This week I have been thinking about spirituality in
the workplace because I feel that religion and/or spirituality has no place in society, except in a church setting. I feel
that personal opinion on matter of politics and religion should be kept private
and no one should preach to others about their beliefs, least of all at work; however
I respect all belief systems. I believe that
there is a time and place for religion/spirituality and that company time should
be spent on company matters. However, if people want to place religious
artifacts (tastefully) on their desks, or if they wish to pray at lunch time on
their own time, I do not see an issue with that at all because, after all, I
would appreciate other people respecting my beliefs. Also, because after reading and doing some
research on the subject, it seems that people tend to be more creative and
productive when they are allowed personal freedoms at work and more and more
people are enjoying spirituality at work. According to the text on page 361, “workplace
spirituality is increasingly becoming a fundamental part of the quality of work
life experienced by organizational members” (Bowditch, Buono, & Stewart,
2008). So, is the workplace spirituality
movement a good thing or a bad thing for all of those involved? Also, is this kind of workplace change going
to help companies long or short term?
Many
people confuse religion with spirituality and link their spirituality to a
specific religion. The reason I am
against the workplace spirituality movement is because I feel that if religion-based
spirituality is allowed on company time, this could be an issue due to the fact
that there are so many different types of religions in the world, and the workplace
is very diverse. Just from the top of my
head I can count 20 different religions, plus many religions have a different
sect. Companies would have to cater to all or allow all religions and not just
one, which could take considerable time, depending on the size of the
workplace. Also, religion and
spirituality being what it is (everyone believes their way is the correct way),
it could also cause discrimination in the workplace among employees; after all,
religion-based spirituality tends to create discrimination worldwide. According to Audra Lowe from Better TV,
“charges of religious discrimination in the workplace have exploded in the past
decade, rising faster than any other form of discrimination complaints” (2010).
Audra Lowe asks, was this “a good idea gone
bad, or just poor execution?” (2010). Margie Warrell (Better TV, 2010), author of Find Your Courage states that the
workplace is a great place to talk and discuss spirituality because of the time
spent on the job. Warrell also states
that companies are not pushing a religious agenda by allowing employees to be
spiritual at work. Spirituality has not
been in the workplace for many years and now we have the workplace spirituality
movement (change in the organizational atmosphere). According to the text on page 360,
“historically, the human spirit – with its hopes, dreams, and aspirations – has
largely been excluded from the workplace” (Bowditch, Buono, & Stewart,
2008). However, with this new movement,
spirituality in the workplace is getting more and more attention as the years
slide by.
Contrasts / an alternative
view to the insight:
So
researching on the topic, I felt that the information only supported my previous
beliefs about the workplace spirituality movement which was that it hurts more
than it helps and it is not good for companies short or long term. These beliefs are biased and very subjective;
therefore I did more research on the matter and it seems that the text was
correct in stating that “people must be able to express their values and share
their hopes if they are to fully tap into their creative potential” and “the
role of spirituality in the workplace has begun to take on increased
prominence” (Bowditch, Buono, & Stewart, 2008, p. 360). I also
agree with Warrell (Better TV, 2008) that if there is no religious agenda
within organizations, that spirituality in the workplace should not be an
issue; also if people choose to be spiritual then let them, and if not, then
don’t bother those people with your beliefs – much like how people should
behave outside of a work atmosphere.
Now
about organizational change; this movement is creating change to organizations
and many companies have adopted this spirituality movement. In order for this change to occur seamlessly,
there are some things that need to be addressed. That is because organizational change does
not happen overnight, nor does it always take with the employees in the
organization. According to Kotter (1995),
organizational change will not happen if the change is not anchored to the
organization’s culture. That is to say
that if the organization accepts the workplace spirituality movement, but does
not support it as an organization or does not show that the organization itself
is open-minded and spiritual, then it will not work. Kotter (1995) states under error #8, “change
sticks when it becomes ‘the way we do things around here,’ when it seeps into
the bloodstream of the corporate body.
Until new behaviors are rooted in social norms and shared values, they
are subject to degradation as soon as the pressure for change is removed” (p.
67). So, the workplace spirituality
movement could be a great thing for employees and organizations if
discrimination is not an issue, if it truly opens up creativeness of the
employees, and if the organization supports the change as a whole.
What does anyone else think about the workplace
spirituality movement? Is it a good
thing, or a bad thing? Should religion
be grouped in with spirituality? Is the
spirituality moving through someone’s workplace now? If so, how is it affecting the organization
or other employees?
References:
Bowditch, J. L., Buono,
A. F., & Stewart, M. M. (2008). Chapter 11:Organization Development and
Change. A Primer on Organizational
Behavior (7th ed., p.360-361). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Kotter, J. P. (1995,
4). Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review.
Retrieved December 4, 2012, from
Lowe, A. (2010). Spirituality in the Workplace. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from
http://on.aol.com/video/spirituality-in-the-workplace-258155260
