Workplace Spirituality - Thesis Example

?Running head: Workplace Spirituality Workplace Spirituality The present study focuses on the adopting spirituality in the workplace. The objective of the research is to determine the benefits and challenges of workplace spirituality, ideally on how it affects employee performance. The researcher conducted a qualitative study through a descriptive research, by using a survey questionnaire as the research instrument. The findings of the study showed that the main challenge of adopting spirituality is that employees are not aware of the difference between spirituality and religion. In addition, expression of spirituality can only be achieved through the management's intervention. It is the most important factor because without the management's initiative to set clear guidelines on how employees can express their belief and promote spirituality; employees would continue to function as they do. With the adoption of spirituality, each employee would be recognized and diversity would be accepted, thus increasing job satisfaction and productivity. Introduction Interest in the concept of workplace spirituality continues to gain traction, as spirituality is taken into the context of connecting with one's inner self and the other people around him (Ashmost & Duchon, 2000). The conquest towards spirituality is not tied to incorporating religion onto the workplace or enforcing individuals to adopt a religious mindset. In workplace spirituality, the concept of spirituality focuses on creating meaning out of work and finding the underlying purpose that forms the bond between the company and its employees (Ashforth & Pratt, 2010). Workplace Spirituality is referred to a culture in an organization wherein individuals are encouraged and empowered to search for purpose and meaning in the work they perform in light with one's physical and mental presence. It is in line with an employees' interest in connecting with each other and form a bond as a community (Besk & Jessup, 2004). Workplace spirituality is geared towards a harmonious environment in an organization, of people working together towards a common goal. It is important to note that the concept of workplace spirituality does not specifically cater to traditions or practices that have been organized. It is beyond the context of theology, wherein one leads as a spiritual guide among individuals. In truth, workplace spirituality focuses on the recognition of each individual in a community under an organization (Cragg, 2000). The challenge in tapping spirituality in organizations is that it didn't used to exist in work management. Productivity models that are adapted in the workplace are directed towards efficiency without the necessity to be concerned of other people's welfare. In that regard, most organizations do not pay heed to an individual's inner life as common conception dictates that personal beliefs are to be separated from work (Besk & Jessup, 2004). However, it is important to note that studying human emotions help in expanding our knowledge and comprehension of the reason behind people's actions and the manner in which they act. In essence, tapping one's inner spirituality helps an individual understand others better in terms of behavior, thus leading to greater productivity and efficiency (Ashmost & Duchon, 2000). Research Problem The researcher intends to determine how the adoption of spirituality affects the workplace. Research Questions 1. What are the benefits of adopting spirituality in the workplace? 2. What are the challenges in adopting workplace spirituality? 3. How does workplace spirituality influence employee performance? Significance of the Study The present study is being conducted to identify the challenges and benefits of adopting spirituality in a work place setting. The researcher chose Convergys (a call center) in the United States to assess in terms of the impact of workplace spirituality is because this organization functions on a collective effort to attain the organization's goals. In addition, the type of job of most employees under this organization plays a standard role whose task is routinary and repetitive, which incites job dissatisfaction and high turnover rate. Literature Review The integration of spirituality in the workplace does not focus on upholding religious beliefs. On the other hand, it promotes spirited individuals. Essentially, spirituality can be defined as an energizer to boost employee morale. It is a means of helping employees tap their inner selves to know their real purpose and define their career as a vocation beyond performance and wages (Ashmost & Duchon, 2000). In that regard, spirituality can be taken as the bond that people shares to experience the sense of togetherness as a community within an organization (Cragg, 2000). Research shows that individuals continue to lead stressful lives due to work and responsibilities, which is burdened by job dissatisfaction. Gone are the days wherein talks about spirituality are considered a violation against work environment. Organizations such as Taco Bell, Nike, AT&T and Ford have welcomed the concept of spirituality at work. In fact, companies like Intel and Coca