Participants
A total of 133 participants were recruited into the study comprising approximately 60% males and 40% females. In all, 30.1% of the participants were between 25 and 34 years old whereas 15% were younger than 25 years. Additionally, 9.8% were older than 55 years. Approximately 10% had terminal degrees (Doctor of Philosophy degrees) whereas the highest level of formal education for 20% was a high school certificate as summarized in Table 1. Also, 40% and 30% had obtained at least a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree respectively. A total of 20 participants (15%) had less than a year of working experience whereas 27 (20%) had been working with their respective organizations for a cumulative period of ten or more years.
Table 1
Characteristics of the study participants (n = 133)
Characteristics | Variables | Frequency | Percentage (%) |
Sex | Male | 80 | 60.2 |
Female | 53 | 39.8 |
Age range (years) | < 25 | 20 | 15.0 |
25–34 | 40 | 30.1 |
35–44 | 33 | 24.8 |
45–54 | 27 | 20.3 |
≥ 55 | 13 | 9.8 |
Highest level of education | High school certificate | 27 | 20.3 |
Bachelor’s degree | 53 | 39.8 |
Master's degree | 40 | 30.1 |
Doctorate degree | 13 | 9.8 |
Cumulative number of years of employment | < 1 year | 20 | 15.0 |
1–5 years | 47 | 35.3 |
6–10 years | 40 | 30.1 |
> 10 years | 27 | 20.3 |
Scope and regularity of practices associated with workplace spirituality
Table 2 summarizes the spiritual practices performed by the respondents in their respective organizations as part of their workplace spirituality. The majority of the participants practiced meditation (69.9%), reflection and self-awareness exercises (60.2%), prayer or other religious rituals (75.2%) as well as the sharing of personal religious stories and/or experiences (54.9%). Approximately 30% and 65% of the respondents also indulged in employee chant sessions and activities pertaining to spiritual development respectively.
Table 2
Scope of spiritual practices at the workplace
Practices associated with workplace spirituality | Number (n = 133) | Percentage (%) |
1. Meditation | 93 | 69.9 |
2. Religious openness and supportive culture | 113 | 85.0 |
3. Reflection and self-awareness exercises | 80 | 60.2 |
4. Prayer or other religious rituals | 100 | 75.2 |
5. Sharing personal religious stories or experiences | 73 | 54.9 |
6. Successful partnering and integrated team working | 53 | 39.8 |
7. Employee spiritual development activities | 86 | 64.7 |
8. Employee chant sessions | 40 | 30.1 |
As shown in Table 3, approximately 45% of the respondents were engaged in activities of workplace spirituality on a daily basis whereas the others were involved in similar activities either weekly (30%), monthly (15%), rarely (7%) or never (3%). The overall mean rank of regularity was 4, which indicates that on the average, workplace spirituality activities were performed weekly among the participants.
Table 3
Regularity of engaging in activities of workplace spirituality
Regularity | Rank | N = 133 | Percentage (%) |
Daily | 5 | 60 | 45.1 |
Weekly | 4 | 40 | 30.1 |
Monthly | 3 | 20 | 15.0 |
Rarely | 2 | 9 | 6.8 |
Never | 1 | 4 | 3.0 |
Mean rank | 4 | - | - |
Perception of workplace spirituality
The respondents indicated their perceptions of workplace spirituality regarding their respective organizations based on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, where 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neither agree nor disagree, 4 = agree and 5 = strongly agree. The results are summarised in Table 4 with mean scores and the corresponding standard deviation. The highest mean score was 4.57 (SD 1.12), “the organization actively promotes a sense of meaning and purpose in employees’ work” whereas the lowest was 3.80 (SD 1.1), “the working environment enables employees to freely engage in spiritual practices during working hours”. Generally, the results show the support, encouragement and respect of organizations towards the practice of spirituality at the workplace as implied by the average mean of 4.10 (SD 1.13).
Table 4
Personal perception of workplace spirituality
Statement | Mean | SD |
1. The organization encourages employees to express their personal beliefs and values at work | 4.20 | 1.13 |
2. The organization promotes a sense of community and connectedness among employees | 4.00 | 1.15 |
3. The organization supports and respects the spiritual beliefs of all employees | 4.12 | 1.14 |
4. The organization actively promotes a sense of meaning and purpose in employees’ work | 4.57 | 1.12 |
5. The working environment enables employees to freely engage in spiritual practices during working hours | 3.80 | 1.12 |
6. The organization has a cultural practice and incorporates spiritual principles in decision-making processes | 3.90 | 1.12 |
Average | 4.10 | 1.13 |
Challenges associated with the implementation of workplace spirituality
The majority of the respondents experienced resistance from other employees with differing or non-religious beliefs (64.7%) and difficulty in measuring the impact of workplace spirituality (54.9%). On the other hand, 39.8% experienced a lack of understanding or awareness of workplace spirituality in their organization whereas 45% experienced conflicts arising from the intersection of personal and professional values (Table 5).
