Abstract
Background
Workplace spirituality is an emerging concept that has gained significant global scholarly attention in recent years. The phenomenon of inappropriate religious practices has dominated the Ghanaian corporate world partly because there are inadequate published data to facilitate the refinement and redefinition of questionable religious practices at the workplace. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of workplace spirituality on employees and organizations of three key industries in Ghana. Additionally, the study also examined the scope of practices and challenges associated with the implementation of workplace spirituality in Ghana.
Methods
This research was a deductive cross-sectional study with a mixed-methods approach. Purposive sampling was used to recruit study participants from three different organizations known to implement some form of workplace spirituality practice. Quantitative data were collected with a semi-structured questionnaire whereas qualitative data were collected through interviews conducted with the respondents. The quantitative data obtained from the questionnaires were entered into a Microsoft Excel worksheet and analysed using STATA version 17. The interviews were recorded and later transcribed using NVivo version 10.
Results
A total of 133 participants were recruited into the study comprising approximately 60% males and 40% females. In all, 30.1% of the participants were between 25 and 34 years old whereas 15% were younger than 25 years. The majority of the participants practiced meditation (69.9%), reflection and self-awareness exercises (60.2%), prayer or other religious rituals (75.2%) as well as the sharing of personal religious stories and/or experiences (54.9%). The results show the support, encouragement and respect of organizations towards the practice of spirituality at the workplace as implied by the average mean of 4.10 (SD 1.13). Workplace spirituality had a major impact on the working life of the respondents.
Conclusions
The study highlights how workplace spirituality in Ghanaian organizations positively impacts employee engagement, satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Practices such as promoting personal beliefs and community activities contribute to a cohesive work environment. However, challenges such as intolerance and conflicting values exist. To fully leverage the benefits of workplace spirituality, organizations must address these challenges through strategies like transparent communication and cultural sensitivity training.