Top Ten Management on Workplace Spirituality: An Overview of How Companies and Employees Can Embrace Spiritual Concepts on The Job

This overview of Workplace Spirituality was prepared by Arthur Smith while a Finance major in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.


Introduction

This article was produced to show how a company can embrace workplace spirituality. Using workplace spirituality will allow employees to feel like they belong, by giving them a sense of purpose not only with the company, but also in life.


The Idea in a Nutshell

As a human being, we all want that sense of belonging or sense of purpose.  By introducing the workplace spirituality movement in the early 1990s, it allowed working to live by their spiritual values not only in life, but in their workplace also. Spirituality leads to creativity, which leads to fun, and when a person enjoys what they do they tend to work harder for their company.  It also helps employees deal with the pressure and stress of living and working in this fast pace life.


The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Workplace Spirituality

1.         Strong Sense of Purpose – Builds a strong bond around the company because of the company’s meaningful purpose.  While making a profit is important, other issues such as helping the environment and improving working conditions can be viewed upon as important also.

2.         Focus on Individual Development – Recognizes the value of every employee individually and not as a whole.  This allows employees to feel like they are not just working a job, but they are at a company that will allow them to learn and grow.

3.         Trust and Openness – Companies who demonstrate spirituality tend to be honest and open.  This allows employees to not be afraid to make mistakes.  It also tends to allow the company to be upfront with customers.

4.         Employee Empowerment – Management allows employees to make decisions when it comes to certain situations, such as customer service.  This allows the employees to feel like they are not just another employee, but a real part of the company.

5.         Toleration of Employee Expression – Companies allows their workers to express their emotions and feelings without the fear of being reprimanded.  It cuts down on unhappy employees who may be afraid to express themselves.

6.         Prizes Creativity – Creativity is not limited to a certain set of people.  These companies provide resources to help employees reach their creativity max.

7.         Diversity – Companies are becoming the core source in most communities.  Spiritual companies are hiring people who would be unlikely be hired at other companies, such as people with physical disabilities who have the skill set needed to perform a certain job.

8.         Promotes Vocation – Acknowledges that one’s growth for spiritual fulfillment should not be separate from work.  Companies help lay the ground work for spiritual development.

9.         Emphasizes Sustainability – Understanding that sustaining growth and development over the long run takes a well-thought out strategy.  This refers to the business side as well as the spiritual side of the company.

10.       Develops Principles – Assist employees to better understand themselves and develop both successful professional and personal relationships.  This allows employees to view the impact they have on other people as well as the impact other people have on them.


The Video Lounge

This clip is a flash presentation that touches on workplace spirituality.



My Take

Spirituality is definitely still alive in the workplace today.  With so many different people and cultures in today’s society you need that sense of diversification.  Companies who have not jumped on board with this concept should do so very quickly.  Just working for a company is not enough anymore. People want to work for companies that have not only profits, but diversification when it comes to spiritually.

References

Robbins, S. P., & Coulter, M. (2009). Management. Spirituality and Organizational Culture, 55-56.
Rhodes, K. (2006). Six Components of a Model for Workplace Spirituality. Volume 9(Issue 2). Retrieved from http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/062/workplace.html
Dr. Guillory, W., & Guillory, K. (2002). Spirituality in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIaYRL6R8ow.

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Contact Info

To contact the author of “Top Ten Management on Workplace Spirituality,” please email Arthur Smith at Arthur.smith@selu.edu.


BIOGRAPHY  

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/), international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).


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Top Ten Management on Workplace Spirituality: An Overview of How Companies and Employees Can Embrace Spiritual Concepts on The Job


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