Corporate Chaplaincy Programs: An Exploratory Study Relates Corporate Chaplain Activities to Employee Assistance Programs

Abstract

This study is in response to a recent increase in the use of chaplains across corporate America and fills a void in the research literature. It explored the activities of corporate chaplains, identifying the precise functions they perform. Similarities were found between the problems that employees discussed with corporate chaplains and the issues traditionally addressed by employee assistance providers. Differences across industry type, firm size, and contract tenure were also analyzed and are reported. Findings indicate that the majority of problems discussed with corporate chaplains were psychological issues and relationship matters. Implications for practice and research are discussed.