Workplace spirituality: A review of approaches to conceptualization and operationalization

Abstract

Workplace Spirituality is a contextualized phenomenon that seeks to identify and build meaning, connectedness and the sense of transcendence at workplace. In this regard, this paper analyzes the different approaches of researchers to pin down the concept of workplace spirituality. Further, it probes into the diverse ways in which various research constructs of workplace spirituality have been operationalized. In this connection, discussion is made with regard to levels of analysis of the constructs of workplace spirituality. The concept of workplace spirituality is situated as a contextualized phenomenon of spirituality in general, even as religion is distinguished from spirituality. The originality of this paper lies in the comparative study that it makes of the constructs of workplace spirituality conceptualized and operationalized by prior research at individual, group and organizational levels. Further, this paper has critically reviewed the scales that have been developed to capture the construct of workplace spirituality in its varied conceptualizations. Furthermore, this paper has identified the elements of commonly agreed upon dimensions of workplace spirituality that are sought to be operationalized across different measurement scales of workplace spirituality. Accordingly, this paper has theoretically contributed towards the development of robust measurement scales of the sub-constructs of workplace spirituality.