The Reciprocity between

Spirituality in the Workplace and

Thinking Outside the Box
Joan F. Marques, Woodbury University

Abstract

Workplace spirituality is not only increasing in prominence

worldwide, but a more uniform perspective of what this phe-
nomenon is, and is not, is now getting established as well.
This paper first seeks to agglomerate the common
characteristics of workplace spirituality from various study
findings and formulated definitions so far, and lists some of
the requirements and advantages of this trend. Subse-
quently, the point is made that spirituality in the workplace
requires and supports thinking outside the box. Yet, while
thinking outside the box can be applied to an endless array
of settings, workplace spirituality cannot exist without the
application of thinking outside the box.

Introduction

Spirituality in the workplace is gaining ground

as an increasingly dynamic topic in the perceptions of
authors, researchers, and members of the workforce,
considering the rising number of books, articles, and
workshops focused on this topic. Spirituality at work, as
will be derived in this paper from several studies, is an
experience of connectedness and belonging in a work
environment that elicits greater satisfaction and a
sense of meaning among those involved, and has a posi-
tive effect on organizational performance and the bot-
tom line. When reviewing definitions on spirituality as
well as spirituality in the workplace, it soon becomes
clear that this phenomenon requires, and subsequently
supports a set of elements such as broadmindedness,

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 93

acceptance, understanding, openness to change, and
hence, thinking outside the box.

Thinking outside the box is a term that has

grown cliché in marketing areas, but that has tremen-
dous merit when reviewed within the scope of organ-
izational performance. As will be described from vari-
ous sources in this paper, this phenomenon involves
creative thinking and a deviation from fixed mindsets:
a paradigm shift.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify a link

that has thus far not been pointed out as such: the
close relationship between spirituality in the workplace
and thinking outside the box.

Spirituality in the Workplace:

Elements, Definitions, and Applications

One of the major inhibitions toward spirituality

in the workplace thus far finds its roots in the confu-
sion that exists between spirituality and religion. Yet,
there is an important difference, as will be explained
below.

Religion

Dictionary.com, the online dictionary, presents

various definitions of religion, among which, 1) A set of
beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of
the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a
superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devo-
tional and ritual observances, and often containing a
moral code governing the conduct of human affairs
(Dictionary.com, 2007) and 2) A specific fundamental
set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a
number of persons or sects [such as] the Christian relig-
ion [and] the Buddhist religion (Dictionary.com, 2006).
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Hornby,
1989) defines religion as, “Belief in the existence of a

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 94

god or gods, who has/have created the universe and
given man a spiritual nature which continues to exist
after the death of the body,” and “particular system of
faith and worship based on such a belief: [e.g.] the
Christian, Buddhist and Hindu religions” (p. 1064). Two
of the definitions that Merriam Webster’s online dic-
tionary (2007) provides for religion are, 1) “The service
and worship of God or the supernatural,” and 2)
“Commitment or devotion to religious faith or obser-
vance.”

The above definitions have in common that

they all refer to an established mindset, held by one or
more individuals regarding practices and values they
consider appropriate. The inference that emerges from
these definitions, as well as all others regarding relig-
ion is, that they adhere to a certain set of beliefs, and
don’t encourage divergence or creativity in thoughts or
practices from their followers.

Spirituality

Dictionary.com presents various definitions for

spirituality as well. As was the case with religion, two
of these definitions will be listed here: 1) “The quality
or fact of being spiritual,” and 2) “Predominantly spiri-
tual character as shown in thought, life, etc.; spiritual
tendency or tone” (Dictionary.com, 2007). The Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Hornby, 1989) defines
spirituality as, “State or quality of being concerned
with spiritual matters; devotion to spiritual things” (p.
1233). This dictionary explains “spiritual” as, “Of the
human spirit or soul; not of physical things; concerned
about somebody’s spiritual welfare” (p. 1233). Two of
the definitions that Merriam Webster’s online diction-
ary (2007) provides for spirituality are, 1) “Sensitivity
or attachment to religious values,” and 2) “The quality
or state of being spiritual.”

