Spiritual Wellbeing in Organizations SAGE 37

Sage Reference
The SAGE Handbook of Organizational Wellbeing
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Author: Scott Foster, Tony Wall, Anna Foster

Pub. Date: 2021
Product: Sage Reference
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529757187
Keywords: organizations, wellbeing, spirituality, workplace
Disciplines: Business & Management, Organization Studies, Organizational Behavior, Organizational
Culture, Stress in Organizations
Access Date: March 5, 2024
Publishing Company: SAGE Publications Ltd
City: 55 City Road
Online ISBN: 9781529757187
© 2021 SAGE Publications Ltd All Rights Reserved.

Sage Sage Reference
© Tony Wall, Cary L
Spiritual Wellbeing in Organizations
Scott Foster Tony Wall Anna Foster
Introduction
Whilst recognizing the increased attention to spirituality in the workplace as being a positive development
overall, scholars suggest that the association between spiritual beliefs, management practices and organi-
zational outcomes has been conspicuously ignored in the mainstream management research. This occurs
despite there being a large number of people worldwide reporting that spirituality is an important part of their
daily lives (Sedikides, 2010; Van den Heuvel, 2018; Karakas et al., 2019). Expression of spirituality within
organizations is an opportunity for an individual or organization to grow and to contribute to society in a mean-
ingful way about care, compassion, support of others, integrity, creativity, people being true to themselves and
others (Wall et al., 2017). It means individuals and organizations attempting to further integrate their values in
the work they do (Panda, 2011; Lee et al., 2014; Houghton et al., 2016).
Spirituality can be understood in a variety of ways with changeable conceptualizations through history and
in different cultural contexts, and has included conceptions that place it synonymously with the practice of
religious formalities as well as practices which enable people to experience a higher life purpose, separate
from a religious belief. However, within the context of organizations its discussion has come to focus upon
reorienting or rebalancing the experience of organizational life in developed countries in the West towards a
more sustained and meaningful life in the context of workforce diversity and a greater sense of connected-
ness to others (Wall et al., 2019). Against this backdrop, in the 2010s there has been a steady rise in interest
regarding spiritual wellbeing and an increase in the correlation between the expression of one's spirituality
and cases that are regarded as discrimination (Krahnke and Hoffman, 2002; Loo, 2017).
Historically, scholars pointed out that a highly committed workplace that embraces spirituality will have bene-
fits to the organization and from a personal level (Ashmos and Duchon, 2000; Fry, 2003). Mitroff et al. (2009)
supported these claims by suggesting that employees who view the organization they work for as spiritual,
further believe that they become more profitable than their competitors do. Further research has suggested
that there is a positive relationship between employee commitment and workplace spirituality and, where evi-
dent, spirituality in the workplace has returned a positive impact on job satisfaction and performance (Chawla

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and Guda, 2010; Marschke et al., 2011; Bodla and Ali, 2012; Foster and Foster, 2019; Garg et al., 2019).
Similarly, Chand and Koul (2012) indicated that employees who feel that they can express their spirituality
in the workplace felt that this helped them to manage stress, were generally more hopeful and believed they
had a more meaningful working experience. In the same way, spirituality in the workplace has been suggest-
ed as an instrument of means to improve an employee's wellbeing. Joelle and Coelho (2019) suggested that
encouragement by the organization for spiritual wellbeing can be in the best interests for the longevity of the
business. However, Shinde and Fleck (2015) suggested that this could be a response to the troubled en-
vironment organizations find themselves in. At the same time, organizations have experienced momentous
transformations regarding a wide range of areas related to sustainable development (Wall et al., 2017), for ex-
ample political and technological advances, and the associated organizational changes such as managerial
demands for management to create better efficiencies, and downsizing and employee redundancies (Driver,
2005). The context of workplace spirituality has been advanced as an instrumental remedy for this situation
and one that human resource management departments will need to explore (Garg et al., 2019).
The aim of this chapter is to explain the drive for spiritual wellbeing in organizations, which includes a range
of strategic and moral factors. In addition, the chapter discusses a range of business driven initiatives, where
the focus is the strategic benefits to the organization, and is then followed by a discussion about employee
spiritual wellbeing. In recognition of the limits, the next section considers wider interventions and cultural di-
mensions which can shape the effectiveness of expression of spirituality in the workplace; these wider cultural
dimensions are the wider behavioural conditions of what can be counted as legitimate in an organizational
context and how this can be measured. The chapter concludes with a review of future directions of research
and practice development in relation to creating more space for the expression of spirituality and wellbeing in
the workplace.
Defining Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace
Despite the amount of key literature on workplace spirituality, less progress has been made towards a clear
explanation of a comprehensively acknowledged meaning of the term spirituality and there exists a paucity of
broadly accepted workplace spirituality definitions (Afsar and Badir, 2017).
Studies on spirituality have resulted in various terms of emphasis, foci, components and levels of analysis

