The relationship of individual spirituality and organizational spirituality with meaning and community at work

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to carry out an empirical examination to assess the nature of effects an employee’s individual spirituality and organizational spirituality have on the employee’s experience of meaning in work and community at work facets of workplace spirituality. Design/methodology/approach This paper specifies and examines, using a cross-sectional survey research design, the empirical support for two alternative models – a direct effects model and a moderating effect model – of the likely influences of an employee’s individual spirituality and organizational spirituality on the meaning and community facets of workplace spirituality. Findings The findings indicate considerable support for the direct effects model but no support for the moderating effect model. Within the direct effects model, organizational spirituality had much stronger association than employees’ individual spirituality with the workplace spirituality facets of meaning and community. Research limitations/implications This study may encourage future research to examine other antecedents of workplace spirituality, and the moderators and mediators of the relationship between organizational spirituality and workplace spirituality. Practical implications It suggests to the practitioners that for enhancing employee experiences of workplace spirituality, organizational spirituality implementation is a more effective way than developing employees’ individual spirituality. Social implications The study indicates that employees’ spiritual needs of meaning and community at work can be better fulfilled through organizational spirituality implementation than through individual spirituality development. Originality/value This is an original empirical examination and its value partly comes from its research implications and practice implications.

Spiritual Leadership and Employee Performance: An Empirical Investigation

“…It was evident that spiritual leadership affects employee performance to extent of 0.212. The higher expectations of spiritual leaders can boost the spirit of cooperation, trust, and effectiveness of organizational systems (Milliman, Gatling, & Kim, 2018;Mohammadi, Vanaki, & Mohammadi, 2013;Pawar, 2017).This finding confirmed the study of (Akbar, Udin, Wahyudi, & Djastuti, 2018;Baykal & Zehir, 2018;L. Fry & Matherly, 2007) that high spiritual leadership is believed as key driver of productivity of the organization in optimizing the organizational performance.…”

The Impact of Workplace Spirituality on Employee Performance: Evidence from Abu Dhabi University

“…The last 20 years have seen a growing focus in workplace spirituality (Poole, 2009;Ashmos & Duchon, 2000;Gotsis & Kortezi, 2008;Mitroff & Denton, 1999b). Scholars who have focused on this area like Westerman and Whitaker (2014) and Benefiel et al (2014) have indicated that past studies have come to the conclusion that workplace spirituality is linked with a number of outcomes such as boosting the commitment of employees, productivity, job satisfaction among employees, employee organisational-based confidence, the well-being of workers, lower turnaround of employees, and lower employee frustration (Pawar, 2017).…”

Primary teacher burnout: Through the lens of theory and experience

“…Workplace Spirituality (WPS) comprises similar subconstructs, that of community, meaning and purpose and the idea of an "inner life" which has emerged in Organisational Psychology and Management research over the last 20 years (Ashmos & Duchon, 2000). Described as informal, personal, and pertaining mainly to individuals (Pawar, 2017) it acknowledges that for many people, work is an opportunity to experience meaning and purpose in their lives as well as a "a sense of connectedness to one another and their workplace community" (Ashmos & Duchon, 2000. p.135).…”