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 95

 From the above definitions it can be derived
that spirituality, in contrast with religion, is a very per-
sonal awareness or experience, based on sensitivity
toward other living beings. It relates to one’s sense of
self, and the realization that there is more to a person
than just a body and a mind. Because it is such a per-
sonal experience, it should be emphasized that “the
term spirituality means many things to many people”
(Laabs, 1995, p. 60). “There are different definitions
for the meaning of "spirituality" due to the very strong
personal nature of the word itself” (Krishnakumar and
Neck, 2002, p. 153). Thompson (2001) postulates that
spirituality is “something we all possess. It’s more than
what we know or what we can do. It comes into play
when we decide to do what’s right” (p. 10). Analyzing
Thompson’s description of spirituality leads to the con-
clusion that it is a transcending experience: an act of
reaching beyond ourselves. This already guides us in
the direction of thinking outside of our comfort zone,
which we will review later. Relating spirituality to the
work experience, Thompson (2001) affirms, “Spiritual-
ity has to do with how you feel about your work -
whether it’s just a job or a calling. Spirituality gives
birth to the values that make you who you are” (p. 10).
Lips-Wiersma (2002) validates the above as follows:
“Enactment of spirituality is the result of a positive
relationship or interplay between the individual's spiri-
tual quest and the organizational environment in which
this is enacted” (p. 396). Lips-Wiersma’s statement
also aims toward self-transcendence. She refers to in-
terplay between individual and environment, which
involves different thinking.

Lerner (2000) defines spirituality as a lived ex-

perience, a set of practices and a consciousness that
aligns us with a sense of the sanctity of All Being. Mi-
troff and Denton (1999) view spirituality as “universal,
non-denominational, broadly inclusive, and tolerant,
and as the basic feeling of being connected with one’s
complete self, others, and the entire universe” (p.

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 96

xvi). This implication of interconnectedness again
steers us toward self-transcendence. Tischler, Biber-
man, and McKeage (2002) link spirituality with emo-
tional intelligence and workplace performance by
claiming, “both EI and spirituality seem to lead to
greater individual work success” (p. 217). These au-
thors further claim that it is possible for people to de-
velop their spirituality.

The brief review above demonstrates that spiri-

tuality as a phenomenon has been exposed to intensive
review and consideration by many authors and re-
searchers. The common factor that all these views
share is the perception of spirituality as a personal
emotion that determines one’s perspectives of and
connection with the self, others, and the universe.
The Difference between Spirituality and Religion

The various statements above illustrate that

there is an increasing availability of written material on
the subjects of spirituality and, consequently, spiritual-
ity in the workplace. Due to this increasing collection
of materials, the consistent awareness has emerged
that spirituality in the workplace has very little to do
with applying religious practices on the work floor. As
already stated, religion is based on established, un-
yielding beliefs, while spirituality is personal, connec-
tion based and tolerant. Duchon and Ashmos Plowman
(2005) underscore this perspective by stating, “It is
important to note that religion (an organized belief
system) and spirituality (an inner longing for meaning
and community) are not the same thing” (p. 625).
These authors refer to Mitroff and Denton who once
reported that “people in the workplace can distinguish
between religion and spirituality, and believe that
spirituality is an appropriate topic for discussion in the
workplace while religion is not” (Duchon and Ashmos
Plowman, 2005, p. 624). The authors elaborate further
on Mitroff’s distinctive perspectives regarding the dif-

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 97

ference between spirituality and religion citing, “By
discussing the spiritual sides of organizations, we are
not promoting an official “company religion” or an un-
qualified endorsement of one of the world's traditional
religions or sects. Rather, we are talking about the
greater moral purpose and obligation of every organiza-
tion to contribute to the solution of world problems”
(Mitroff, as cited in Duchon and Ashmos Plowman,
2005, p. 624). In a 2003 article with the unambiguous
title “Do not promote religion under the guise of spiri-
tuality,” Mitroff presents the overarching conclusion
from his many interviews with workers at various levels
in various types of organizations, stating, “a significant
majority of those with whom I spoke differentiated
strongly and sharply between religion and spirituality”
(p. 375). First focusing on religion, Mitroff (2003) pos-
its, “Religion is seen as dividing people through dogma
and its emphasis on formal structure. It is viewed as
intolerant, closed-minded, and excluding all those who
do not believe in a particular point of view” (p. 375).
Reviewing the perceptions on spirituality next, Mitroff
avers, “Spirituality, on the other hand, is viewed as
both personal and universal. It is perceived as tolerant,
open-minded, and potentially including everyone” (p.
375).
In his review of Douglas Hicks’ book “Religion
and the Workplace: Pluralism, Spirituality and Leader-
ship,” Wiles (2005) emphasizes Hicks’ observations on
spirituality and religion. He thereby underscores Mi-
troff’s standpoint by establishing, “Some describe relig-
ion as ‘institutional, dogmatic, and rigid,’ and spiritual-
ity as ‘personal and emotional’” (p. 195). Also in line
with the assertions above, are the findings of Marques,
Dhiman, and King (2005) who avow, “Spirituality is dis-
tinct from institutionalized religion. While religion of-
ten looks outward depending on rites and rituals; spiri-
tuality looks inward - the kingdom within” (p.84).

