Developed from meaningful work and business ethics, we investigate the motivational effect of meaningful work on paid staff (not volunteers) with a “shortage” of ethical employment practices situated in the Not-for-Profit sector. We tested the traditional notion of meaningful work by nature and by line manager support (under its business-like practices) to compensate for the “sacrifice” (low pay and job stress caused by poor employment terms) of front line staff working alongside professional managers paid the market rate. Using a mixed-method case study, we employed SEM modelling to analyse a staff survey of 125 valid responses and administrative records of staff resignation, alongside interviews. The results show that meaningful work by nature and by line manager support are positively and significantly associated with job satisfaction but neither has a significant effect on staff resignation action. There is no empirical evidence to support the compensating effect of meaningful work by nature; meaningful work by line manager support has a stronger effect only through reduced job stress, rather than compensating for the low pay, in preventing resignation. The qualitative analysis reveals that continued low pay and using precarious employment contracts have evoked the questioning of ethics of employment practices in this sector. We discuss the implications and suggest further areas of research.

从有意义的工作和商业道德发展而来，我们调查了有意义的工作对有偿工作人员（非志愿者）的激励作用，而非营利部门的道德就业实践“短缺”。我们通过自然和直线经理的支持（在其类似商业的做法下）测试了有意义的工作的传统概念，以补偿与职业经理一起工作的一线员工的“牺牲”（低薪和由恶劣的雇佣条件引起的工作压力）支付了市场价格。使用混合方法案例研究，我们使用 SEM 模型分析了对 125 份有效回复和员工辞职行政记录的员工调查，以及访谈。结果表明，有意义的工作本质上和直线经理的支持与工作满意度呈显着正相关，但对员工辞职行为没有显着影响。没有经验证据支持有意义的工作天生具有补偿作用；由直线经理支持的有意义的工作只有通过减轻工作压力而不是补偿低工资，才能在防止辞职方面产生更大的影响。定性分析表明，持续的低工资和使用不稳定的雇佣合同引发了对该部门雇佣行为道德的质疑。我们讨论了影响并建议了进一步的研究领域。没有经验证据支持有意义的工作天生具有补偿作用；由直线经理支持的有意义的工作只有通过减轻工作压力而不是补偿低工资，才能在防止辞职方面产生更大的影响。定性分析表明，持续的低工资和使用不稳定的雇佣合同引发了对该部门雇佣行为道德的质疑。我们讨论了影响并建议了进一步的研究领域。没有经验证据支持有意义的工作天生具有补偿作用；由直线经理支持的有意义的工作只有通过减轻工作压力而不是补偿低工资，才能在防止辞职方面产生更大的影响。定性分析表明，持续的低工资和使用不稳定的雇佣合同引发了对该部门雇佣行为道德的质疑。我们讨论了影响并建议了进一步的研究领域。