Spirituality and volunteering in soft skills development

Abstract

This paper analyses the main relationships between the perception of spirituality, participation in volunteer projects and the development of soft skills. 309 questionnaire forms were applied and the method of multivariate analysis of linear regression was used. Relevant relationships were found between the constructs. The variable related to learning proved to be decisive for the decision to participate in volunteer projects, demonstrating the interest of volunteers in this type of development. In addition, the higher level of personal spirituality, according to the respondent's perception, favours the development of soft skills, in addition to active participation in volunteering, not occasional, but frequent and systematic, preferably weekly. On the one hand, the company can stimulate spirituality passively or actively. On the other hand, the company can allow, encourage and even promote weekly participation in volunteer projects. Faced with the need for organizations to develop Soft Skills, this work contributes to the proposal of alternative ways to increase these skills, in view of the perception that courses and business schools have not achieved this objective. Results can also contribute to society by demonstrating that the effort to meet the needs of others can bring individual benefits to those who dedicate themselves to this task.