From screen to purpose: meaningful IT work

In contemporary society, technological transformations have intensified changes in work organization, employment relationships, and professional expectations. In this context, the meaning attributed to work, job satisfaction, and the intention to remain in a job become especially relevant in occupations strongly shaped by digital mediation, such as those in the IT sector.

Over the past 40 years, academic studies in various countries and fields have sought to understand what gives meaning and significance to work (Allan, Batz-Barbarich, Sterling, & Tay, 2019; Bendassolli & Tateo, 2018; Ferraz & Fernandes, 2019; Morin, Tonelli, & Pliopas, 2007; Pignault & Houssemand, 2021). The origin of this research area is credited to the Meaning of Work International Research Team (MOW, 1987), which gained prominence from 1981 with studies across different nations, aiming to identify variables that attribute meaning to work for various people (Rosso, Dekas, & Wrzesniewski, 2010; Tolfo & Piccinini, 2007). Thus, work is defined as an occupation that remunerates, creates, and even defines human existence, based on individual meanings and its socioeconomic significance to society (MOW, 1987).

Continuing the research carried out by MOW, Estelle Morin, a researcher in the field of psychodynamics of work and psychosociology, developed an approach to understand how people attribute meaning to their professional activity and how this construction of meaning impacts their identity, motivation, and well-being (Morin, 2003, 2006, 2008; Morin, Archambault, & Giroux, 2001; Morin & Cherré, 1999, 2004). In Brazilian academic production, studies on the meaning of work have also mobilized distinct theoretical perspectives, including managerial and critical approaches (Ferraz & Fernandes, 2019).

Systematic literature reviews (SLRs) on the meaning and significance of work have contributed to Brazilian research, identified gaps, and offered suggestions for future studies in this area. One of the points raised in the SLR by Costa and Vieira (2024) is the need for epistemological coherence, as well as the relevance of adopting, among others, the managerial academic perspective to help managers act on behavioral aspects such as work motivation, turnover intention, and satisfaction. In this sense, this research aligns with the studies of Morin and MOW and relates them to satisfaction and intention to remain in a specific work context.

The SLR by Vieira, Gomes Neto, and Grangeiro (2022) points out that research has investigated various work and occupational contexts, but little is known about work contexts in which technology and the digital context are at their core. For the authors, the advancement of information technologies and related professions, the growth of social networks, and the diffusion of online platforms have significantly modified the structure of work relations and the meanings attributed to professional activity. Technological transformations have replaced traditional functions and demanded new skills, favoring activities that require creativity and more complex interpersonal skills (Vieira et al., 2022), such as information and communication technology professionals who work in a digital work territory (Bielinska-Dusza, Da Costa, Hamerska, & Zak, 2023), the focus of this research.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic was a global phenomenon that modified IT professionals' work structure and roles. Mobility restrictions led several companies and sectors to adopt the remote work model, a reality already known, albeit partially, to this segment of professionals (Vieira et al., 2022). The unfolding of these changes directly impacts these workers, for whom new forms of organization and flexibility can shape their perceptions of meaning and signify their work.

In the present study, the meaning of work is understood as a multidimensional subjective construct that reflects how individuals interpret, value, and experience work in terms of its personal, social, and existential significance. In this sense, work is not treated only as an economic necessity or occupational activity, but also as a domain through which people construct their identity, seek recognition, and organize the coherence of their life experience. This definition provides the conceptual basis for the present analysis and clarifies the dimensions through which the meaning of work is examined in this study.

This study makes three main contributions to the literature. First, it advances the debate on the meaning of work by examining Morin's multidimensional framework in the context of IT professionals, whose work is strongly shaped by digital mediation, technological change, and new work arrangements. Second, it contributes methodologically by relating the dimensions of the meaning of work to job satisfaction and intention to stay in a specific occupational context. Third, it contributes practically by identifying the dimensions most strongly associated with satisfaction and retention-related outcomes, thereby offering evidence for a more context-sensitive understanding of work in the digital economy.

