Efficacy of a Sense of Meaning Intervention Amongst Managers at South African Institution of Higher Education

Abstract

The study evaluated the efficacy of a sense of meaning intervention with a sample of higher education managers. Participants were 14 members of the campus management committee of a university of technology, in South Africa (age range = 32 to 64 years, females = 36%, majority ethnicity = 50% White). Data were on their sense of meaning with intervention were collected using the Purpose in Life Test (PIL) and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). In addition, qualitative data were collected on the participants’ subjective experience of development in creative potential. A one group pretest-posttest design employed. The quantitative data were analysed using t-tests for paired samples. The qualitative were analysed by means of themes. A sense of meaning intervention appears to result in significant improvement in levels of work related meaning and job satisfaction among higher education managers.