial information that significantly impacted their work at the precise right time. This involved the unexpected discovery of resources such as books, podcasts, or conversations that were precisely relevant to current challenges or interests at work. Zoe, a nutritional therapist, who supported her clients\u0026apos; overall health during their cancer treatment, expressed, \u0026quot;I will end up talking to somebody who\u0026apos;s got the information I need, and [then meeting someone] with a very difficult rare problem and I will know how to fix it\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIntuitive Nudges and Dreams\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis WRSE was characterised by intuitive nudges or dreams that guided professional decisions. These experiences often manifested as sudden insights or dreams that led to significant career advancements and meaningful work outcomes. For instance, Ellen, an HR specialist who facilitates spiritual retreats and circles for world-renowned corporate clients, recounted a dream that contributed to the success of her nationwide work project: \u0026quot;I had a dream... [about] getting a representative for every State... and the next day, someone called me out of the blue [and said], \u0026lsquo;I know exactly who to put you in touch with\u0026apos;\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIntentional and Meditative Practice\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final type of WRSE encompassed experiences where meditation or intention-setting led to profound moments of clarity and serendipitous occurrences that directly benefited participants\u0026rsquo; work. For example, during a meditation session, Eric remembered an old bitcoin investment password he had lost and forgotten. He explained, \u0026quot;For some reason in the meditation, the sun just hit my face, and I thought, oh I\u0026apos;ve still got that half a bitcoin somewhere... I immediately cashed out \u0026pound;15,000\u0026hellip; which I used to help with a work project\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847195\"\u003eTheme 2: Mechanics of WRSEs in Work and Careers\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis theme explored the mechanics of how WRSEs impact one\u0026rsquo;s work and career, categorised into three phases, which are outlined below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePhase 1: Ineffable Experience\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eParticipants often described their WRSEs as ineffable moments of profound impact on their professional and personal lives, characterised by a deep sense of wonder and connection to something beyond themselves. Ellen captured the essence of these moments, saying, \u0026quot;That was like, \u0026apos;wow!\u0026apos; You know, it\u0026apos;s so cool that happens\u0026hellip; I don\u0026apos;t think you ever get to fully understand the scope of it\u0026quot;. Such synchronicities were perceived not just as random occurrences, but as extraordinary events intentionally aligned with participants\u0026rsquo; life trajectories, often prompting a wake-up call from societal and habitual conditioning. Neil reflected, \u0026quot;We\u0026apos;re being educated by traditional mode of education, where we are told who is supposed to be... we have been conditioned in all sorts of ways\u0026rdquo;. Ellen agreed: \u0026ldquo;I guess it\u0026apos;s a process of undoing, it\u0026apos;s like you\u0026apos;re undoing all of the things that tell you that makes no sense\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePhase 2: Leap of Faith and Four Possible Benefits\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the second phase following a WRSE, individuals often chose to trust the process and took a leap of faith. The complexity of the decision-making process during this phase typically involved navigating through initial uncertainty and relying on faith. As Neil recounted, \u0026quot;So in the end, what I have to learn is to surrender, to let it go\u0026quot;. This leap of faith led to four types of benefits, which are outlined below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first possible benefit of acting upon WRSEs was career transformation. Such was the case for Eric, whose career trajectory shifted dramatically during a pivotal family crisis meeting. As his father revealed his secret double life to him and his mother, an unexpected call from a Buddhist teacher offered him an unforeseen opportunity. Amidst the chaos, this call led Eric to agree to give his first talk on spiritual experiences \u0026mdash; an event that marked the beginning of his career in spirituality and public speaking. He reflected, \u0026ldquo;Had he not rang at exactly the moment that I was so discombobulated by the trauma of my dad making this revelation, I probably would have said no\u0026hellip; that phone call came in at exactly that moment, led to my whole career\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second advantage of embracing WRSEs was the potential for enhanced productivity through accessing a state of flow. Such experiences also enabled individuals to feel fully present, diminishing the impact of external distractions and increasing both productivity and personal fulfilment. Neil recounted, \u0026quot;So it seems like it\u0026apos;s without effort... everything just flows\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe third potential benefit of WRSEs lay in their ability to facilitate effortless