Workplace spirituality: empirical evidence revisited

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the current outcomes of the empirical research on workplace spirituality (WS) theory, that is, it provides an updated review about the knowledge of this managerial domain, as well as its limitations, problems and opportunities. Design/methodology/approach This study has searched for empirical articles of WS in the websites of relevant scientific publications such as Emerald, Sage, Taylor & Francis, as well as Google Academic, ProQuest and EBSCO. It has analyzed 882 published works, including books and book chapters. Overall, it has gathered 78 useful empirical studies. Findings Although WS theory is strongly linked to management studies, the research output has been published by a set of outlets from different domains. As a consequence, WS has made inroads through an interdisciplinary view. Findings indicated that quantitative method was the most preferred alternative by WS researchers, whereas qualitative and mixed-methods were less used. Data revealed the shortage of experimental studies in this area. As expected, the USA has been the most studied country in terms of the WS theory. Factor analysis is the most commonly utilized statistical technique followed by regression analysis. Data also suggested that Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling continue to be valuable statistic techniques for researchers in this area of knowledge. At last, the content analysis has identified five themes: positive effects, experiences/perceptions, uncertainties, measures and outcomes. Originality/value Unlike previous work, this study focuses exclusively on research output over a 16-year period (2000-2015). In doing so, it contributes to theory development by addressing the preferences of research designs, data collection methods, statistical techniques, countries surveyed, top journals of this field and major themes of research.

Spirituality at Work: The Role of Spirituality Dimensions in Fostering Organizational Commitment

“…Twelve core themes, namely; trust, openness, kindness, honesty, moral and ethics, a sense of peace and harmony, aesthetically pleasing work environment, team orientation, understanding, faith in God, respect and truth were found in a study by Marques, Dhiman and King in 2007 which reflect spiritualty within workplace. Similar themes were there among thirty four core themes which were identified by Vasconcelos in 2013 as to how Brazilian employees perceive spirituality (Vasconcelos, 2018).…”

“…Apart from different conceptualizations for measuring spirituality at work, there are different ways in which people experience or perceive the existence of spiritual values within the workplace. Fleming (as cited in Vasconcelos, 2018) has identified commonality/diversity, foreign but friendly terrain, personal belief versus organizational obligation, experience and expression of workplace spirituality and reflection-in-action and spiritual practice both personal and corporate levels as five ways in which people conceptualize workplace spirituality. Kinjerski and Skrypneck (2006b) found seven factors that foster employees' spirits at workplace such as inspiring leadership and mentorship, strong organizational foundation, organizational integrity, positive workplace culture and space, sense of community among members, opportunities for personal fulfillment, continuous learning and development, and appreciation and regard for employees and their contribution.…”

Spirituality, Symbolism and Storytelling in Twentyfirst-Century Organizations: Understanding and addressing the crisis of imagination

“…Hence, the mindful ambitious high-flying academic, targeting the top journals, may well steer away from entangling oneself in these matters. Vasconcelos (2018) hints at another possible explanation. His exhaustive search identified 882 published studies on spirituality, the workplace, management and organizing over a 16-year period (2000 to 2015) – none in top tier journals; these 882 studies represent ‘encapsulated knowledge derived from research initiatives of a wide range of distinct areas such as religion, psychiatry, psychology, gerontology and nursing’ (Vasconcelos, 2018, p. 809) in addition to organization and management studies.…”

“…Vasconcelos (2018) hints at another possible explanation. His exhaustive search identified 882 published studies on spirituality, the workplace, management and organizing over a 16-year period (2000 to 2015) – none in top tier journals; these 882 studies represent ‘encapsulated knowledge derived from research initiatives of a wide range of distinct areas such as religion, psychiatry, psychology, gerontology and nursing’ (Vasconcelos, 2018, p. 809) in addition to organization and management studies. Hence, the dispersion of knowledge among numerous outlets, many of them unknown and inaccessible to business and management scholars, does not facilitate the creation of a canonical body of knowledge that would confer academic ‘respectability’ and drive theorization.…”

“…The difference in interpretation among these review articles lies in the body of literature they reviewed. Tracey’s focus on ‘the major journals that count for tenure at the leading business schools’ (Tracey, 2012, p. 38) excluded the principal journal dedicated to the topic – the Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion (Vasconcelos, 2018) that alone published over the period surveyed by Tracey more than the 86 papers he examined. His review also ignored the Journal of Business Ethics that over the period reviewed published over 40 relevant papers and a similar number in the Journal of Organizational Change Management , including four (!)…”