Professional Documents
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Workplace
83
Is it apprftpriate
tn inti'firate
spirit luility
into tbe
mtma^ement of
an or^anizittion?
IMtes spirituality
make a
company tnore
profitable?
Ian I. Mitiotf is the Harold In this empirical study of spirituality in the feeling of being connected with one's
Quinton Distinguished workplacL'.' we report on our results from complete self, others, and the entire uni-
Professor of Business Po icy, inler\ie\\s v\itli senior executives and \erse.' If a single word best captures lhe
Marshall School ol Business, from questionnaires sent to HR executives meaning of spirituality and the vital role
University Df Southern and managers.- In general, the participants that it play.s in petjple's lives, that word i.s
California. Elizabeth A. Diinton differentiated strongly between religion "interconnectedness," Those associated
is an organizational anti sfiiritualiiy. They \iewed ivligion as a with organi/.alions they [">ercei\'ed as
consultant. highly iiiajiiiropriate form of expression "more .spiritual" also saw their organiza-
a]id topic in the workj")lace. They .sav\' tions as "'moi-e profitable." The\' reporied
sjiirituality. on the other hand, a.s a highU' iliai they were abie lo bring more of their
appropriate suhjecl for tiiscussion. This "complete seUes'" to work. They could
does not mean that they had no fears. deploy more of their full creati\ity. emo-
reser\ations, or amhi\'alence with regaid tions, and intelligence; in short, organiza-
to lhe [')otenlial abuse of .s]^irituaiity. None- tions viewed as more spiritual get more
theless. the\' siill felt it was essential. from their [")articipants, and \ ice \ersa.
They defineti "spirituality" as "the ba.sic People are hungn' for ways in which to
What We Asked and Why parents, and tbeir partners or spouses An important part of tbe interview was con-
attended religious services, prayed, and cerned witb bow mucb, and which parts, of
The format of the questions and their sub- whaf tbeir religious denominations were, if tbemselves people could bring to work; for
stdiice and content evolved during the any. We also asked if they believed in God instance, complete self, complete soul,
course of our study. The more we learned or a deity. total intelligence, total creativity, or sense
about the topic, the more we learned how of bumor. Next we asked if tbey ever prayed
to ask better questions. After broacbing these somewbat sensitive at work and for what. Winding down, we
issues, we explored tbe main topics: tried to determme wbat their organizations
The interviews began witb a set of ques- • Wbat meaning religion bad for them and had done tbat tbey were most proud of or
tions designed primarily to put the partici- how important it was in tbeir lives (tbis most asbamed of. We queried tbem about
pants at ease. Tbey were also meant to particular question allowed us to secure organizations tbat tbey considered role
capture sucb basic data as birtfipiace, eacb respondent's implicit definition of rTiodels for fostering spirituality in tbe work-
school, job history, number of direct reports, religion). place and took a brief inventory of tbe
and so on Next, we asked about tbe top • What meaning spirituality bad and bow employee programs in tbeir organizations
tbree tbings tbat gave tbe participants tbe important it was (so that we were able to sucb as alcobol treatment, counseling, and
most meaning and purpose in tbeif jobs. secure their definition of spirituality). so on. Finally, we asked wfiether intervie-
They chose from a list of items, sucb as • Tbe differences between religion and wees agreed tbat long-term organizational
associating with an ethical or good organi- spirituality. success demanded tbat organizations learn
zation, doing interesting work, serving oth- • Wbetber spirituality was relevant in tbe bow to foster spirituality in the workplace.
ers, making money, realizing full potential workplace, an appropriate topic for discus-
as a person, and so on. We then asked sion in tbe workplace, or best discussed Many of tbese questions bave not been
them about tbe basic values that guided outside of work. asked before in tbis type of format. For
tbem in making important decisions in their • Comparisons with tbe more neutral topic instance, to our knowledge, no one bas
lives and bow often they were forced to of general philosopbical values. directly inquired of managers and execu-
compromise those values in making impor- tives wbether they experience joy and to
tant decisions at woik and why. We also asked wbether interviewees were what extent in their workplaces. Topics of
aware of any metbods tbat organizations depression, crying, and full emotional
We developed a portrait of their organiza- could tjse to foster fruitful discussions of expression have certainly not been explored
tions and rated the participants' percep spirituality witbout causing people to feel extensively.* Also, to our knowledge, previ-
tions on scales of various dimensions such violated or leading to uncontrolled discus- ous studies have not examined how much
as happy or sad, ethical or unethical, auto- sions. We then Inquired bow often they felt and which parts of themselves people feel
cratic or democratic, profitable or unprof- joy or bliss in tbe workplace and wben comfortable expressing at work None of
itable, caring or uncaring, worldly oi spiiitu- Had tbey ever had an epipbany or a strong these issues have been covered systemati-
al, sane or insane, tolerant of gays and spiritual experience at work? Had tbey ever cally across a variety of organizations.