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owing to the considerable subjectivity of the topic (Fry, 2003; Mukherjee et al., 2016) and the concept remains
under-theorized (Karakas, 2010). One of the key challenges of workplace spirituality and religion is that these
concepts are separate but similar. Hodge (2017) has highlighted this in the extensive work on faith and spir-
ituality in the workplace whilst acknowledging the breadth of the field. Miller and Ewest (2013) produced a
faith and organizational framework for the spiritual and religious needs of an employee in the workplace. They
used the term ‘faith’ to encompass both spirituality and religion, like both Hodge (2017) and Miller and Ewest
(2013).
There is no doubt that workplace spirituality is receiving attention (Young, 2020) with awareness of how an
environment that is conducive to self-expressed and inner purpose can enhance capability and raise the con-
sciousness of the organization (Palframan and Lancaster, 2019). However, we also know that self-expression
is ‘tolerated’ (Digh, 1999), that there is tension between the expression of religious identities (Heliot et al.,
2019) and that there is limited evidence of impact on management practice in the workplace, with Sedikides
(2010) arguing that religion within the workplace is still not given sufficient attention. The rise of interest in
the Islamic faith throughout the media (Badrinarayanan and Madhavaram, 2008) has also accelerated debate
surrounding spirituality and work, and in particular surrounding the association between religion and manage-
ment (Cowling, 2013; McNiff, 2013).
Choices of terminology are challenging particularly in a field where there is no universally accepted definition
of this complex collection of phenomena (Ali, 2010), and the process of conceptualization has, thus far, pro-
duced tentative definitions of the term. However, Kourie (2006) suggests that all individuals express some
form of spirituality, whether nihilistic, materialistic, humanistic or religious. Spirituality enables individuals to
grow and to contribute to society in a meaningful way with care, compassion, support of others, integrity,
creativity; it is about people being true to themselves and others (Wall et al., 2017). Within the workplace, it
means individuals and organizations attempting to further integrate their values in the work they do (Panda,
2011; Lee et al., 2014; Houghton et al., 2016). However, the literature is fragmented and dominated by spec-
ulative discussion, a US perspective, and a marked lack of empirical data, especially quantitative research
(Ali, 2010; Khaled et al., 2012; Palframan and Lancaster, 2019).
Spirituality and Employee Wellbeing
Research undertaken by scholars suggests as a theory for development within an organizational workplace,

