Abstract :

Since the advent of management thoughts and ideas to make people work more effectively, we have indeed travelled a long way. From the early 20th century, Frederick Taylor’s engineering approach, where the human body was considered as an extension of the machine, to the Hawthorne studies and similar works of the 1930s and 40s, where the importance of emotional and social needs of a human being in his performance was considered. It was the late 1970s and throughout the 1990s that the focus shifted from workers as physical and emotional beings to workers as thinking beings. As our concept about humans is expanding, we gradually understand that human beings are not just body, mind and emotions, but they also consist of spirit, which makes humans a spiritual being. Man is a spiritual being, and spirituality completes him. Spirituality helps a man to understand and realize the broader perspective of his existence and his purpose in life. Spirit is no different from the man himself, hence, an organization must learn to nurture the human spirit and channelize it productively, which would not only lead to the development of the individual but also to the development of the organization. This paper begins with addressing the concept of Spirituality at the Workplace, its role in enhancing an organization’s performance, the factors responsible for establishing spirituality at the workplace and the role of an individual and HR towards applying spirituality atthe workplace. We also discuss the interpretation and the findings from this study, and the paper ends by reflecting on the importance of the topic and the challenges associated with its implementation.

Keywords :

Spirituality, Workplace Spirituality, Human Resources, Industrial Psychology, Individual Psychology, Motivation, Teamwork

JEL Codes: D91, O15

1.1. Introduction

Spirituality at workplace is an important trend in this 21st century. Today, the world is in the state of turmoil. Recurring recessions, global competition, terrorist attacks, downsizing, re-engineering, and changing technologies form the catalyst for the widespread chaos and lack of organizational harmony. Working under high pressure and performing consistently becomes extremely difficult. Employees tend to lose their aim and purpose in life, they tend to worry more and perform less. It’s then, when spirituality at work becomes so important. Spirituality at workplace helps employees to work with their spirit that they find meaning and purpose, a kind of fulfilment that means the workplace can be a place where people can express their entire selves and be fulfilled. Enabling the expression of human experience at its deepest, most spiritual level may not only reduce stress, conflict, and absenteeism. Spirituality at workplace will lead to increased creativity, honesty, trust, personal fulfilment and commitment at workplace, which will ultimately lead to enhanced organization performance.

1.2. Purpose of the paper

Spirituality at work is a very important concept in today’s changing times. This paper on spirituality at the workplace is prepared to:-

1. Understand what spirituality at the workplace is all about.
2. Understand the importance of spirituality in the workplace.
3. Understand how spirituality can be implemented at the workplace, and the factors which are to be taken into consideration.
4. Understand the role of the individual as well as HR in implementing spirituality at the workplace.
5. Understand the role of workplace spirituality in organizational transformation and the challenges associated with it.

1.3.Research Design

Data Collection
The data used in this project is Secondary Data where the data input is not direct rather indirect coming from various sources.

Sources of Data

• Journals (Harvard business review, incite whitepaper)
• General business publications.
• Magazine and newspaper articles.
• Various websites.

1.4.Key Explanations

1.4.1. Spirituality

Spirituality is an essential part of every human being. The term spirituality comes from the Latin spiritus, which means vapour, breath, air or wind. The term spirituality is a broadly and divergently interpretable phenomenon. Some describe spirituality as a search for meaning and self-understanding, which serves as an inner source of energy which is then expressed outwardly as behaviour. It’s also described as a quest to understand the purpose of life, which is often driven by the teachings of the religion he follows. Some believe that spirituality is an individual’s expression of his inner life reflected through the meaningful contributions he makes to society and that spirituality is not associated with religion, God or any higher powers.

Broadly speaking, spirituality encompasses the ultimate ends of the questions of meaning and purpose of one’s life. Spirituality assumes that there is much more to life than the material self and existence. To define, “Spirituality is the desire of an individual to find the ultimate purpose of his life and to live accordingly”.

1.4.2. Spirituality and Religion

Spirituality is different from institutionalized religion. Religion is one of the media which encourages a person to follow spirituality. Religion often directs people towards certain social rites and rituals, whereas spirituality only provokes an individual’s inner self, the way he tries to identify himself, other than his material self. Spirituality is non-dogmatic, non-exclusive and gender neutral, which connects all existence regardless of the outward differences.

While it's important not to confuse spirituality with religion, there is something to say about the general mutuality in teaching acceptance, understanding, and goodwill among both spiritual and religious streams.

Buddhist literature, for instance, reveals an interesting similarity with spiritual behaviour. The Vietnamese Buddhist monk, IhichNhatHanh, illustrates this in his statement, "When we practice mindfulness in our daily life, we cultivate the foundation of peace, sowing seeds of understanding in ourselves and others." NhatHanh further asserts, "If we transform ourindividual consciousness, we begin the process of changing the collectiveconsciousness. Transforming the world's consciousness is not possible without personal change." These teachings, although stemming from a religious leader, are independent of any particular religiouscluster; they are based on purely spiritual practices, regardless of one's affiliation with any religious congregation.

1.4.3. Spirituality at Workplace

Work has ceased to be just a “nine-to-five” thing, and is increasingly seen as an important element in fulfilling one’s destiny. Everybody needs something bigger in life than just going to work making money. For an individual, his workplace forms a vital part of his life. The workplace becomes his temple of wisdom, where he can learn and thrive both professionally and spiritually. Spirituality in no way can be considered aloof from the profession of an individual or from the place where he works. The drive to work honestly, with humility, co-operatively, with a good intention and with peace of mind,which reflects in his work if the employee gets an opportunity to carry and share his spirituality at workplace.

Spirituality at work helps an employee to nurture their faith and work according to what theybelieve in. As stated in Bhagavat Gita, “The man consists of his faith, as a man’s faith is, so is he”.

1.5. Assumptions

To ensure consistency with respect to the topic, there are certain assumptions that need to be outlined. These assumptions will help to establish a clear perspective for the study:

1. Spirituality exists in every workplace, thus, it is considered an environmental factor that can be present in all possible work settings. In other words, spirituality can be applied and experienced in every type of workplace.
2. A workplace is a meeting place for the people employed in the organisation. It consists of a group of people who engage into formal or informal communication with each other regularly.
3. Every person has spirituality, all it needs is to help them understand spirituality and motivate them to lead a spiritual life.

2.1.Spirituality at Workplace: Definitions

“Defining spirituality in the workplace is like capturing an angel. Explaining spirituality at work is ethereal and beautiful, but perplexing”.

There are several different views on spirituality at the workplace. It tends to make this phenomenon intriguing and complex.

• (Lurkiewicz, 2003) define workplace spirituality as, “a framework of organizational values evidenced in the culture that promotes employees’ experience of transcendence through the workprocess, facilitating their sense of being connected to others in a way that provides feelings of completeness and joy”.
• (Plowman, 2005) explains spirituality at work as, “the recognition that employees have an inner life that nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work that takes place in the context of community”.
• (Marques, 2008) presented the definition on spirituality in the workplace as, “Spirituality in the workplace is an experience of interconnectedness and trust among those involved in a work process, engendered by individual goodwill; leading to the collective creation of a motivational organizational culture, epitomized by reciprocity and solidarity; and resulting in enhanced overall performance, which is ultimately translated in lasting organizational excellence.”

Comparing the above definitions, the following common factors are evident:-

• The recognition that an individual has an internal drive toward spiritual behaviour, explained by Giacalone and Lurkiewicz as "feelings of completeness and joy,"(Lurkiewicz, 2003), by Ashmos Plowman and Duchon as nourishment of "inner life," (Plowman, 2005) and by Joan Marques as "individual goodwill” (Marques, 2008).
• Connection with their work community, explained by Giacalone and Lurkiewicz as "sense of being connected to others”(Lurkiewicz, 2003), and by Ashmos Plowman and Duchon as "the context of community” (Plowman, 2005). This is called by Joan Marques as, “interconnectedness and trust among those involved in a work process” (Marques, 2008).

Spirituality in the workplace thus can be defined as, “It is an experience of interconnectedness among those involved in a work process, initiated by authenticity,reciprocity, and personal goodwill; engendered by a deep sense of meaning that is inherent in the organization’s work; and resulting in greater motivation and organizational excellence”.

2.2. Importance of a spiritual workplace

“Organizations, which have long been viewed as rational systems, are considering making room for the spiritual dimension, a dimension that has less to do with rules and order and more with meaning, purpose, and a sense of community.”

The current need for transformation in the workplace finds its foundation in a multitude of causes. The events in the past few years, 9/11, the market crash, the fall of Enron, Lehman Brothers, and the lack of integrity in the organizations-have caused people to hunger for more human connection and a deeper sense of meaning of work.

The importance of spirituality in the workplace can be beneficiary for the individuals (employees), the organization as a whole and for the society at large. We should always remember that, spirituality may start as an individual’s expression of inner life, but it can be learnt, taught and hence spread.

2.2.1. Importance of spirituality in the workplace for the employees

Fundamental aspects of workplace spirituality provide a feeling of purpose, a sense of connection, and positive social relations with co-workers. Employees who feel connected and find meaning in their workplace perform better, show up more often, and contribute more proactively to a better atmosphere in the workplace.

The employees working in a spiritual workplace tend to develop a spiritual mindset, which have certain advantages:

1. Strong spiritual personality makes the employees more tolerant towards work failure, and less susceptible to stress.
2. Strong spiritual personality leads to a democratic style of leadership in the workplace, where the people are more trusting, and are more tolerance of human diversity.
3. Strong spiritual personality increases a person’s commitment towards the organization and the work group.
4. Spirituality in the workplace helps employees to develop a high level of emotional and rational intelligence.

2.2.2. Importance of spirituality in the workplace for the organization

After understanding the individual benefits, we can lay down the importance of spirituality in the organization as a whole:-

1. Spirituality in the workplace helps build a strong corporate culture where connection, compassion, mindfulness, and transcendence become its foundations.
2. The presence of spirituality in the workplace leads to enhanced organizational performance. It was proven through a Harvard Business School research where 10 companies with strong corporate cultures (spirited workplaces) and 10 with weak corporate cultures, drawn from a list of 207 leading corporations, were studied. In an 11-year period, the researchers found a dramatic correlation between the strength of an organization's corporate culture and its profitability. In some cases, the more spirited companies outperformed the others by 400 per cent to 500 per cent in terms of net earnings, return on investment, and shareholder value.
3. A spiritual culture creates an environment where every religion is respected and every employee is treated equally. It leads to less discrimination and harassment.
4. Spirituality in the workplace promotes non-denominational values and ethics.
5. The workplace becomes less competitive and more cooperative.

2.2.3. Importance of spirituality in the workplace towards the society

Individuals and organizations form a society, hence, any transformation in an individual brings in a transformation in the organization where he works and gradually the whole society gets influenced. A spiritual society need not be fundamentally based on an austere lifestyle, rather, it’s about the purity of thoughts and actions. Thus, workplace spirituality can bring in a transformation in the society at large, which can be listed as:-

1. People can re-evaluate their contributions towards society and come forward to contribute more towards social benefits.
2. People will be less competitive towards others and will work for the upliftment of the weak.
3. There will be a feeling of interconnectedness among the members of the society.
4. The feeling of individualism, selfishness, and egoism will be replaced by the feeling of conformity, equality and oneness.

2.3. Necessities for a spiritual workplace

“In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” Leo Tolstoy.

Work does not only consist of meeting your targets, and doing enough to make yourself employed, rather it’s much more than that. However, this is the lesson which is not only constrained for an employee but for the management of an organization as well.

The workplace lays the seed of spirituality, and it cannot depend only on the employees to create one. Spirituality in the workplace depends on the contributions of both the organization and the employee.

With the help of in-depth research among business executives at various levels in a multitude of workplaces in Los Angeles, it was found that, the requirements for a spiritual workplace can be categorized under three main groups, which are:

1. Internal Factors;
2. Integrated Factors;
3. External Factors.

1. Internal Factors: The internal factors include two sub-categories;

• The Leadership Perspective: It deals with the amount of sensitivity the top management possess regarding the humane factor, which in turn is reflected in their efforts to create a caring environment at different levels in the organization.
• The All Workers’ Perspective (includes both, leaders and employees): The intensity of bonding among co-workers, interaction, kindness, the feeling of commonality, the spirit of helping one another, prioritizing collective over personal goals etc; reflects the spiritual intent of the working members of an organization, and their eagerness in creating a spiritual workplace.

2. Integrated Factors: The integrated factors include peace, comfort, accessibility of information, a certain level of casualness (lack of strict protocol), existence of pleasant organizational sub-culture such as clubs and organizational functions, fair compensation and good rewarding mechanisms, and organizational involvement in charity projects in the community.