Cola have allowed employees to convene and hold prayer congregations (Dean & Sasfranski, 2008). On top of the adaptation of the corporate environment to workplace spirituality, the academe has also took its context into account through highlighting the importance of personal development through exploring ethics and values in classes (Fry, 2003). It has been observed that in this day and age, companies must be able to adapt to spirituality as a means to thrive in the industry in spite of the global recession and widespread competition. Spirituality, in this form, does not necessarily pertain to holding a religion, but in finding inspiration from God and touching employees' inner selves (Ashforth & Pratt, 2010). Workplace Spirituality as a Motivation The concept of workplace spirituality has been associated to connecting to one's true self, in enlightening employees to envision the purpose and meaning of their career, rather than focusing on working solely for monetary compensation (Fry, Vitucci & Cedillo, 2005). The need for spirituality in the work place has been triggered by factors that negatively impact the employees' perception, such as: turnover, layoff, job dissatisfaction, job burnout, downsizing, recession, technological developments, unethical corporate environment, and violence in the workplace, mergers, terrorism, and family affairs (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2005). In balancing stress with life and at work, it is natural for individuals to embrace spirituality as a means of finding inner peace. This would help promote a sense of purpose among a group of individuals, which would reinforce faith and commitment towards the organization's goal (Harlos, 2000). An organization that cultivates and fosters workplace spirituality values ethics as one of the key principles that governs the firm. The concept of work and life balance is emphasized and individual motivation is heightened based on principles and values (Giacalone & Jurkeiwicz, 2010). More importantly, a spiritual organization ensures effective leadership elements are present to guide the community within a firm. A spiritual organization focus on developing people and helping individuals maximize their growth by tapping their potential. On the other hand, spirituality in the workplace is also geared towards managing conflicts on the balance of one's work and life (Fry et al, 2005). In spite of the ideal outlook of workplace spirituality, it is being criticized in the aspect of economics and legitimacy. Since the goal of business is connected to the return of investment, the link between revenue and spirituality is constantly questioned. On the other hand, the latter entails the validity of making individuals embrace spiritual values as a work ethic (Giacalone & Jurkeiwicz, 2010; Harlos, 2000). It has often been debated that the topic of spirituality is held personally, thus it cannot be imposed in the work place due to religious conflict (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2005). In this regard, it is important to note that the concept of spirituality does not focus on religion itself, but the manner of caring for the welfare of other people. A harmonious group coincides with a low turnover rate, which implies a higher rate of satisfaction among the employees. This, in turn, generates commitment and loyalty in the organization that boosts productivity and efficiency. The end result would be for the company to help its employees grow and earn more profit (Fry et al, 2005). Workplace spirituality can be characterized based on the following pointers (Fry, 2003): 1) A deeper and stronger sense of purpose, this helps in guiding members towards understanding why the firm exists and it respects and honors its values and principles. 2) Focus on personal growth, employees are individuals who help promote the company. Thus, they must be valued and their growth must be one of the firm's top priorities. Nurturing development among the workforce helps in reinforcing job security and promotes job satisfaction. 3) Trust and transparency, spirituality helps foster better relationships among individuals. If employees would look after each other's welfare, honesty, openness and trust would be developed. 4) Empowerment, once employees feel that they are valued in an organization and their decision contribute to the constructive development of the firm's operations, they become more empowered to participate and perform with the company. 