For verification of this paper, please visit on http://www.socialresearchfoundation.com/remarking.php#8

In recent years, the relationship between workplace spirituality and leadership has become a focal point in organizational research. One of the key challenges in understanding workplace spirituality is the lack of a clear definition of spirituality in the literature (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2003). However, scholars such as Van der Walt and de Klerk (2014) argue that workplace spirituality is increasingly important for building employee trust. As individuals increasingly seek meaning and purpose in their personal and professional lives, spirituality is becoming a more significant aspect of organizational culture (Neck & Milliman, 1994). Workplace spirituality can foster empathy among employees, create a more knowledgeable peer network, and contribute to a culture of compassion (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2003). Empirical studies by Fry and Matherly (2006) demonstrated that the spiritual leadership model has a positive impact on organizational commitment, productivity, and sales growth. Similarly, Fry et al. (2005) found that spiritual leadership is positively related to spiritual well-being, organizational commitment, and productivity, supporting a causal model of spiritual leadership theory. Overall, research suggests that workplace spirituality is an important consideration for organizational leaders seeking to build trust, promote well-being, and improve organizational outcomes. The term spirituality has various interpretations depending on individual perspectives. According to Webster's Dictionary, spirituality refers to anything that affects the spirit. Similarly, workplace spirituality can be described as any factor that influences the employees' spirit in the workplace. Workplace spirituality involves the desire to uncover the ultimate purpose of work in life and work in alignment with that purpose in the workplace. The present study aims to examine the different variables and dynamics of workplace spirituality, including its impact on organizational behavior, employee performance, productivity, and profitability. Additionally, the study seeks to investigate the relationship between workplace spirituality and its antecedents, such as consciousness, and consequences simultaneously. By exploring these determinants and outcomes, the study provides valuable insights into how workplace spirituality can benefit both individuals and organizations. Ultimately, the findings of this study can assist organizations in implementing workplace spirituality practices to enhance employee well-being, performance, and ultimately, the organization's success.

Workplace spirituality refers to the acknowledgement that employees have an inner life that is nourished by meaningful work in a community (Ashmos & Duchon, 2000). This spiritual experience involves a sense of connectedness and togetherness with colleagues at work (Gupta et al., 2013) and the shared experience of attraction, attachment, and togetherness with others in the workplace (Harrington, 2004). Neck and Milliman (1994) observed that people are increasingly spiritually inclined in both their personal and professional lives.

Fairbrother and Warn (2003) conducted an empirical study on navy trainees and found that workplace spirituality has a direct influence on job satisfaction by reducing conflict. Afsar and Rehman (2015) conducted pioneering research on the effects of workplace spirituality on organizational commitment and job involvement dimensions such as the sense of community, alignment of values, and meaningfulness of work.

By exploring the impact of workplace spirituality on these dimensions, the study provides valuable insights into how organizations can enhance employee commitment and involvement by incorporating spirituality in the workplace. Ultimately, the findings of these studies can assist organizations in implementing workplace spirituality practices to promote job satisfaction, reduce conflict, and foster a sense of community and meaningful work for their employees.

Numerous studies have highlighted the benefits of focusing on the spiritual qualities of meaningfulness and joy in the workplace. For instance, Harung et al. (1996) found that such an emphasis led to increased job satisfaction. Kolodinsky et al. (2008) reported enhanced job involvement, organizational identification, and satisfaction with work rewards. Meanwhile, Krishnakumar and Neck (2002) discovered greater levels of honesty, trust, and commitment. Finally, Duchon and Plowman (2005) observed that an emphasis on spiritual values led to improved work performance.

Job Satisfaction

Job satisfaction is a complex construct that represents an individual's emotional and cognitive responses to their job. It is influenced by various factors such as the work environment, job responsibilities, relationships with coworkers and superiors, and personal characteristics. Gupta et al. (2013) conducted a study that investigated the effect of workplace spirituality on job satisfaction, among other organizational outcomes. They found that workplace spirituality had a positive impact on job satisfaction. Similarly, Piryaei and Zare (2013) found that meaningful work was positively associated with job satisfaction. Additionally, the sense of community at the workplace has been shown to have a positive association with job satisfaction (Harung et al., 1996). Organizational values are also significant in contributing to job satisfaction (Malka & Chatman, 2003). In essence, job satisfaction refers to an employee's overall evaluation of their job and the extent to which it meets their needs and expectations (Keller & Semmer, 2013).