3. External Factors: The external elements include an appealing aesthetic atmosphere, with indoor plants in the office, the culture of keeping memorabilia, family pictures, and holy books on office desks, display of inspirational quotes etc.

These are the three important requisites in making of a spiritual workplace. The presence of these three factors atleast marks the intent of the organisation in establishing a spiritual workplace.

However, apart from the above mentioned three factors, that there are certain themes that are vital for a spiritual workplace. The presence of these themes in an organization lays the foundation for a spiritual workplace.

1. Ethics: Ethics is primarily concerned with shedding light on the question of what should count as morally good behaviour, what is the good life. Ethics is viewed as a way of behaving that can be prescribed and imposed by the work environment. Ethics and spirituality are different, though spirituality encompasses the same topic, which is so important in ethics: character, and the giving of oneself for the benefit of others, etc.
2. Truth: Truth is the belief, understanding, dependence and the feeling of loyalty among the employees of the organization as well as between the employees and the management. It needs to be a part of the making of a spiritual workplace, as well as a substitute for honesty.
3. Belief in a higher power: When we tend to belief in a higher power, we believe that our actions are constantly tracked by God and our sins will be punished. Belief in a supreme power makes an organisation team oriented and faithful. They believe in Karma and ethical working.
4. Understanding: It can be considered as the sense of comprehending at a deeper level. When in an organisation, people tend to know each other’s wants and desires and can reciprocate their feelings and emotions without communicating, it bring in the true sense of a strong level of understanding prevailing in the workplace.
5. Openness: Openness may commonly mean receptive and flexible in the context of work environment. One may also think it in terms of accessibility within the organisation towards its employees. This kind of openness then would include prerequisites such as a free flow communication and reduction of barriers.
6. Being self-motivated: It’s more of the internal quality of the spiritual worker. Self motivation may also include possible sources that can harness the internal emotions such as openness, respect, and supportive culture characterized by mutual understanding.
7. Encourage Creativity: This refers to providing opportunities and venues for developing unique skills, and making the best out of every situation. Some people may also find the perspective of finding creative alternatives to solutions.
8. Encouraging Diversity: It may be in respect to the difference of opinion in a spiritual workplace. Encouragement of diversity generally leads to better input and improved output.

Thus to sum up, spirituality in the workplace is an experience that can only exist if all essential factors are in harmony with each other.

3.1. Creation of a Spiritual Workplace

The creation of a spiritual environment will often have to be uniquely crafted to reflect the existing corporate culture, corporate or community history, the general culture of the community from which the employees have emerged, and many of the preferences of the particular business leaders. With these realities in mind, a laundry list of ideas that have worked in various settings will be offered with the full knowledge and expectation that one size does not fit all and that one should choose a few items to practice successfully rather than pick many items and fail. Also, workplace spirituality is not for everyone. Even though the goals are laudable, potentially rewarding, and highly productive, a change in any existing culture is fraught with dangers and uncertainties. It is for those who truly see the workplace as an extension of their values of dignity, integrity, and respect. It is also for those who appreciate that the interconnectedness of what and how we do our work is directly connected to who we are in the world.

Establishing a spiritual workplace is not the sole responsibility of the top level management of the organisation. Creation of a spiritual workplace needs the joint efforts of the employees (individual self), and the HR or those who are in a decision making role or the organisational leaders.

These factors have a special role in creating a spiritual workplace, which will be discussed in this chapter. In this chapter, we will also deal with the challenges regarding the implementation of spirituality in the workplace.

3.2. Role of Self towards a Spiritual Workplace

“Eternal peace lies near to those controlled ascetics who are free from desire and anger, who have controlled their thoughts and who have realised the Self” - Bhagavat Gita.

Being a spiritual worker is sometimes a natural way of performing, but it can also be an evolving process, triggered by experiences. When someone is confronted with severe illness or life changing events such as marriage, birth of a child, or death of loved one, the person tends to revaluate his perspectives. It is often due to the affection and attention experienced from unexpected sources that this person will start realizing the flaws in his behaviour.

A person may realize self and hence gain spirituality through transformation, either internally inspired or externally driven.