5) Fostering expression, spirituality enables employees to freely express themselves without hesitation of reprimand or guilt. Drivers of Workplace Spirituality The concept of spirituality or faith at work is driven by the need of individuals for motivation to perform effectively through values formation. The identified factors that promote workplace spirituality are as follows: 1) diversity in spiritual beliefs and ethnicity among an organization; 2) acknowledging and recognizing various forms of spiritual sources; 3) changes in societal and economic conditions; 4) a more highlighted recognition of individual rights; 5) the advocacy towards global justice; and 6) a need to address conflicting structures in corporate organizations (King, 2007). Due to these identified factors, employees find it more difficult to present themselves at work in giving out optimum performance. Job dissatisfaction escalates and employee productivity declines. Ethnic and Spiritual Diversity The workforce continues to become diverse not just in terms of race, but also in one's religious affiliation. The variance in religious affiliations affect how individuals function due to difference in religious practice, considering that there are religious groups who deem it normative to express their beliefs openly whereas there are those who practice it intimately (Menke, 2005). The difference between those who express their beliefs openly and those who do not poses conflict especially when it is incorporated in the workplace. The usual activities and practices performed by religious groups or affiliations conduct worship attendance, prayers and meditations and other activities relative to their religious belief (King, 2007). The increasing degree of diversity among employees within an organization connotes a shared perception among individuals as a means to establish an ethical foundation that would bond the organization (Menke, 2005). Societal and Economic Changes All individuals aim to live an integrated life. This aim is usually impacted by the numerous changes in society and economy, which varies from layoffs, migration, recession and the like. The increasing competitive nature of each industry as the marketplace has become globalized has induced increased pressure for employees in the workplace as well as the considerable decline in corporate loyalty. Due to these uncertainties in the workplace, employees in turn become stressed and anxious to cope with the unexpected factors that affect their lives and jobs in general (King, 2007). In light with these, employees sought for a greater sense of meaning in the work that they do to help guide them through uncertainty and anxiety they experience. This greater sense of meaning has been found in one's inner self and sharing this with others who experience the same, in the context of spirituality (Lund & Fornaciari, 2007). Human Rights and Global Justice Individual rights are considered as national and international decrees that indicate that each person must be treated with respect and value, in accordance with rights and freedom on their overall wellbeing (King, 2007). Such decree is applicable to the concept of choosing one's own religion and equality among men and women. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights indicates that each person has the "right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religious; this right includes freedom to change his religion of belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, workshop, or observance" (Morsink, 1999). Organizational Structure and Human Interaction The fact that spirituality has been considered taboo in the corporate workplace is because of the historical development of corporate organizations. This development has gone through the following stages: agricultural; industrial; service and technological (Zimmerman, 2004). At present, organizations function based on the process applied during the industrial era that focused on operational efficiency. In maximizing operational efficiency, the following factors are in play to produce the highest productivity and results rate: high worker output; job fragmentation; hierarchical management of relaying tasks and orders; and dependence on manual labor (Mohamed, Hassan & Wisnieski, 2001). This type of management entails workers merely to function, while managers conceptualize. In light to this, workers have been forced to separate their individual personalities in the workplace as they are required to conform with the normative procedure of solely adhering. Such a trend continued to be practiced in the service era up until the current stature of the corporate industry (Mohamed, et al, 2001). In that regard, people have regarded that expressing spiritual beliefs as a panacea. Employees assumed that expressing spirituality entails punishment. However, it must be noted that without expressing faith and connecting one's inner self in the work we do, the development and growth of an individual would be stifled. The sustainability of having employees function only based on their job requirement, without incorporating their own personality at work continues to depreciate in line with the changes in economy and society (Wont, 2003). The shift in the organizational paradigm has brought about the full participation of each individual in the firm not only in terms of skills and abilities, but in faith and spirituality as well. This shift has made the provision of service more personalizes as employees can cater to the needs of their customers in a unique and interactive way as opposed to the standardized process (Menke, 2005). The aforementioned upholding of human rights with regard to religion and spirituality is important in implementing business ethics and strategies. The ability to allow employees to exercise their faith may cause benefit for others, but may be deemed offensive and destructive for other individuals (Thompson, 