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spirituality is at an influential stage within the 21st century (Ashmos and Duchon, 2000; Pawar, 2016 Roof,
2015). However, the workplace spirituality concept is not a new idea as it has been grounded in the perspec-
tive of organization and management theory previously (Driscoll and Wiebe, 2007). Parboteeah and Cullen
(2003) indicated that workplace spirituality, in terms of meaning at work, is related to as far back as Hackman
and Oldham's (1980) job characteristics model and this goes beyond the character of interesting and satisfy-
ing work to the spiritual view of work, which involves searching for deeper meaning, purpose and feeling good
about one's work. Furthermore, the concept of spirituality has also adopted motivation theory, as in Maslow's
(1970) hierarchy of needs. Pawinee and McLean (2017) suggest that fulfilling employees’ spiritual needs is
comparable to accomplishing the highest level of human needs, as in self-actualization (Maslow, 1970; Izak,
2012). Furthermore, according to self-determination theory, nurture of human needs is important for ongoing
psychological growth, integrity and wellbeing (Deci and Ryan, 2000).
Spirituality and its association with wellbeing in the workplace is gaining recognition and value amongst re-
searchers and scholars (Wall et al., 2017; Foster and Foster, 2019). The term spirituality is of interest to man-
agement, organizations and employees for the reason of good harmony within the workplace. However, pre-
dominately two issues challenge it, the first being the struggle to be amongst an effective framework where
spirituality is reduced as a means to forward profit-oriented goals, and the second challenge is with spiritual-
ity's subjective and multifaceted nature in business management (Udani and Lorenzo-Molo, 2017). Scholars
suggest that when discussing spirituality and employee wellbeing, it is beneficial to clarify the relationship be-
tween the two topics (Ashmos and Duchon, 2000; Pawar, 2016).
Employee wellbeing is best described as a significant topic within organizations and, as Ilies et al. (2015)
point out, interest in employee wellbeing has risen greatly in recent times. Subsequently, Wright and Huang
(2012) indicate that employee wellbeing has emerged as a very important topic within management research.
In light of this practical significance of employee wellbeing, it is not surprising that employee wellbeing has re-
cently received intensified research attention (Zhang et al., 2015). Grant et al. (2007) goes on to suggest that
employee wellbeing refers to the quality of employees’ operational experiences within the organization and is
also a demonstration and feature of a healthy organization. The debate includes the importance of employee
wellbeing. Thus, whilst organizations implement various actions for enhancing employee wellbeing, Canibano
(2013) debates that managerial practices often result in trade-offs, improving only one dimension of employee
wellbeing (Joelle and Coelho, 2019; Low and Ayoko, 2020).
Spirituality in the workplace is often seen as a paradox (Richards et al., 2009). Scarce research investigates

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both the effects and consequences of employees’ spiritual wellbeing. To date, little is known about the psy-
chology, dynamics and consequences of expressing and fulfilling spiritual needs. Theories in the area of spir-
ituality have been viewed as existing in their embryonic stage, with a need for further theory development.
Wong (2003) pointed out that a healthy dose of spirituality and meaning within the workplace is good for busi-
ness as it improves morale and productivity. This view is gaining currency amongst management consultants,
human resource professionals and mainstream business schools. The movement to bring spirit and soul to
business is no passing fad; it continues to grow, with no signs of abating. Recently it has become even more
prevalent when viewed through the lens of the international Black Lives Matter movement and the growing
emphasis on organizational need to reflect the diverse nature of their employees and stakeholders in all as-
pects and levels of organizational structure (Moran, 2017; Opie and Roberts, 2017). Clearly, something signif-
icant and enduring is stirring the corporate world (Anderson and Burchell, 2019). The business world is now
experiencing an economic downturn and government austerity measures which will be exacerbated further
due to the economic impact of Covid-19, whilst research and debate on spirituality is expanding (Richards
et al., 2009; Houghton et al., 2016). There remains a growing demand for organizations to enact change to
further recognize and meet the needs of the individuals they employ (Carney, 2016; Cole et al., 2019).
It is generally agreed that workplace spirituality encompasses an element of awareness and interconnect-
edness with one another or a higher existence; it embraces a sense of fulfilment and value, which provides
meaning to an individual's vocation (Karakas, 2010; Bodla and Ali, 2012; Brown, 2012; Lundrigan et al., 2012;
Wall et al., 2017; Karakas and Sarigollu, 2019). Within the framework factors exist such as ethics, trust and
fairness of decisions, respect, honesty and the integrity of actions. It is apparent that, in recent times, spiritual-
ity in the workplace has reached greater prominence (Badrinarayanan and Madhavaram, 2008). The reasons
for this interest in the spiritual world, however, are less clear, although theories that attempt to account for the
rise in awareness are becoming widely acknowledged (Van Tonder and Ramdass, 2009; Bhatia and Arora,
2017). In contrast, Bodla and Ali (2012) suggested that the majority of academics and business leaders are
often confused and fail to distinguish the difference between spirituality and religion; this is mainly because
spirituality and religion are invariably expressed implicitly and are considered to be a private subjective mat-
ter.
In an investigation carried out by Fry and Slocum (2008), it was apparent that one reason for the rise in aware-
ness was that organizations were focusing on the development of models of spirituality leadership, which
emphasize spiritual wellbeing, without sacrificing the organization's performance. However, whilst organiza-
tions are attempting to take on board the concept of spirituality, it is apparent that there is still some way to