problem-solving. These occurrences frequently resulted in spontaneous and organic resolutions to work-related challenges. This phenomenon was illustrated by Ellen\u0026apos;s experience, as she recounted: \u0026ldquo;My dream is to do my work all over the world\u0026hellip; [without] doing the logistical work. ... In the last two days, there\u0026apos;s been three opportunities for me to travel somewhere without me having to organise it\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final possible benefit of WRSEs was financial support or gains, often arriving unexpectedly and closely tied to one\u0026apos;s professional path. For example, while conducting a spiritual retreat in South Africa, Eric unknowingly interacted with the retreat centre\u0026apos;s owner who had chosen to attend anonymously. This encounter only revealed itself during a casual farewell, where she expressed her intent to financially support his work, resulting in a substantial donation that secured his return to South Africa for workshops twice a year for a decade. He remarked, \u0026ldquo;So many weird synchronicities that then led to basically funding a big part of my career for ten years\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePhase 3: Acceptance and Awareness\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final phase after experiencing WRSEs involved acceptance, increased self-awareness, and self-evolution. These experiences, once perceived as extraordinary, gradually integrated into the normal fabric of professional and personal life. Participants described a profound realisation of the ubiquity and significance of these WRSEs as they became more attuned to their occurrences. Fred noted, \u0026quot;Once you begin to pay attention, then you get more\u0026hellip; because they have always been there, but once you don\u0026apos;t pay attention, you don\u0026apos;t see them. But when you begin paying attention, they show up more\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the recognition of WRSEs, the participants developed a profound level of self-awareness. As they developed a deeper understanding of themselves, they not only experienced WRSEs more frequently but also found these events to be more impactful, both professionally and personally. These WRSEs often resonated with insights that such experiences were not merely coincidences, but were for self-evolution that aligned with broader existential purposes. Eric related his reaction to an unsatisfactory book cover to a Buddhist perspective, stating, \u0026quot;We have this idea\u0026hellip; \u0026lsquo;Guru as the environment, Guru is the environment\u0026rsquo;. Which is kind of like the Buddhist way of saying not so much everything happens for a reason, but everything happens for your evolution\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847196\"\u003eTheme 3: WRSEs Enhancing Meaningful Work\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis theme focused on how WRSEs fostered a heightened sense of meaningful work. These experiences were pivotal in deepening human relationships, reinforcing the alignment of participants\u0026rsquo; life purposes with their careers, and deepening their sense of interconnectedness with the universe. First, WRSEs enhanced participants\u0026apos; sense of meaningful work by confirming their life purposes within their professional activities, acting as profound affirmations of being on the right path. For instance, Fred, who works as an addiction psychiatrist, frequently interprets everyday occurrences \u0026mdash; such as angel numbers or messages on advertisements \u0026mdash; as signs reaffirming his professional path. He shared, \u0026quot;All these signs, synchronicities\u0026hellip; that I see on daily basis. God is telling me that I am at the right place, at the right time, on the right path \u0026ndash; I\u0026apos;m doing what I came here to do\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile WRSEs affirmed personal life purposes within professional contexts, they also played a crucial role in deepening interpersonal relationships at work. This second dimension involved more profound interpersonal engagements, often manifested as moments where individuals could help others, enriching both their personal and professional lives. For example, Fred shared, \u0026quot;I\u0026apos;m in the right place, at the right time, on the right path because I\u0026apos;m helping people, overcome their addiction... I\u0026rsquo;m being used as a channel of healing\u0026quot;.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond these interpersonal connections, WRSEs led to the third and final enhancement of meaningful work \u0026ndash; a profound realisation of interconnectedness. This deeper connection extended beyond immediate interpersonal relationships to a universal scale, weaving individuals\u0026apos; daily work into a grand, cosmic scheme. For instance, Neil reflected on the harmonious work connection with the planet and others, transcending individualistic pursuits: \u0026quot;Rather than thinking, I\u0026apos;m just here, me by myself, isolated as a person. \u0026hellip; But you know, we\u0026apos;re all connected one way or another\u0026hellip; to make humanity a better place\u0026hellip; in our own unique way to serve our purpose\u0026quot;.