2000). Regardless, it has been identified that the less intervention that organizations assert in allowing their employees to practice and faith their spirituality would lead to an increase in the marginalization of employees in the company due to religion and spirituality (Pandey, Gupta & Arora, 2009). With that regard, there is a need for corporate management to integrate policies and processes that would allow individuals to express their spirituality through protecting their rights regardless of faith. Without such policies, conflicts would arise that can be attributed to the bureaucratic nature of firms (Rego, Pina & Cunha, 2008). In that light, it is up to managers to identify the degree of interest of the employees with regard to expressing their spiritual orientations. Through this initiative, each employee's spiritual rights would be preserved and could be tapped for potential positive impact in contributing to the firm (Pandey, et al, 2009). Interpolating religion and individual rights presents challenges due to the significant variance in every person's beliefs, although finding the right balance between the two would connote a considerable positive impact on any firm across the world (Giacalone & Jurkeiwicz, 2010). Methodology The study's objective is to determine the effects of adopting spirituality in the workplace in terms of employee performance, as well as the challenges and the benefits it brings. In this regard, the researcher has chosen a descriptive type of research. Descriptive research delves on the associations between phenomena, in light with opinions, processes and developments. It focuses on what is defined at present, but takes into account previous events that can be correlated to present situations. The researcher made use of journals, books and dissertations as secondary sources to gather information. On the other hand, a survey questionnaire was used as a means to collect primary data. The survey questionnaire was developed to identify employee perceptions with regard to the integration of workplace spirituality. The databases that were utilized in looking for secondary sources were ProQuest and EBSCO, with the use of the following keywords or search terms: "spirituality"; "workplace spirituality"; and "spirituality in the workplace". A research was conducted to grasp the study's overview through utilizing Google's search engine. Research Design The present study will follow a qualitative design through a descriptive research, which aims to identify employee perceptions on the challenges and benefits of adopting workplace spirituality. The researcher made use of a questionnaire that contains 15 questions that will help identify these benefits and challenges. The questions are relative to how employees assess their organization’s culture and how spirituality is in play on how the firm functions. A sample of 30 employees in Convergys were briefed about the purpose and objective of the study. The respondents were asked to sign a written consent prior to accomplishing the survey. The identities of the respondents were not solicited to promote anonymity. Results Spirituality and Religion 45% of the sample agreed on the second line item which indicates "spirituality and religion are different." This implies that the sample does not know the difference between both factors, which can be a contributing factor as to why it is a challenge in the firm to adopt spirituality. Organization Perspective There were five questions in the survey that focused on evaluating the perspective of employees on how their organizations operate. 44% of the respondents disagreed that their organization equally values people and profit, whereas 32% were neutral about the matter. This implies that the organization operates based on the industrial perspective of operational efficiency, wherein employees are driven to work to produce profit as opposed to promoting personal development. This can be associated to the response that 68% of the sample agreed that their organization promote competition, rather than cooperation. 64% agreed that the organization commends its employees for doing a job well done. In connecting questions #1 and #11, it can be identified that the organization involved promotes operational efficiency by driving competitiveness and laudable performance, in comparison to promoting teamwork as an efficient means of producing a higher rate of productivity. 49% were neutral about the organization downsizing without consideration of the employees' future, however 56% agreed that their firm implements changes in policies and processes without briefing their employees. The responses to questions #14 and #15 shows that the management of the organization is not directly engaged with its employees in terms of implementing new changes, which is typical for industrialized-run organizations wherein the employees function to fulfill their tasks and the management conceptualizes and analyzes. Spirituality and Development In the survey, questions #4, #5 and #6 focused on identifying the personal perception of the employees. 39% indicated that they are usually passionate about the work that they do, whereas only 52% felt neutral about welcoming personal growth in exchange for adjusting to new changes in the work culture. 