Spiritual Enlightenment: A New Dimension in Employee Development

4 MIN READ | Last Updated on 13 April 2024

 BY: Kanchana Nirupamala (E223799)

 Source: (raisingselfawareness.com, 2017)

Spirituality is often linked with religious beliefs. But have you ever considered the possibility of integration of spirituality within contemporary organizational culture? Well! Stephen R. Covey did!! The author of the best-seller "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" identified spiritual development as an element of human development. As per Covey (2013), employee development consists of physical, mind, emotional and spiritual development. In this blog, let's investigate how spirituality can be used for employee development. 

Human resource development (HRD) is experiencing a moment of transition from an era when workers were expected to be loyal, provide sufficient performance, and comply to a time when they are now encouraged to be creative, drive change, and contribute knowledge (Torraco & Lundgren, 2020) As a result, conventional employee development approach such as training and development is no longer sufficient. Organizations are starting to see employees as significant assets to their organizations; therefore, they must adapt to these new realities by meeting people's emotional and spiritual needs (Ul-Haq, 2015). 

Spirituality: Beyond Rituals and Religion 

Spirituality is not concerned with God or theology; it is also not worried about the religious activities that individuals participate in. Spirituality is the realization—through emotion, sensation, or conviction—that there is a power greater than me, that being human entails more than just sensing the world around us, and that the universe of which we are a part has a cosmic or divine quality (Spencer, 2012). According to Schmidt-Wilk et al. (2000), there are three schools of thought when it comes to defining spirituality: those that center on values, those that emphasize outward behaviors, and those who see it as an inward experience. In academic works, "organizational spirituality" has been defined in two ways. The first definition states that it possesses certain features, such as spiritual values and practices within the organization (Pawar, 2017). A second definition characterizes it as an organizational culture that is socially responsible and value-driven, acknowledges employees' contributions, and promotes individual spiritual development and well-being (Kinjerski & Skrypnek, 2006). 

Considering all these definitions, "workplace spirituality" can be defined as a set of practices and beliefs held by an organization's leadership and members that aim to help workers feel more fulfilled and happy by encouraging them to reach a state of transcendence while they work. A person's spirituality may flourish in an organization that shares the belief that each individual has a soul in addition to a rational intellect, which fosters a sense of purpose in one's daily job. 

Pillars of Workplace Spirituality 

Spiritual Organisations share the following characteristics. 

Having a Clear and Meaningful Mission: A spiritual organization's mission extends beyond making money. Workers are more invested and fulfilled when they know their work is positively impacting the world. 

Emphasis on Personal and Professional Development: Companies value their workers' personal and professional development. In addition to offering tools and chances for ongoing growth, they promote learning, self-discovery, and pursuing one's interests and abilities. 

Sincerity and Openness: Integrity and trustworthiness are highly valued in a spiritual organization's culture. The open communication policy allows Everyone to speak their views without fear of reprisal or criticism. 

Employee Empowerment: These companies prioritize employee empowerment by giving them the freedom and responsibility to excel. This kind of empowerment fosters a feeling of agency, creativity, and pride in one's job. 

Employee Expression Tolerance: A spiritual organization tolerates and celebrates variety, which includes the many ways personnel express themselves. When people can put their differences aside and work together, it creates a welcoming atmosphere where everyone's ideas and experiences are heard and appreciated. 

Check this video for a glance at the dimensions of workplace spirituality.

(Sony, 2023) 

Workplace Spirituality: Win-Win Situation for Company and Employees 

Source: (raisingselfawareness.com, 2017) 

Anxiety, fear, and despair are common among workers in today's fast-paced society. As a whole, spiritual organizations aim to assist individuals in maturing into their most significant potential. These organizations also tackle issues caused by work/life conflicts head-on. Researchers focused on workplace spirituality found that staff members report higher engagement, safety, and positive connections with coworkers when they can freely express their opinions on the job (Fanggidae et al., 2019; Rathee & Rajain, 2020). Many firms believe that a spiritual work environment benefits the organization and its workers, which is why they actively support the development of this new trend. As a result, businesses also try to foster a spiritual atmosphere inside the company to meet workers' expectations and boost their performance (Ekanayaka & Sajeevanie, 2021). 

Benefits of Workplace Spirituality

Source: (SketchBubble, 2024)

HR's Role in Infusing Spirit into the Corporate Veins 

How can the human resources department make spirituality a top priority at work? Here is a rough guide. 

Define: As the first step, define what spirituality means to the organization in terms of the company's core values. 

Assess the current status: Assessing the present situation of the organization and its workers is necessary before HR experts can adopt measures to improve spiritual health in the workplace. 