Previous studies have shown a positive relationship between workplace spirituality (WPS) and job satisfaction (JS). For instance, Chawla and Guda (2010) found that sales employees who had higher levels of WPS reported higher levels of JS and had a lower likelihood of leaving their job. Mitroff, Mitroff, and Denton (1999) also suggested a direct relationship between meaningful work, spirituality, and job satisfaction. Additionally, Costa (2003) examined the relationship between team trust and effectiveness, finding a positive impact on outcomes such as job satisfaction. These findings suggest that promoting WPS may have positive effects on employee satisfaction and retention.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) refers to discretionary actions taken by employees that are not explicitly rewarded by the formal system but are beneficial to the organization as a whole (Organ, 1983). OCB encompasses a wide range of behaviors, including helping coworkers with their tasks, volunteering for additional responsibilities, and contributing to the development of new ideas and processes.

While there is some debate among researchers about the exact dimensions of OCB, most agree that it consists of several interrelated behaviors that fall into two broad categories: those that benefit individuals and those that benefit the organization as a whole. Examples of OCB that benefit individuals include helping coworkers, sharing knowledge and expertise, and demonstrating a positive attitude. Behaviors that benefit the organization as a whole include going above and beyond job requirements, volunteering for additional tasks, and engaging in organizational citizenship activities outside of work. 

Research has shown that OCB is positively related to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and overall job performance (Organ, 1988; Podsakoff et al., 2000). OCB can also help to foster a positive work environment by promoting teamwork and cooperation, which can in turn lead to increased productivity and profitability for the organization.

Overall, OCB is an important aspect of organizational behavior that can have a significant impact on the success of an organization. By fostering a culture of cooperation, teamwork, and positive work attitudes, organizations can encourage employees to engage in behaviors that benefit both themselves and the organization as a whole.

Altruism and generalized compliance were indeed two dimensions identified by Smith, Organ, and Near (1983) in their conceptualization of organizational citizenship behavior. However, Graham's (1991) three-component model consists of altruism, conscientiousness, and sportsmanship.Altruism refers to voluntary behaviors that benefit coworkers, such as helping them with their work or offering emotional support. Conscientiousness involves going above and beyond what is required in one's job duties, such as taking on additional responsibilities or working longer hours when necessary. Sportsmanship entails behaviors such as maintaining a positive attitude, accepting criticism gracefully, and avoiding negative gossip.Researchers has indeed found a positive correlation between spirituality at work and OCB, as noted by Djaelani et al. (2021).

Employee Performance

Performance refers to the outcomes achieved by an organization, whether it's a profit-oriented or non-profit organization, over a specific time period (Fahmi et al., 2015). According to Armstrong and Baron (1998), employee performance is the result of work that is strongly aligned with the organization's strategic goals, customer satisfaction, and contribution to the economy.Mangkunegara et al. (2001) define performance as "the quality and quantity of work produced by an employee in fulfilling their duties according to the responsibilities assigned to them."Campbell et al. (1993) suggest that an employee's behavior, not their performance, determines how well they perform. In other words, performance is related to an employee's actual, observable, and measurable behaviors.

Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficient production of outcomes, benefits, or profits achieved by an organization (Nyhan, 2000). Employees who have a sense of purpose and belonging tend to act morally to fulfill the organization's mission and continuously develop themselves, resulting in increased productivity (Fry, 2003). Those who experience calling and membership and have faith or hope in the organization's mission will go the extra mile to pursue the vision, leading to continuous improvement and increased productivity (Fry, 2003). Several studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between spiritual leadership, workplace spirituality, and productivity. Workplace spirituality not only boosts productivity but also promotes human health, psychological well-being, and individual performance (Fry, 2003; Fry et al., 2005). Additionally, several researchers, including Giacalone and Jurkiewicz (2003), Millman et al. (2003), Fry (2003), and Fry et al. (2005), have found a positive link between spirituality and favorable work-related attitudes, including productivity.

Organization Growth 

Organizational growth refers to a change in an organization's size based on the number of employees, while organizational development refers to a change in an organization's age, as defined by Starbuck (1965). Previous studies have employed various concepts of growth, with some studies using changes in sales as an indicator, while others use assets or personnel as indicators. These measurements evaluate different theoretical notions, as noted by Weinzimmer et al. (1998). According to McGuire (1963), an organization can only grow if its size is positively correlated with achieving its objectives or the objectives of specific members.

Consciousness 

The field of consciousness is vast, encompassing multiple perspectives from various experts. It can be defined as a state of being, an individual's subjective experience, or a state of wakefulness. Hawkins (1995) states that consciousness is the ability to be aware of oneself and serves as the foundational substrate for human knowledge, experience, perception, and observation. Baars, Banks, and Newman (2003) describe consciousness as an inclusive term that refers to various essential components of our existence. It is the space where we experience self-awareness, develop our unique perspectives, and cultivate our personal feelings and thoughts. These aspects of our mental life may be more immediate and direct than any awareness of the physical world.