1. Internally inspired transformation: It is the personal change that can cause the employee to become spiritual without working in a spiritual environment. Some specific internal catalyst that can transform an employee include:-
   • A rise in level of consciousness.
   • A confrontation with life changing problems.
   • Change in lifestyle such as getting married or raising children.
   • Desire for inner peace.
   • Aversion to competitive environment.
   • The will to feel better about one’s self, work, colleagues, and society.
2. Externally driven transformation: In this case the company culture encourages the employee to adapt to a broader spiritual mindset in order to perform well in a socially oriented setting. External catalysts of this nature include:
   • Positive influences from others.
   • The result of a change in company culture.
   • Openness to new ideas and a new way of thinking.

Every individual in the workplace must realize that the creation of a pleasant workplace starts with his attitude. The transformation in self should get reflected in his surrounds which will bring in a change in others and gradually will help in building a spiritual workplace. It is to be noted that spirituality is gained by working towards it making it a habit. In order to create a spiritual workplace, an employee must:

1. Maintain empathy: A worker must accept their colleagues, supervisors, subordinates, and customers, for what they are worth. One must realize that spirituality doesn’t mean agreeing to everything and everybody; it does entail valuing the fact that others have different perception on certain issues. Different perspectives can enrich a worker if he listens to them and hold respect for other’s thoughts. An emphatic attitude at work creates a bond among colleagues that stretches beyond boundaries of the work environment.
2. Apply a positive attitude: Positive attitude is contagious, it affects others surrounding you. It may be very difficult for a person to shine with the same intensity every day, but once a person’s positive approach has become known at the office, it will create a positive cultural trend. The greatest impact of positive approach can have is that it can exceed the boundaries of one’s department and catch the attention of other departments in the workplace, or even other companies and industries. One’s positive attitude, could lead to a workplace which would evolve into an utterly rewarding and fulfilling one for all its employees.
3. Incorporate a personal touch: Workplaces are not designed to encourage spirituality, creativity or work spirit. An employee may revitalize the spirit in the workplace or simply maintain the positive approach by personalizing his work space by:-
   • Bringing in some personal belongings such as, pictures of children, paintings, mementos, cartoon calendars etc; and place them where one can see them often.
   • Taking regular breaks at work, through the day, to walk to a place from where one can view the world outside, or can just engage into a brief chat relating to something other than work near the water filter.
   • Keeping one’s career dreams or other desires alive by joining some part time courses, joining art school, or involving in part time photography. Even reading magazines, journals or online sources could help as well.
4. Refraining from disdain: People have a tendency to take their work too seriously and simply underestimate others. This attitude may not occur because of arrogance, but more from unawareness from the value others place in their respective activities. One should learn to respect and value other’s activities and give equal importance to theirs. One should always remember that just as we sense our purpose and presence, others experience theirs. It is this minuscule thought that could help us decrease feelings of reciprocal disdain.

Other than these, an employee must try to implement the following in order to help building a spiritual workplace. A worker must be:-

• Motivating.
• Be honest to others.
• Be open to criticism.
• Be committed to his work he is earning through.
• Be creative and not be a blind follower.
• Seek truth.
• Be understanding.
• Have respect for others.
• Be a good listener.
• Learn to give and sacrifice.
• Be fair to all.
• Be a mentor and a helper to those who need.

People who seek to perform at their optimal spiritual awareness will first have to apply the process of inner connection or inter being, as coined by ThichNhatHanh, a Vietnamese monk. When one reaches inside and gets in touch with his determining drive-often called soul, spirit, God, conscience, or simply, inner-source, the most probable elements that should emerge are honesty, creativity, kindness, confidence and courage. This can be considered the set of inner traits that define a good colleague.

3.3. Role of HR towards a Spiritual Workplace

The role of Human Resources in establishing and sustaining a spiritual workplace is one of greater volume than many seem to realize to date. Workers are seeking much more than just financial rewards, but rather a package that entails all factors to provide them the sense of meaning that has become increasingly important in today’s living and working environment. A spiritually-friendly workplace will have greater staff-retention rates, so lowering recruitment costs. It will see an increase in creativity and innovation, improved morale, better cooperation and teamwork and superior interface between the organization and its customers.