Transferred into the scope of workplace per-

formance, Lips-Wiersma (2002) avers, “Religion is usu-

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 98

ally connoted with prescribed practices such as prayer,
specific dress codes or observance of holy days. Spiri-
tuality is connoted with daily personal integration and
applications of deeply held values such as humility,
integrity or service” (p. 185).

As a conclusion to the enumeration of opinions

above, it can be stated that, while the application of a
certain religious mindset may work as a limiting factor
toward the inevitable practice of workforce diversity in
our increasingly interdependent world, spirituality in
the workplace espouses the optimal application of this
enriching factor, as well as many others.

Definitions of Spirituality in the Workplace

Spirituality in the workplace is a growing point

of interest to corporate workers and scholars alike. Bu-
rack (1999) states one of the important prerequisites to
the success rate of this phenomenon: “Spirituality in
the workplace is communicated and reinforced through
the institution's leaders, organizational culture, policies
and work design among other factors. Sensitivity to and
interest in the person (employee) must be common to
all approaches” (p. 280).
Although spirituality at work is much described,
there are not many researchers who took on the task of
formulating a real definition of this phenomenon. This
research found three main definitions, which will be
discussed below.

Duchon and Ashmos Plowman (2005) capture

the essentials of workplace spirituality in their state-
ment, “most definitions of workplace spirituality in-
clude the notions of meaning, purpose and being con-
nected to others” (p. 625). Duchon and Ashmos Plow-
man define workplace spirituality as “a workplace that
recognizes that employees have an inner life that nour-
ishes and is nourished by meaningful work that takes
place in the context of community” (p. 625).

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 99

 Giacalone & Jurkiewicz (2003) define work-
place spirituality as “a framework of organizational
values evidenced in the culture that promotes employ-
ees' experience of transcendence through the work
process, facilitating their sense of being connected to
others in a way that provides feelings of completeness
and joy” (p. 13).

Marques (2006) presents the following defini-

tion,
Spirituality in the workplace is an experience
of interconnectedness and trust among those
involved in a work process, engendered by in-
dividual goodwill; leading to the collective
creation of a motivational organizational cul-
ture, epitomized by reciprocity and solidarity;
and resulting in enhanced overall performance,
which is ultimately translated in lasting organ-
izational excellence (p. 886).

From the three above presented definitions

some interesting key factors can be extracted, as rep-
resented in the table 1.
Table 1: Key factors from Definitions on Spirituality in the Work-
place
Spirituality in the Workplace definitions
Duchon and Ashmos Giacalone and Marques
Plowman Jurkiewicz
Recognition Organizational values Interconnectedness
Nourishment Transcendence Trust
Meaning Connectedness Goodwill
Community Completeness Reciprocity and solidarity
Joy Performance
Organizational excellence

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 100
The common factors that emerge from these three
definitions are:
1. Connectedness (listed as “community” by Duchon
and Ashmos Plowman),
2. A sense of meaning (listed as “completeness and
joy” by Giacalone and Jurkiewicz, and as “reciproc-
ity, solidarity, and performance” by Marques),
3. The organization, although each definition high-
lights a different aspect of this entity. While
Duchon and Ashmos Plowman emphasize “recogni-
tion” and “community”, Giacalone and Jurkiewicz
mention “organizational values”, and Marques fo-
cuses on “organizational excellence.”
From the above definitions it can be derived
that the application of workplace spirituality will lead
to organizational as well as personal growth for all
stakeholders. Stakeholders are all internal and external
parties that have an immediate or long-term stake in
the actions of an organization. The next section of this
paper presents an elaboration of this perspective.

Applying Spirituality in the Workplace

Although some authors underscore that spiritu-

ality is an anti-materialist phenomenon, one should
perceive its outcomes in the workplace within a
broader scope. It is exactly because of the anti-
materialist yet connectedness-oriented approach of
spirituality, that this phenomenon results in an aug-
mented sense of togetherness among workers with a
spiritual orientation, and therefore in greater team-
work and mutual support, which form important pillars
for improved organizational performance. Yet, before
engaging in a review of the advantages of workplace
spirituality, a word of caution might be appropriate.
Although it has been reflected in different ways and by
various authors that “organizations must harness the

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 101
immense spiritual energy within each person in order to
produce world-class products and services,” (e.g., Mi-
troff and Denton, 1999, p. 83), it is also important to
emphasize that the encouragement of spirituality and
other human conditions in the workplace should be
treated as ends onto themselves and not as “means to
an end [thus] another tool for more productivity”
(Krahnke, Giacalone and Jurkiewicz, 2003, p. 401). In
this regard, Krahnke, Giacalone and Jurkiewicz (2003)
warn for the tempting fact that “Spirituality in the
workplace can [become] just another set of tools to
make the workplace ‘worker friendly’ and therefore
more productive” (p. 401).

