Workplace spirituality and employee loyalty: an empirical investigation among millennials in India

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper examines the relationship between dimensions of workplace spirituality (meaningful work, sense of community and alignment with organizational values) and employee loyalty (intention to stay, benefit insensitivity toward alternate employers and word of mouth about the organization), in the context of millennials who are three times more likely to change jobs, than other generations. Design/methodology/approach This descriptive study was conducted among a sample of 308 employees, working in private sector organizations in India. Self-reporting questionnaires were administered among the respondents, who were selected through a purposive sampling method and structural equation modeling was done to test the hypotheses. Findings The three dimensions of workplace spirituality had varying influences on the outcomes variables. Alignment with organizational values was positively related to all dimensions of employee loyalty, whereas the sense of community had a positive association with intention to stay and benefit insensitivity while meaningful work indicated positive influence only on benefit insensitivity. The findings, in general, suggest that employees’ experience of workplace spirituality has significant positive influence on their loyalty toward the organization. Originality/value This study is pioneering in conceptualizing and testing a theoretical model linking workplace spirituality and employee loyalty, particularly in the context of millennials, who form 50 per cent of the workforce and reportedly exhibit higher turnover intentions. The study gains relevance in the context of reports about monetary/non-monetary preferences among millennial employees and that the generation is not too keen in working with teams, but would rather prefer working in an organization, which provides space for self-actualization in individual growth. Implications for their experience of workplace spirituality and outcomes are elaborated, thus striving to fill a gap in the existing literature.