Skip to main content

An Overview of Workplace Spirituality and Its Likely Relationship with Employee Well-Being

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Work and Quality of Life

Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life ((IHQL))

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of workplace spirituality and outlines the likely relationship between workplace spirituality and employee well-being. It briefly describes workplace spirituality and indicates how it can help address some of the ethical dilemmas involving employee-organization relationships. This chapter outlines specific employee experiences associated with workplace spirituality and addresses some of the reasons for increased interest in the subject. Select organizational outcomes of workplace spirituality (e.g., positive work attitudes) are discussed. Also, this chapter describes different forms of well-being, and hypotheses are developed to capture likely relationships between workplace spirituality and employee well-being. Several case studies are used to illustrate the hypotheses.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ashmos, D. P., & Duchon, D. (2000). Spirituality at work: A conceptualization and measure. Journal of Management Inquiry, 9(2), 134–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biberman, J. (2003). How workplace spirituality becomes mainstreamed in a scholarly organization. In R. A. Giacalone & C. L. Jurkiewicz (Eds.), The handbook of workplace spirituality and organizational performance (pp. 421–428). Armonk, NY: ME, Sharpe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty, S. K. (1993). Managerial transformation by values. New Delhi, India: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, K. (2000). Measures of five aspects of affective well-being at work. Human Relations, 53(2), 275–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Klerk, J. J. (2005). Spirituality, meaning in life, and work wellness: A research agenda. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 13(1), 64–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duchon, D., & Plowman, D. A. (2005). Nurturing spirit at work: Impact on work unit performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 807–833.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, C. W. (1983). Spiritual well-being: Conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 11(4), 330–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, C. W., & Smith, J. (1991). Toward an integrative measure of health and well-being. Journal of Personality and Theology, 19(1), 35–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 693–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W. (2005). Toward a theory of ethical and spiritual well-being, and corporate social responsibility through spiritual leadership. In R. Giacalone, C. Jurkiewicz, & C. Dunn (Eds.), Positive psychology in business ethics and corporate responsibility (pp. 47–83). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W., & Cohen, M. P. (2009). Spiritual leadership as a paradigm for organizational transformation and recovery from extended work hours culture. Journal of Business Ethics, 84, 265–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W., Vitucci, S., & Cedillo, M. (2005). Spiritual leadership and army transformation: Theory, measurement, and establishing a baseline. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 835–862.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gavin, H. G., & Mason, R. O. (2004). The virtuous organization: The value of happiness in the workplace. Organizational Dynamics, 33(4), 379–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giacalone, R. A., & Jurkiewicz, C. L. (2003). Toward a science of workplace spirituality. In R. A. Giacalone & C. L. Jurkiewicz (Eds.), The handbook of workplace spirituality and organizational performance (pp. 3–28). Armonk, NY: ME, Sharpe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, A. M., Christianson, M. K., & Price, R. H. (2007). Happiness, health, or relationships? Managerial practices and employee well-being tradeoffs. Academy of Management Perspectives, 21(3), 51–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hosie, P. J., Sevastos, P. P., & Cooper, C. L. (2006). Happy-performing managers. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jurkiewicz, C. L., & Giacalone, R. A. (2004). A values framework for measuring the impact of workplace spirituality and organizational performance. Journal of Business Ethics, 49, 129–142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keyes, C. L. M., Shmotkin, D., & Ryff, C. D. (2002). Optimizing well-being: The empirical encounter of two traditions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 1007–1022.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinjerski, V. M., & Skrypnek, B. J. (2004). Defining spirit at work: Finding common ground. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 17(1), 26–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolodinsky, R. W., Giacalone, R. A., & Jurkiewicz, C. L. (2008). Workplace values and outcomes: Exploring personal, organizational, and interactive workplace spirituality. Journal of Business Ethics, 81, 465–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marques, J., Dhiman, C. L., & King, R. (2005). Spirituality in the workplace: Developing and integral model and a comprehensive definition. The Journal of American Academy of Business, 7(1), 81–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milliman, J., Czaplewski, A. J., & Ferguson, J. (2003). Workplace spirituality and employee work attitudes: An exploratory empirical assessment. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 16, 426–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milliman, J., Ferguson, J., Trickett, D., & Condemi, B. (1999). Spirit and community at Southwest Airlines. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 12, 221–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mirvis, P. H. (1997). ‘Soul work’ in organizations. Organization Science, 8(2), 190–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pawar, B. S. (2008). Two approaches to workplace spirituality facilitation: A comparison and implications. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 29(6), 544–567.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pawar, B. S. (2009a). Some of the recent organizational behavior concepts as precursors to workplace spirituality. Journal of Business Ethics, 88, 245–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pawar, B. S. (2009b). Individual spirituality, workplace spirituality and work attitudes: An empirical test of direct and interaction effects. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 30(8), 759–777.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pawar, B. S. (2009c). Workplace spirituality facilitation: A comprehensive model. Journal of Business Ethics, 90(3), 375–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, J. (2003). Business and the spirit: Management practices that sustain values. In R. A. Giacalone & C. L. Jurkiewicz (Eds.), The handbook of workplace spirituality and organizational performance (pp. 29–45). Armonk, NY: ME, Sharpe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2001). On happiness and human potentials: A review of research on hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 141–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selznick, P. (1948). Foundations of a theory of organizations. American Sociological Review, 13, 25–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheep, M. L. (2004). Nailing down gossamer: A valid measure of the person-organization fit of workplace spirituality. In Academy of Management Proceedings, MSR (pp. B1–B6).

    Google Scholar 

  • Warr, P. (2005). Work, well-being, and mental health. In J. Barling, E. K. Kelloway, & M. R. Frone (Eds.), Handbook of work stress (pp. 547–573). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Badrinarayan Shankar Pawar Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Pawar, B.S. (2012). An Overview of Workplace Spirituality and Its Likely Relationship with Employee Well-Being. In: Reilly, N., Sirgy, M., Gorman, C. (eds) Work and Quality of Life. International Handbooks of Quality-of-Life. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4059-4_24

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics