Spirituality in the workplace
1
Exploration into the reasons behind the increased interest in
Spirituality in the Workplace - Satiation of Maslow’s hierarchy of need
Shifting Maslowvian needs
 Some of the literature suggests
that as society [North
American and Europe] has
advanced in terms of leisure,
technology and the
communication of ideas, to the
point where individuals have
an increasing desire to
experience spirituality not only
in their personal life but also in
their work
Krishnakumar & Neck [2002], Tischler [1999], Brandt [1996],
Cacioppe [2000, Part 1]
2
Exploration into the reasons behind the increased interest in
Spirituality in the Workplace - The search for greater meaning & purpose
The search for greater
meaning and purpose
Cash 2000; Cacioppe
2000; King and
Nicoll1999 and
Cavanagh 1999
suggests that
employees are
looking for greater
meaning and purpose
in their lives [with
some contending that
this search has been
underpinned by the
advance of
technology and the
restructuring of
organizations]
3
Exploration into the reasons behind the increased interest in
Spirituality in the Workplace – Change in global economy
Cavanagh 1999; Bell 2001;
Darwin 2002; make
reference to one of the
reasons for the rise in
interest in SiW is that
the changes to the
global economy [and the
consequent downsizing]
have left workers
demoralized, creating a
sense of alienation and
the inability to cope with
the compartmentalizing
nature of their work and
non-work lives
Owners, managers and
employees are having to
change the way they
think and work
4
Exploration into the reasons behind the increased interest in
Spirituality in the Workplace – Improved productivity and commitment
Another answer to this question arguably
could involve the benefits to an
organization for encouraging spirituality
in the workplace.
Krishnakumar & Neck 2002 suggest that
there is some evidence linking
workplace spirituality and
a. Enhanced creativity [Freshman
1999]
b. Enhanced sense of personal
fulfilment of employees [Burack
1999]
c. Increased commitment to
organizational goals [Delbecq, 1999]
King and Nicol 1999 suggested that
organizations who foster spiritual
development will realize heightened
individual and organizational
performance
5
Exploration into the reasons behind the increased interest in
Spirituality in the Workplace – Collapse of traditional community
structures
Yet it may well be a deep sense of
loss or absence of community
(and an attempt to understand
that loss) that has made
Robert Putnam’s 1995 ‘Bowling
alone’ the most cited article in
recent history
Mitroff and Denton 1999; Bell
2001 suggest that traditional
community structures that
formerly provided employees
with a source of meaning are
seen by some as less relevant
Waddock 1999 suggests that
despite the decline of formal
associational activities people
do find and build community in
a variety of places – especially
in modern society – through
work organizations..
6
Spirituality – what is it that we are talking about – Confusion may stop
initial understanding of what we are talking about
‘There is a great deal of
confusion in our
Western culture about
spirituality. There are
many defenses that
arise when the topic of
spirituality is introduced
because most people
think that the comments
are religious’.
(Akins E.,
2000)
7
Spirituality – what is it that we are talking about – Confusion
may stop initial understanding of what we are talking about
‘Part of the confusion arises out of
how we distinguish the term
‘spirituality’ from ‘religion’ in our
language. Spirit comes from the
word ‘spiritus’ which means breath
of life. Spirit is the unseen force
that breathes life into us, enlivens
us gives energy to us. Spirit helps
to define the true, real unique self
that is us and confirms our
individuality
Moxley 2000 p. 23
…..Religion
comes from the Latin
‘religio’ which has been translated
as reliance or connection
Scott-Peck 1993 p. 233) in Howard (2002) p. 232
8
What then is spirituality? And do we need a categorical
definition?
What then is spirituality? What goes on in church? New age
religions? A set of impractical beliefs? A private experience
with little value in working? A state of consciousness? Soul
work? Contemplative practices like meditation or prayer?
Time-honored principles or tools for living and working with
more joy and success? A transpersonal state of human
development (beyond individual, skin-encapsulated ego) with
new values, priorities, and skills, which is also laying a
foundation for a new bottom line?
Butts (1999 p. 328)
……‘ multiple perspectives and understandings of the topic can
contribute greatly to its comprehension’.
Perhaps, the most useful part of what has been demonstrated
here is that there is no ‘one answer’ to the question ‘What is
spirituality in the workplace?’; but rather a framework is
presented with opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Freshman (1999 p. 326)
9
Response to question – What does Spirituality
mean to you? n=84
100
90
80
70
Self-value / worth /
well-being
Personal guidance
system
Seen in a person's
behaviour
Emmanating from self
60
Relationship to other
50
Faith/religion
40
30
Abstract notion
Something more than
sensiormotor world
20
Congruency of
thought/word/deed
Meaning/purpose
10
Other
0
10
Dimensions of spirituality in the workplace – a review of current
literature
The existentialist view – the search for
meaning and purpose
Focussing on ‘the now’
Adopting a holistic view of the world
11
The existentialist view – the
search for meaning and purpose
Purpose
Choice
Wisdom
Ethics
Values
12
The existentialist view – the search for meaning and purpose
The search for meaning has been one of the most
quoted phrases in examples of people who quit their
jobs to lead more spiritually enriching life
Naylor et al., (1996, p. 56) cited in Krishnakumar and Neck, (2002 pp. 156)
This is not a new quest
… …‘The question, which in my fiftieth year had
brought me to the notion of suicide, was the simplest
of all question, lying in the soul of every man: ‘What
will come from what I am doing now, and may do
tomorrow? What will come from my whole life?’
