The Faculty of Business invites members of the campus community--students, faculty, and staff--to attend a virtual research presentation by Jose Espinoza for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Management position, with a focus on human resource management (HRM). 

Candidate Bio:

Dr. Jose A. Espinoza is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Calgary working with Dr. Thomas O'Neill and Dr. Magda Donia (Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa). Jose's research interests centre on the role of work in well-being, personal growth, and development. In this area, his current research investigates whether humans have an innate and fundamental need for purpose and its potential implications for employee motivation and well-being. He is also interested in the application of advanced latent and mixture modeling techniques, such as latent profile analysis, to provide a new perspective on established areas of workplace research. His research has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and has been published in psychology and business journals, such as Nature Human Behaviour, Journal of Happiness Studies, and Leadership & Organization Development Journal.

Presentation Title: The Need for Purpose: Implications of a ‘New’ Psychological Need for Work and Well-being

Abstract:

A common concern for individuals is whether they have identified a meaningful direction for their lives and feel like they are progressing toward related aims. In this talk, I propose that this concern reflects an innate and fundamental psychological need for humans, such that its fulfillment is a requirement for optimal functioning and that, as a motive, it spurs behavior directed at attaining satisfaction. First, I will present evidence that existing research in the social sciences indicates that purpose fulfills criteria considered the gold standard for evaluating whether a construct should be considered a need. I will then present a study developing a brief measure assessing satisfaction and frustration of the need for purpose that is adaptable for use across life domains. Next, I will present two empirical studies using this measure that provide evidence that the need for purpose accounts for variance in well-being and work-relevant outcomes beyond a well-established collection of psychological needs: the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in self-determination theory. Lastly, I will highlight key future directions of my research program investigating the potential contributions of the need for purpose to our understanding of individual, organizational, and societal phenomena.

The presentation will take place on January 24 from 1:00–2:00 pm (Atlantic Time) via the following Zoom link:  

https://upei.zoom.us/j/68009843257?pwd=OXpQRlUwZHJmTDBXNDB3Z1cwcWZiZz09

Meeting ID: 680 0984 3257
Passcode: 439223

For further information, please contact Shelly Kavanagh at businessfac@upei.ca.