Given this, the present research aims to investigate which dimensions confer meaning to the work of IT professionals and how these dimensions are related to satisfaction and the intention to remain in their work contexts. This study uses quantitative techniques to present the results of a survey of 110 IT workers in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). After the literature review, the methodological procedures, research context, and analysis and discussion of the results are presented. The final considerations and recommendations for future research are presented in the last section.

What makes a work meaningful? Why do people attribute such different meanings to the same work? Can work influence people's feelings, ideas, and behaviors? Rosso et al. (2010) pose questions such as these to introduce the literature on the meaning of work and situate its relevance for researchers in organizational studies, psychology, sociology, economics, and other fields seeking to understand work, interpersonal relationships, and the work environments encompassed therein.

One of the first steps in conceptualizing the meaning of work is its proximity to and differentiation from the notion of significance. In general, the concepts of meaning and significance are approached synonymously in research, following the theoretical tradition of MOW (1987), which treats them as synonyms. However, corroborating the work of Morin (2001), who, although continuing the MOW (1987) perspective, sought to differentiate the terms, the significance of work is understood as the social representation that the performed work activity has for each person at the individual level (perception of their work in the outcome), in the context of the collective (sense of belonging to a group generated by sharing the same activity), and in the social environment (feeling that their work benefits society as a whole) (Tolfo & Piccinini, 2007). In summary, the significance of work concerns a broader sociocultural view, whereas meaning reflects personal and subjective perceptions of the work experience. To characterize work that has meaning, there are some consensual subjective assumptions, which in this study are treated as broad subjective dimensions of the meaning of work (Morin, 2001, 2003, 2006; Morin & Tonelli, 2007; Rodrigues, Barrichello, Bendassolli, & Oltramari, 2018; Tolfo & Piccinini, 2007):

1. It encompasses the individual conception of work — how the person defines this activity in their life.

2. It includes the value attributed to work, understood as the degree of importance and centrality it occupies in their existence.

3. It covers the influence of personal ethical references that guide perceptions and behaviors related to work.

4. It refers to the underlying motivation for working and the reasons that drive a person to perform a certain task.

These aspects do not operate independently. They are strongly influenced by the social and cultural contexts in which workers are embedded, which shape their perceptions and positions. In this sense, work endowed with meaning is that which, beyond meeting external demands, promotes personal fulfillment, satisfaction, and stimulation. These dimensions also provide an initial analytical basis for understanding how workers interpret the value, legitimacy, and purpose of their work experience. However, the literature remains marked by conceptual plurality and tensions between broader interpretive approaches and more psychometric operationalizations of the construct. This study addresses this gap by examining the meaning of work in a digital context using a theoretically grounded, empirically structured framework.

Pignault and Houssemand (2021) argue that with recent changes in work and its contexts, the meaning and significance of work have acquired new contours in the social and human sciences, especially in psychology. The authors present a psychometric validation of the questionnaire developed by Morin in recent decades (Morin, 2003; Morin et al., 2001; Morin & Cherré, 1999, 2004), composed of 30 items and 14 dimensions, which had only been partially validated despite being widely adopted in occupational psychology studies and by professionals in business management (Pignault & Houssemand, 2021). This study is particularly relevant because it revisits one of the most widely used instruments for assessing the meaning of work and helps understand both the analytical scope and psychometric limits of Morin's original proposal. In addition, by reexamining the dimensional structure of the questionnaire, Pignault and Houssemand (2021) offer an important recent reference for studies seeking to use Morin's framework with greater conceptual and methodological consistency. The 14 dimensions that served as the basis for the questionnaire were conceived to capture the multiple functions and values of work in people's lives. They are the usefulness of work, social contribution of work, rationalization of tasks, workload, cooperation, salary, use of skills and competencies, learning opportunities, autonomy, responsibilities, moral rectitude from the point of view of social and organizational practice, spirit of service, working conditions, and recognition (Table 1). The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that, in practice, the responses were better represented by five broader latent factors that synthesize and integrate the 14 original dimensions: (1) Success and Recognition, (2) usefulness, (3) respect, (4) value, and (5) remuneration (Pignault & Houssemand, 2021).

