Understanding the Basic Assumptions About Human Nature in Workplace Spirituality

Abstract

The very existence of workplace spirituality (WPS) is based on distinct assumptions about what it is to be human. However, to date, WPS has largely ignored ontological and epistemological roots that underpin how we theorize the person in management. This leaves WPS without a sound and distinct theoretical base. To address this important lacuna, we argue for a turn to existentialism, which, with its focus on the essence of the self, offers the opportunity to address this lacuna. We base our arguments on the analysis of a grounded theory study of spiritual retreats in a tertiary education institute in which participants attempted to (re)gain a sense of self. After analyzing the results through contrasting positive and critical approaches to WPS, we make our case for an existential approach to workplace spirituality.