Research:

Spirituality in the workplace (SWP) – the effect of demographics on the relationship among spirituality, attitudes, and behavior at work

• Work attitudes – here: job satisfaction, job involvement, organizational commitment
• Behavior at work – here: organizational citizenship behavior (altruism, conscientiousness, sportsmanship, courtesy, civic virtue)
• 78-item survey with forced-choice and open-ended questions
• 350 completed surveys

Results:

• Spirituality in the workplace has a positive effect on work attitudes.
• Spirituality in the workplace has a positive effect on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)
• Work attitudes and OCB are interrelated –> one will increase the other
• Contribution of a definition to the discipline: “Spirituality in the workplace is a dynamic process that allows individuals to align their personal values with organizational values through the intimate connection to one’s life force. This way of being supports joy and passion at work, a feeling of fulfillment, connectedness, and belonging, and the constant flow of life connecting to one’s meaning and purpose.”
• SWP can easily be put into practice (silence before meetings, prayers, support of employees to take time for spiritual performance, teach meditation, ZEN gardens; events should be organized by employees)
• Nurture SWP to lessen threat of stress and burnout

Findings in open ended questions (meaning from the participants, answers in descending order):

1. Force/presence greater than ourselves,
2. sense of community,
3. meaning/purpose,
4. living out a set of deeply held personal values

1. Sense of community, living out a set of deeply held personal values,
2. force/presence greater than ourselves,
3. meaning/purpose

c) How does your spiritual life impact your attitudes and behavior at work?

1. Altruism/helping,
2. job involvement,
3. job satisfaction,
4. reducing stress and problems

d) When you work with individuals with the same spiritual beliefs, how does the collective spirituality impact the quality of work, relationships, and attitudes?

1. Positive work unit values,
2. sense of community,
3. performance

e) How do you know that your attitudes and behaviors at work are in alignment? What role does spirituality play?

1. Self-reflection,
2. feedback,
3. flow