Passion: Buzzword or theoretical construct?

Published in: Academy of Management - January 2016

Written by

Jon Michael Jachimowicz, Jochen Menges and Amy Wrzesniewski

Summary

What we found: When thinking about work, many people seek to “follow their passion” or “do what they love”. But it is rather unclear whether passion is essential to have a fulfilling career and whether it is something fixed or rather something which can be built. We propose to question the existing opinions regarding the role of passion in the workplace. 

Why it matters: Thinking about passion from different perspectives is important because passion plays a key role when people think about their work and career. Studying when and how passion is important in the context of work may help people in crafting their careers.

What next: Understanding that passion does not have to be necessarily felt at work or may also be developed over time may support employees and organizations when thinking about the next career step - which may take some of the pressure that you should always feel passionate about your work.