Spirit at work in faculty and staff organizational commitment

Abstract

This study examines the impact of four dimensions of spirit at work on organizational commitment: (1) engaging work, (2) sense of community, (3) mystical experience, and (4) spiritual connection. Eight hundred and forty participants from two universities – one faith-based and one secular – were surveyed using the Spirit at Work Scale and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. On average, employees at the faith-based university were significantly more committed to their institution and had higher spirit at work than did employees of the secular university (p < 0.000). While there have been studies on this relationship in health care settings, this is the first such study in higher education. This study adds to the literature in the workplace spirituality field, where few empirical studies on the connection between spirit at work and organizational commitment exist.