74% of the sample indicated that they do not make use of spirituality to cope with their current work. 82% were neutral as to whether their organization encourages them to contribute in the society's development. 44% disagreed and 29% were neutral about the organization valuing internal diversity, whereas 39% agreed that the organization promotes its employees' personal development. This implies that internal diversity is not acknowledged as the employees were all driven to perform based on labor, but each are not recognized for their own skills set and unique abilities that they contribute to the company. Personal development was also a factor that is not valued within the company. These results can be associated to the 61% of the sample who were not passionate about their work. Core Values Lastly, the questionnaire included questions that cover the values exhibited by the organization in correlation with their personal principles. 65% disagreed that the organization's core values are in line with their own, and 74% agreed to question #3 which states that "My organization requires its employees to behave consistently in line with its core values". This shows that the employees cannot express their inner self in the work place because the organization requires them to behave in accordance with the mandated code of conduct, which is contradicting to their personal values and principles. This then poses a gap on how employees function, as they are not allowed to bring about their inner selves in maximizing work output as it is compulsory to follow a strict guideline in terms of behavior. Conclusion The Context of Spirituality Spirituality in the workplace pertains to the organization's interconnectedness, which highlights the relationship of each employee for one another (Dean & Sasfranski, 2008). Such type of connection forms a mutual bond among a group, which can vary from a Higher Being, environment, a cause, nature or the community in general. It is finding meaning on one's inner self and sharing this connection among individuals within the organization (Lund & Fornaciari, 2007). It is a means of an individual to express his or her interest in searching for meaning and purpose in one's life, which is reflected by living a life based on those core values. It focuses not on integrating religion in a work environment, but it's maximizing an individual's inner capacity to grasp the purpose and meaning of his work. Workplace spirituality holds the notion that in order for individuals to attain satisfaction and fulfillment in their jobs, they must be enabled to express their principles and goals (Ashmost & Duchon, 2000). Benefits of Adopting Workplace Spirituality An organization that values long term development places equal value to spiritual expression, as this factor promotes better communication and improved productivity. On the employees' end, workplace spirituality will help boost morale by reinforcing job satisfaction and personal growth within the company (Fry, 2003). The collective contribution of each individual within the company would then pose substantial improvements on the company's operations. Increased job satisfaction would relate to a less stressful working environment, higher return of investment and reduced rate of absenteeism. This can be achieved by recognizing and appreciating individuals not only for their professional roles, but also for whom they are- a diverse community that is not only worthwhile, but holds interest and passion (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2005). Challenges of Adopting Workplace Spirituality One of the key challenges of integrating spirituality in the workplace is due to the common misconception that spirituality is directly involved with religion. Since the aspect of religion has been taboo for the longest time in the corporate world, people assume that spirituality in the workplace is a means of converting employees into accepting religious beliefs to be accepted in a community (Mohamed, et al, 2001). It must be emphasized the religion encompasses traditions and rituals that follow dogma. It is also aligned with rendering church services, which is different from spirituality. Spirituality, on the other hand, focuses on connecting with one's inner self. It is the virtue that guides an individual's actions and principles. In that regard, it can be noted that the aspect of spirituality does not compel individuals to have faith in a belief, but rather it’s about tapping one's inner self and sharing this actualization with others (Thompson, 2000). In addition, adopting spirituality stems from the management of a corporation. Upholding policies based on the industrial era wherein profit is leveraged more than people will only produce unhappy employees due to their lack of connection with their job and the people they work with. In the present study, workplace spirituality is not present due to the fact that the organization channels its resources more on the revenue through labor, rather than promoting the growth of its people to generate more profit (Rego, et al, 2008; Pandey, et al, 2009). Recommendation