Psychological Meaningfulness And Personnel Performance In The Public Service: Revisiting Kahn's Theory Through Employee Disengagement

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/08/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 3 (2026)

Article No.

044

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-VNWJ44VT

Received

25 Jul 2026

Views

32

Downloads

8

Abstract

Employee commitment and motivation are fundamental to the effectiveness of public institutions, yet employee disengagement remains a persistent challenge in Nigeria's local government administration despite several public sector reforms. While previous studies have largely examined employee engagement from motivational and organisational perspectives, limited attention has been given to psychological meaningfulness as an explanation for employee disengagement. This study revisits Kahn's Psychological Meaningfulness Theory to examine how the absence of meaningful work contributes to employee disengagement and public service performance. Drawing on evidence from a cross-sectional survey of employees at a Lagos State Local Council, the study synthesises empirical findings on employee recognition, participation in decision-making, and working conditions as key determinants of psychological meaningfulness. The study argues that these organisational practices collectively shape employees' sense of purpose, value, and belonging, thereby influencing their level of engagement and commitment. The findings indicate that employees who perceive their work as meaningful are more committed, psychologically invested in organisational goals, and better positioned to enhance service delivery. In contrast, low psychological meaningfulness is associated with emotional withdrawal, absenteeism, reduced initiative, and poor organisational performance. The study contributes to public administration literature by demonstrating the relevance of Kahn's Psychological Meaningfulness Theory as a framework for understanding employee disengagement and recommends psychologically informed human resource practices to improve employee commitment and sustainable public service performance.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.