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go (Glass, 2007; Karakas, 2010; Goyal et al., 2013; Petrucelli, 2017). Lundrigan et al. (2012) argued that for
an organization to succeed, management needs to develop their ability to identify conflicts between employ-
ees’ perception of how spirituality is acknowledged and supported within the workplace and ensure parity in
approach to reduce the potential for unpleasant or awkward interactions between individuals when issues as-
sociated with spirituality arise within the workplace, thus helping to avert a breakdown of team unity.
As indicated by Anderson and Burchell (2019), due to global competitiveness, economic hardship and gov-
ernment cuts, it is assumed that a clear spirituality workplace policy would secure a competitive advantage
for an organization. Indeed, it is argued that engaging the full potential of employees creates a content and
successful workforce (Zohar and Marshall, 2004). Javanmard (2012) developed this point further by using
Duchon and Plowman's (2005) conceptual model (Figure 37.1) to analyse a number of variables which may
impact on spirituality. These variables include: organizational leadership, which seeks to identify the organi-
zation's vision; altruism, which refers to an individual's unselfish concern for the welfare of others within the
workplace; and faith in the organization, which highlights the belief the employee has in their employers. The
variables associated with spirituality at work relate to an employee's rich inner life, meaningful employment
and an individual's sense of community. The model suggests that these variables feed into organizational
performance.

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Figure 37.1. Conceptual framework model created by the author, adapted from Duhon and
Plowman (2005: 825).
Sparks and Schenk (2001) contended that workplace spirituality can be examined empirically, by arguing that
workplace spirituality acts as a mediator in models of organizational behaviour. However, Pawar (2016) ar-
gued that it is necessary to develop specific testable propositions that can address the concerns of acade-
mics, before such models are implemented, whilst Marshak (2011) added that organizational development
generally embraces a number of theories and, as such, religion tends to represent just one of them.
The potential benefits of workplace spirituality to employees, versus the consequences of a lack of workplace
spirituality, have been tested through corresponding research propositions. Badrinarayanan and Madhavaram
(2008) investigated specific propositions objectively, by researching the behaviour of supervisors. They re-
ported that behaviour has a significant effect on employees’ psychological wellbeing, which included their
spiritual wellbeing. This argument was supported by Dent et al. (2005) who suggested that when manage-
ment inspires and energizes employees’ behaviour and attitudes, it provides the workforce with meaning and
purpose. However, Singh and Singh (2011) argued that if a business leader chooses to pursue an unethical
direction, they may develop a bunker mentality which tends to ignore employee values, deny mistakes made
by the organization and break the rules, for the purpose of organizational or personal achievement. Such an
approach can adversely impact staff morale and performance. Whilst Singh and Singh's (2011) views may be
valid, it is rational for an organization to adopt humanistic values in policies and practices, thereby recogniz-