The developed instrument captures multiple facets of the meaning of work and allows for evaluating the coherence between personal values and the characteristics of the work environment. This study adopts Morin's original dimensional framework while drawing on Pignault and Houssemand's (2021) psychometric reassessment to clarify both the construct's relevance and its empirical reorganization. In this sense, the 14 empirical dimensions derived from Morin's framework are mobilized here as analytical unfoldings of the four broader subjective dimensions presented above. The scale's dimensions and items are detailed in the analysis.

It is worth noting that, given its measurable nature, the meaning of work has often been operationalized as a dependent or independent variable in quantitative analyses, which largely confers a cognitivist character to the study (Rodrigues et al., 2018) and aligns it with organizational interests (Ferraz & Fernandes, 2019). Without disregarding the critique of the hegemonic work model, the results suggest practical applications of the questionnaire in professional counseling contexts and the promotion of healthier work environments, as the measured dimensions may be associated with indicators of well-being and mental health at work. In addition, the specificity of work in the digital context makes research on IT professionals particularly pertinent.

The concept of Information Technology (IT) emerged to highlight the convergence of computing and telecommunications, encompassing related fields such as computer science and information systems (Bielinska-Dusza et al., 2023; Laudon & Laudon, 2020). However, the definition of an “IT professional” is complex because the literature uses diverse approaches (Moura Junior & Helal, 2014). Moura Junior and Helal (2014) note that these professionals can be functionally characterized by their support for computer use, professional attributes common to IT occupations, or the type of technological artifact they manipulate. Another form of analysis is based on positions held, although titles and attributes vary across organizational contexts and the demand for specific skills.

From the 1930s, when the first IT-related roles emerged, until the 1990s, functions were more clearly defined, including systems analysts, programmers, and computer operators (Donohue & Power, 2012; Moura Junior & Helal, 2014). Over time, technological evolution combined with the pursuit of competitiveness has led to more specialized and ambiguously defined positions. Thus, although IT professionals can be characterized by their roles and attributions, this definition is fluid and rapidly affected by technological advancements. The definition of Moura Junior and Helal (2014) is adopted here, which understands an “IT professional” as someone who performs paid work in the area, operating in three interrelated categories: design (systems analysis, programming, testing), management (projects, teams, resources), and users (key user, client team). This classification by position allows new roles to map into more stable macro-categories, adapting to the area's continuous transformations.

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2024) report, which analyzed the presence of people with different social markers in the high-tech sector in the United States, found that although women represent almost half of the national workforce, they constitute only approximately 20% of IT professionals. Furthermore, the representation of African American and Hispanic populations is significantly lower than their presence in the overall workforce. In another North American report prepared by the Kapor Center (Goins et al., 2022), which aims to promote diversity and inclusion in the technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem by increasing access to education in Computer Science (CS) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), it is highlighted that White men are disproportionately represented in technical and leadership positions, while women and racial and ethnic minorities face significant barriers to entry and career progression. Similarly, in the Brazilian context, the IT sector is predominantly composed of white men. Nunes (2016) analyzed gender and race differences in the Brazilian IT sector, highlighting that men mostly occupy the most valued occupations and that there is a negative income differential for Black workers. This context is relevant to the present study because it characterizes the occupational field in which the research is situated and supports the inclusion of sociodemographic variables in the survey, even though the sample size did not allow for more robust comparative analyses across these groups.

This study adopted a cross-sectional research design to capture IT professionals' perceptions of the meaning of work, job satisfaction, and intention to stay at a specific point in time. Cross-sectional designs are appropriate for studies that examine relationships among variables within a defined population without tracking changes over time (Hair, Bush, & Ortinau, 2003).