Tom Chappel, CEO of Tom’s of Maine, offers creative and easy-to-initiate ideas for HR managers to make any company a more spiritually satisfying place at little or no cost. Some of Chappell’s ideas on how HR can help establish a spiritually satisfying workplace are:

1. Help employees connect with nature by bringing in natural features, (i.e.: plants).
2. Holding outdoor meetings when possible.
3. Allowing staff to take exercise breaks to promote physical and spiritual wellness.
4. Stage frequent company celebrations to acknowledge milestones and achievements.
5. Honor creative expression by decorating the workplace with employee-made art.
6. Create an evolving mission statement employees are proud to live by.
7. Rotating those allowed attending outside events.
8. Start holding meetings in the round, thereby creating feelings of egalitarianism.
9. Encouraging employees to get to know each other better (hobbies, likes and dislikes).
10. Encourage employees to take turn at answering customer correspondence.

Apart from these, there are certain steps which is a action plan for HR to better address spirituality at work:-

1. Step 1: Make it safe, permissible, and comfortable to have the conversation about spirituality in the workplace, if people choose. Begin talking, writing, and communicating in a gentle, non-threatening, non-dogmatic manner. Respect others' points of view and the degree to which they wish to participate.
2. Step 2: Seek help from the many resources available. There are myriad sources filled with ideas, conferences, books, speakers, [and] discussion groups.
3. Step 3: Allow a form to evolve to help expand spirituality in your workplace. This can be anything from a regular discussion group to a shared project or activity to a speaker series. Agree on a method and time.
4. Step 4: Evaluate what is working and what is not working. Then correct what is not working and nurture what is. And don't forget to celebrate.

Smart HR management in contemporary times is, therefore, more than ever before, attuned into all levels of the organization. Higher involvement in strategic outlining in order to be on top of appropriate hiring and reduced firing processes, and higher involvement in ongoing organizational activities toward the creation of a workforce that feels interconnected, respected, and recognized.

3.4. Challenges of a Spiritual Workplace

Managers are faced with the diversity of spiritual traditions and spiritual experiences individuals bring to the workplace. Being a spiritual guide is not part of any manager's training. Being a spiritual guide is a responsibility for which managers are totally unprepared. It is easier to maintain the established spirituality of an organization than it is to change an organization's spirituality. At the same time, it is not easy to maintain an organization's spirituality.

The rationality of the spiritual dimension in organizational life, spiritual growth and fulfilment should not be separated from work because of the challenge of balancing personal, subjective, and unconscious elements of individual experience with rationality, efficiency, and personal sacrifices demanded by organizations.

Spirit in business advocates is often pantheistic, that is, they see the “supreme being” as existing in all things. Such a God is not transcendent and is not a personal God. Thus, they are less likely to have faith in a loving God whose grace is essential for our salvation.

Different cultures view spirituality differently. In Asian context, religion is the crux of spirituality, which does not hold true in case of the Western cultures. Many organisations do appreciate spirituality in the workplace but they cease away when it comes to religion coated spirituality. They feel that it’s better to not have a spiritual workplace rather tangling into the cross-religion differences.

Another limitation of the spirituality in business movement can occur when a particular religious tradition is espoused by a chief executive officer (CEO). Some CEOs are so enthusiastic about their own spiritual beliefs that they seem to demand that others embrace the same religious faith.

4.1. Interpretation

In this paper, we have found the different views on spirituality, how spirituality is different from religion and what spirituality in the workplace is. We have also discussed the necessities of implementing spirituality at the workplace and what role does an individual employee and HR play in the process. We have also discussed the challenges regarding spirituality in the workplace.

From the above study, the following could be interpreted:-

1. Spirituality can be explained and perceived in many ways, but it ultimately trickles down to morality, understanding, interconnectedness, respect, openness, honesty, truth, trust, giving, belief in a higher source, peace, acceptance, diversity, bonding, self-motivation, and kindness.
2. Spirituality is not only attributed to prestigious religious officials but can be exerted by regular members of society as well.
3. Being spiritual has little to do with one's external rituals. The spiritual mindset comes about through internal growth: nurturing one's emotions and relating to others in an empathetic yet not victimized way.
4. Spirituality historically has been rooted in religion. However, its current use in business and the workplace is most often not associated with any specific religious tradition.
5. In a spiritual workplace, the bottom line is not ignored. A spiritual workplace aims to achieve excellence in organizational performance through a change in the mindset and attitude of the employees.
6. Although spiritual individuals are expected and willing to assist others when and where needed, they should remain mindful that some people might attempt to take advantage of them.
7. A spiritual organization is built with the joint efforts of the individual employees as well as the Human Resource Management.
8. Spirituality in the workplace is not only constrained to the four walls of the office, it becomes a part of the employee which he carries to his home and shares his learning his family and friends. It gradually creates a spiritual society.
9. Spirituality in the workplace is not for everyone. It may create a feeling of mistrust, religious discrimination or it may be used as a cover to hide or reason irrational actions.