As for the advantages of spirituality in the

workplace: these form an interesting blend of themes.
Sheep (2006) describes workplace spirituality as “a
young area of inquiry with potentially strong relevance
to the well-being of individuals, organizations, and so-
cieties” (p. 357). Neck & Milliman (1994) confirm that
spirituality values and attitudes have a positive effect
on one's personal life and job performance. Garcia
Zamor (2003) asserts, “Spirituality is about
acknowledging that people come to work with more
than their bodies and minds; they bring individual
talents and unique spirits” (p. 360). In line with the
definitions of workplace spirituality above and the
perceived advantages of this phenomenon, Garcia
Zamor points out, “Spiritual needs are fulfilled by a
recognition and acceptance of individual responsibility
for the common good, by understanding the
interconnectedness of all life, and by serving humanity
and the planet” (p. 360). Garcia Zamor concludes,
“Therefore, when one speaks about bringing spirituality
into the workplace, he or she is talking about changing
organizational culture by transforming leadership and
employees so that humanistic practices and policies
become an integral part of an organization's day-to-day
function” (p. 360).

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 102
 Jurkiewicz and Giacalone (2004) cite Lloyd,
who asserted as early as 1990 that “organizations high
in workplace spirituality outperform those without it by
86%” (p. 131). Jurkiewicz and Giacalone point out a
dual advantage to workplace spirituality: organizational
and personal. Regarding organizations, these authors
affirm, “[they] reportedly grow faster, increase effi-
ciencies, and produce higher returns on investments”
(p. 131). Regarding the personal advantage, Jurkiewicz
and Giacalone claim, “generalized benefits of a spiri-
tual culture include increased physical and mental
health of employees, […] advanced personal growth by
contributing to something larger than oneself […], and
an enhanced sense of self worth” (p. 131).

Elmes and Smith (2001) speak of a “marriage

between empowerment and spirituality in service to
workplace objectives” (p. 33). Elmes and Smith further
confirm that “much of the current literature on em-
powerment and spirituality-in-business suggests that a
spiritual basis for working enables workers to feel
whole and complete and their organizations to prosper”
(p. 33). Considered in light of empowerment, work-
place spirituality entails “that a person believes that
he or she can direct organizational events toward de-
sired ends …[that] they feel they are partners with
others in influencing their organization” (Putnam, Phil-
lips and Chapman, as cited in Elmes and Smith, 2001,
p. 33).

In a model presented in 2002, Krishnakumar

and Neck explain, “spiritual enrichment of the work-
place would do common good through the expression of
positive outcomes such as intuition, creativity, hon-
esty, trust, personal fulfillment and commitment” (p.
162). These authors subsequently conclude, “The end
result is enhanced organizational performance and
long-term organizational success” (p. 162).

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 103
 Research from various sides has also proven in
hard numbers that spirituality in the workplace results
in better organizational performance. Garcia Zamor
(2003) mentions a Harvard Business School study, which
examined 10 companies with strong corporate cultures
(spirited workplaces) and 10 with weak corporate cul-
tures over an 11-year period. The researchers of this
study found “a dramatic correlation between the
strength of an organization's corporate culture and its
profitability. In some cases, the more spirited compa-
nies outperformed the others by 400 percent-500 per-
cent in terms of net earnings, return on investment,
and shareholder value” (Garcia Zamor, 2003, p. 363).

Reflected in an upward and downward spiral,

Marques (2005) distinguishes the advantages of apply-
ing spirit at work versus the disadvantages of refraining
from doing so. In her upward spiral of advantages,
which she refers to as “the ties that bind”, this author
lists:
• Encouragement of authenticity [as the cause of]
• Increased accessibility, [which gives rise to]
• The creation of productive connectivity, [resulting
in]
• Reciprocity, accountability and shared responsibil-
ity, [leading to]
• Organizational and personal prosperity and en-
hanced organizational- and life quality (p. 154).
On basis of all these theoretical and practical
assertions, it can be concluded that the advantages of
applying spirituality in the workplace are manifold.

