Connecting Meaningful Work with Diversity, Equality and Inclusion: Introducing the ‘Inequalities in Meaningful Work’ Framework

Whilst meaningful work literature has acknowledged the topic of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), it has yet to properly theoretically and practically connect with it. There is an opportunity to contribute more significantly to the grand challenge of reducing social and economic inequalities by refocusing and expanding meaningful work debates from a DEI perspective. In this chapter, I do so by introducing the ‘Inequalities in Meaningful Work’ framework which integrates a range of relevant theoretical perspectives from different disciplines to elucidate how meaningful work may be involved in a wider ecosystem of inequality that increases the vulnerabilities for minoritized groups of workers. I outline four key propositions underpinning this framework and suggest significant areas to focus on that will enable an inclusive approach to meaningful work. These opportunities align managerial practice and the dimensions of meaningful work that could ‘break the cycle’ of inequality and enable all people to experience meaningful work. I hope the framework inspires other researchers to examine the interplay between inequality, workplace DEI, and minoritized identities in relation to meaningful work.