minorities or intolerant, and so on. cried or felt depressed by the nature of
tbeir job or tbeir organization? 'See S Fineman, ed , EmoUan and Organnamns (Newbury Paik,
California" Sage Pubiicaliotis. 1993)
Tben we asked about bow often tbey, tbeir
Summer 1999
findings. I hi oixler to generalize our overall findings.
Beyond a certain threshold, pay we primarily tiiscuss ihe c|Lialitative results from the
interviev\s. It is also impossible to discuss systemati-
ceases to he the most important thing, cally all ihe (|LianUlalive re.Milis LIIKI Llillerences
hulv\een the VLirious groups.
and higher nc eds prevail.
The Sample responses are typical of HR executives in Mitroff talked to a group of thirteen senior
generai, although they do match the managers and executives in a West Coast
Mailed questionnaires. The largest of responses of the HR executives we inter- utility, an organization with traditional eco-
the five groups in ojr study consisted of viewed in person. nomic goals. This group proved invaluable
131 individuals whci filled out mailed ques- as a point of comparison with organizations
tionnaires. We studied this group after con- Interviews. Denton interviewed one group that had nontraditional or spiritual view-
ducting the in-deptli qualitative interviews of ail fourteen senior executives in a U,S, points. He also interviewed twenty-three
and. hence, had fie d-tested the questions. East Coast manufacturing company known people from various organizations. In addi-
We mailed 2,000 initial questionnaires to for its positive, explicit stance on spirituali- tion, both authors also conducted partial,
senior human resoirce (HR) executives, pri- ty in the workplace and another group of informal interviews with twenty or so other
manly on the U.S, West Coast chosen eighteen persons who worked in newly persons at various conferences. While the
because of their presumed sensitivity to the formed business alliances or associations data from these interviews were partial and
broader and deepei needs of employees. that promoted spirituality in the workplace. incomplete and hence could not be included
The small rate of return of approximately Thus, the members of this group were in our formal statistical analysis, they pro-
6,6 percent may ha;e been due to the active promoters and supporters of greater vided important background information.
length and sensltiv ty of the questionnaire. spiritual development and expression in the
Thus, we don't know at this point if the workplace.
While they were not explicitly ctjn.scituis of conflicts Apprtjximately 30 percent of the participants had
in iheir respon.ses from different parts of the inter- positive views of religion and spirituality. A small
\"iev\\ most people .sensed them. If only \agueiy, they ]iercentage. roughly 2 percent. hatI posiii\t' \iews of
realized they have to separate and compartmentalize religion and negative views of spirituality. Ahout 60
significant pan.s of them.selves. Some people tlon't percent, or the majority, had positi\'e views of spiritu-
want to express all of themselves al work or anywhere alit\' and negative \ie\\s of religion; S percent had
else for that matter. Many wan! to keep a certaiti sig- negLiiive \iews of both religion and spirituality.
nificant part private, which the\- share with no one.
However, it is clear from the ttJtal context of the Mosi of those inler\ieweti tlitl not lKi\e or experience
inter\'ie\\s ihat a tletisixe majority wished to be able sirong emotions LII work, A feeling o\ joy was the
lo express and de\'elop iheir complete self at work. strongest emotion, Ciying, feeling depressed, or hav-
ing un epiphany were almost nonexistent. The inter-
In lisiing the basic \alues thai governed their lives, most \ iewees experienced joy in overwhelmingly common,
people i'es|")ontlet! w ith a common ,set oi' \ irtues such somewhat innocLious wa\'s, for instance, in aecom-
as integrity, lionesty, building antl maintaining good plishing an important work task. Far le.ss prevalent
relationships, keeping one's word, trustworthiness, was joy when, for instance, a ct>worker or a siibt)rdi-
being there for one's family and tor others, and so on, nate accom|")lisheti something significant at work or
A few listed e\en more metaphysical or spirittLil \'al- experienced the birth of a cliild.
