I Want M.O.R.E.: Why Your Job Still Matters

Have you ever found yourself considering what your life would be like in the absence of work? Would you feel a sense of loss past the finances? More people than ever before believe that a job is just a way of earning money – nothing more. While the popularity of this transactional mindset is understandable, I Want M.O.R.E. argues that it depletes our vision of our professional lives.

Sociologist Scott Schieman has drawn upon decades of research to investigate what people think and feel about work. He has distilled the essence of that data to create M.O.R.E., which stands for Mooring, Opening, Relating, and Exceeding. Mooring navigates identity, structure, and purpose. Opening explores ability, agency, and creativity. Relating explains connection, support, and respect. And Exceeding focuses on recognition, reputation, and status.
Helping readers harness their sense of self and better their quality of life, the M.O.R.E. framework catalogues each element, along with metrics to assess your current job, what you value in a job, and what you aspire to achieve. The book also features a M.O.R.E. assessment, guidance on maximizing its dimensions, and tips for navigating difficult work situations.

A crucial guide for anyone who wants to get more out of their life and work, I Want M.O.R.E. energizes and empowers readers by encouraging a transformational new mindset about the purpose of work. How you see yourself is at the centre of who you are, and that is too important to leave to chance. And a little M.O.R.E. often produces big results.

Scott Schieman is a professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, investigating what people think and feel about work – and how they talk about it. He received the Leonard I. Pearlin Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Sociological Study of Mental Health and has committed his work to understanding how perceptions of job quality shape one’s sense of self, status, and well-being.