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ing the dignity and worth of employees (Badrinarayanan and Madhavaram, 2008; Thakur and Singh, 2016;
Gotsis and Grimani, 2017).
Humanistic values in the organization can potentially help the growth and development of employees and
their wellbeing, which in turn can sustain greater productivity than organizations with weaker values and be-
liefs (Jurkiewicz and Giacalone, 2004; Robinson, 2009; Jenkin, 2015). The humanistic approach suggests
that all employees need to be treated equally, with this being embedded into the organization's policies and
practices. Whilst the humanistic approach perceives that all employees are treated equally, an earlier investi-
gation by Digh (1999) revealed that, depending upon their particular belief system, employees feel their spir-
ituality was observed to differing degrees. A study carried out by Digh (1999) suggested that insensitive and
inconsiderate management practices can lead companies into unwanted litigation. Claims of religious dis-
crimination have in fact been increasing. The UK Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported more
than 1,800 religious discrimination cases in 1999 and the number of such cases has increased by 43% within
the 2010s. Despite increased legislation to support spiritual beliefs within the workplace (Zohar and Marshall,
2004; Greenwald, 2012; Parris and Peachey, 2013; Low and Ayoko, 2020), there still appears to be a dis-
crepancy in the extent to which differing beliefs are accommodated.
Research conducted by Lips-Wiersma and Mills (2002) provided an example, indicating that Christians have
time off over Christmas and Easter, whilst other faith groups are required to use their holiday entitlement to
observe significant dates in their own religious calendars. The findings further suggested that 20% of the sur-
veyed population from the United States reported having been a victim of religious bias, such as not being
able to take time off to observe particular holidays or for prayer time. The situation is not as straightforward
as it may seem, as it may not be feasible for an organization to observe all spiritual practices or occasions.
Due to the individualized nature of spirituality, organizations can experience difficulty in demonstrating fair-
ness and equality within a diverse workforce. However, Benefiel et al. (2014) proposed a model that attempts
to create wholesome and rounded workers who are not only knowledgeable, skilful and possess professional
skills, but also have strong spiritual beliefs, are ethical and have social awareness in conducting their duties.
Consequently, by ensuring potential shortcomings of the organization are identified and acted upon, busi-
ness leaders can develop strategies that ensure employees’ wellbeing and spiritual practices are maximized.
Similarly, in Sembuk's model (Biagini et al., 2012), spirituality is at the centre of an organization, because
spirituality is potentially central to an individual; an organization which adapts itself to support an employee's
spirituality can benefit through increased productivity and motivation (Beheshtifar and Zare, 2013). However,

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although many organizations approach this through embedding current legislation into their policies and pro-
cedures in the belief that this addresses an employee's expression of spirituality, the concept is one which
is much more complex than these often acknowledge. Whilst policies may seek to support individuals’ right
to observe religious practices at work or demonstrate their faith through clothing, etc., they often fail to ac-
knowledge the range of factors which are external to the individual employee but intrinsic to the organizational
culture and operations of the business, which can also directly influence the extent to which employees feel
their work aligns or conflicts with their spirituality (Figure 37.2).
Figure 37.2. Extent to which employees feel their work aligns or conflicts with their spiritual-
ity, created by the authors, adapted from Biagini et al. (2012: 32).
In a time of public debate about spiritual tolerance and cultural freedom in a multicultural society, it is important
to gain a true understanding of how different religions can manifest themselves within an organization (Bello,
2012). In the main, cultural and religious acceptance within the workplace is becoming part of everyday life
for the employer and employee (Jones, 2006). Although this acceptance need not be an admission that dis-
crimination is, or was, tolerated in the first place, it does indicate that spirituality in the workplace is a sensitive
area which should be treated with caution. Forstenlechner and Al-Waqfi (2010) initially suggested that Mus-
lim workers believe discrimination exists within the workplace. However, their findings indicated that this is to
the contrary, whereby employers actually showed a high level of commitment to respecting the traditions and
beliefs of the Muslim faith, with little evidence of discrimination against employees being apparent. The view
is taken that the conflicting perceptions and expectations regarding spirituality could be associated with lim-
itations such as inclusion and communication within policies and procedures currently being adopted within
business.

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Business Driven Initiatives: The Strategic Benefits to the