Data collection was conducted through a survey, which involved applying a structured questionnaire to a sample of the population. This approach relies on representative samples, allowing quantitative data collection for subsequent statistical analysis. The survey method enables the generation of quantitative descriptions of specific aspects of a given population (Hair et al., 2003).

The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire developed by four researchers, including two senior and two junior researchers. The team held face-to-face and video conference meetings to finalize the instruments.

To ensure content validity (Hair et al., 2003), the measurement items were adapted from previously validated scales. The dimensions of meaning of work were based on the instrument proposed by Pignault and Houssemand (2021), and job satisfaction and intention to stay were measured using the scale developed by Lee and Ha-Brookshire (2017). The structure of the original instrument was preserved, both in item content and in the number of items per dimension, to maintain consistency with the validated measurement model.

Because the original instruments were developed in English, we conducted a back-translation procedure to ensure semantic equivalence between the original and translated versions of the questionnaires. In addition, we conducted a pilot test with members of the research group and IT professionals to assess the clarity and comprehension of the items. Based on the feedback received, minor adjustments were made.

A five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree) was used, following the format adopted in the original instrument proposed by Pignault and Houssemand (2021). The questionnaire also included a section on sociodemographic variables, including work modality (in-person, hybrid, or remote), age, gender, educational background, employment contract type, position, length of service, and income.

This study adopted a non-probabilistic convenience sampling strategy (Malhotra, 2019). Participants were recruited through multiple channels, including professional networks on LinkedIn, information technology associations, innovation hubs, large multinational technology companies, and higher education institutions in Rio Grande do Sul that offer IT-related programs. The survey link was disseminated through these networks and remained open for voluntary participation. This recruitment strategy enabled the researchers to reach professionals across various areas of the IT sector, including developers, analysts, programmers, and other technical roles. Because the questionnaire was distributed through open professional networks and institutional contacts, it was not possible to determine the exact number of individuals who received invitations to participate. Consequently, the response rate could not be determined.

The average completion time for the survey was 15 min. We collected 118 responses, of which 110 were considered valid, including responses from professionals in technical, analytical, and development positions. Although the questionnaire was also distributed to undergraduate students, the final sample included only respondents who reported currently working in the IT field. The final sample of 110 respondents was considered adequate for the statistical analyses conducted, including regression and factor analyses (Hair et al., 2003). The responses were subsequently organized into a data spreadsheet for the statistical analysis.

Factor analysis, a multivariate statistical technique that identifies underlying constructs by grouping variables based on their correlations, was employed to assess the dimensionality of the meaning of work. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between meaning-of-work factors and job satisfaction. Linear regression allows for the prediction and explanation of the variance of the dependent variable based on the independent variables (Hair et al., 2003).

An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine differences in perceptions across the sample's sociodemographic characteristics. Descriptive statistics summarized sociodemographic variables. All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), version 20 for Windows.

The State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), located in the extreme south of Brazil, comprises 497 municipalities and has a total area of 281,707.15 square kilometers. It is Brazil's sixth most populous state, with an approximate population of 10,882,965 inhabitants, representing approximately 5.4% of the Brazilian population (Governo do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, 2025). The IT sector is considered strategic for the state and is part of the focus for growth, job creation, and income generation through innovation hubs, technology incubators and start-ups. According to ABES (2021), in 2020, Rio Grande do Sul accounted for 4.88% of the Brazilian software market and 5.49% of the national services market. Although these data refer specifically to the software and services market rather than the broader IT sector, they provide a relevant indicator of the state's position in a central segment of the digital economy. In this scenario, public and private organizations are incentivized by programs such as Inova RS, a broader state-level innovation program aimed at strengthening regional innovation ecosystems and fostering partnerships among civil society, business, academia, and government, thereby helping to contextualize the institutional environment in which the study is situated (INOVA RS Program, 2025).

