Discuss the criticisms against workplace spirituality.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Workplace spirituality is a culture in which organizational values promote a sense of purpose through meaningful work taking place in the context of community. Organizations with a spiritual culture recognize that people have a mind and a spirit, seek to find meaning and purpose in their work, and desire to connect with other human beings and be part of a community.

Critics of the spirituality movement have focused on two issues: legitimacy (Do organizations have the right to impose spiritual values on their employees?) and economics (Are spirituality and profits compatible?).

An emphasis on spirituality clearly has the potential to make some employees uneasy. Critics might argue that secular institutions, especially businesses, have no business imposing spiritual values on employees. This criticism is probably valid when spirituality is defined as bringing religion into the workplace. However, it's less valid when the goal is helping employees find meaning in their work. If concerns about today's lifestyles and pressures truly characterize a growing number of workers, then maybe it is time for organizations to help employees find meaning and purpose in their work and to use the workplace to create a sense of community.

The issue of whether spirituality and profits are compatible is certainly important. Limited evidence suggests that the two may be compatible. One study found that companies that introduced spiritually based techniques improved productivity and significantly reduced turnover. Another found that organizations that provided their employees with opportunities for spiritual development outperformed those that didn't. Others reported that spirituality in organizations was positively related to creativity, ethics, employee satisfaction, job involvement, team performance, and organizational commitment.