Coming out of the closet: negotiating spiritual expression in the workplace

Abstract

Current spirit at work literature often assumes spirituality needs to be introduced to the workplace. This paper offers an additional perspective, arguing that spirituality is already present, as many individuals have spiritual beliefs but struggle to articulate or enact these beliefs at work. Exploratory narrative research revealed frequent references to a lack of safety in expressing spirituality at work. The question is why and how do individuals silence their spiritual expression. This paper explores this question and presents a model that captures the ongoing experiential nature of spirituality and proposes that decisions about spiritual expression in the workplace are complex meshes of stimulus, decision-making and action cycles (SDAs) that are embedded in the individual's sensemaking, interpersonal relationships and group dynamics. Findings are explained through different theoretical lenses such as diversity management, social identity theory, social penetration theory and affective sensemaking theory.

Expressing religious identities in the workplace: Analyzing a neglected diversity dimension

“…Moreover, there is a rising desire on the part of employees to express their religion publicly, including in the workplace (e.g. Lips-Wiersma and Mills, 2002).…”

Making Sense of Workplace Spirituality: Towards a New Methodology

“…Yet few have made use of such a perspective and none have specifically applied the properties to an analysis of the processes individuals engage in when trying to understand and enact spirituality in the workplace. Those who have used elements of sensemaking include LipsWiersma (2002), who looked at how individuals with spiritual beliefs attribute meaning to their work experience, and Lips-Wiersma and Mills (2002), who discussed how decisions about how 11 to express spirituality in the workplace are embedded in employees' sensemaking processes, as well as their relationships in their workplace.…”

Structural change in health care: what’s the attraction?

“…8 Amongst these are the promotion of internal networks and more positive recognition of service -two key work practices that can always be improved upon in the heath care industry. The authors promote managerial behaviours that are almost counter cultural in health industries -for example approaching situations with an attitude of discernment rather than intervention, of listening rather than doing.…”