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847197\"\u003eTheme 4: WRSEs Enhancing Work Engagement\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final theme explored the substantial influence of WRSEs on enhancing work engagement through five types of dynamic interactions. The first way that WRSEs contributed to work engagement was by aligning work with an individual\u0026apos;s life purpose. WRSEs influenced individuals to perceive their work as meaningful and aligned with their higher calling, which led to enhanced work engagement. This was more than just a job; it stemmed from an understanding of how their work contributed to a greater good, thus fulfilling a cosmic or existential purpose. Eric reflected, \u0026quot;It makes you feel like there\u0026apos;s, again you\u0026apos;re doing something with a higher purpose\u0026hellip; it definitely gives you more motivation\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSecond, WRSEs fostered work engagement by motivating hard work and learning. These experiences evoked a deep sense of purpose that led individuals to exceed their regular duties, pursue continuous learning, and contribute more significantly within their roles, ultimately promoting both personal growth and organisational advancement. Nina, who found her dream job at a special education school the same day she resigned from an unfulfilling job, stated, \u0026quot;[Having WRSEs] makes me want to be more motivated, and want to learn more, and makes me want to read books and, lead workshops, and share my skills\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThird, WRSEs elevated work engagement through perceived guidance from an overarching esoteric force. This guidance boosted participants\u0026rsquo; confidence and alleviated stress, contributing to a more relaxed and focused working environment. Fred explained, \u0026quot;Once it begins, I know that I\u0026apos;m not alone. At work\u0026hellip; I\u0026rsquo;m guided and protected by unforeseen forces... that give me confidence. I\u0026apos;m more efficient, more confident, more relaxed knowing that somebody has my back\u0026quot;. Additionally, during challenging times, past WRSEs were perceived as powerful forms of encouragement that bolstered work engagement and resilience, where such experiences affirmed that despite current challenges, there was a meaningful direction and supportive force guiding their professional efforts. Eric stated, \u0026quot;[I] remind myself... think of all the crazy synchronicity... that\u0026apos;s happened in the past, I trust that something might happen here too... as long as you do your work with an open heart and mind, it\u0026apos;ll work out\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFourth, WRSEs enhanced work engagement by boosting creativity and curiosity. Neil explained this transformative impact on his creative process: \u0026quot;[My WRSE] helps me to understand\u0026hellip; my creativity in my work... [it\u0026rsquo;s about] being in this flow. ... [My transformative experience] helps me to be able to tap into these skills more\u0026quot;. Nina illustrated how these experiences opened her up to new possibilities: \u0026quot;Every moment I\u0026apos;m grateful for, and I\u0026apos;m open to. And I stopped trying to control the situation and I let the universe do its thing\u0026hellip; I just like to be in the moment and see where it goes\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe final way WRSEs contributed to work engagement was through the profound joy and gratitude they evoked. These emotions were deeply felt and enhanced participants\u0026rsquo; engagement with their work and their outlook on their professional roles. For instance, Zoe shared her daily experience, \u0026quot;All the time, I go to bed happy, I wake up happy, I enjoy seeing my clients and when there\u0026apos;s synchronicities turn up, it\u0026apos;s just beautiful\u0026quot;. Similarly, Nina noted, \u0026quot;It makes me cherish going into work... I just cherish those moments, and I cherish my job\u0026quot;.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847198\"\u003eStructural, Textural and Composite Descriptions\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStructural Description and Textural Description\u0026nbsp;\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSee Appendix A.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eComposite Description\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWRSEs involve occurrences such as meeting the right people, unexpected events, timely information, intuitive nudges and dreams, and revelations from intentional and meditative practice. The sense of ineffability and guidance from an esoteric force fosters a deep personal awakening, compelling individuals to engage in meaningful actions and enhancing self-awareness in their professional lives. Emotionally, WRSEs align work activities with deeper life goals, enhanced human relationships, and foster a sense of interconnectedness, illustrating how WRSEs enhance meaningful work. This alignment transforms work into a fulfilling aspect of life, enhancing confidence, motivation, creativity, joy, and gratitude, which enhances work engagement.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003ch2\u003eSummary \u0026amp; Interpretation of Quantitative Results\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe correlations between meaningful work and work engagement indicate that greater perceptions of meaningfulness in work are associated with higher levels of engagement, aligning with prior research.