Spirituality

A Revival of Interest in Spirituality

Scholars have studied spirituality for centuries, and not just in theology. Recently, there has been a revival of interest in spirituality in management, organizational behavior, and leadership studies. The Academy of Management, for instance, created a special interest group on Management, Spirituality, and Religion. Numerous colleges and universities have started organizing conferences on this theme. In 2001, the Leadership Quarterly devoted its book review section to the many publications appearing on the topic. Stephen Robbins added a segment on workplace spirituality to the tenth edition of his popular textbook, Organizational Behavior.

The attention is overdue, according to Jerry Harvey, who reminded colleagues that leaders themselves have frequently claimed the importance of spirituality, and not just to their personal lives, but to their leadership specifically. It is, in his opinion, irresponsible to bar such evidence at the gate, as it were, and neglect what leaders report. Many managers are reported to “say their relationship with God influences their work lives more than any other factor” (McCormick 1994, 5).

A person can be skeptical about particular claims of spirituality, yet remain open to the possibilities that scholars have begun to examine. At the very least, in an explicitly pluralistic forum, claims of spirituality deserve as much respect as other diverse claims.

A substantial amount of research considers the instrumental value of spirituality. One publishing executive believes “there is a creative energy in work that is somehow tied to God's creative energy. If we can understand that connection, perhaps we can use it to transform the workplace into something remarkable” (Gunther 2001). Corinne McLaughlin, who assembled many of these findings into one article, concluded that “[s]pirituality could be the ultimate competitive advantage” (McLaughlin 2002). Nonetheless, “spirituality in no way guarantees material success” (Gunther 2001).

Spirituality promises to anchor morality, where the search for an immanent morality has failed. Spirituality implies morality, contributing to the formation of a moral framework and informing ethical deliberation for many leaders. As the interest in ethics and moral leadership increases, so will an interest in spiritual authority and the language of spirituality.

In short, spirituality is empirically important to existing leaders, helpful with morals and the bottom line, so the question arises: what is spirituality?

What is Meant by Spirituality?

The word “spirituality” is hard to define. The Department of Education in Britain is reported to have found it necessary to define spirituality: “The valuing of the non-material aspects of life, and intimations of an enduring reality” (Handy 1998, 102). Such a definition fails to convey its full meaning. A number of writers explain what it is by showing what it is not.