Putting workplace spirituality in context

Abstract

Purpose Workplace spirituality (WPS) has emerged as a key concept in management literature but has, thus far, remained inadequately explored in research studies. The purpose of this paper is to draw WPS upon the organizational support theory and WPS literature to develop and test a model. The role of WPS and its moderating effect is examined in its relationship with perceived organizational support (POS), career satisfaction (CS) and turnover intentions (TIs). Design/methodology/approach Using a survey research design, data were collected from 314 respondents to test the proposed model. Serial mediation was tested using the two dimensions of WPS (meaningful work (MW) and sense of community (SC)) as mediators between POS and CS. For moderation, these two dimensions of WPS were used to test the variables of POS and TI. Findings This study found that the relationship between POS and CS is sequentially mediated by the two dimensions of WPS, namely, MW and SC, while WPS is found to enhance CS among employees, it has been found to significantly reduce their TIs by moderating the relationship between POS and TI. Thus, employee TIs are found to be lower when the relationship between POS and MW is stronger. Practical implications The findings of this study will help managers develop strategies and formulate effective interventions that would improve the CS of employees and reduce their intentions to quit, leading to desirable individual and organizational outcomes. Originality/value WPS is a relatively new construct both at the workplace and in academia and to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which has examined the role of WPS in the relationship between POS, CS and TIs. By examining how organizational support has a significant influence on the employee in shaping positive work attitudes, the study will contribute to the existing knowledge and address questions hitherto unexplored. The findings of this research will thus have direct implications for the practitioner as well as the manager.