This chapter presents a general overview of workplace spirituality. A bibliometric analysis was developed to show the evolution of research in the field; the most relevant areas of study; leading institutions in which research is being performed; funding agencies; top authors, journals, and publishers; as well as additional relevant information. Different conceptualizations and topics connected to spirituality at work have been included. Differentiations are established between spirituality and religion. Various scales developed to assess spirituality at work are included, along with guidelines about how spirituality can be promoted in the workplace.
TopIntroduction
In a fast-changing and uncertain world, employees can often face stress, anxiety, fear, grief, and depression. These factors have contributed to the search for deeper connections, whether it be through spirituality or some other source (Marschke, Preziozi & Harrington, 2009). As jobs become more specialized, impersonal, and more dependent on technology, the opportunities to engage in spiritual acts at work are narrowing, and there seems to be a need to make spirituality an intrinsic part of the work-life (Grant, O'Neil, & Stephens, 2004), especially when facing crisis situations.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, which propelled remote work, new considerations have emerged regarding spirituality at work, both when working from home and face to face. The health crisis blurred the lines between work and personal lives, and employers started to notice workers atomized and agitated; in this context, organizations are starting to look for guidance to bring employees back together (Bowles, 2020). Under crisis conditions, workplace spirituality can be a crucial factor for employees' wellbeing (Mónico & Margaça, 2021), which is why it has become a critical element of modern organizations (Young, 2020) and eventually, with new developments and other changes in the workplace and the workforce, spirituality at work will undoubtedly continue to evolve.
When compared to other fields that analyze workplace-related issues, the number of publications and empirical research in workplace spirituality is still reduced. This can be due to the fact that sometimes spirituality at work can be connected to the idea of religion and that its benefits for both employers and employees are not well known.
This chapter presents a brief analysis of the field of workplace spirituality, reviewing the most relevant publications through a bibliometric analysis. It also helps understand the concept of workplace spirituality through a collection of different notions and applications. The main objective is to provide a general overview of the evolution of the field, especially in terms of scientific production, different conceptualizations regarding workplace spirituality that have been developed, ways in which it can be measured, developed, and applied, as well as to explain interesting developments, such as workplace spirituality consultancy and specific practices that have been developed to face the challenges that the COVID- 19 pandemic has created in the workplace.
The chapter is structured as follows. The background section includes information regarding the historical underpinnings of the field of workplace spirituality. The main focus of the chapter integrates the objective and the method used, which includes a bibliometric analysis that was performed, along with a brief literature review that aims to present an overview of the different elements that allow defining workplace spirituality. Furthermore, in the issues, controversies, and problems section, the distinction between faith, religion and workplace spirituality is made, and existing methods for evaluating it are presented. In terms of solutions and recommendations, the chapter includes a summary of how organizations can help promote workplace spirituality. Further research directions are presented, and the conclusion aims to give some insight into the benefits of workplace spirituality and the growing need for such practices.