Organization
The development of spiritual awareness across a wider community has produced a series of changes and
aroused academic and practitioner interest in management (Baker et al., 2011). However, because of the
dominance and influence of modernization for much of the 20th century, there has been a tendency to show
corporations as being preoccupied with a range of performance metrics such as profit, turnover and market
dominance.
Throughout management discourse, performance metrics are often termed as the minimum expectation of
the organization. These dimensions and their effective management are important in the running of any op-
eration, but it is equally recognized that it is important to pay due diligence to what are called the soft factors
in business, which includes human resources management (Stokes, 2011). Therefore, for an organization to
continually succeed and prosper in today's harsh economic climate it is important that the moral and ethical
strategies promote its foundations. Lips-Wiersma and Nilakant (2008: 61) stipulated that, ‘Spirituality at work
needs to work with and give meaning to the tensions that arise from acting in accordance with a purpose
beyond profit in a neo-liberal business climate'. Soltani et al. (2012) also argued that a successful business
requires an outstanding performance in their ethical conduct because the company's ethical conduct strategy
should be the foundation for their employees and managers within the business. However, considering the
practical approaches to workplace spirituality, a note of caution is offered by Lipps-Wiersma and Mills (2002)
advising that thought should be given to the difficulties of getting people to enact spiritual beliefs in the work-
place.
In addition, Hans-Ruediger (2007) identified a lack of safety in expressing spirituality in the workplace, and
consequently identified several principles that could be utilized to encourage spiritual expression. This lack
of safety can arise from a variety of factors, such as fear of expressing views which are seen as outside the
norm, for example a Wiccan amongst a heavily Christian organization, or the perception that the organiza-
tion's ethos differs significantly from the beliefs of the individual. Soltani et al. (2012) agreed with Hans-Ruedi-
ger (2007) and pointed out that one of the issues that currently faces organizations is the inability to allow an
individual to express their beliefs in the workplace. Therefore, the important issue in the strategic manage-
ment process should be implementing new strategies to address this.

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Failures by employers are often not related to their reluctance in formulating a strategy but instead are due to
their failure in strategy implementation barriers, such as lack of employee alignment and a lack of manage-
ment commitment. This, therefore, indicates that more could be done to facilitate greater engagement with
implementation from both the workforce and managers.
Addressing Barriers to Strategic Implementation of Strategies
Identifying and addressing specific barriers towards the implementation of strategies which focus upon spiri-
tuality and wellbeing can facilitate greater dialogue about the concepts within the workplace. Hans-Ruediger
(2007: 13) stated that:
It is necessary to recognise that because spirituality is at the heart of many people's sense of identity,
its expression is perceived to be risky. Spirituality comprises a sense of personal vulnerability which
is magnified for those who perceive themselves to be spiritually different to the majority or norm.
Therefore, providing an open and safe space for discussion can be instrumental in reducing employees’
sense of vulnerability whilst maximizing on the opportunities to be gained from allowing them to represent
their true selves within the workplace. There does, however, need to be a sense of balance in how this is
approached. In reflection of the potential issues, Lips-Wiersma and Nilakant (2008) recommended that it be
clear that the dialogue needs to be managed sensibly. Employees should feel that they are represented at
strategy level; however, a ‘free for all’ discussion is likely to stagnate progress within organizational strategy
meetings and, instead, a period of consultations with the workforce or discussion with a panel of representa-
tives may prove to be more effective.
Similarly, Wennes and Quinn (2008) argued that workers are concerned with the consequences of making
spirituality requests or demands in the workplace and the organization should attempt to support the expres-
sion of spirituality. This is in agreement with Lipps-Wiersma and Mills (2002) who stated that any action taken
by an organization to enhance trust and relationship development should reduce the potential for spirituality
to be a source of marginalization in the workplace. Thus, spirituality is such a personal choice for many in-
dividuals, employees sometimes tend to keep their beliefs to themselves for fear of adverse consequences.
For those individuals holding beliefs that are different from the majority, the process of encouraging workplace
spirituality can appear threatening. Consequently, the introduction of spirituality into an organization needs to
be handled with great sensitivity and empathy if successful employee and employer buy-in is to occur (Hans-