Variables Included in Causal Loop Diagram

The Workplace Spirituality Causal loop Diagram contains a plethora of variables that support other related variables. The primary variables include Workplace Spirituality, Job Satisfaction, Consciousness, while supporting variables comprise Work Engagement, Promotion, Employee Motivation, Performance, Productivity, Organization Behavior, Employee well-being, Organization Growth, Work Life Balance, Work Load, and Stress. These variables are interdependent and have a dynamic influence on one another, contributing to the holistic understanding of the relationship between workplace spirituality and its identified antecedents and consequents. The inclusion of these variables in the WPS CLD model provides a comprehensive representation of the complex dynamics that underlie the phenomenon of workplace spirituality, and underscores the need for a systemic approach in understanding the concept.

The Outcome: Workplace Spirituality Causal Loop Diagram

The causal loop diagram (CLD) above includes several variables that either reinforce the loop or negatively affect other variables. Reinforcing variables have a positive impact, which means that when one variable increases, the other variable will also increase. Conversely, balancing variables have a negative impact, meaning that the other variable will not increase simultaneously when one variable increases. The simple loop in the CLD starts with employee consciousness, which is the leading cause of increasing workplace spirituality. This increase in workplace spirituality leads to improvements in the overall organization's behavior. When all employees work with consciousness, they behave appropriately, which has a positive impact on organizational behavior. This positive behavior in turn leads to better employee performance. If employees behave correctly, this will reflect in their performance as well. Employee performance then motivates them to increase their productivity. Higher productivity helps employees to gain more sales and earn more profits. More sales and extra profits contribute positively to generating more revenue from sales, which directly contributes to the growth of the organization. If an organization earns a good profit, it may be divided among employees through promotion. Promoting employees means increasing their salary and wages, which is also a significant cause of increased job satisfaction. This explanation depicts a positive or reinforcing loop. However, researchers have identified other variables that do not positively affect spirituality, such as stress, workload, and personal problems. Hence, to balance work stress and workload problems, workplace spirituality can become an effective and positive solution. Finally, these variables should be balanced through workplace spirituality to increase job satisfaction.