Policy development: Human resources should make sure that the working environment is good for developing spiritually, establish rules that encourage a healthy work-life balance, and offer resources for spiritual activities like meditation and reflection spaces. 

Implement and monitor: After the plan is developed, HR experts must implement it and keep tabs on its progress. Employees and stakeholders must be informed of the approach, and their opinions and recommendations must be sought after. 

Promote and sustain: HR department must create a cheerful, inviting atmosphere that values diversity. They must foster a sense of community and encourage personnel to support and inspire one another. They must model and demonstrate the spiritual values and attitudes they want in the business. They must communicate openly and innovate constantly. 

In Conclusion: 

Finally, incorporating spirituality into the workplace may help companies redefine success as profit, purpose, and personal fulfilment. HR departments have the vision and resources to establish a workplace that promotes workers' physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, leading this cultural revolution. Spirituality in corporate strategy may make employees more resilient, creative, engaged, and happy. 

References 

Covey, S. R., (2013). The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People. 25 ed. New York: Simon & Schuster. [Online]. Available at https://ati.dae.gov.in/ati12052021_1.pdf. Accessed on 16 March 2024.

Ekanayaka, E. & Sajeevanie, T., (2021). The Impact of Workplace Spirituality on Employee Performance of Non-Executive Level Employees in Selected Public Sector Commercial Banks in Sri Lanka. Proceedings of Undergraduate Research Symposium, pp. 101-109. [Online]. Available at https://mgt.sjp.ac.lk/hrm/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/P_11.pdf. Accessed on 16 March 2024.

Fanggidae, R. E., Kurniawati, M. & Bahweres, H., (2019). The Effect of Workplace Spirituality and Employee Performance. Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research, Volume 143, pp. 234-239. [Online]. Available at https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/125940879.pdf. Accessed on 16 March 2024. 

Kinjerski, V. & Skrypnek, B. J., (2006). Measuring the Intangible: Development of the Spirit at Work Scale. Paper presented at the Sixty-fifth Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management,, pp. 1-16. [Online]. Available at http://www.tofinospa.com/sawscale.pdf. Accessed on 16 March 2024. 

Pawar, B. S., (2017). The relationship of individual spirituality and organizational spirituality with meaning and community at work: An empirical examination of the direct effects and moderating effect models.. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 38(7), p. 986–1003. [Online]. Available at https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-41903-007. Accessed on 16 March 2024. 

Rathee, R. & Rajain, P., (2020). Workplace Spirituality: A Comparative Study of Various Models. Jindal Journal of Business Research, 9(1), pp. 27-40. [Online]. Available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2278682120908554. Accessed on 16 March 2024.

Raisingselfawareness.com, 2017. Spirituality in the Workplace: What Are Its Benefits?. [Online]. Available at: https://raisingselfawareness.com/spirituality-workplace-benefits/. Accessed on 16 March 2024. 

Schmidt-Wilk, J., Heaton, D. P. & Steingard, D., (2000). Higher Education for Higher Consciousness: Maharishi University of Management as a Model for Spirituality in Management Education. Organizational Behavior Teaching Review, 24(5), pp. 580-611. [Online]. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240696794_Higher_Education_for_Higher_Consciousness_Maharishi_University_of_Management_as_a_Model_for_Spirituality_in_Management_Education. Accessed on 16 March 2024. 

SketchBubble, (2024). Workplace Spirituality. [Online]. Available at: https://www.sketchbubble.com/en/presentation-workplace-spirituality.html. Accessed on 16 March 2024. Sony, M., (2023). How to practice Workplace spirituality for employees. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErCR3AHc2qQ. Accessed on 16 March 2024. 

Spencer, M., (2012). What is spirituality? A personal exploration, London: Royal College of Psychiatrists. [Online]. Available at https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/members/sigs/spirituality-spsig/what-is-spirituality-maya-spencer-x.pdf?sfvrsn=f28df052_2#:~:text=Spirituality%20involves%20the%20recognition%20of,cosmic%20or%20divine%20in%20nature. Accessed on 16 March 2024. 

Torraco, R. J. & Lundgren, H., (2020). What HRD Is Doing—What HRD Should be Doing: The Case for Transforming HRD. Human Resource Development Review, 19(1), p. 39–65. [Online]. Available at https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1124&context=cehsedadfacpub. Accessed on 16 March 2024. 

Ul-Haq, S., 2015. Spiritual development of employees: A Habermasian perspective. PhD Management LUMS, pp. 1-37. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282332943_Spiritual_development_of_employees_A_Habermasian_perspective. Accessed on 16 March 2024.