Requirements for applying spirit at work

From the overview of definitions and state-

ments on spirituality in the workplace above, it is pos-

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 104
sible to produce a list of requirements to the applica-
tion of this phenomenon:
• Acknowledging that people come to work with
more than their bodies and minds (Garcia Zamor,
2003)
• Recognizing and accepting individual responsibility
(Garcia Zamor, 2003, Marques, 2005)
• Understanding the interconnectedness of all life
(Garcia Zamor, 2003)
• Openness to change in the organizational culture
(Garcia Zamor, 2003)
• Empowerment (Elmes and Smith, 2001)
• Intuition, creativity, honesty, trust, personal ful-
fillment and commitment (Krishnakumar and Neck,
2002)
• Authenticity, accessibility, productive connec-
tivity, reciprocity, and accountability (Marques,
2005)

Yet, an even more interesting conclusion to the

above is, that all of these qualities do not only form
the set of requirements toward applying spirit at
work, but also become part of the output of this para-
digm, along with the following results:
• High performance (Jurkiewicz and Giacalone,
2004)
• Personal growth and well being (Jurkiewicz and
Giacalone, 2004; Elmes and Smith, 2001; Marques,
2005)
• Organizational growth and prosperity (Jurkiewicz
and Giacalone, 2004; Elmes and Smith, 2001;
Krishnakumar and Neck, 2002; Marques, 2005)

The aforementioned requirements of spiritual-

ity in the workplace as well as the results listed above
all point to one main prerequisite: unrestricted, inter-
connected, unconventional, non-linear, innovative
thinking, or, as stated in the cliché phraseology of the
past decades, thinking outside the box.

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 105
 Thinking Outside the Box:
Definitions and Perspectives

The Tech Encyclopedia (2007) refers to “out-

side the box” as “To think differently” (¶ 1). Kotel-
nikov (2007) explains “thinking outside the box” as,
“Moving out of your comfort zone to find innovative
solutions.” Wikipedia.org (2007), the online encyclope-
dia, defines it as “a cliché or catchphrase used to refer
to looking at a problem from a new perspective without
preconceptions, sometimes called a process of lateral
thought” (¶ 1). Wikipedia continues, “The catchphrase
has become widely used in business environments, es-
pecially by management consultants, and has spawned
a number of advertising slogans” (¶ 1).

Indeed, at an increasing rate, leaders, manag-

ers, and workers at all levels of today’s organizations
are encouraged to “think outside the box.” And al-
though the expression has been listed as number three
on a list of the eighteen “most annoying and overused
buzzwords in the workplace, according to an Ac-
countemps poll of 150 US senior executives” (Buzz-
words are not win-win, 2005, p. 11), it should nonethe-
less be perceived as one of the most critical aspects of
successful individual and organizational performance in
an increasingly interconnected world. In a 2001 edition
of Work and Family Life, it was confirmed that “Find-
ing new and better ways to do things has become a
mantra in our fast-paced society” (Creative thinking
'inside' or 'outside the box', 2001, p. 3). The article fur-
ther stated, “When asked what organizations should do
to survive in the 21st century, the top answer given by
500 CEOs in a recent American Management Association
survey was to ‘practice creativity and innovation.’ And
the way to do this, say management gurus, is to think
‘outside the box’” (Creative thinking…, 2001, p. 3).
Redford (2006) confirms this assertion as she states,
“Although learning to 'think outside the box' sounds like

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 106
a worn-out cliché that belongs in the marketing de-
partment, increasing numbers of employers are sending
staff on training courses designed to change their per-
ceptions” (p. 1). Calnan (2005) lists five strategies for
managers to encourage thinking outside the box. These
strategies, which are very much in line with the mind-
set of workplace spirituality, are,“1. Learn how you,
the manager, [are] seen to contribute to problems. 2.
Let go of One right way' thinking. 3. Use outside spe-
cialists to improve communication. 4. Change profes-
sional titles to be fun, friendly and functional. 5. Be
quiet when employees or colleagues are asked for
ideas” (p. 12).

Further emphasizing the importance of thinking

outside the box for successful organizational perform-
ance, Bailey and Bristow (2004) stress, “In today's con-
ditions, encouraging radical initiatives and bringing
novel ideas into the organization are activities vital to
both maintaining a competitive position and creating
new competitive space” (p. 25). Bailey and Bristow
(2004) continue, “Not surprisingly then, 'thinking out-
side the box' or from an 'external perspective' (EP) as it
has come to be known, is an increasingly significant
organizational skill and managerial capability” (p. 25).

In his book review of Douwe Draaisma’s “Why

Life Speeds Up as You Get Older How Memory Shapes
Our Past,” Brown (2006) confirms that even the most
conventional researchers agree that thinking outside
the box is essential to keep ideas relevant and engag-
ing.

