Do Religion and Spirituality in the Workplace Matter?

Abstract

Although spirituality in the workplace has recently received extensive attention from many researchers in the field of management, it has often been interchanged with the term religion. Yet religion is neglected. According to Vitell, religion contributes to setting a framework for moral and ethical behavior in a business context, creating a spiritual workplace that is aligned with organizational goals and has a positive impact on productivity and profitability. Therefore, there is a need to conduct more investigations not only to explain the core concept of each, but also to evaluate the effectiveness of each and their integration in the workplace. This chapter addresses the increased demand to better conceptualize, define, and contrast the concepts of religion and spirituality in the workplace. In addition, the impact of leaders' life standards and personal values on behavior in the workplace are examined, with attention on the discussion of the impact of religion and spirituality.