One hundred and ten professionals, aged between 18 and 58 years (M = 30.22, SD = 10.23), from different organizations, participated in the study. Of these, 22.7% were developers, 18.2% were IT analysts, and 9.1% were programmers. Regarding contract length, 56.4% have worked in their current job for less than five years. Although the average tenure in the same organization has been three or more years over the last decade, turnover is characteristic of the area, mainly due to higher salaries (Steil, Bello, Cuffa, & Freitas, 2022). Regarding work modality, 45.5% of professionals worked in person, and 54.5% worked remotely or partially remotely. Therefore, although the home office has intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person model still represents these professionals.

Regarding contract type and remuneration, 63.6% are employees, and 76.4% earn more than eight minimum wages. In contrast, a survey of 24,000 software developers in Brazil (Vulpi, 2020) found that 96% were open to new job offers under the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) terms. This suggests a tendency toward turnover in the sector, and the search for formal employment contracts is common. Furthermore, the survey indicated that the average salary is around five minimum wages, challenging the notion that most professionals in the field earn deliberately high salaries. Finally, 69.1% of the respondents were cisgender white men. The demographic profile of the respondents reflects the labor market for IT professionals in general (Goins et al., 2022; US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2024), as well as the opportunities available in the Brazilian context (Nunes, 2016).

Regarding the analyses of the meaning of work, three dimensions stand out: (1) Social Contribution (M = 4.51, SD = 0.570), which includes the variables (iii) “My work is useful for society” and (iv) “My work is useful for other people”; (2) Remuneration (M = 4.47, SD = 1.047), with the variable (xii) “The salary I receive for my work is fair”; and (3) Usefulness of Work (M = 4.45, SD = 0.595), which includes the variables: (i) “My work has a purpose” and (ii) “My work leads me to achieve results that I value.” These three highest means suggest that these are relevant elements in evaluating the meaning of one's work. Similar to other studies, the factors of success and recognition, which refer to the perception that the work performed is important for both the individual and society (Pignault & Houssemand, 2021), are also central to IT professionals (Table 2).

Specifically, usefulness and social contribution are considered central to meaningful work in most studies on this topic (Morin, 2001; Morin & Tonelli, 2007; Rodrigues, Barrichello, Irigaray, Soares, & Morin, 2017). As Tolfo and Piccinini (2007) state, when work does not contribute, it ceases to benefit someone and/or society and loses its meaning. In this sense, the present findings confirm existing models of the meaning of work by reinforcing the centrality of usefulness and social contribution in the perception of meaningful work among information technology (IT) professionals.

The relationship between the meaning of work and job satisfaction was tested using linear regression with a stepwise method (Table 3). The regression results show that the following factors explain 60.2% (Adjusted R² = 0.602, p < 0.05) of job satisfaction: Learning Opportunities (LO), Usefulness of Work (UW), Salary (SA), Recognition (RE), Spirit of Service (SS), and Autonomy (AU). Four of the six constructs that determine the meaning of work according to Morin (2003)–social usefulness, learning and development opportunities, autonomy, cooperation and relationship with colleagues, recognition, and moral rectitude–appear prominently. Given the proximity between the spirit of service, collaboration, and relationships with colleagues, it can be argued that only moral rectitude (rectitude of social and organizational practices) is irrelevant to IT professionals in Morin's (2003) framework. Furthermore, the factors of success, recognition, and usefulness (personal and social) discussed by Pignault and Houssemand (2021) are highlighted. At the same time, these results refine existing models by showing that, for IT professionals, the meaning of work is explained not only by symbolic dimensions but also by dimensions related to the concrete organization of work, such as learning opportunities, remuneration, recognition, and autonomy.