Yet, while this term has almost become overly

popular, a word of caution is in place here: Thinking
outside the box is easier said than done, especially for
someone who has been in the same environment for an
extended time. It comes easier to those who have been
exposed to multiple cultures, traditions, and mindsets,
thus work- and living environments. It is this exposure

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 107
that enhances one’s insight, not only in the advantages
of acceptance toward members of other groups, but
also in the moral correctness of accepting these others.
The more an individual gets exposed to other ways of
thinking, perceiving, and living, the broader his or her
mindset becomes, hence, the easier he or she will be
able to “think outside the box.” Another aspect that
should not be underestimated in this regard is the en-
couragement factor: if management and co-workers do
not support different thinking, even the most creative
minds will either close, or exit the environment. On the
other hand, if management and co-workers do support
different thinking, even the most conventional minds
may get challenged to start reviewing matters from a
less conventional perspective.

Spirituality in the Workplace and

Thinking Outside the Box

Given the viewpoints that currently exist re-

garding workplace spirituality and thinking outside the
box, it becomes obvious that both phenomena stem
from a similar mindset: openness, recognition of oth-
ers’ qualities, and receptiveness to change. If we com-
pare the common factors, earlier extracted from the
three definitions of workplace spirituality, an interest-
ing awareness arises. These three common factors
were: 1) connectedness, 2) a sense of meaning, and 3)
the organization. It is easy to determine that there is a
mutuality mechanism at work here: The three work-
place spirituality factors above enhance the process of
thinking outside the box, but at the same time, they
are the result of management’s ability to think outside
the box. Moreover, each of these three factors personi-
fies the mindset of thinking outside the box. To explain
this:
• Employees who feel connected will obtain an in-
creased sense of belonging and being able to make
a difference. They will be positively challenged to-

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 108
 ward sharing in the resulting climate of trust, and
get to greater outcomes if they know that their in-
puts will be valued, regardless of how unconven-
tional they sometimes may seem.
• When workers realize that their inputs are valued,
they will get encouraged to share even more. Thus,
a sense of meaning gets established among work-
ers.
• An organization that nurtures diversity, flexibility,
creativity, and a free flow of communicating, will
find its operations improving, and may even grow
out to become a trendsetter in its industry.
Figure 1 below presents the relationship among the
factors mentioned above.

Figure 1: The reciprocity between spirituality in the work-

place and thinking outside the box
When reviewing the various elements that have
been listed by many authors as characteristics of a
spiritual workplace, we can also conclude that these
elements could only be established in an environment
where there was much receptiveness toward thinking
outside the box, while, at the same time, these charac-
teristics enhance the application of thinking outside
the box, thus being creative and flexible, even further.

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 109
Mutual Advantages of Workplace Spirituality and
Thinking Outside the Box

From the advantages listed earlier in this paper

for both phenomena, table 2 emerged, representing
four categories of common advantages derived from
these two phenomena. The categories are named A, B,
C, and D, whereby A represents the driving factors at
work; B the inter-human results from these factors; C
the organizational advantages, and D the personal ad-
vantages from applying these trends. It should be
stated that, because the literature review on either
topic was not entirely exhaustive, table 2 provides an
incomplete list of the common factors that enhance
workplace spirituality and thinking outside the box.

Table 2: Some common factors for Workplace Spirituality and

Thinking Outside the Box

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 110
 The factors listed in table 2 are drivers as well
as outcomes for both spirituality in the workplace and
thinking outside the box. One important aspect that
has thus far not been mentioned, but that definitely
should, is learning. Through the receptive climate de-
scribed above for both phenomena, stakeholders can-
not help but learn from one another and the outcomes
of their mutuality-based practices. The result of apply-
ing a spiritual mindset as well as a support system for
thinking outside the box will enhance learning at the
personal and organizational level, and consequently,
growth. Figure 2 (next page) depicts the common fac-
tors in the practices of workplace spirituality and think-
ing outside the box.
Conclusion

Although workplace spirituality and thinking

outside the box have an obvious reciprocal effect on
one another, this effect should be seen within the
scope of the work environment. While thinking outside
the box can be applied to an endless range of activities
and life scenes, spirituality in the workplace only per-
tains to the work environment, even though its effects
are far-reaching for those involved. Therefore, while
thinking outside the box also happens outside of spiri-
tual workplaces, a spiritual workplace is simply not
possible without thinking outside the box. Thinking out-
side the box is a prerequisite and at the same time a
result to workplace spirituality. Figure 3 depicts the
assertion above.
So, why is this insight important? It is, because
organizational leaders should realize that the rapidly
emerging global village will demand receptiveness to
different processes, mindsets, and types of workers.
Polley, Vora, and SubbaNarasimha (2005) confirm, “A
driving force behind the current rising interest in spiri-

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 111
tuality in the work place comes from changing work
conditions” (p. 50).

