The Routledge Companion to Management and Workplace Spirituality

Joan Marques

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9781351015097
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

The Routledge Companion to Management and Workplace Spirituality provides readers with a broad, cutting-edge overview of the discipline of management spirituality and religion (MSR).

Marques has gathered leading scholars from around the world who share their insights and research on important topics such as linking spirituality and religion, cultural influences on workplace spirituality, mindfulness, and managing spiritually averse people. The volume also covers each of the major religions from both East and West, as well as leadership and spirituality, and issues related to linking spirituality to ethics, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility.

This volume will prove invaluable to any student or researcher looking for a comprehensive survey of the field of MSR.

PART I

Managing Spirituality from a Personal Stance

1

UNDERSTANDING THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF SPIRITUAL BEHAVIOR

Joan Marques

The Spiritual Workplace: Reality or Not?

A major question that keeps arising when we consider the topic of spirituality in the workplace is how this trend could be possible in a world where the average organizational environment seems to lean more toward toxic than toward healthy. Over the past decades, several authors have dedicated studies and articles to this quandary. For instance, in a 2015 article, Giorgi, Shoss, and Leon-Perez stressed that the combination of high job demands and low job control remain to be the most critical threats to employee wellbeing. Ten years prior to that article, Heard (2005) had arrived at a similar conclusion and placed a price tag on this problem by asserting that workplace stress cost American business $3 billion way back in the 1990s, and that figure has continued to rise. Even earlier, Mor Barak and Levin had warned that a lack of feeling included formed the foundation of many workforce members to become dissatisfied and alienated. “Many workers lack a sense of inclusion, which is a key component in wanting to remain at a place of employment” (Mor Barak & Levin, 2002, p. 133).

On top of the stressful atmosphere that seems to have become more rule than exception in the fast-paced performance arena called “Corporate America,” it also seems that establishing a spiritual workplace could be seen as practically impossible when one is not a member of top management. During the past decades we conducted several business organizational workshops and higher education courses on the topic of spirit at work, and we discovered that the recurring query was, “how can you establish or promote spirituality at work if you are not a member of top management?” This question is therefore one that requires a deeper look into the phenomenon of spirituality in the workplace and what is needed to make it work. Schutte (2016) rightfully remarks that spirituality in the workplace is a much-disputed inquiry field. Since spirituality in the workplace remains a discussion topic among various theorists—some consider it impossible without the involvement of religion, while others strongly reject the incorporation of the “R” word when talking spirituality—a clear reference to what is meant in this particular chapter seems to be necessary. So far, there are a few decent definitions toward this phenomenon we can refer to. Due to its comprehensiveness, and the fact that it results from the author of this chapter’s own research, we will use the following definition for workplace spirituality in this chapter:

Spirituality in the workplace is an experience of interconnectedness and trust among those involved in a work process, engendered by individual goodwill; leading to the collective creation of a motivational organizational culture, epitomized by reciprocity and solidarity; and resulting in enhanced overall performance, which is ultimately translated in lasting organizational excellence.

(Marques, 2005, p. 283)

To the attentive reader it may become clear that, in the above perception, spirituality is kept separate from the realm of religion. It is perceived as the higher awareness that drives human beings to do well. It entails realizations of being interconnected to all other living beings, showing respect to everyone and everything that currently lives and breathes, or once did, and recognizing that there is more to life than our physical state of existing, or that which is visible to us. Spirituality in the workplace is, therefore, as presented in the above definition, the awareness that interconnectedness, respect, and recognition are not limited to ourselves and our private environment, but are also very much applicable to all those with whom we work on a regular or incidental basis, in such a way that these qualities can lead to more than mere enhanced enjoyable workplace circumstances, but to increased return on investments as well. It is therefore essential that the experience of performing our duties should be one that is rewarding to all involved, hence, providing ourselves and those we deal with in the workplace with feelings of trust, belonging, meaning, and fulfillment in all areas that we consider important toward the quality of our lives.