\u003csup\u003e19,20\u003c/sup\u003e The positive correlations between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement substantiated the first research question and supported Hypothesis 1. Finally, the strong correlation between SA and MD suggested that individuals more attuned to WRSEs ascribed greater significance to these experiences, and was consistent with the positive association between SA and MD found in Russo-Netzer and Icekson.\u003csup\u003e33\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mediation analyses highlighted the role of meaningful work in linking SA and MD to increased work engagement, confirming the second research question and supporting Hypothesis 2. This finding is aligned with theoretical expectations that synchronicities may augment the perception of meaning in work, thereby catalysing greater engagement.\u003csup\u003e16,17\u003c/sup\u003e The mediation results showcase the potentially transformative role of meaningful work, as articulated by Bailey et al. and Hasan et al.,\u003csup\u003e16,17\u003c/sup\u003e with meaningful work mediating a substantial portion of the associations between SA, MD and work engagement. These findings corroborate previous research suggesting that the perception of meaning in work is a crucial mechanism through which synchronistic experiences enhance work engagement.\u003csup\u003e18,20\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847201\"\u003eSummary \u0026amp; Interpretation of Qualitative Results\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe qualitative results supported previous research suggesting that meaningful work, when intensified by synchronistic experiences, increases job satisfaction and organisational commitment.\u003csup\u003e18,20\u003c/sup\u003e The results also corroborated literature on the positive associations between meaningful work and work engagement,\u003csup\u003e16,17,19\u003c/sup\u003e demonstrating that participants felt more engaged when their work was imbued with meaning.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"_Toc171847202\"\u003eTheme 1: Types of WRSEs\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe findings from Theme 1 demonstrated that WRSEs impacted individuals\u0026apos; professional lives in five main ways, leading to professional insights and advancements. These experiences not only echoed but in some cases also extended the four types of meaningful coincidences described by Beitman,\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e which are synchronicity, serendipity, seriality, and simulpathity. For example, the concept of serendipity, involving finding something valuable by chance,\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e was present in the current findings where individuals like Eric discovered significant manuscript errors due to initial dissatisfaction with a book cover. In contrast, the current finding of WRSEs involving intuitive nudges and intentional meditative practices extended beyond Beitman\u0026rsquo;s framework,\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e suggesting a broader spectrum of meaningful coincidences that could significantly impact work engagement and meaningful work, and hints at the possibly of a spiritual layer of synchronicity that may facilitate personal and professional development in ways not fully captured by existing theories on coincidences.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"_Toc171847203\"\u003eTheme 2: Mechanics of WRSEs\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe findings from Theme 2 on the mechanics of WRSEs align with and extend the five stages of the Exceptional Human Experience (EHE) process outlined by Brown.\u003csup\u003e41\u003c/sup\u003e The first phase of WRSEs (ineffable experience) and Brown\u0026apos;s\u0026nbsp;first stage of exceptional experiences (EEs) (the initiating experience)\u003csup\u003e41\u003c/sup\u003e served as pivotal events that disrupted the status quo and captured attention. Participants in the current study described these moments as profound and beyond full comprehension, mirroring Brown\u0026rsquo;s description of EEs that prompt individuals to question reality and seek understanding. The second leap of faith phase taken by participants following a WRSE resonated with Brown\u0026rsquo;s Stage 2, where experiencers broadened their search beyond conventional norms, and brought both outward exploration and inward reflection, facilitating personal discovery and deeper exploration. The final phase of WRSEs, which involved acceptance, increased self-awareness, and integration of these experiences into daily life, paralleled EHE\u0026rsquo;s Stages 3 to 5. Participants\u0026rsquo; realisation of the ubiquity and significance of WRSEs aligned with Stage 3, where experiencers vacillate between old and new worldviews, achieving resolution and integrating new perspectives. This acceptance fostered a deeper understanding of interconnectedness, resonating with Stage 4\u0026rsquo;s shift to seeing the universe as a unified whole. Finally, Stage 5\u0026rsquo;s integration of one\u0026rsquo;s inner calling with contributions to the world was mirrored in participants\u0026rsquo; evolved engagement with their professional and personal lives, highlighting continuous self-evolution.\u003csup\u003e41\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"_Toc171847204\"\u003eTheme 3: WRSEs Enhancing Meaningful Work\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe three dimensions from Theme 3, where WRSEs were shown to influence meaningful work, aligned with several mechanisms outlined by Rosso et al.