Spiritual formation and workplace engagement: prosocial workplace behaviors

Abstract

This paper presents a study of prosocial workplace behaviors indicative of spiritual formation. This research aims to provide practical guidance to managers interested in fostering workplace spirituality and engagement. We present a theoretical model of prosocial workplace behaviors analogous to some classical disciplines of spiritual formation found in Christian tradition (e.g. confession, guidance, celebration, study, service, fellowship, and submission). These behaviors align well with organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB). We developed the Spiritual Formation Inventory (SFI) for the empirical study of these prosocial behaviors in workplace communities. The SFI survey is non-religious, focused on observable behaviors, and suitable for general use in secular workplace settings. In order to test for the association of these prosocial behaviors with workplace engagement, our study adopts the Utrecht Workplace Engagement Study (UWES) as dependent variables. Data were collected in 40 organizations, with a total of 398 participants. Factor analysis confirms three factors (honoring individuals, nurturing relationships, and serving with integrity) that are significantly and positively associated with workplace engagement. Moderating effects are also analyzed. In conclusion, we offer guidance for how these results can be interpreted and applied to foster workplace spirituality and engagement in businesses and a wide variety of organizations.Abbreviations: OCB: Organizational Citizenship Behaviors; SFI: Spiritual Formation Inventory; SOC: Sense of Community; UWES: Utrecht Work Engagement Scale