Figure 2: Common factors in the practices of workplace spiri-

tuality and thinking outside the box

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 112
Figure 3: The interdependency between spirituality in the
workplace and thinking outside the box

Homogeneity, although proven to work well in

the short term, is rapidly turning into an obsolete oc-
currence. Supporting this awareness are two interesting
sets of statements: The first pertains to one of Fresh-
man’s (1999) findings in her study regarding what peo-
ple write about when referring to workplace spiritual-
ity. Freshman concluded, “Acceptance of diversity is a
resultant action of Spirit@Work. Understanding and
acceptance of diversity helps with conflicts. […] Diver-
sity leads to organization benefits and when applied to
leadership can influence culture and assist manage-
ment with perceptions that lead to learning” (p.318).
The second is adopted from Lewis and Geroy (2000)
who state, “Recent trends including the valuing of di-
versity; a tolerance for spiritual beliefs; an integration
of Asian, Central American, and South American immi-
grants causing a more culturally diverse workforce; and
the introduction of political correctness have influ-
enced increased spiritual expression on the job” (p.
683). Lewis and Geroy (2000) further assert, “The cul-
tural mix reflects not only ethnic diversity but also a
diversity of beliefs and behaviors that influence work-
place roles. Employees have started manifesting spiri-
tual beliefs and practices at work, which has contrib-
uted to a more diverse workplace” (p. 683).

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 113
 From the above may be concluded that, while
heterogeneity may require a longer incubation stage,
the outcomes will be much more rewarding for all
stakeholders. Workplace spirituality requires thinking
outside the box, and thinking outside the box is what
we need to turn the continuous flow of challenges that
the current unstoppable trend of global interdepen-
dency instigates, into the most advantageous process
for individuals, organizations, and ultimately, the en-
tire world.

References

Anonymous (2001), “Creative thinking 'inside' or 'outside the

box'”, Work & Family Life, Vol. 15 No. 9, p. 3.
Anonymous (2005), “BUZZWORDS ARE NOT WIN-WIN”, CA
Magazine, Vol. 138 No. 5, p. 11.
Bailey, C., and Bristow, M. (2004), “Thinking Outside the
Box”, Training Magazine, pp. 25-27.
Brown, A. S. (2006). Why Life Speeds Up as You Get Older
How Memory Shapes Our Past. The American Journal of
Psychology, 119(3), 502.
Burack, E. H. (1999), “Spirituality in the Workplace”, Journal
of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 12 No. 4, p.
280.
Calnan, J. (2005), “My way, your way... our way”, Summit,
Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 12-13.
Dictionary.com. (2007), “Religion. Lexico Publishing Group,
LLC”, Retrieved on August 30, 2007, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion.
Dictionary.com (2007), “Spirituality. Lexico Publishing Group,
LLC”, Retrieved on August 30, 2007, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spirituality.
Duchon, D., & Ashmos Plowman, D. (2005), “Nurturing the
spirit at work: Impact on work unit performance”, Lead-
ership Quarterly, Vol. 16 No. 5, p. 625.
Elmes, M., & Smith, C. (2001), “Moved by the spirit: Contex-
tualizing workplace empowerment in American spiritual
ideals”, The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Vol.
37 No. 1, p. 33.

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 114
Freshman, B. (1999), “An exploratory analysis of definitions
and applications of spirituality in the workplace”, Jour-
nal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 12 No. 4,
p. 318.
Garcia Zamor, J.-C. (2003), “Workplace spirituality and or-
ganizational performance. Public Administration Re-
view”, Vol. 63 No. 3, pp. 355-363.
Giacalone, R. A., & Jurkiewicz, C. L. (2003), “Toward a sci-
ence of workplace spirituality” in The handbook of work-
place spirituality and organizational performance, R. A.
Giacalone & C. L. Jurkiewics (Eds.), pp. 3-28, M. E.
Sharpe, New York, NY.
Hornby, A. S. (1989). Oxford Andvanced Learner's Dictionary
of Current English (fourth ed.). Scarborough, N. York-
shire: Oxford University Press.
Jurkiewicz, C. L., & Giacalone, R. A. (2004), “A Values
Framework for Measuring the Impact of Workplace Spiri-
tuality on Organizational Performance”, Journal of Busi-
ness Ethics, Vol. 49 No. 2, p. 129.
Kotelnikov, V. (2007). Thinking Outside the Box. Ten Business
e-Coach. Retrieved on 12 September 2007 from:
http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscutt
ings/thinking_outside-the-box.html
Krahnke, K., Giacalone, R. A., & Jurkiewicz, C. L. (2003),
“Point-counterpoint: Measuring workplace spirituality”,
Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 16
No. 4, pp. 396-405.
Krishnakumar, S., & Neck, C. P. (2002), “The "what", "why"
and "how" of spirituality in the workplace”, Journal of
Managerial Psychology, Vo. 17 No. 3, pp. 153-164.
Laabs, J. (1995), “Balancing spirituality and work”, Personnel
Journal, Vol. 74 No. 9, p. 60.
Lerner, M. (2000), “Spirit Matters: Global Healing and the
Wisdom of the Soul”, Hampton Roads Publishing Com-
pany, Inc., Charlottesville, VA.
Lewis, J. S., & Geroy, G. D. (2000), “Employee spirituality in
the workplace: A cross cultural view for the management
of spiritual employees”, Journal of Management Educa-
tion, Vol. 24 No. 5, pp. 682-694.
Lips-Wiersma, M. (2002), “Analysing the career concerns of
spiritually oriented people: Lessons for contemporary or-
ganizations”, Career Development International, Vol. 7
No. 6/7, pp. 385-397.

