The MIT Sloan Management Review completed a study in 1999 on spirituality in the workplace (Mitroff & Denton, 1999). The study found that the human resource executives and managers who were interviewed identified a difference between spiritually and religion; religion was inappropriate in the workplace, while spirituality was appropriate and something that presented no fear in regard to abuse in the working environment. While religion and the practices of such differ and make people uncomfortable, spirituality is actually welcomed and is used to help workers maintain their values and sometimes influence others with those values (Carroll, 2012).
Carroll (2012) referenced a Fortune Magazine article and Business Intelligence Journal report to support the idea of bringing spirituality in the workplace and how it can be beneficial. The God-centered, or supreme being focus helps in the workplace as workers with these beliefs also believe in helping others, thus creating a more team-focused workplace. For a more ethical workplace, spiritually also aids in nurturing values that inspire people to have more integrity in their professionals. Other ways of positively bringing spirituality in the workplace is an existential approach where workers find meaning in their jobs; when people have meaning, they are more apt to do a better job. According to Carroll (2012), the Buddhist approach is a fusion of all three previously mentioned approaches, as well as the infusion of authenticity to being human.
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"Spirituality in the Workplace".
Spirituality without religion in the workplace can have a profound effect on how workers approach, perform, and feel about their jobs. Additionally, people will consider others, work better in teams and understand that their position is a fundamental part of the collective whole. Spiritually speaks to how people interact with others and personally perform.
- Carroll, M. (2012). Four spiritual approaches shaping the workplace. Huffington Post online. Accessed March 24, 2013 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-carroll/4-spiritual-approaches-shaping-the-workplace_b_2286871.html.
- Mitroff, I.I., & Denton, E.A. (1999). A study of spirituality in the workplace. MIT Sloan Management Review Magazine. [Online]. Accessed March 23, 2014 from http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/a-study-of-spirituality-in-the-workplace/.
