IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

IIARD International Journal of Economics and Business Management (IJEBM )

E-ISSN 2489-0065
P-ISSN 2695-186X
VOL. 4 NO. 5 2018

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Spirituality Management: A Contemporary Discourse in Management Thought and Philosophy

Owhorji, Sunday AND Moses Tamunoteim Sibo

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Abstract

The notion of spirituality at work has been an increasing focus of attention in the academic literature over the last 10 years or so, with several special editions of journals being dedicated to the topic. Spirituality is seen in the majority of mainstream literature as a way to find meaning in their work, a meaning that extends further than economic gain. The majority of mainstream literature shows a plethora of definitions varying in ambiguity as to what may be defined as spiritual activity/behavior within an organization. Applied organizational spirituality accommodates the physical, emotional, rational and spiritual aspects of the individual. The construct organizational spirituality over the last couple of years has received substantial attention from scholars, business consultants and ethics practitioners. It has been endeavoured to relate the construct to organizational activity. The potential for spirituality theory in the management disciplines has generated a large volume of primarily theoretical literature. At the threshold of this newly formed discipline stand the sentinels of field research methodologies. It is within the gap between the excitement of a new field in management theory generating an abundance of theoretical discourse, and a sparse availability of empirical studies characterized by scientific rigor that the present study is conducted. The purpose of this paper is to present spirituality management as an emerging construct and recognized phenomenon within organizational theory.

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