Lies such as being in harmony and in touch wiUi ihe
uni\'erse. The o\'erwhelming majority t)f participants Almost all the interviewees belie\etl in a higher power
also indicatetl that they \er\- rarely, if ewr, hati to or God. However, there was a sirong, shaip split in
compromise their basic \alues in making important the responses when participants tlisctissed whether
decisions at work. Unfortunately, this diti not always they felt the presence of a higher p<}wei' or God at
square with the facts. Tn response to later questions work. The majority of the responses clu.stered at the
Miltofl • Dentan
knou' art- nol religious, at k-ast not in the conven- • \ondenominational, abo\x' and beyond denotnina-
[ional sense. Tlie\' don't currently attend rolij^ioiis ser- tions.
\'icc's. although they may ha\'e pre\ioLisly. • BroadK' iticlusi\e. embracing e\erytme.
• SpiritiialitN' is the basic belic'f that there is a • Universal and titneless.
supreme power, a bein^. a force, whatever you call • The ultimate source and provider of meaning and
it. that go\'ern,s the entire universe. There is a pur- purpose in life.
pose for e\'eiything and eveiyone. The Lini\crse is • The awe we feel in the presence of the Iranscendent.
nol meaiiitigless or de\()itl of purpose. • The sacredness of e\'en'thing, the ordinariness of
• There is a higher power ihai affects all things. e\er\-day life.
H\ eiything is a part and an expression of this one- • The deep feeling <.)f the interconnectedness of
ness. Hveiything is interconnected with eveiything else. ever\'thing.
H\erything affects and is affeclcd by e\erylhing else, • Inner j^eace and calm.
• .SpiriiLialiiy is the feeling of this interconnectedness • An inexhaustible source of faith and w ill power.
and being in touch with il. Thus, sjiiriluality is gi\ing • The ultimate end in itself.
expression lo one's k'elings.
• Spirituality is also the feeling that no tnatter how Once again, it is important to stress that while cer-
bad things gel, they will always work t)ut .somehow. tainly not eveiyone in the study either articulated or
There is a guidin,^ plan that governs all lives. As long agreed with ever}' element of this definition, most
as a jx-rson has others, such as famiK, to lall back endorsed the existence of a supreme guiding lorce
on, there is nothing lo fear. and interconnectedness as the fundamental compo-
• There is as much, if not more. g(.KKlness in the nents of spirituality'.
worki as there is evil. We are put here basically Co do
good. One niusi stii\e to produce produds and ser-
\'ices that sen'e all of hLimankind. Orientations toward Religion and
• Sj:)iritua!ity is inextricably connected with caring. Spirituality
ht)|ic, kindness, lo\e, and t)ptimism- h cantiol l^e hi the study, we foLind Ihal iieojile ha\-e loLir differ-
pro\ed logically >r .scientifically ihat these things exist ent orientations toward religion atid spirituality (see
in ihe uni\erse ai a whole. Spirilualit\" is the basic Fip,iire ! )\
taitli in the exi.stence of these things. Faith is exactly
ihv thing ihat renders their strict prool iinnecessan. A person can ha\'e a positi\e \ iew of religion diul
spirituality. This person sees religion and spirituality'
We should stress that while nearly evei-y inter\'iewee as synonymous. While spirituality is on the same
agreed with and, hence, inckitled most of the preced- footing with religion, spirituality is experienced and
ing elements, ilit re was no uni\ersal agreetiient on a developed only througli ruligion.
definition. As tht inter\'iewees' responses show. it is
]iossibie to be spiritual without believing in or affirm- A person can be po.siti\'e aljout religion but negative
ing a higher J'MJW er or God, Nonetheless, tnost people
explicitly ituluLled the tiotion of a higher power or God
Figure 1
Lis ;m integral part of their definition of spirituality.
Four Orientations toward Religion and Spirituality
Belief in a deity was \iewed as the "ultimate ground,
or guarantor, of tneaning and purpose in the uni- Spirituality
verse." In other wortls, most |")eople did not belie\e
Positive Negative
in a "random, iinx'hanistic Lini\'ersf devoid of
pLirpose." Instead, they see the universe as the "inten- Religion and spirituality are Religion dominates spirituality
tional resull of a higher intelligence." The notion of a synonymous and inseparable; and is 3 source of basic
both are sources of basic beliefs or values.
higher power w;.s ihus seen as an integral tiianilesta- beliefs or universal values.
tion of this pLirp:")se.
Spirituality dominates religion Neither religion nor spirituality
From ihe respondents" definitions of spirituality, we and is the source of basic are primary; universal values
beliefs or universal values. can be defined and attained
gleaned these kc\' elements of spirituality as; independently of religion and
spirituality.
• Not formal. structLired, or organized.
Uitroff • Oentan
1999