SPIRITUALITY

IN THE WORK
PLACE

movement that
begun in the 1920s.
Where individuals seek
to live their faith or
spiritual values in the
workplace.

94

% of Filipinos believes in God in

Spirituality

is the 2nd most important

factor in personal satisfactio (USA
Weekend Poll)

Spirited

Workplace outperforms
spirituality weak companies
(Harvard Business School)

Historical Review
Spirituality

is central to almost every

human culture from ancient to present

Industrial

revolution have stripped

away much of what makes us human

Human

Relations era recognized the

cognitive contribution of a worker

Spiritual

element is an emerging field

that offers great promise in human
performance.

Difference between
Spirituality and Religion

Religion is concerned with the claims to

salvation or nirvana -- an aspect of which is
acceptance of some form of philosophical
reality, such as an idea of heaven or hell.

Spirituality is concerned with those qualities

of the human spirit--such as love and
compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness,
contentment, commitment, a sense of
responsibility, a sense of harmony, which
bring happiness to both self and others.

A Living Example
Various

elements of the human person

Physical
Cognitive

Spiritual

: Able to make and use tools

to build and create
: Able to think, solve
problems and find improved
ways to build and create
: Able to connect with others
with a desire to build and
create something better

What is Spirituality in the

Workplace

A culture that recognizes that employees

have both a mind and a spirit, and seek
to find meaning and purpose in their
work and desire to connect with other
employees and to be a part of a
community.
Even studies have suggested that
managers and leaders want a deeper
sense of meaning and fulfillment on the
job even more than they want money
and time off.

What is Spirituality in the

Workplace
A

Deeply held value that guides

life and work practices.

It

recognize that employees have

an inner life that nourishes and is
nourished by meaningful work
that takes place in the context of
community

What is Spirituality in the

Workplace
Framework

of

organizational

values
Promotes
employees
experience of transcendence
through the work process
Facilitating their sense of being
connected to others in way that
provides
feelings
of
completeness and joy

Components of
Workplace Spirituality:

Vertical
A desire to transcend the
individual ego or personality
self

Horizontal
A desire to be of the service to
other humans and the planet.

Principles of Workplace
Spirituality
Spirituality is respect
Spirituality
is
communication
Spirituality is creativity
Spirituality is vision
Spirituality
is
finding
yourself

Characteristics of Spiritual
Organizations
Strong sense of purpose in
the work
Focus on individual
development
Trust and Openness
Employee empowerment
Toleration of employee
expression

Common practices

Meditation centers
Prayer groups
Career counseling
Ethics and Core values
Healthy work environment
Work-Life balance
Programs that integrate work and
family.
Servant leadership
Stewardship

Case and Example

Factors responsible for the

rise of workplace
Mergers and
spirituality:

Acquisitions
Baby boomers were
hitting middle
Globalization and
workload

Benefits of workplace
spirituality
High

productivity
Goodwill
Low turnover
Understanding of
employee emotions

Challenges

There is no widely accepted or clear

definition of workplace spirituality.

Second is the question of legitimacy .

Specifically, do organizations have the
right to impose spiritual values on
their employees?

Third is the question of economics. Are

spirituality and profits compatible?

Challenges
Spirituality
Potential

is an individual trait

for exploitation rather than

growth
Recognizing

spirituality is part of a

system
Can

spirituality and religion be kept

separate

Conclusion
Spiritual

intervention is not a
matter of introducing spirituality to
the work place it is already there.

Rather,

it is a matter of recognizing
and nurturing the human spirit for
the mutual benefit of the individual,
the work group, and the
organization.

References

Workplace Spirituality
Purito M. Velez
Liceo de Cagayan University
Graduate School