Table 4 shows that for each unit increase in LO (Learning Opportunities), job satisfaction increases by 0.169 units, and for each unit increase in UW (Usefulness of Work), R (Remuneration), REC (Recognition), and AU (Autonomy), job satisfaction increases by 0.352, 0.224, 0.250, and 0.159, respectively. The usefulness of work is the greatest factor in explaining job satisfaction (Morin, 2003; Rodrigues et al., 2017; Pignault & Houssemand, 2021).

Notably, the spirit of service reduces perceptions of job satisfaction. This result is particularly interesting because it contrasts with Pignault and Houssemand (2021), who suggest that the spirit of service would be one of the dimensions (along with usefulness of work and social contribution) that would comprise success and recognition. This finding challenges the assumption that prosocial orientations are necessarily associated with more positive work experiences, suggesting that in digital and IT work contexts, the spirit of service may be experienced under tensions that do not automatically translate into satisfaction.

The relationship between the meaning of work and the intention to stay was tested using linear regression with a stepwise method (Table 5). When all 14 constructs were analyzed, an R² of 50.5% was obtained. With the stepwise method, considering only three constructs—Skills in use, Health and Safety, and Remuneration—an R² of 48.8% was achieved, which are the most representative constructs for explaining the intention to stay. This is a particularly interesting result: 14 variables together explain 50.5%, but if we consider only three, the explanation is 48.8%. This represents only a small reduction in explanatory power, suggesting that these three constructs account for most of the relevant variance in the intention to stay.

The results of this study revealed that IT professionals mobilize several dimensions to attribute meaning to their work, which explains 60.2% of job satisfaction and 48.8% of the intention to stay, highlighting that, for these professionals, work acquires meaning when there is a balance between personal fulfillment, social impact, and fair working conditions. Taken together, these findings indicate that existing models of the meaning of work remain relevant but require contextual refinement when applied to digitally mediated occupations such as IT work. For explanatory purposes, the meaning of each of these dimensions is described below (Morin, 2003; Morin et al., 2001; Morin & Cherré, 1999, 2004; Pignault & Houssemand, 2021):

1. Usefulness of Work (Success and Recognition factor): the perception that one's work has a clear purpose and contributes to significant personal and social results.

2. Social Contribution (Success and Recognition factor): the feeling that one's activities benefit others and society.

3. Learning Opportunities (Extrinsic and Intrinsic Value factors): the possibility of professional growth, development of new skills, and career advancement.

4. Autonomy (Extrinsic and Intrinsic Value factors): the freedom to make decisions and organize one's work according to one's judgment.

5. Recognition (Personal and Social Usefulness factor): the feeling that colleagues and leaders value one's skills and results.

6. Remuneration (remuneration factor): fair salary and the perception that financial compensation is consistent with the efforts expended.

7. Adequate Use of Skills (Extrinsic and Intrinsic Value factor): the perception that the tasks performed are aligned with one's skills and knowledge, allowing one to express their potential and act effectively.

8. Health and Safety (Remuneration actor): the perception of a safe work environment, both physically and psychologically, and confidence in job stability.

Finally, to identify statistical differences between the means of the respondent groups, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. Statistically significant differences were found (p < 0.05) in the following variables: length of service, educational background, and age (groups divided into three terciles based on the distribution of respondents), income, work modality, position, type of employment contract, and length of service (Table 6).

In summary, the ANOVA results show that workers with longer tenure are more aware of autonomy and moral rectitude, and that social and organizational practices align with ethical values and respect human rights. The educational level also showed significant differences in perceptions of the usefulness of work and the intention to remain in the position; highly qualified professionals showed a stronger intention to remain in their jobs. Similarly, the higher the income, the greater was the intention to stay. Given the current debate over the return to in-person work in large companies, this result suggests that remote work is associated with a greater perception of workload among the survey respondents. Notably, no statistically significant differences were found in any of the constructs analyzed between cisgender men and women. This result does not render these dimensions irrelevant; rather, it should be interpreted considering the literature reviewed, which shows that the IT sector remains structurally shaped by gendered and racialized inequalities in access, progression, and representation (Goins et al., 2022; Nunes, 2016; US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2024). In this sense, the inclusion of sociodemographic variables was intentional; however, the structural underrepresentation described in the literature was also reflected in the sample, limiting the possibility of more robust comparative analyses.

