RESEARCH ROOM
Thank you for visiting the Spirit at Work Research Room. This section of the website is for academic articles, dissertation proposals, and dissertation summaries. We share this information in the hopes that it will save time for students and researchers and that it will help people so that they don't have to reinvent the wheel.
If you have a research paper, research proposal, or academic journal article to share, please contact Judi Neal, Director, Association for Spirit at Work. We will only post articles where we have the proper permissions.
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SPIRIT AT WORK
Research Papers Online
Gibbons, Paul. 1999. Spirituality at Work: Definitions, measures, assumptions, and validity claims. Presented at the Academy of Management, August 2000.
Abstract
Spirituality at Work is a new discipline that may yield substantial benefits to individuals and organizations, however much of what is written on the subject is in popular books leaving a dearth of critical thinking and rigorous analysis. The definitions of spirituality and Spirituality at Work are articulated using different means, highlighting certain gaps in the research agenda. Research from the Psychology of Religion is used to critique current attempts at operationalisation. The taken-for-granted assumptions that underpin some Spirituality at Work writings are challenged suggesting fertile areas for research investigation. Some of the outcomes of Spirituality at Work are tabulated and the nature of the validity claims explored. An appeal is made for closer integration with Business Ethics and Organization Science. Finally, the notion of whether Spirituality at Work is, or may become a fad, is examined.
Mendoza, Robert. 1998. The Touch of a Leader's Soul: How a leader brings soul to an organization. Dissertation summary.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine how a leader brings soul to an
organization and its employees. The major research design of this study was
based upon the assumption that the internal and intimate process that a leader
goes through to discover his or her soul is related to the external expression
of gifts from the soul that the leader is able to manifest and bring forth to
the organization.
Reams, Jonathan. 2000. Consciousness and Identity: Who Do We Think We Are? Gonzaga University
Abstract
This article proposes that the epistemological concerns raised by the inherent incoherence of thought requires a dialogical approach to understanding consciousness and identity. This approach leads to a fundamentally spiritual view of self, and a radical view of consciousness as a non-local field shaping the limits of our perception, and the degree of gap between reality and thought's representation of it. A method of measuring this kind of consciousness is examined, and examples are provided of the insights gained through this methodology. Some implications of this perspective are explored, and conclusions arising from this inquiry are presented.
Robbins, Lee and Walt Stevenson. Counterintuitive Approaches to Leadership: Implications of Twelve-Step Fellowship Methodologies for Leadership Education.
Abstract
This article examines the unusual and strikingly successful approach to leadership of the Twelve-Step Fellowships, the most prominent of which is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The techniques employed in these Fellowships provide useful clues to creating more effective, functional, and humane organizations and college classrooms. They suggest content that might be incorporated in courses on leadership and also provide a process model for the role of the teacher as leader in many if not most management and other college courses. The authors describe the central activity of the Fellowships, analyze their governance systems, and outline the spiritual aspects of shared experience. The Fellowship model is contrasted with those typically found in the theoretical literature on leadership. Ways in which it might be adapted to such settings as business organizations and colleges are suggested
Twigg, Nicholas, David Wyld and Gene Brown, 2001. Quest for Fire: A redefinition and reconceptualization of spirituality at work. Insights to a Changing World Journal, March 15.
Abstract
This
article is an examination of the concept of spirituality. It examines how
the concept has been often confused and intertwined with specific religious
ideas over the years. It also looks at the current, newfound emphasis on
spirit in the work setting. Finally, a two-fold definition of spirituality
is offered, one that will assist researchers in a variety of disciplines to
further the inquiry into the spiritual dimension of work.