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Category: Project

Description: Existing research suggests that attaining passion for work involves engaging in activities that people both “like” and see as “important.” We show that these two components of work passion have opposing effects on whether people report passion gaps, defined as the experience of having less work passion than desired. Through five studies using correlational, field, and experimental designs, we find that people who believe work passion means pursuing what they “like” (i.e., adopting a feelings mindset) experience larger passion gaps, in comparison to people who believe work passion means pursuing what they see as “important” (i.e., a values mindset). Feeling less passion for work than desired holds organizational relevance: people suffering from larger passion gaps are more likely to consider quitting their job. The current research furthers scholars’ understanding of work passion, and suggests practical ways to help individuals attain desired levels of work passion.