Spirituality and ethical behaviour in the workplace: wishful thinking or authentic reality

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aut.researcherGrant, Patricia Louise
dc.contributor.authorMcGhee, P
dc.contributor.authorGrant, P
dc.date.accessioned2011-09-08T22:17:36Z
dc.date.available2011-09-08T22:17:36Z
dc.date.copyright2008
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractThe link between religion and work is not new. For centuries, people have strived to interpret their work through religious lenses. Recently, however, a significant paradigm shift has occurred. The current view is that spirituality, as opposed to religion, is a better construct for understanding the relationship between the individual and modern pluralistic workplaces. This current perspective, sourced in various socio-cultural factors, views spirituality as positively influencing numerous organisational outcomes. Also implicit within this discourse is the notion that allowing and encouraging spirituality in the workplace leads to improved ethical behaviour at a personal level and an enhanced ethical climate/culture at an organisational level. What is unclear, however, is how an individual’s spirituality translates into ethical behaviour within an organisational context and the impact of this conversion. This paper develops a model explaining this process. A review of the relevant literature recognised several characteristics that permeate discussions on spirituality. This paper’s premise is that these characteristics inform an individual’s choice of values – they form a type of regulative ideal. The model developed explains the link between these values and virtue and therefore ethical behaviour in the workplace. The values frameworks developed recently in the spirituality literature specify those things a spiritual person perceives as worth having, getting or doing. This paper contends that these values, particular to spiritual persons, contribute to the flourishing of individuals and therefore lead to the acquisition of virtue. Spiritual persons are likely to be ethical persons. Such individuals are likely to be of significant benefit to their organisations.
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, vol.13(2), pp.61 - 69
dc.identifier.issn1239-2685
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/2033
dc.publisherBusiness and Organization Ethics Network (BON)
dc.relation.urihttp://ejbo.jyu.fi/pdf/ejbo_vol13_no2_pages_61-69.pdf
dc.rights© 2008 Business and Organisation Ethics Network (BON). All Rights Reserved. (http://ejbo.jyu.fi/) Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies is available free of charge as an Open Access journal on the Internet.
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccess
dc.subjectSpirituality in the Workplace
dc.subjectValues/Virtues
dc.subjectEthical Behaviour
dc.titleSpirituality and ethical behaviour in the workplace: wishful thinking or authentic reality
dc.typeJournal Article
pubs.organisational-data/AUT
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Business & Law
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Business & Law/CBIS
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Business & Law/School of Law
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Business & Law/School of Law/Law PBRF 2012
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers/Business & Law PBRF Researchers
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF Researchers/Business & Law PBRF Researchers/B & L Interdisciplinary Studies
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