To improve job satisfaction and reduce job turn over, the organization must appreciate each individual within the organization by highlighting their personal contributions not only in terms of the tasks expected of them, but in working harmoniously as a group. It is important to consider the diversity of each employee in a community as it promotes acceptance and cooperation (Fry, 2003). Furthermore, clear guidelines on policies must be established to enable employees to express spirituality to connect to their inner selves, as growth can only be achieved if one is attuned to his or her beliefs. This connection can then be shared with other employees within the company, thus forming a strong bond that would not only improve corporate loyalty, but it would also boost job satisfaction and productivity, thus leading to profit (Cragg, 2000). References Ashforth, B. E., & Pratt, M. G. (2010). Institutionalized spirituality: An oxymoron? In R. A. Giacalone & C. L. Jurkiewicz (Eds.), Handbook of workplace spirituality and organizational performance, 93-107. Ashmos, D. & Duchon, D. (2000). Spirituality at work. A conceptualization and measure, Journal of Management Inquiry, 9(2). Beck, R. & Jessup, R. (2004). The multidimensional nature of quest motivation, Journal of Psychology and Theology, 32(4), 283-294. Cragg, W. (2000). Human Rights and Business Ethics: Fashioning a New Social Contract, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 27, pp. 205-221. Dean, K. & Sasfranski, S. (2008). No harm, no foul? organizational intervention in workplace spirituality, Journal of Public Administration, 31, 359-371. Fry, L.W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership, Leadership Quarterly, 14, 693-727. Fry, L.W., Vitucci S., & Cedillo, M. (2005). Spiritual leadership and army transformation: Theory, measurement, and establishing a baseline, The Leadership Quarterly. Giacalone, R. & Jurkiewicz, C. (2005). From Advocacy to science: The next steps in workplace spirituality and research, In Handbook of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. New York Guildford Press. Giacalone, R. & Jurkiewicz, C. (2010). Handbook of Workplace Spirituality and Organizational Performance, Armonk. Harlos, K. (2000). Toward a spiritual pedagogy: Meaning, practice, and applications in management education, Journal of Education, 24, 612-630. King, S. (2007). Religion, spirituality, and the workplace: challenges for public administration, Public Administration Review, 67(1), 103-114. Lund, D.K. and Fornaciari, C.J. (2007) Empirical research in management, spirituality and religion during its founding years, Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, 4, 3–34. Menke, C. (2005). Synthesizing a comprehensive definition of spirituality and spiritual development and the construct validity of the optimism subscale of the Belief Systems Analysis Scale. (Doctoral dissertation). Mohamed, A. A., Hassan, A. M., & Wisnieski, J. M. (2001). Spirituality in the workplace: A literature review. Global Competitiveness, 9, 644-652. Morsink, Johannes (1999). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Origins, drafting, and intent. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1747-6. Pandey, A., Gupta, R.K. and Arora, A.P. (2009). Spiritual climate of business organizations and its impact on customers' experience, Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 313- 332. Rego, A., & Pina e Cunha, M. (2008). Workplace spirituality and organizational commitment: an empirical study. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 21(1), 53-75. Slater, W., Hall, T. & Edwards, K. (2001). Measuring religion and spirituality: Where are we and where are we going? Journal of Psychology and Theology, 29(1), 4-21. Thompson, W. D. (2000). Can you train people to be spiritual? Training and Development, 54(12), 18-19. Wong, P. T. P., (2003). President's column, September 2003: Spirituality and meaning at work. Zimmerman, E. (2004). The many delicate issues of spirituality in the office. New York Times. Appendix Questionnaire on “Workplace Spirituality” Strongly Disagree (1) Disagree (2) Neutral (3) Agree (4) Strongly Agree (5) 1. My organization values competition more than cooperation. 2. Spirituality and religion are different. 3. My organization requires its employees to behave consistently in line with its core values. 4. I am passionate about my work most of the time. 5. I am open to personal development where cultural change is needed. 6. I currently turn to spirituality to cope with my job. 7. My organization's core values are in line with my personal values. 8. My organization encourages its employees to contribute in developing society. 9. My organization recognizes and commends the performance of its employees. 10. My organization values internal diversity. 11. My organization values people and profit equally. 12. My organization encourages its employees personal growth. 13. Employees in my organization are receptive to personal changes to attain an inclusive culture. 14. My organization downsizes its employees without considering their future. 15. My organization implements changes without considering the well-being of its employees. Read More