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Ruediger, 2007).
In line with points raised by Lipps-Wiersma and Mills (2002), research by Wong (2003) stated that simply
imposing policies relating to spirituality on employees would be counter-productive, as most organizations
encourage religious expressions within the workplace and make facilities available such as Halal meals or
prayer rooms, to help meet employees’ spiritual needs where possible. However, Hans-Ruediger (2007) ar-
gued that for an organization to be effective, the spirituality requirements of its employees need to be inte-
grated into the corporate culture and reflected in organizational policies and practices on a daily basis. This
can be achieved only when senior management embraces it as part of their vision. Garcia-Zamor (2003) in-
dicated that organizations need to establish themselves as an ethical organization with respect to spiritual-
ity and culture. This then enables the business to create a new organizational culture in which employees
feel happier and perform better. Employees find meaning in belonging to a work community that helps when
things get tough. At the same time, a culture of sharing and caring will eventually reach all of the organiza-
tion's stakeholders, suppliers and customers; therefore, in such a humanistic work environment, employees
are perceived to be more creative and have higher morale, two factors closely linked to good organizational
performance (Garcia-Zamor, 2003).
Howard (2002) concluded that organizations are showing many transformation characteristics when they at-
tempt to use processes that engage people in communication such as instituting real-time strategic change,
the use of open space technology and, lastly, encouraging a culture of appreciative enquiry. This is supported
by Hans-Ruediger (2007: 25) who stated that these strategies show a move towards ‘honouring the core spir-
it of an enterprise or community'. Howard (2002) stressed, however, that the exploration of spirituality within
organizations is still at an early stage and that the benefits or conflicts this might create are, as yet, uncer-
tain. Garcia-Zamor (2003) suggested that continued research is required into how spirituality can underpin
transformation at all levels, including the role of leaders in this strategic process. Additionally, scholars echo
the same thought and stress that further studies are required to advance and develop spirituality conceptual
distinctions (Fry, 2003; Dent et al., 2005).
Spirituality Within the Workplace to Support Wellbeing
The integration of spirituality into effective management and organizations has been regarded as incongruous

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or, as Goldstein-Gidoni et al. (2009: 600) put it, ‘unnatural'. Nonetheless, Ashmos and Duchon (2000: 598)
argued that workplace spirituality is a basic right. Workplace spirituality generally includes the recognition that
employees have inner lives, a desire to find their work meaningful and a commitment by the company to serve
as a context for spiritual growth.
In contrast, organizations aim to concentrate more on outcomes, such as returning a profit and sustaining
the longevity of the business, instead of being caught in a competitive struggle to facilitate human activity in
the organization (Goldstein-Gidoni et al., 2009). Despite the importance of spiritual beliefs, employers and
employees traditionally regard the workplace as off limits for any demonstration of faith (Ali, 2010). However,
the separation of spirituality and business, for both the private and public sectors, is becoming blurred and,
as such, the workplace is being transformed into an environment where expressions of spirituality and prac-
tices are now regarded as more commonplace (Abuznaid, 2006). Consequently, employees’ job satisfaction
sought through spiritual and cultural facets is a worthwhile endeavour that can enhance an organization's
longevity, perceived excellence and their retention of staff Kibui et al. (2014). It has, however, been identi-
fied that the beliefs and values of non-Muslim religions are felt to be marginalized within an organization and
ignored worldwide because these religions tend not to be as politically supported as Islam (Williams et al.,
2010). There is also evidence that ethnic faith groups express spirituality in the workplace differently, which
presumes that certain groups are disadvantaged within an organizational setting. For example, in a court case
of Eweida vs British Airways, Eweida was a member of the check-in staff for British Airways, who was refused
permission to wear a cross over her uniform, as this was in breach of the airline's uniform policy. However,
British Airways did allow Muslim women to wear the hijab, and Sikh men to wear turbans, on the basis that
the items were required by the particular religions, and they could not be concealed under the uniform.
The role of an organization can be seen as crucial to the development of its employees’ spiritual needs (Ali,
2010). Doing so will support the employees to clarify community feeling; therefore, it can be anticipated that
there will be an increase in productivity for the organization (Garg, 2017). If business leaders want to enhance
employee performance, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their staff, then they may have to seek a
leader who is spiritual and who can help reduce uncertainty, ambiguity and insecurity within the organization
(Conger, 1995). When the leader exhibits the ‘human’ qualities of creativity, honesty, truthfulness and trust,
employees may feel the power of human bondage and connectedness to the organization (Panda, 2011; Wall
et al., 2019).

