The Impact of Personal
Spiritual Practices in the
Workplace
Alexis M. Todd
Literature Review
• There is a difference between
religion and spirituality
• Expressions of spirituality in
the workplace encompass
values, attitudes, and actions
Literature Review
• Quantified benefits include:
- increased profitability
- more effective customer service
- higher quality standards
- professionalism in the workplace
- better decision making
- improved business relationships
What is spirituality?
• a belief that a divine power
governs the universe
• universal and timeless
• non-denominational
• broadly inclusive
What are spiritual practices?
Activities we do to be in touch
with the spiritual aspects of life
and ourselves.
What are spiritual practices?
• Affirmations
• Creative
visualization
• Journaling
• Meditation
• Prayer
• Spending time in
nature
• Tai Chi
• Yoga
Research Question
Is the workplace behavior
of spiritually aware
employees informed by
personal spiritual
practices?
Who, why and how
• Two samples
• Twenty-two question study
• Data collection
Response
•
•
•
•
•
22% of the 175 Unitarian surveys
52% of 525 St. Joan of Arc surveys
44.5% total response rate
Average age range: 42 -51
Job designation: Professional
Spirituality is an integral part of my
day, whether at home, work or play
Neither
Agree or
Disagree
9%
Disagree
7%
Agree
84%
In the past 30 days have you
participated in any of these spiritual
practices?
Prayer
75%
64%
Nature
39%
Meditation
36%
Affirmations
Creative Visualization
27%
Journaling
21%
15%
Yoga
Tai Chi
3%
Spiritual practices are a valuable
addition to my business life
• 73% agreed
• 19% disagreed
• 8% no opinion
Have you considered the effect of
your personal spiritual practices
on your performance in the
workplace?
• 81% Yes
• 19% No
In what areas have your personal
spiritual practices benefited your work ?
78%
Ethics
59%
Job Satisfaction
51%
Business Relationships
32%
Productivity
27%
Longevity with Employer
Profitability
11%
Personal Sales
10%
Do you use your personal
spiritual practices to/for
Become calm during crisis
60%
De-escalate negativity
59%
Give Thanks for the day
58%
Get guidance thru difficulty
57%
51%
Strength to make tough decisions
48%
Improve relationships with co-workers
34%
Create a vision for your work
Improve amount of work done
15%
I believe that spirituality should
be a part of a company’s culture
• 57% agreed
• 19% disagreed
• 24% no opinion
Which of these words describe
your workplace?
38%
Ethical
Respectful
37%
Honest
32%
Creative
31%
Shared Vision
Partnership
Open Comm
29%
26%
25%
Describe how your personal spiritual
practices affect your work behavior
or business decisions.
“My spiritual practices guide my
decisions - what is right - what is
fair - what is best for my customer,
myself and my company.”
5%
said personal spiritual practices
are not a factor
“My job requires me to park all
spiritual practices with my car
before I walk in the door.”
Research Question
Is the workplace behavior
of spiritually aware
employees informed by
personal spiritual
practices?
May I answer your questions?