Reframing Human Resource Management Through a Spiritual Lens by Exploring Workplace Spirituality in the South Asian Context

This study investigates how social sector organisations in Pakistan perceive, make sense of and integrate workplace spirituality into organisational life and human resource management practices in a Muslim-majority, collectivist South Asian context. Employing a qualitative multiple-case study design within an interpretivist paradigm, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus groups with leaders and employees from three microfinance and social sector organisations. Thematic analysis identified nine core theoretical dimensions of workplace spirituality: Brotherhood, Spirituality as Part and Parcel of Religion, Connection with the Creator, Spiritual Leadership, Aligning Soul, Heart, and Mind, Workplace Spirituality as Multidimensional Ideology, Inner/Spiritual Satisfaction, Greater Cause, Empathy and Compassion. The findings reveal workplace spirituality as a deeply embedded philosophy systematically integrated into human resource management practices—through value-aligned recruitment, ethical-spiritual training, performance management focused on divine accountability and inner fulfilment, spiritual leadership with a broad vision and its communication and employee orientation to the Greater Cause. This creates virtuous cycles of compassion, resilience and internal moral guidance, effectively mitigating corruption, harassment and ethical risks in institutional voids while fostering collective virtue and societal impact. The study advances workplace spirituality theory towards socio-centric, multi-level frameworks informed by Islamic Work Ethics and Positive Organizational Scholarship.