Wilber (1995 p. 271) quotes Tolstoy
13
Focussing on the NOW
Paying attention
Being in the zone
Focus of attention
Authentic presence
Flow
Resonating with what you are
doing
14
Focussing on the NOW
Csikszentmihalyi (1990)
describes the experience
as a feeling of being in the
flow. It is a sense of
wholeness, an oneness
with who we are and an
awareness of how we fit
with our external
environment.
15
A Holistic View of the World
Relationship
Interaction
Interconnectedness
Community
Ecology
16
A Holistic View of the World
'The natural sciences support the third aspect
of Spirituality, which is a holistic view of the
world. Everything is connected to everything
else. ‘Globally, recent insights from the natural
sciences have shown the world to be an
individual whole, a web of relationships in
which any action has complex, non-linear and
unpredictable effects. Accepting the veracity
of this research requires a shift in how we
perceive and experience our world.’
17
Gleick, J., (1987), ‘Chaos; Making a New Science’, Penguin, New York NY; Capra, F., (1996), ‘The Web of
Life’, Anchor Book, New York, NY (cited in Neal (1999) Journal of Change Management, Vol. 12. No.3 p.176-7)
A Holistic View of the World
Indra, the king of the gods, has a wonderful
net made entirely of strings of jewels.
Imagine this net arrayed in space,
extending in all directions. In every
diamond you can see the reflection of the
whole net – the entire net is contained and
reflected by every jewel in it. Imagine you
are one of the jewels, and every person in
the world is also – each reflecting all the
others.’
18
It may be time for us to begin to experience the inter-connectedness
and inter-dependence of all things (both human and non-human)
19
rather than leaving it to occasional intellectual understanding
Relationship with others –
separation or intrinsic
connection?
‘The relationship to the Thou is direct. No systems of
ideas, no foreknowledge, and no fancy intervene
between I and Thou. The memory itself is transformed,
as it plunges out of its isolation into the unity of the
whole. No aim, no lust, and no anticipation intervene
between I and Thou. Desire itself is transformed as it
plunges out of its dream into the appearance. Every
means is an obstacle. Only when every means has
collapsed does the meeting come about.’
Martin Buber, I and Thou, translated by Ronald Gregor Smith p. 26
20
And from that way of being, individually and collectively begin to
create, relate and experience a richer, dynamic and more meaningful
21
life – both professionally and personally
To believe in love in the face of hatred, life
in the face of death, day in the dark of
night, good in the face of evil – to some, all
of these may seem to be hopelessly naïve,
wishful thinking…….but, to Tillich, all of
these are manifestations of enormous
courage, the courage of confidence in more
than the sovereignty of fact and
appearance’ ……
Paul Tillich, ‘The Courage to be’, p. xxiii
‘But everything great is just as difficult to
realize as it is rare to find’ – reads the last
sentence of the Ethics of Spinoza.
Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning p. 179
22
Some things to ponder?
• Human experience is broader,
deeper and higher than science
allows us to accept or
adequately describe.
• It may be time for us to begin
to experience the interconnectedness and interdependence of all things (both
human and non-human) rather
than leaving it to occasional
intellectual speculative debate.
When this occurs separation
dissipates into authentic
relationship
• And from that way of being,
individually and collectively
begin to create, relate and
experience a richer, dynamic
and more meaningful life – both
23
professionally and personally
24
Response to question which if any of these would
describe your belief system n=84
100
90
80
Atheist
Agnostic
70
Buddhist
60
Christianity
Humanist
50
Islam
Toist
40
Non of the above
Christian/Buddhist
30
Christian with qualifiers
Quaker
20
Pantheist
Non-response
10
0
Percentage
25
Answer to question on occupation of respondents
n=84
100
90
80
70
Senior Management
Administrators
Support Staff
Lecturers
Middle Management
Researchers
Non-response
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Percentage
26
Answer to question on occupation of respondents
n=84
Senior Management
Administrators
Non-response
7%
Researchers
5%
Middle Management
2%
Support Staff
Lecturers
Senior Management
6%
Middle Management
Administrators
12%
Researchers
Non-response
Support Staff
13%
Lecturers
55%
27
Answer to question about ethnicity n=84
100
90
80
70
60
White
Black
White/Indian
Non-colour response
50
40
30
20
10
0
Percentage
28
Answer to question about ethnicity n=84
100
90
British
80
European
70
Eurasian
60
Jamacian
50
Mixed
40
Euro-Indian
30
Middle East
20
Non-response
to origin
10
0
Percentage
29
Answer to question about ethnicity n=84
Non-response to
origin
28%
British
57%
Middle East
1%
Euro-Indian
1%
European
9%
Mixed
1%
Jamaican
1%
Eurasian
2%
British
European
Eurasian
Jamaican
Mixed
Euro-Indian
Middle East
Non-response to origin
30
Sex of respondents n=84
Female
46%
Male
54%
Male
Female
31
Age of respondents n=84
Non-response
7%
61-70
2%
20-30
16%
20-30
51-60
25%
31-40
31-40
24%
41-50
51-60
61-70
41-50
26%
Non-response
32
Percentage of respondents that nominated someone who they
considered spiritual at work
n=84
Yes
51%
No
49%
No
Yes
33