Workplace Spirituality as a Process: Increasing the Emotional Well-Being of Women in Business Settings

Prior research positions workplace spirituality as a fixed or simultaneous construct. This orientation limits its applicability and impact in business settings because of a lack of understanding that spirituality is an evolving process that affect people, place, and policy. This study addresses such limitations by reconceptualizing workplace spirituality as a dynamic, developmental process that coincides with an ever-changing business environment. Drawing on parallels with religious spiritual development, the proposed model posits that workplace spirituality originates in shared values, particularly a mutual commitment between women and their organizations to cultivating a discrimination-free environment. This foundational value serves as a resource that facilitates the development of a sense of community, which in turn supports the emergence of meaningful work. Guided by Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this sequence of workplace spirituality represents a positive accumulative chain reaction of creating a positive resource that enhances women’s emotional well-being. In contrast, when discrimination is present, women must devote their energy to coping with discrimination rather than building workplace spirituality and harms their emotional well-being.