A-Purpose

Purpose is often discussed in terms of customers, investors, or society. Companies use it to show they care about the planet, the community, or the bigger picture. But let’s flip the perspective: what does embedding purpose-driven value actually mean for the people inside an organisation — the employees who show up every day?

After all, most of us spend more waking hours at work than anywhere else. According to McKinsey:

About 70% of employees say their sense of purpose is largely defined by their job.

At the same time, Gallup reports that

Only 21% of employees are engaged — with managers showing the sharpest decline.

This paradox raises an important question: if work is central to our sense of purpose, why do so many people feel disconnected from it?

When Work Becomes Meaningful

The answer often lies in whether employees feel they are part of creating value — not just producing outputs. Research shows that psychological meaningfulness is one of the strongest predictors of engagement.

My own Executive MBA research confirms this. Employees working in organisations that truly embedded value creation weren’t only more engaged — they were also more committed to staying long term. What made the difference was not just having a sense of purpose, but also the chance to co-create value.

Co-creation is what transforms purpose from a slogan into a lived experience. It might look like:

• A software firm encouraging developers to organise coding bootcamps for underrepresented youth in tech.
• A company inviting factory workers to co-design packaging solutions that minimise environmental impact
• A financial services company that empowers its advisors to design a program helping low-income individuals build financial resilience and achieve basic economic stability

These are not add-ons. They show employees that value creation is built together, not handed down from the top.

The Human Impact

When employees co-create purpose-driven value, a few powerful shifts happen:

• Tasks gain meaning: even repetitive work feels connected to a bigger story.
• Belonging grows: people feel seen as contributors, not just headcount.
• Collaboration deepens: purpose unites people across roles and silos.

I’ve experienced this myself. In one company, the sense of purpose was palpable. For a time, it made me want to stretch beyond my job description and contribute more because I believed in what we were building. That feeling didn’t last forever: leaders change… but while it was there, it was transformative.

The Pitfalls of Purpose

Of course, a purpose-driven culture isn’t a magic fix. Work still comes with tight deadlines, tough decisions, and inevitable conflicts. And there are risks if purpose is misused:

• Purpose fatigue: when everything is framed as “purposeful,” employees grow cynical. Not every task needs a grand narrative.
• The say–do gap: if leaders preach values but everyday decisions contradict them, trust collapses fast.
• Instrumentalising purpose: some companies use purpose to squeeze out extra effort without meaningful cultural change, leading to burnout instead of engagement.

Purpose, then, has to be lived authentically. Employees know when it isn’t and when it’s used merely as a tool, it can have detrimental effects in the long run.

Leadership Makes the Difference

Embedding purpose into culture isn’t about posters on the wall or speeches at annual meetings. It’s about what leaders do every day.

Authentic leadership means:

• Modelling values consistently, even when it’s inconvenient.
• Rewarding behaviours that support collaboration and long-term impact, not just short-term wins.
• Communicating openly, admitting when progress is slow or setbacks happen.

Alignment across the organisation is just as important. If executives say one thing but middle managers push for another, culture fractures quickly. Employees sense the disconnect and disengage.

Why It Matters

When value creation is embedded authentically, employees don’t just clock in for a pay-check. They show up with purpose. They collaborate more, stay longer, and bring more of themselves to their work.

This doesn’t mean purpose-driven organisations are perfect, no workplace ever is. But it does mean they create the conditions for resilience, belonging, and sustained engagement.

In the end, purpose-driven value is not about lofty statements. It’s about everyday consistency: creating spaces where employees feel seen, trusted, and part of something bigger.

When companies get this right, purpose stops being a slogan and becomes a lived experience not just for customers and communities, but for employees too.

Exploring Purpose and Value Creation: The Third Article in this series to explore previous article click here