\u0026apos;s literature review,\u003csup\u003e18\u003c/sup\u003e which synthesised various sources and mechanisms regarding how work becomes meaningful. These mechanisms included authenticity, self-efficacy, purpose, self-esteem, belongingness, and transcendence. For example, participants who experienced WRSEs often described these events as affirmations of their personal life purposes within their professional roles, thereby fostering a stronger sense of authenticity. They interpreted everyday occurrences as signs that validated their career paths, which enhanced the alignment between their personal values and professional activities, ultimately increasing the meaningfulness of their work. WRSEs also deepened interpersonal relationships at work, which resonated with Rosso et al.\u0026rsquo;s mechanism of belongingness.\u003csup\u003e18\u003c/sup\u003e Participants recounted how meaningful interactions, such as receiving recognition from colleagues and managers or helping others, enriched both their personal and professional lives. These experiences reinforced their sense of self-worth and self-esteem, further contributing to the overall meaningfulness of their work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan id=\"_Toc171847205\"\u003eAdditionally, WRSEs fostered a profound sense of interconnectedness with the universe, aligned with Rosso et al.\u0026apos;s mechanism of transcendence.\u003csup\u003e18\u003c/sup\u003e Participants often felt guided by a higher power or esoteric force during moments of clarity and direction, reinforcing their belief that their work was part of a larger, meaningful whole. This perception of being connected to a broader cosmic scheme provided a deeper sense of purpose and significance to their professional activities. While these findings generally align with Rosso et al.\u0026apos;s mechanisms,\u003csup\u003e18\u003c/sup\u003e WRSEs often introduced a greater spiritual dimension, with participants interpreting these events as spiritual affirmations of their professional path. This added depth to the mechanisms of authenticity and purpose by incorporating the belief in esoteric guidance, and it expanded the notion of transcendence to include a dynamic interaction with the spiritual aspects of work.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTheme 4: WRSEs Enhancing Work Engagement\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe findings from Theme 4 are aligned with Self-Determination Theory (SDT) by Ryan and Deci,\u003csup\u003e42\u003c/sup\u003e particularly through the fulfilment of the three psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. First, WRSEs aligned work with an individual\u0026apos;s life purpose, fostering autonomy by enabling self-determined and meaningful engagement. Second, WRSEs motivated participants to exceed regular duties and pursue continuous learning, thus fulfilling the need for competence through challenges and mastery. Third, perceived guidance from esoteric forces enhanced relatedness and autonomy by creating a sense of belonging and security, while also boosting confidence and control. Fourth, WRSEs boosted creativity and curiosity, aligning with the need for competence by promoting exploration and learning. Finally, the joy and gratitude evoked by WRSEs fulfilled the need for relatedness, enhancing overall wellbeing and work engagement by fostering a deep emotional connection and satisfaction.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847206\"\u003eIntegration of Quantitative and Qualitative Findings\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth the quantitative and qualitative findings underscored the central role of meaningful work in the relationship between WRSEs and work engagement. The significant positive relationships between SA, MD, meaningful work, and work engagement that were found in the correlational analysis were consistent with the qualitative findings from Themes 3 and 4, which suggested that WRSEs enhanced work engagement by fostering a sense of meaningful work.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheme 3 of the qualitative results focused on how WRSEs fostered a heightened sense of meaningful work by deepening human relationships, aligning participants\u0026apos; life purposes with their careers, and enhancing interconnectedness with the universe, which aligned with the quantitative findings showing meaningful work mediated a substantial amount of the variance between WRSEs and work engagement. Additionally, Theme 4 revealed that WRSEs contributed to work engagement by aligning work with life purpose, motivating hard work and continuous learning, and providing perceived guidance and confidence. These findings underscored that WRSEs enhanced work engagement primarily through their impact on meaningful work, as demonstrated by the quantitative mediation analyses and qualitative narratives.