Karma Yoga: Scale development and studies of the impact on positive psychological outcomes at the workplace

Abstract

Is achieving organizational performance and employee well-being a zero-sum game? Can cultural traditions provide an approach to realizing the spiritual aspects of ordinary vocations of life? We propose that the approach of Karm Yoga can answer these questions. This research presents the model of Karma Yoga derived from Vedantic tradition. We present three studies aimed at developing the construct and psychometric scale of Karma Yoga and examining its impact on workplace spirituality and positive psychological outcomes. Study 1 ( n = 459) is about the development of the construct and the scale of Karma Yoga and testing the reliability and validity of the same. Study 2 ( n = 337) is designed and carried out to examine the association of Karma Yoga on other widely studied indicators of workplace spirituality, i.e. mindfulness ( β = 0.44, p < .05) and self-transcendence. Further, in Study 3 ( n = 260), we investigate the hypothesis of a positive association of Karma Yoga with positive psychological outcomes like thriving, psychological capital, flourishing, and negative impact on job burnout. Empirical findings support these hypotheses. In this way, our research article presents the indigenous model of workplace spirituality by developing a theoretical framework and testing it empirically. Karma Yoga offers the ways and means to transcendence from an ego-centric approach of work to realizing the spirituality at work. This study also suggests that Karma Yoga reduces stress and leads to the path of well-being.

Does Workplace Spirituality Increase Self-Esteem in Female Professional Dancers? The Mediating Effect of Positive Psychological Capital and Team Trust

“…Thus, self-transcendence can engender positive psychological capital as pleasure, equability, and optimism. Selftranscendence promotes positive emotions and self-esteem by fostering positive values as well as a good-natured disposition, thereby heightening one's level of conscious awareness (Benish-Weisman et al 2020;Collins et al 2022;Dagar et al 2020;Gardner et al 2018;Lyu et al 2022;Navare and Pandey 2022).…”

“…Spirituality through self-transcendence can be directly related to internal resources, such as an individual's positive psychological capital. It can also be related to interpersonal and contextual factors, such as team trust within an organization and any other organizational resources or situational factors (Behrens 2020;Benish-Weisman et al 2020;Bruna 2022;Collins et al 2022;Dagar et al 2020;Gardner et al 2018;Kim and Kim 2021;Lyu et al 2022;Navare and Pandey 2022;Pantaléon et al 2019).…”