1. Afsar, B., & Rehman, M. (2015). The relationship between workplace spirituality and innovative work behavior: The mediating role of perceived person–organization fit. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 12, 329–353. 2. Ashmos, D. P., and D. Duchon. 2000. “Spirituality at Work: A Conceptualization and Measure.” Journal of Management Inquiry 9 (2): 134–145 3. A. Mangkunegara, Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia Perusahaan. Bandung: Penerbit Remaja Rosda Karya, 2001. 4. Baars, B.J. 2003. How Does a Serial, Integrated, and Very Limited Stream of Consciousness Emerge from a Nervous System That Is Mostly Unconscious, Distributed, Parallel, and of Enormous Capacity? In Baars, B.J.; Banks, W.P.; and Newman, J.B. eds Essential Sources in the Scientific Study of Consciousness. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press 5. Banks, W. P., & Newman, J. B. (2003). Essential sources in the scientific study of consciousness. 6. Campbell, J.P., McCloy, R.A., Oppler, S.H. and Sager, C.E. (1993) A theory of performance. In N. Schmitt and W.C. Borman (eds.), Personnel Selection in Organizations (pp. 35±70). San Francisco: Jossey Bass 7. Campbell, J.P. (1990) Modeling the performance prediction problem in industrial and organizational psychology. In M. Dunnette and L. M. Hough (eds.), Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Vol. 1, 2nd edn., pp. 687±731). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. 8. Chawla, V., & Guda, S. (2010). Individual spirituality at work and its relationship with job satisfaction, propensity to leave and job commitment: An exploratory study among sales professionals. Journal of Human Values, 16, 157–167 9. Costa, A. (2003). Work team trust and effectiveness. Personnel Review, 32, 605–622. 10. Djaelani, A. K., Sanusi, A., & Triatmanto, B. (2021). Spiritual leadership, job Satisfaction, and its effect on organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. Management Science Letters, 11(3), 3907-3914. 11. Duchon, D. and Plowman, D. A., 2005. Nurturing the spirit at work: Impact on work unit performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 807-833 . 12. Fairbrother, K., & Warn, J. (2003). Workplace dimensions, stress and job satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 18(1), 8–21 13. Fry LW, Vitucci S, Cedillo M (2005). Spiritual Leadership and army transformation: Theory, measurement, and establishing a baseline. Leadership Q., 16(5): 835- 862. 14. Fry, L. W. (2003). Toward a theory of spiritual leadership. Th e leadership quarterly, 14(6), 693-727. 15. Fry, L. W., & Matherly, L. L. (2006). Spiritual leadership and organizational performance: An exploratory study. Tarleton state university–central Texas. 16. Giacalone, R. A., & Jurkiewicz, C. L. (2003). Right from wrong: The influence of spirituality on perceptions of unethical business activities. Journal of Business Ethics, 46(1), 85-97. 17. Giacalone, R. A., and C. L. Jurkiewicz. 2003. “Toward a Science of Workplace Spirituality.” In Handbook of Workplace Spirituality and Organizational Performance, edited by R. A. 18. Giacalone and C. L. Jurkiewicz, 3–28. Armonk, NY: M.G. Sharpe 19. Graham, J. W. 1991. An essay on organizational citizenship behavior. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 4: 249–270. 20. Gupta, M., Kumar, V., & Singh, M. (2013). Creating satisfiedemployees through workplace spirituality: A study ofthe private insurance sector in Punjab (India). Journal ofBusiness Ethics, 122,1–10 21. Harrington, W. (2004, October 7–9). Worldview resiliency of business degree graduate students: An examination of spiritual experiences and psychological attitudes. Association of Employment Practices and Principals, 119. 22. Harung, H.S., et al., 1996. Peak performance and higher states of consciousness: A study of 23. world-class performers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 11(4), 3- 23. 24. Hawkins, D. (1995). Power versus force: An anatomy of consciousness. Sedona, Arizona: Veritas Publishing. 25. I. Fahmi, Manajemen Kinerja, Cetakan Keempat. Bandung: CV. Alfa Beta, 2015. 26. Keller, A. C. & Semmer, N. K. (2013). Changes in situational and dispositional factors as predictors of job satisfaction. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 83, 88–98. 27. Kolodinsky, R. W., Giacalone, R. A., and Jurkiewicz, C. L., 2008. Workplace values and outcomes: Exploring personal, organizational, and interactive workplace spirituality. Journal ofBusiness Ethics, 81, 465-480. 28. Krishnakumar, S. and Neck, C. P., 2002. The “what”, “why” and “how” of spirituality in the workplace. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 17(3), 153-164. 29. M. Armstrong and A. Baron, “Out of the tick box,” People management, vol. 4, pp. 38-40, 1998. 30. Malka, A., & Chatman, J. A. (2003). Intrinsic and extrinsic work orientation as moderators of effects of annual income on subjective well-being: A longitudinal study. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29 (6). 31. McGuire, J. W. (1963). Factors Affecting the Growth of Manufacturing Firms. Seattle: University of Washington, Bureau of Business Research. 32. Milliman, J., Czaplewski, A. J., & Ferguson, J. (2003). Workplace spirituality and employee work attitudes. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 16(4), 426. 33. Mitroff, I. I., and E. A. Denton. 1999. “A Study of Spirituality in the Workplace.” Sloan Management Review 40 (4): 83–92. 34. Mitroff, I. I., Mitroff, I., & Denton, E. A. (1999). A spiritual audit of corporate America: A hard look at spirituality, religion, and values in the workplace, 140, 257–263. 35. Murphy, K.R. (1989) Dimensions of job performance. In R. Dillon and J. Pelligrino (eds.), Testing: Applied and Theoretical Perspectives (pp. 218±47). New York: Praeger. 36. Neck, C. P., and J. F. Milliman. 1994. “Thought Self‐leadership.” Journal of Managerial Psychology 9 (6): 9–16. 37. Nasurdin, A. M., Nejati, M., & Mei, Y. K. (2013). “Workplace Spirituality and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Exploring Gender as a Moderator”, S. Afr. J. Bus. Manage, Vol. XLIV (1): 61-74. 38. Nyhan, R. C. (2000). Changing the paradigm: Trust and its role in public sector organizations. Th e American Review of Public Administration, 30(1), 87-109. 39. Organ, D. W. 1988. Organizational citizenship behavior: The good soldier syndrome. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. 40. Organ, D. W. 1990a. The motivational basis of organizational citizenship behavior. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior, Vol. 12: 43–72. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. 41. Organ, D. W. 1990b. The subtle significance of job satisfaction. Clinical Laboratory Management Review, 4: 94–98. 42. Piryaei, S., & Zare, R. (2013). Workplace spirituality and positive work attitudes: The moderating role of individual spirituality. Indian Journal of Economics and Development,1, 91–97. 43. Smith, C. A., Organ, D. W., & Near, J. P. (1983). Organizational citizenship behavior: Its nature and antecedents. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 653-663. 44. Starbuck, W. H. (1965). Organizational growth and development. Handbook of organizations, 111, 451-533. 45. Van der Walt, F., and J. J. de Klerk. 2014. “Workplace Spirituality and Job Satisfaction.” International Review of Psychiatry 26 (3): 379–389. 46. Weinzimmer, L. G., Nystrom, P. C., & Freeman, S. J. (1998). Measuring organizational growth: Issues, consequences and guidelines. Journal of management, 24(2), 235-262.