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile nothing within the qualitative and quantitative results directly contradicted each other, a divergence was found in relation to the qualitative finding of an impact of WRSEs on work engagement beyond meaningful work, specifically by boosting creativity and curiosity, and evoking profound joy and gratitude. The qualitative findings suggest that WRSEs enhance work engagement not only through meaningful work, but also through pathways that involved fostering creativity, curiosity, joy, and gratitude. This divergence indicated additional factors influencing engagement beyond the mediating role of meaningful work, highlighting areas for further research to capture the full spectrum of WRSEs\u0026apos; influence on work engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"_Toc171847209\"\u003eLimitations and Future Research\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite the robust findings and comprehensive analysis presented in this study, a primary limitation of this research was its correlational design, which restricted the ability to establish causation. Although mediation tests suggested a directional path between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement, definitive causal inferences could not be made. Future research could employ experimental or longitudinal designs to clarify these relationships. For instance, running workshops to help employees recognise and find meaning in WRSEs and measuring changes in attitudes before and after the workshops would provide direct insights into how such interventions could impact work experiences and engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditionally, while every attempt was made to reduce researcher bias in the present study, the first author\u0026rsquo;s positionality \u0026mdash; as an experienced chartered accountant with a longstanding career in corporate settings and an interest in WRSEs \u0026mdash; may have influenced the interpretation of participants\u0026apos; descriptions of WRSEs, work engagement and meaningful work.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNext, this research relied on self-selection into the study, as well as self-reported data, introducing several potential biases. Participants\u0026apos; reports of their experiences, feelings about the meaningfulness of their work, and their engagement levels were subjective and may not always accurately reflect reality. There is inherent subjectivity in recognising synchronicities, as what one person perceives as a meaningful coincidence, another might see as a random event.\u003csup\u003e43\u0026ndash;45\u003c/sup\u003e In addition, participants joined the study with the knowledge that the study topic was about the experience of synchronicities in one\u0026rsquo;s work and career. Thus it is possible that WRSEs were perceived as being more important and significant for these participants, as compared to individuals who are not particularly interested in WRSEs. Similarly, while the phenomenological method required recruitment of participants who scored high on the SAMD questionnaire (i.e., who had in-depth experience with the phenomenon of interest), interviews with participants who scored low on this questionnaire could have been equally valuable in order to obtain a more balanced perspective. The limitations of self-selection and self-report data are difficult to fully address, but future research could benefit from experimental studies to provide more objective validation of findings. Future research would also benefit from embedding questionnaires about WRSEs into a larger study of organisational behaviour in order to recruit participants who do not have a strong preconceived interest in WRSEs.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition, the exclusion criteria for the quantitative survey, which omitted individuals not working full-time, may have led to the exclusion of valuable insights from those who work part-time but have profound WRSEs. This limitation could result in a narrow view of the impact of WRSEs, primarily reflecting the experiences of full-time employees. Including a broader range of employment statuses in future research could provide a more comprehensive understanding of WRSEs across diverse work contexts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, most of the interviewees in this study had roles focused on directly helping others. This might have influenced the findings, as these roles could have inherently provided more opportunities for meaningful work and engagement compared to profit-driven roles in private companies. For example, Oscar, the only interviewee from a profit-driven accounting firm, provided less rich qualitative data. Therefore, the qualitative results might not have been representative of employees in traditional, profit-driven roles in private companies. There may also have been a selection bias, where participants in helping professions were more likely to volunteer to be interviewed. Future research could interview participants from a variety of industries and job types to better compare the impact of WRSEs across different work environments, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of how WRSEs are associated with meaningful work and engagement in various contexts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study explored the relationships between WRSEs, meaningful work, and work engagement. Through a mixed-methods approach, the research found that WRSEs were positively associated with both meaningful work and work engagement. The quantitative analysis also revealed that meaningful work significantly mediated the association between WRSEs and work engagement. The qualitative findings complemented the quantitative results by providing rich, contextual insights into the lived experiences of individuals who had encountered synchronicities in their careers. Taken together, these findings offer implications for both employers and employees by suggesting that WRSEs might offer a novel solution to disengagement at work, by fostering meaningful connections that enhance engagement. For example, employers could leverage WRSEs to design roles aligned with employees\u0026apos; personal values, enhancing job satisfaction and commitment through initiatives such as personal development programs and meaningful work projects. Training programs that increase awareness of WRSEs could foster deeper engagement by highlighting meaningful coincidences. For employees, becoming aware of and actively engaging with WRSEs could create fulfilling career paths and aid in career growth by aligning roles with life purpose.