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 115
Lips-Wiersma, M. (2002), “Coming out of the closet: Negotiat-
ing spiritual expression in the workplace”, Journal of
Managerial Psychology, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 183-202.
Marques, J. (2005), “Yearning for a More Spiritual Work-
place”, Journal of American Academy of Business, Cam-
bridge, Vol. 7 No.1, pp. 149-153.
Marques, J. (2006), “The spiritual worker: An examination of
the ripple effect that enhances quality of life in- and
outside the work environment”, Journal of Management
Development, Vol. 25 No. 9, pp. 884-895.
Marques, J., Dhiman, S., & King, R. (2005), “Spirituality in
the Workplace: Developing an Integral Model and a Com-
prehensive Definition”, Journal of American Academy of
Business, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 81-91.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2007). Religion. Merriam-
Webster. Retrieved on August 30, 2007 from
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2007). Spirituality. Merriam-
Webster. Retrieved on August 30, 2007 from
http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/spirituality
Mitroff, I., & Denton, E. (1999), A Spiritual Audit of Corporate
America: A Hard Look At Spirituality, Religion, and Val-
ues in the Workplace ( First ed.), Jossey-Bass Publishers,
San Francisco, CA.
Mitroff, I., & Denton, E. (1999), “A Study of Spirituality in the
Workplace”, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 40 No. 4,
pp. 83-92.
Mitroff, I. I. (2003), “Do not promote religion under the guise
of spirituality”, Organization, Vol. 10 No. 2, p. 375.
Neck, C., & Milliman, J. (1994), “Thought self-leadership:
Finding spiritual fulfillment In organizational life”, Jour-
nal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 9 No. 6, pp. 19-16.
Polley, D., Vora, J., & SubbaNarasimha, P. N. (2005),
“PAYING THE DEVIL HIS DUE: LIMITS AND LIABILITIES OF
WORKPLACE SPIRITUALITY”, International Journal of Or-
ganizational Analysis, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 50-63.
Redford, K. (2006, Nov/Dec). I think, therefore I can. Train-
ing & Coaching Today, 1.
Sheep, M. L. (2006), “Nurturing the Whole Person: The Ethics
of Workplace Spirituality in a Society of Organizations”,
Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 66 No. 4, p. 357.
Tech Encyclopedia. (2007). Outside the box, Tech Network.
Retrieved on 12 September from:

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 116
 http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/defineterm.jht
ml?term=outside+the+box
Tischler, L., Biberman, J., & McKeage, R. (2002), “Linking
emotional intelligence, spirituality and workplace per-
formance: Definitions, models and ideas for research”,
Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 203-
218.
Thompson, W. (2001), “Spirituality at work”, Executive Excel-
lence, Vol. 18 No. 9, p. 10.
Wikipedia.org. (2007), Thinking outside the box, Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., Retrieved on 31 August 2007 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking_outside_the_box.
Wiles, B. J. (2005), “Religion and the Workplace: Pluralism,
Spirituality and Leadership”, Journal of Interdisciplinary
Studies, Vol. 17 No. 1/2, p. 195.

© Joan F. Marques

Joan Marques facilitates courses in business and manage-

ment at Woodbury University in Burbank, California. She has
authored 6 books on the topics of Leadership, Global Aware-
ness, Workplace Spirituality, and Personal Excellence. She
presents a weekly radio column in the Netherlands; and regu-
larly co-organizes and presents workshops for business and
non-profit entities in the Los Angeles area, through the Busi-
ness Renaissance Institute, which she co-founded in 2004. Dr.
Marques holds a Bachelors degree in Business Economics; a
Master’s degree in Business Administration, and a Doctorate
in Organizational Leadership. Her current research interests
include workplace spirituality and personal excellence.

The Business Renaissance Quarterly: Enhancing the Quality of Life at Work 117