Table 5
Challenges that arise during the implementation of workplace spirituality
Questionnaire item | Number | Percentage (%) |
1. Resistance from employees with differing religious or spiritual beliefs | 85 | 64.7 |
2. Conflicts arising from the intersection of personal and professional values | 60 | 45.1 |
3. Lack of understanding or awareness of workplace spirituality. | 53 | 39.8 |
4. Difficulty in measuring the impact of workplace spirituality. | 73 | 54.9 |
5. Resistance from organizational leaders or management | 67 | 50.4 |
6. Balancing secular and spiritual values | 63 | 47.4 |
7. Legal and ethical considerations | 51 | 38.3 |
8. Sustainability | 57 | 42.9 |
9. Resource constraints | 69 | 51.9 |
10. Resistance to change | 71 | 53.3 |
Strategies to overcome challenges relating to workplace spirituality
The participants outlined potential strategies that can be adopted to overcome the challenges associated with workplace spirituality (Table 6). The strategies suggested included improving communication (39.8%), providing training to address conflicts at the workplace (24.1%) and promoting a diverse and inclusive environment (45.1%).
Table 6
Strategies to overcome challenges associated with the implementation of workplace spirituality
Strategy | Number | Percentage (%) |
1. Improving communication and education about workplace spirituality | 53 | 39.8 |
2. Encouraging open dialogue between employees and employers | 47 | 35.3 |
3. Providing training to address conflicts at the workplace | 32 | 24.1 |
4. Integrating spirituality into organizational values and policies | 60 | 45.1 |
5. Recognizing and rewarding employees who actively engage in workplace spirituality | 40 | 30.1 |
6. Promoting a diverse and inclusive environment | 60 | 45.1 |
7. Designated spaces | 53 | 39.8 |
8. Cultural sensitivity training | 38 | 27.5 |
9. Recognized and celebrating cultural and religious holidays | 66 | 49.6 |
10. Open communication | 46 | 34.6 |
11. Policy development | 59 | 44.4 |
12. Employee resource groups | 63 | 47.4 |
The influence of workplace spirituality on employees working life
The respondents indicated how workplace spirituality has impacted various aspects of their working lives based on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5, where 1 = no impact, 2 = minor impact, 3 = moderate impact, 4 = major impact, and 5 = extremely significant impact (Table 7). The overall mean score was 4.15 (SD 1.152), which indicates that on the average, workplace spirituality had a major impact on the working life of the respondents.
Table 7
The impact of workplace spirituality on employees’ working life
Impact of workplace spirituality | Mean | Standard Deviation |
1. Job satisfaction | 4.40 | 1.14 |
2. Emotional well-being | 4.20 | 1.14 |
3. Work-life balance | 3.90 | 1.16 |
4. Teamwork and collaboration | 4.10 | 1.15 |
5. Employee engagement | 4.30 | 1.16 |
6. Organizational commitment | 4.0 | 1.15 |
7. Employee adaptability | 4.5 | 1.14 |
8. Reduced stress and burnout | 4.3 | 1.15 |
9. Enhanced well-being | 4.0 | 1.13 |
10. Increased creativity and innovation | 4.20 | 1.11 |
Average | 4.19 | 1.14 |
The participants indicated that workplace spirituality positively influenced employee productivity, creativity & innovation, as well as retention and loyalty (means scores of 4.2, 3.9, 4.3 and 4.3 respectively) as shown in Table 8.
Table 8
Perceived influence of workplace spirituality on organizational outcomes
Statement | Mean | Standard Deviation |
1. Employee productivity | 4.2 | 1.14 |
2. Employee creativity and innovation | 3.9 | 1.16 |
3. Organizational culture | 4.1 | 1.15 |
4. Employee retention | 4.3 | 1.16 |
5. Employee loyalty | 4.3 | 1.16 |
6. Employee engagement | 4.3 | 1.13 |
7. Job satisfaction | 4.1 | 1.16 |
8. Stress-reduction and general well-being | 4.0 | 1.15 |
9. Innovation and creativity | 4.2 | 1.15 |
10. Ethical behaviour | 4.3 | 1.12 |
11. Leadership effectiveness | 4.1 | 1.14 |
12. Organizational performance | 4.3 | 1.13 |
Average | 4.18 | 1.2 |
Thematic analysis of respondents’ interviews
Theme 1: Comprehension of workplace spirituality
The participants held varying opinions about the meaning of workplace spirituality. Some saw it as a means to incorporate their own values and ideals into their professional environment. Yet, others also considered it a strategy for organizations to promote unity and loyalty whilst supressing dissent.
Theme 2: Distinctive aspects of workplace spirituality
The participants highlighted a range of practices that are related to workplace spirituality including meditation, prayer, singing religious songs, and introspective contemplation of personal ideals. These practices were regarded as promoting stronger interpersonal connections among coworkers and facilitating the alignment of professional endeavours with personal beliefs and principles.
Theme 3: Implementation Challenges
The major challenges encountered were employee resistance stemming from divergent views and clashes between personal values and organizational norms. The participants also mentioned difficulties associated with the adjustment of spiritual practices to suit different organizational cultures.
Theme 4: Benefits of workplace spirituality for employees and their organizations
Overall, the participants agreed on the positive impact of workplace spirituality on several aspects of their lives, including general well-being, the quality of teamwork, and the level of job satisfaction. Perceived benefits for organizations, included heightened levels of employee loyalty, innovation, and low employee turnover rates.
Theme 5: The impact of workplace spirituality on employee attitude and motivation
Generally, the participants were of the view that workplace spirituality had a positive influence on employee attitude and motivation.
Theme 6: Ethical aspects of workplace spirituality
The participants emphasized the utmost importance of establishing a workplace atmosphere that upholds employees' beliefs and frowns upon all forms of religious prejudice and/or persecution. They also underscored the need for clear communication and openness in the implementation of spirituality-related programmes at the workplace.
Theme 7: The future trajectory of workplace spirituality
Overall, the participants were optimistic about the future trends of workplace spirituality in their respective organizations.