Workplace Spirituality

Presentation by :

Harpreet Singh GroverRoll No 4131020DBA, NIT Kurukshetra

The Spiritual Life does not remove us from the world, but leads us

deeper into it.~ Henri J. M. Nouwen

Workplace Spirituality

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 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.

•It is not how much you do but how much love you put into the doing and sharing with others that is important.- Mother Teresa

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.

Components of Workplace Spirituality:

•Spirituality is respect•Spirituality is communication•Spirituality is creativity•Spirituality is vision•Spirituality is finding yourself

Principles of Workplace Spirituality:

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

Factors responsible for the rise of workplace spirituality:

•Mergers and Acquisitions•Baby boomers were hitting middle•Globalization and workload

Benefits of workplace spirituality

•High productivity•Goodwill•Low turnover•Understanding of employee emotions

Critics

•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? 

•Activities that are “fulfilling” and “fun”, can be classified as spiritual?

•Critics argue that organizations have no business imposing spiritual values on employees. This criticism is undoubtedly valid when spirituality is defined as bringing religion and God into the workplace. However, the criticism appears less stinging whether goal is limited to helping employees find meaning in their work lives.

•The issue of whether spirituality and profits are compatible objectives is certainly relevant for anyone in business. The evidence, although limited, indicates that the two objectives may be particularly compatible. Several studies show that in organizations that have introduced spirituality into the workplace have witnessed improved productivity reduced turnover, greater employee satisfaction and increased organizational commitment.

Thank You