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The Association of Individual Spirituality on Employee Engagement: The Spirit at Work

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Abstract

Employee engagement and spirituality have both been the focus of increasing interest by researchers and practitioners, and both are still early stage theories with ill-defined constructs and definitions. Emergent empirical work related to engagement and spirituality has supported the promise of improving both organizational performance and employee conditions. Responding to the call by theorists to examine engagement antecedents and specifically, the relationship between spirituality and employee engagement, a cross-sectional study was performed to examine self-reported individual spirituality as measured by the DSES and employee engagement measured using the UWES-9 including the dimensions of vigor, dedication, and absorption. 124 usable surveys were collected from a snowballing convenience sample and after confirming demographic representativeness and identifying the individual’s organizational role as a potential influential variable, analyses of the relationships between individual spirituality, overall engagement, and three individual engagement dimensions were performed using multiple regression controlling for organizational role. Empirical support was found for relationships between individual spirituality and engagement, vigor, and dedication but not for the engagement dimension of absorption. The findings should encourage further future exploration of the relationship between spirituality and engagement and inquiry into why results differ across engagement’s dimensions; specifically, why the relationship was not supported for absorption. The empirical support for spirituality as a predictor of engagement informs practical decisions for addressing workplace spirituality and concerns with the potential to assist in countering the declining engagement trend.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business and Leadership, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA, 23464, USA

    Richard A. Roof

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  1. Richard A. Roof
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Correspondence to Richard A. Roof.

Appendices

Appendix

Engagement Scale: Ultrecht Work Engagement Scale-9 (UWES-9)

The following statements are about how you feel at work. Please read each statement carefully and decide if you ever feel this way about your job. If you have never had this feeling, select 0 for your response. If you have had this feeling, indicate how often you felt it by selecting the number from 1 to 6 that best describes how frequently you feel that way.

  • Never = 0

  • Almost Never, a few times a year or less = 1

  • Rarely, once a month or less = 2

  • Sometimes, A few times a month = 3

  • Often, Once a week = 4

  • Very Often, A few time a week = 5

  • Always, every day = 6

  1. (1)

    At my work, I feel bursting with energy (V)

  2. (2)

    At my job, I feel strong and vigorous (V)

  3. (3)

    I am enthusiastic about my job (D)

  4. (4)

    My job inspires me (D)

  5. (5)

    When I get up in the morning, I feel like going to work (V)

  6. (6)

    I feel happy when I am working intensely (A)

  7. (7)

    I am proud to do the work that I do (D)

  8. (8)

    I am immersed in my work (A)

  9. (9)

    I get carried away when I am working (A)

Source Schaufeli et al. (2006).

Individual Spirituality Scale: The Daily Spiritual Experience Scale (DSES)

The list that follows includes items you may or may not experience. Please consider how often you directly have this experience, and try to disregard whether you feel you should or should not have these experiences. A number of the items use the word ‘God.’ If this word is not a comfortable one for you, please consider substituting another word that calls to mind the divine or holy for you.

  • For questions 1–15

  • Many times a day

  • Every day

  • Most days

  • Some days

  • Once in a while

  • Never

  1. (1)

    I feel God’s presence.

  2. (2)

    I experience a connection to all of life.

  3. (3)

    During worship, or at other times when connecting with God, I feel joy which lifts me out of my daily concerns.

  4. (4)

    I find strength in my religion or spirituality.

  5. (5)

    I find comfort in my religion of spirituality.

  6. (6)

    I feel a deep inner peace or harmony.

  7. (7)

    I ask for God’s help in the midst of daily activities.

  8. (8)

    I feel guided by God in the midst of daily activities.

  9. (9)

    I feel God’s love for me, directly.

  10. (10)

    I feel God’s love for me, through others.

  11. (11)

    I am spiritually touched by the beauty of creation.

  12. (12)

    I feel thankful for my blessings

  13. (13)

    I feel a selfless caring for others.

  14. (14)

    I accept others even when they do things I think are wrong.

  15. (15)

    I desire to be closer to God or in union with the divine.

  16. (16)

    In general, how close do you feel to God? Not at all, Somewhat close, Very close, As close as possible.

Source Underwood (2006).

Informed Consent and Study Disclosure: Delivered on Page One of Online Survey Instrument

This study of employee engagement dimensions and the potential relationship with individual spirituality is being performed by Rick Roof, an Organizational Leadership Ph.D. student at Regent University. You are invited to participate in this study which will involve completing an online survey instrument with 25 survey questions followed by a few demographic questions for analysis and validation. The questionnaire is expected to take approximately 10 min to complete.

As a participant, there is no compensation and no direct benefits, although you may find that contributing to the research and a better understanding of these emerging concepts is rewarding. Participation is voluntary, anonymous, and withdrawal, which is available at any time. Risks are minimal, primarily related to anonymity although no name, social security, or other personally identifying information will be collected, and the survey responses will be stored on secure servers. The results of this study may be published, but individual responses will not be depicted in any articles.

To be eligible to participate, you must be a full-time adult (18 or over) employee of your organization. If you have any questions concerning participation, privacy, or the study, please contact the researcher, Rick Roof, at richroo@mail.regent.edu.

If you elect to continue to the survey, understanding the aforementioned conditions, your participation will be truly appreciated.

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Roof, R.A. The Association of Individual Spirituality on Employee Engagement: The Spirit at Work. J Bus Ethics 130, 585–599 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2246-0

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