Nevertheless, the perfect picture painted in the paragraphs above refrains from providing insight into the possible establishment and successful performance of spirituality in the workplace when one is positioned in the middle or lower echelons of the organization. In most literature thus far, spirituality at work has been seen as a tendency that could only be successfully implemented if initiated by the organization’s leaders. Williams, Randolph-Seng, Hayek, Haden, and Atinc (2017), for instance, perceive a clear link between workplace spirituality and servant leadership, affirming that servant leaders may have a greater impact on their followers by exhibiting authenticity and sincerity (key attributes of political skill) in their care for their followers’ wellbeing. Kubicek (2005) refers to Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and Spiritual Intelligence (SQ) as intrinsic contemporary leadership concepts. In a review of Hicks’ book Religion and the Workplace: Pluralism, Spirituality, Leadership, Wiles (2005) discussed an enumeration of essential components, such as “(1) tolerance, respect, and acceptance of other religious and spiritual traditions; (2) promoting a pluralistic, non-coercive, and non-degrading working environment; and (3) discussion of religious and spiritual harmony in the workplace” (p. 195) as prominent leadership strategies toward increased spirit at work. Terms such as “spiritual leadership” (Wolf, 2004), “awakened leadership” (Marques, 2010), “moral leadership” (Thompson, 2004), “authentic leadership” (Beagrie, 2005), and “ethical leadership” (Brown, Trevino, & Harrison, 2005), are just some of the many ways in which the implementation of a spiritual mindset in the workplace has been proclaimed as being a leadership responsibility. In order to present a possible perspective on how to implement spirit at work regardless of one’s position in an organization, it may be prudent to first elaborate on the various aspects involved in spirituality in the workplace, as stated by various authors, and underscored through qualitative research by the author of this chapter: internal, integrated, and external.

Internal, Integrated, and External Aspects

A few decades ago, Burack (1999) identified three main pillars for the spiritual workplace—internal, external, and integrated—which he divided into four different but highly interrelated outcomes (p. 280):

1. “Leadership and the organization: demonstrated concern for employees, respect for others, consistency of actions and demonstrated acumen.”

2. “Employees: conscientious (e.g. quality, cooperation) continuing skill and knowledge advancement, adaptability and high sustained performances.”

3. “External (strategic constituents)—quality, consistency, environmentally aware, and a responsible community member.”

4. “Mutual—trust and shared responsibilities for joint benefits.”

Points 1 and 3 could be considered the external manifestations of a spiritual workplace from a worker’s perspective: although point 1 is actually an internal organizational factor, it is still an external one for the individual at stake. Point 2 explains some of the internal drivers for a spiritual worker, and point 4 refers to the integrated factor: the interrelation between all parties involved.

It was even longer ago that Neck and Milliman (1994) referred to the critical interrelation between internal and external aspects in the work environment by exclaiming that constructive thought patterns can lead to an enhanced perception and greater sense of spirituality in work. These authors asserted that workers who manage to upgrade their internal verbalizations to a level of awareness, transforming their mindset from negative to positive, will be able to enhance the spirituality of their work. Introducing the term Thought Self Leadership (TSL), Neck and Milliman further explained, “with the positive application of TSL, workers will learn to establish a better report with their external reality in the workplace” (p. 9).

Walters and Fenson (2002) called for a skillful balance between workers’ “internal and external world” (para. 6) to avoid conflict with others and within one’s self, which can lead to stress and all of its fall outs.

Internal Aspects

The importance of the internal aspect can also be concluded from statements such as one made by Cash, Gray, and Rood (2000), that spirituality looks inward to an awareness of universal values; by Naimon, Mullins, and Osatuke (2013), who underscored that people with a high internal locus of control find more gratification in their work; by DeCenzo and Robbins (1998), who stated that “an individual’s performance is a function of his or her ability to do his or her job, and his or her willingness to do it” (p. 99); by Goforth (2001), who exclaimed, “everybody has a need for something bigger in life than just making money and going to work” (p. k-2); by Barrett (1999), who asserted, “spiritual needs are met when our work aligns with our passion and has meaning for us or we feel we are able to make a difference through our ideas or by being of service to others” (p. 31); by Covey (1989) who concluded, “the spiritual dimension is your core, your center, your commitment to your value system” (p. 292); and by Terez (1999), who affirmed, “virtually all people have a driving desire to make a difference” (p. 19).