5.1. Conclusion

Many people believe that spirituality is primarily a personal focus and may not belong in the workplace. Nevertheless, spirituality, however it is considered, appears to have many positive benefits, from reduced health costs to increased productivity. There are several tools, attitudes, and methods that can be introduced appropriately that will increase the focus on spirituality in the workplace. There are also additional tools that can be used by individuals, which help individuals to follow a spiritual behaviour.

Ethics, spirituality, and the workplace are a combination, too often separated, that will provide significant benefits to managers, executives, employees, customers, and the entire work environment. The workplace is populated by people. If spirituality is primarily a personal focus, it is already there within the person—it just needs the venue and invitation for industry to reap its rewards. A change in an individual is good enough to bring in a revolution.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi.

6.1. References

6.1.1. Books

1. King, Richard, Dhiman Satinder, and Marques, Joan. Reprint 2008. ISBN 0230-63503-2. Spirituality in the Workplace: What it is, Why it Matters, How to Make it Work for You. (Marques, 2008)
2. Rahula, Walpola. Second Edition 1974. ISBN 0-8021-3031-3. What the Buddha Taught.
3. Sivananda, Swami. WWW Free Edition 1998. Bhagavad Gita for Busy People.

6.1.2. Journals and Articles

1. Brooke, Carole; Parker, Simon. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods. 2009, Vol. 7 Issue 1, p1-10. 10p. Researching Spirituality and Meaning at Workplace.
2. Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14(6), 693–727.
3. Duchon, D., & Plowman, D. A. (2005). Nurturing the spirit at work: Impact on work unit performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(5), 807–833.
4. Grossman, Robert J. HR Magazine. Dec2008, Vol. 53 Issue 12, p26-33. 8p. Religion at Work. (Link)
5. Marques, Joan. Journal for Quality & Participation. Fall2008, Vol. 31 Issue 3, p24-27. 4p. Spirituality at Work: Internal Growth with Potential External Changes. (Link)
6. Marques, Joan. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge. Sep2005, Vol. 7 Issue 2, p27-31. 5p. HR’s Crucial Role in Establishing Spirituality in the Workplace. (Link)
7. Petchsawang, Pawinee; Duchon, Dennis. Human Resource Development International. Sep2009, Vol. 12 Issue 4, p459-468. 10p. 1 Chart. DOI: 10.1080/13678860903135912. Measuring Workplace Spirituality in Asian Context. (Link)

6.1. References

6.1.1. Books

1. King, Richard, Dhiman Satinder, and Marques, Joan. Reprint 2008. ISBN 0230-63503-2. Spirituality in the Workplace: What it is, Why it Matters, How to Make it Work for You. (Marques, 2008)
2. Rahula, Walpola. Second Edition 1974. ISBN 0-8021-3031-3. What the Buddha Taught.
3. Sivananda, Swami. WWW Free Edition 1998. Bhagavad Gita for Busy People.

6.1.2. Journals and Articles

1. Brooke, Carole; Parker, Simon. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods. 2009, Vol. 7 Issue 1, p1-10. 10p. Researching Spirituality and Meaning at Workplace.
2. Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14(6), 693–727.
3. Duchon, D., & Plowman, D. A. (2005). Nurturing the spirit at work: Impact on work unit performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(5), 807–833.
4. Grossman, Robert J. HR Magazine. Dec2008, Vol. 53 Issue 12, p26-33. 8p. Religion at Work. (Link)
5. Marques, Joan. Journal for Quality & Participation. Fall2008, Vol. 31 Issue 3, p24-27. 4p. Spirituality at Work: Internal Growth with Potential External Changes. (Link)
6. Marques, Joan. Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge. Sep2005, Vol. 7 Issue 2, p27-31. 5p. HR’s Crucial Role in Establishing Spirituality in the Workplace. (Link)
7. Petchsawang, Pawinee; Duchon, Dennis. Human Resource Development International. Sep2009, Vol. 12 Issue 4, p459-468. 10p. 1 Chart. DOI: 10.1080/13678860903135912. Measuring Workplace Spirituality in Asian Context. (Link)