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The spirituality debate is evolving, as an increasing number of organizations seek a greater understanding
of spirituality in the workplace. At the same time, employees are practising spirituality in the workplace more
frequently. Employers are equally facing situations where employees discuss religious tenets, wear religious
symbols or object to employers’ decisions based on their faith (Morgan, 2005). Therefore, as Panda (2011:
204) suggested, ‘Does it mean that employers will have to be flexible and conform to their policies so that
Sikhs will be allowed to wear a turban and carry a “kirpan” to the office and that Muslims should be allowed to
go to a Mosque to chant holy Quran on all Fridays at a given time?'
The challenge of integrating spirituality policies and procedures into the organization is now becoming even
more complex, due to the wide range of religions being practised. Furthermore, the continued emergence of
spirituality movements has led to employers and employees being uncertain of their professional responsi-
bilities, which challenges management decision-making about workplace spirituality. With respect to religious
expansion, Sedikides (2010) claimed that Islam is the fastest growing religion worldwide. However, within any
population, a number of affiliated subcultural groups exist (Hayward, 2000). The diversity of beliefs provides
considerable scope for research to further explore the demographics of employees within the workplace and
examine perspectives across the range of groups which exist rather than focusing upon a specific sub-group.
In doing so, there is potential to facilitate greater understanding of the breadth of needs and perceptions which
exist; information which could be used to further identify strategies to help foster a more inclusive workplace.
The topic of integrating spirituality into the workplace is important, not just to organizations but to society in
general, with spiritual wellbeing being viewed as a high level of faith and commitment to a belief that provides
a sense of meaning and purpose to an individual's existence (Heintzman and Mannell, 2003). In addition, it is
possible that employees who are content in their work will transfer such happiness to outside work and vice
versa, thus making the individual more content with life (Jurkiewicz and Giacalone, 2004).
Spirituality plays an important part within an organization and therefore can influence the attitude the work-
force shows towards management (Beheshtifar and Zare, 2013). Research suggests that job satisfaction is
linked to the extent to which an employer meets the psychological needs of their employees, which embraces
spirituality fulfilment within the workplace (Badrinarayanan and Madhavaram, 2008).
Consequently, a key purpose of the research into spirituality is to explore the multifaceted and complex nature
of spirituality in the world of work and to evaluate the role and importance of spirituality within business con-
structs. The outcomes of such an approach could assist businesses to facilitate greater discourse and un-
Page 15 of 26
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derstanding between employers and employees on spirituality, thereby leading to greater stability, sustain-
ability and competitive advantage (Otaye-Ebede et al., 2019). Shibani and Veena (2016) reported that the
correlation between spirituality and wellbeing is evident and researchers are increasingly including positive
outcomes for organizations (Foster and Wall, 2019).
Conclusion and Future Research
In pursuit of the sustainability and general growth of all its stakeholders, organizations have shifted their focus
from mere economic progress. Consequently, workplace spirituality and employee wellbeing have been gain-
ing the attention of both researchers and practitioners. For an organization to cope successfully with the com-
plex spirituality challenges ahead, management and business leaders’ attitudes still need to make a funda-
mental shift. Evidence raises several challenges relating to the perception of spirituality and wellbeing within
the workplace and how it is accepted within the organization.
The important role spirituality plays in an organization, along with the management benefits of addressing
spirituality at work, are key elements that have been raised by numerous researchers (Duchon and Plowman,
2005; Javanmard, 2012; Khaled et al., 2012; Parris and Peachey, 2013; Van den Heuvel, 2018; Low and
Ayoko, 2020). As organizations are getting more and more diverse due to different backgrounds, cultures
and nationalities, organizational management is faced with the challenge of managing individuals whose val-
ues are incongruent with the organizational values. The management who are effective at developing and
maintaining working environments and that are characterized by spiritual values such as openness, ethics,
accepting diverse viewpoints and differing values, are more likely to engage their employees in extra-role be-
haviours (Long and Mills 2010; Karakas et al., 2019).
The concept of spirituality and wellbeing is one that requires business leaders to be open-minded towards
the range of narratives that express what is understood and intended by the concept of spirituality at work. To
respect the practice of organizational spirituality is to respect the diversity of perspectives on what spirituality
means. Nonetheless, the subjective nature of spirituality and a lack of common understanding of what spiritu-
ality means to an employee presents challenges in implementing such initiatives.

Page 16 of 26
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• organizations
• wellbeing
• spirituality

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• workplace
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529757187

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