Through these and other citations in the abundance of existing literature, a wide variety of internal qualities that nourish the spiritual mindset in a workplace can be distinguished. Some of these qualities are ethics (Ayoun, Rowe, & Yassine, 2015; Mitroff & Denton, 1999; Weston, 2002); truth (Naidoo, 2014; Covey, 1989; Wheatley, 2002); belief (Gunther, 2001; Lerner, 2000; Lewis & Geroy, 2000; McCoy, 2001; Morris, 1997; Neal, 2000; Wheatley, 2002); respect (Burack, 1999; Drucker, 1995; Heider, 1985; Kaye, 1996; Mitroff & Denton, 1999; Pierce, 2002; Rosner, 2001; Wickens, 2001); and trust (Burack, 1999; Green, 2000; Lerner, 2000; Levering, 1988; Mitroff & Denton, 1999).

In order to establish a listing of common themes in a spiritual workplace, along with the establishment of a workable definition for this phenomenon, the author of this chapter conducted two phenomenological studies between 2003 and 2012. The studies entailed in-depth interviews with pre-identified business executives. Criterion sampling was initially applied, followed by snowball sampling after initial participant identification. Answers from all participants were transcribed and horizonalized, after which overlapping was eliminated. Common themes were clustered and verified through the application of interrater reliability, a solidification measurement thus far rarely used in qualitative studies. Interrater reliability was 66.67%. This study produced the following listing of internal acts of a spiritually converted worker: honesty, synthesizing, committed, caring to achieve completely and accurately, seeking the truth, self-motivated, more open, receptive to new ideas from the organization, seeking ways to make additional contributions or improvements the organization would benefit from, devoid of excessive ego, loving to do what he or she is doing, guarding him- or herself from letting time restrict the quality of his or her performance, and more motivated to do things right.

Integrated Aspects

The significance of the integrated aspect can be derived from statements such as Pierce’s (2002) insight that authentic spirituality of work does two things: (1) “it raises the practitioner’s awareness of the presence of the spiritual in the work itself” (p. 37), and (2) “this raised awareness changes the way practitioners of this spirituality work and relate to others in the workplace” (p. 37).

Some phenomena in specialized literature that pertain to the importance of an integrated approach in a spiritual workplace are understanding (Ashmos & Duchon, 2000; Covey, 2002; Freshman, 1999; Lerner, 2000; Turner, 1999; Wheatley, 2002); openness (Mitroff & Denton, 1999); team orientation (Covey, 1989; Drucker, 1995; Green, 2000; Kaye, 1996; Terez, 1999); giving (Green, 2000; Vadermark, 2001); and acceptance (Ashmos & Duchon, 2000; Turner, 1999; Vadermark, 2001; Wheatley, 2002).

In the two phenomenological studies, the following corresponding listing of integrated acts of a spiritually converted worker surfaced: understanding the importance of the work; understanding objectives and their value; drawing on the strengths of colleagues; respecting the environment; and being a good listener.

External Aspects

The relevance of the external aspect in spirituality at work can also be extracted from statements such as Ashmos and Duchon’s (2000) introduction of the Spirituality Movement in which they argued that “organizations that have long been viewed as rational systems are considering making room for the spiritual dimension, a dimension that has less to do with rules and order and more to do with meaning, purpose, and a sense of community” (p. 134), and Burack’s ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Notes on Contributors
• Introduction
• PART I: Managing Spirituality from a Personal Stance
• PART II: Spirituality, Religion, and Culture
• PART III: Conscious Foundations of Spirituality
• PART IV: Leadership and Spirituality
• PART V: Treading a Spiritual Path Toward Stakeholders
• Index