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eConflict of Interest:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe author declares no conflict of interest related to this study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e This study was approved by the the Alef Trust Research Ethics Committee in accordance with the ethical guidelines set by Alef Trust (in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University), United Kingdom. All participants provided informed consent before taking part in the study. The research adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eNot applicable. This manuscript does not contain data from any individual person.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eT.H.L. conceptualised the study, designed the methodology, and conducted the quantitative and qualitative data collection. T.H.L. also performed the statistical analyses and thematic analysis and wrote the first draft manuscript. B.B. provided supervision, critical revisions, contributed to the interpretation of findings, and helped to refine the manuscript\u0026rsquo;s theoretical framework. Both authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgements:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo additional contributors or sources of funding were involved in this study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and analysed during the current study are not publicly available but are available from the corresponding author (T.H.L.) upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJung CG. \u003cem\u003eSynchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle\u003c/em\u003e. 1st Princeton/Bollingen paperback ed. Princeton University Press; 1973.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHenry J. Coincidence experience survey. \u003cem\u003eJournal of the Society for Psychical Research\u003c/em\u003e. 1993;59:97-108.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColeman SL, Beitman BD, Celebi E. 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Coincidences: A fundamental consequence of rational cognition. \u003cem\u003eNew Ideas in Psychology\u003c/em\u003e. 2015;39:34-44. doi:10.1016/j.newideapsych.2015.07.001\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"synchronicity, coincidence, work-related synchronistic experiences, meaningful work, work engagement","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6057897/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6057897/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis study used an explanatory sequential mixed-method design to examine associations between work-related synchronistic experiences (WRSEs), meaningful work, and work engagement, as well as the lived experiences of individuals encountering WRSEs. The quantitative component used self-report questionnaires from 108 full-time employees to test the hypothesis that WRSEs would be positively associated with meaningful work and work engagement, and that meaningful work would mediate the relationship between WRSEs and work engagement. These hypotheses were supported. Qualitative phenomenological data, gathered through semi-structured interviews with seven participants who scored high on the self-report questionnaires, identified four themes: types of WRSEs, mechanics of WRSEs in work and careers, WRSEs enhancing meaningful work, and WRSEs enhancing work engagement. The integrated quantitative and qualitative findings underscored the mediating role of meaningful work in linking WRSEs to work engagement. This study highlights WRSEs\u0026rsquo; potential to enhance work engagement through meaningful connections, offering implications for employees and employers.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Synchronicity in the Workplace: A Mixed Method Study of the Associations Between Synchronicity, Meaningful Work and Work Engagement","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-06 09:46:52","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6057897/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-05-27T08:43:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"261550081457071887934848409045380909478","date":"2025-05-22T07:54:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-26T16:25:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-04-23T07:37:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-03T05:24:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-04-02T20:51:57+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Psychology","date":"2025-04-02T20:50:47+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c95f79ca-0b5d-43ee-a760-a39bbe4b8942","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 6th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-05-06T09:46:53+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-06 09:46:52","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6057897","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6057897","identity":"rs-6057897","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}