Final answer:
The 2019 Harvard Business Review survey found that most individuals prioritize meaningful work over higher earnings, aligning with research showing the limited impact of salary on job satisfaction compared to work content factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The key findings from the 2019 Harvard Business Review survey highlighted an important trend in workplace priorities: a majority of individuals are willing to forego higher earnings in exchange for more meaningful work. This is in line with the sentiment that various factors, like the nature of work, role clarity, and the ability to make choices, strongly predict overall job satisfaction, rather than just the level of pay.
Research, such as that by Judge et al. (2010), indicates that the feeling of satisfaction from higher pay diminishes over time, as individuals adapt to their new salary levels. Instead, employees often seek positions that provide a sense of contribution or purpose, supporting the notion that many value meaningful work over higher income.