This study aimed to investigate which dimensions confer meaning to the work of information technology professionals and how these dimensions relate to satisfaction and intention to remain in their work contexts. The preliminary analysis of the results showed that the dimensions of usefulness of work, social contribution, remuneration, learning opportunities, recognition, and autonomy had the greatest explanatory power for job satisfaction, accounting for 60.2% of this variable. On the other hand, 48.8% of the intention to stay was explained by skills, perceived health and safety, and remuneration.

These findings corroborate previous studies, such as those by Morin (2003) and Pignault and Houssemand (2021), by reaffirming that the usefulness of work and social contribution are central to professionals' perception of meaning in their work activities. An interesting finding is the negative association between the spirit of service and job satisfaction, a result that warrants further exploration in future studies. In this sense, the study contributes to the literature by reinforcing the multidimensional nature of the meaning of work and showing that, in the case of IT professionals, meaningful work is associated not only with symbolic aspects, such as usefulness and social contribution, but also with concrete employment conditions, such as remuneration, opportunities for learning, and perceived health and safety (Figure 1).

For future studies, it is recommended to expand the sample or conduct qualitative research to explore the intersectionalities of social markers of difference in the meanings of work in IT, as well as to investigate how different work modalities (remote, hybrid, in-person) affect these perceptions. Although information on sociodemographic characteristics such as race/color, disability, neurodiversity, and sexual orientation was collected, there were not enough observations in these groups to perform an ANOVA. Another possibility for future research is adopting longitudinal methods to capture the dynamics of the meaning of work over time.

The sample restricted to IT professionals in Rio Grande do Sul is a limitation for generalizing the results to other geographical and cultural contexts. Data collection also took place in 2024, in a state context affected by severe floods, which should be considered when interpreting these findings.

The results suggest that managers should invest in policies that promote skill development, offer fair recognition, and strengthen perceptions of the usefulness and social contribution of work. From a practical standpoint, these findings are particularly relevant for managers and organizational leaders responsible for IT teams and digital work arrangements. Rather than suggesting generic retention strategies, the results indicate that satisfaction and intention to stay among IT professionals are shaped by a combination of symbolic and concrete work conditions. More specifically, in work contexts marked by digital mediation, rapid technological change, and remote or hybrid arrangements, practices aimed at retaining professionals should not rely solely on competitive salaries. They should also include opportunities for continuous learning, recognition of contributions, conditions for meaningful use of skills, and work environments perceived as healthy and safe. Training programs, competitive remuneration strategies, and practices that reinforce professionals' autonomy are promising ways to increase satisfaction and reduce turnover.

For researchers, this study contributes to debates on the meanings of work in digital contexts by showing that the construct remains analytically relevant for understanding not only satisfaction but also retention-related outcomes in the IT sector. The findings also reinforce the importance of examining the contradictions of digital labor, in which demands for flexibility, permanent updating, and high performance may coexist with expectations of recognition, usefulness, and wellbeing. From this perspective, the intention to stay should not be interpreted merely as an indicator of successful talent management but as an expression of how workers assess the material, symbolic, and relational conditions of their work. For managers and organizational leaders, the results suggest less a prescriptive formula for retention and more a warning that digital work arrangements must be critically reviewed when they weaken the very conditions that make work meaningful and sustainable. Finally, this study sought to contribute to research on the meanings of work in digital contexts by broadening the debate on the conditions under which work becomes meaningful in the digital economy, reinforcing the idea that work only makes sense for IT professionals when it aligns with personal fulfillment, social impact, and fair conditions.

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful comments and suggestions that improved the manuscript.