Joan Marques

The spiritual worker

Purpose – To describe ways in which non‐managerial workers could contribute toward establishing spirituality at work.Design/methodology/approach – The subject scope is spirituality at work. The methods are literature review, and two qualitative (phenomenological) studies. The approach to the topic is defining the phenomenon; examining internal, integrated and external drivers; presentation of the ripple effect.Findings – Finds that spirituality at work is an inside‐out approach; workers at different levels can help establish spirit at work. Some workplaces are just not susceptible toward a spiritual mindset.Research limitations/implications – The studies reviewed, although in‐depth, applied to a small sample, which makes generalization riskier. Although interrater reliability was successfully applied in the first phenomenological study, there may be some bias in this approach, because the researcher is the instrument. Suggestions for future research: applying a quantitative study on a broader sample of wo...

Enhancing the quality of organizational communication

Purpose – This article aims to introduce practical based criteria for effective organizational communication.Design/methodology/approach – The subject scope for this article is corporate communication. The study is based on literature reviews and a qualitative study, entailing the basic principles of the phenomenological approach, with 20 subjects.Findings – Four additional criteria for effective corporate communication surfaced: responsible; professional; concise; and sincere.Research limitations/implications – The studies reviewed, although in‐depth, apply to a small sample in one metropolitan environment, which makes generalization among different cultures riskier.Practical implications – Organizational managers may use these findings to reflect on their communication strategies and improve them, where necessary, on the basis of the findings of this study.Originality/value – The papers value lies in the four additional criteria found as a result of reflections from members of the corporate workforce, ...

Spiritual performance from an organizational perspective: the Starbucks way

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate spiritual performance from the perspective of a globally operating corporation.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses spirituality at work as its subject‐matter and takes the form of a literature review. The paper approaches the topic by: giving a general overview of the shift in global corporate behavior; a short historical review of American business culture; defining workplace spirituality; examining Starbucks Corporations performance from three angles: suppliers and societies, employees, and customers; and a conclusion and postscript.Findings – The paper finds that: spiritual behavior at the organizational level does lead to enhanced corporate performance; workplace spirituality, when encouraged by top management, is oftentimes instigated by personal life experiences; and spiritual behavior, at the organizational level, leads to advantages for multiple stakeholders.Research limitations/implications – Limitations to the research are that the r...

Awakened leaders: born or made?

Purpose – This paper aims to review the leader of the twenty‐first century, the Awakened Leader. Based on information, collected from 11 leadership thinkers and practitioners, literature review, and the authors workplace observations, the article seeks to analyze some of the important experiences and skills that make awakened leaders so outstanding.Design/methodology/approach – This study was conducted as a qualitative study of the phenomenological kind, enriched with literature review. Interviews were executed from a pre‐validated interview protocol. The approach to the topic is: definition of awakened leadership; review of the essence of awakened leadership; reasoning of the determination regarding this leader being born or made; and perspectives toward awakened leadership.Findings – An interesting combination of qualities emerged for awakened leaders varying from morals and values, ethics, integrity, honesty and trust, to kindness, forgiveness, courage, love, and deep listening. As an interesting endn...

Making Buddhism work @ work: the transformation of a religion into a seasoned ethical system

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review Buddhism as a potential reform instrument in the workplace and discuss some obstacles in making that happen.Design/methodology/approach – By the use of literature review and interviews, Buddhisms establishment in the USA is reviewed, a brief overview of Buddhism in general is provided, Buddhism is considered within the light of the spirit at work discourse, and the current discourse on implementing Buddhist practices in the workplace is reviewed.Findings – It is found that Buddhist practices are becoming more widely accepted but the fact that they are called “Buddhist” practices may be a barrier in massive acceptance.Research limitations/implications – The information was gathered from literature and disputed by pro‐Buddhist individuals (monks and lay persons), which may leave room for some bias in view sharing.Practical implications – Buddhist practices, when perceived as ethical values, make perfect sense, and could help instigate a positive turnaround i...

The changed leadership landscape: what matters today

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present challenges in leadership performance today, as well as leadership styles that have potential, given the contemporary shifts in performance climate. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on empirical research, obtained through methodological triangulation, partly through critical literature review, and partly through the author’s ongoing leadership studies during the past ten years, to be subdivided in three phenomenological studies, and 72 structured leadership interviews. Findings – There is a multitude of factors that keep changing the leadership landscape, and there is a series of leadership skills that suffice well given the parameters of today’s work environments. Nine of these leadership styles are presented, including their main characteristics and contemporary usefulness. Research limitations/implications – The studies reviewed, although in-depth, applied to a limited set of options. Because leadership is such a broad and dynamic topic,...

Spiritually or politically driven behavior: differences in the workplace

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to determine the difference between workplace spirituality and office politics on basis of the fact that outwardly, these phenomena can look confusingly alike.Design/methodology/approach – This study was conducted in a single question format, and treated as a short case study, with 40 participants, who all responded in writing during a workshop.Findings – The study brought forth the insight that, while workplace spirituality and office politics may initially look alike, they derive from entirely different origins, utilize different strategies, and lead to different outcomes.Research limitations/implications – The participants in this study were all based in Los Angeles, and well aware of the definitions of the two phenomena. The study might deliver more or different results in other environments.Practical implications – The action methods used in either of the two phenomena should provide management proper insight into the one that is predominantly dealt with in the...

How Politically Correct Is Political Correctness? A SWOT Analysis of This Phenomenon

Political correctness (PC) seems to have exploded beyond all expectations in view of the weight that is currently attributed to this phenomenon in some societies on the globe. Indeed, PC can be considered an important factor in determining the success of an individual or group. At the same time, an “overdose” of PC, as with any other aspect of life, can lead to devastating effects. In this article a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of PC will be presented with the intention of revealing the positive as well as the negative sides of this phenomenon as well as the proper value that should be attributed to PC.

The spirituality@work protocol

Purpose – The paper aims to provide a practical, easily understandable protocol toward implementing spirituality in the workplace for business and non‐profit executives and the workforce.Design/methodology/approach – Using the initial letters of the words “Spirituality at Work”, the paper outlines the main characteristics of the phenomenon that can bring individual and organizational benefits.Findings – The paper describes, with organizational examples, how the protocol can promote elevated human satisfaction, increased return on investment and enhanced quality and quantity of output.Practical implications – The paper advances the view that the protocol can be used for every work environment and at every level.Originality/value – The paper argues, quoting Mahatma Gandhi, that people who live by the principles of spirituality at work can “be the change they want to see in the world”.

Teaching the un-teachable: storytelling and meditation in workplace spirituality courses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the implementation of two strategies that are actually un-teachable yet highly effective in higher education: meditation and storytelling. Design/methodology/approach – Specifically focussing on workplace spirituality as a movement from corporate workers, and consequently, also a teaching topic in management education, the paper first indicates some problems faced in todays world, and relates these to the need for facilitating college courses in more compelling and comprehensive ways. Findings – Spirituality and spiritual concepts can involve emotional and other non-cognitive experiences which cannot be taught using traditional teaching approaches such as reading and lecture. Specific approaches, such as meditation and storytelling are useful for teaching spirituality and spiritual concepts in a business school classroom setting. These two strategies provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their experiences and to become more self-aware. Practica...