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Essay / Spirituality at Work - 790
Spirituality at work is a sophisticated concept (Kinjerski & Skrypnek, 2004). Generally speaking, it involves the feeling of well-being, the feeling of being fully involved in the work, the feeling of connection to others and to something greater than oneself, as well as a feeling of transcendence (Ashmos and Duchon, 2000; ; Kinjerski and Skrypnek, 2004; Kinjerski, VM and Skrypnek, 2008; Rego and Pina e Cunha, 2004; Individuals consider their work sacred (Ingersoll, 2010), while spirituality at work is not necessarily linked to religion (Ashmos & Duchon, 2000; Krishnakumar & Neck, 2002; Milliman et al., 2003; Rego & Pina e Cunha, 2008). This may be about personal values or a philosophy. This concept can be referred to self-actualization proposed by Maslow's hierarchy of needs (1954). In addition to seeking satisfaction of the base levels of the hierarchy, individuals desire to satisfy the highest level of need. Although earning money is the fundamental goal, individuals eager to discover the meaning of work, to make a contribution to society, to reach their full potential, to connect with colleagues, to work in an organization whose purpose and value they identify (Kinjerski & Skrypnek, 2004). Although a consistent definition of workplace spirituality has not been found, mutuality in its definition defined in the literature can be easily found. Sheep (2004) was summarized into four themes. The first theme is personal integration at work, that is to say the total immersion of oneself in work. The second theme is the meaning of work. People tend to find meaning in their work. Meaning can relate to personal value, such as contribution to society and others, and extend beyond monetary benefits. The third is self-transcendence, connection to something greater than oneself. This theme includes connectivity with others, community, and organization. The final theme is “personal growth and the development of one’s inner life at work”. The organization can provide conditions conducive to the growth and development of employees. Despite varying perspectives on workplace spirituality, three dimensions were targeted in the present study. The model proposed by Milliman et al. (2003) was adopted. In this model, spirituality at work includes three levels: the individual, the community and the organization. This model encompasses two themes mentioned above, such as the meaning of work and self-transcendence. At the individual level of work spirituality, the meaning of work is involved at this level. People are motivated to actively seek and create meaning in their lives (Ashmos & Duchon, 2000; Frankl, 1992; Lips-Wiersma & Morris, 2009).