Work to live or live to work: influence of entrepreneurs’ social identity on meaningful work
研究德国创业者三种社会身份（达尔文型、社群型、使命型）如何影响他们对有意义工作的感知，发现使命型创业者最能提升工作意义，达尔文型增强积极意义，社群型影响较复杂。
Purpose The meaning of work has shifted from an abstract ideal to a central career criterion, particularly for entrepreneurs who design their own roles. We examine how founders’ social identity (FSI) profiles, Darwinian, Communitarian and Missionary, shape the distinct facets of meaningful work (MW). Design/methodology/approach Using structural equation modeling of cross-sectional survey data from 322 German entrepreneurs, we tested the relationships between their FSI profiles and perceptions of MW (positive meaning, meaning-making and greater-good motivation). Findings Our findings reveal that Missionary founders significantly enhance MW by aligning with societal goals and personal growth. Darwinian identity elevates positive meaning by reinforcing achievement and competition cues. In contrast, Communitarian founders exhibit more complex and less pronounced effects on MW, suggesting that their community-focused values do not translate as straightforwardly into broader or individual perceptions of MW. Originality/value This is the first study to link the content of founders’ social identity profiles to specific MW dimensions, extending MW research beyond job-design factors and refining social identity theory with eudaimonic outcomes in the entrepreneurial context. The results provide practical guidance for entrepreneurs and organizations. Aligning job design and work environments with FSIs can enrich the MW experience, foster personal fulfillment, and, in turn, support overall organizational performance.