workplace spirituality from Islamic and Western Approach: Application in Organizational Behavior

Abstract

Creating spirituality in the workplace, enhances the organization sustainability in the present dynamic environment by facilitating its reaction towards environmental demands. In this study, the concept of workplace spirituality in Islamic and Western approaches and the practical implications of each one has been discussed in organizational behavior. It should be noted that most of internal researches carried out in the field of workplace spirituality have be done by Western approach and the components derived from the foundations of this approach. Meanwhile, the western approach looks from a different perspective to humankinds and his values and does not fit with the principles derived from our religious teachings and our Islamic society. Therefore, by using verses of Quran and narrations, through a philosophical research method we made some efforts to achieve a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of workplace spirituality and its practical application at levels of organizational behavior and implement and evaluate the program of workplace spirituality in accordance with Iranian – Islamic culture of our society. The results of this study showed that the Islamic perspective on the workplace spirituality, which is based on the nature of perfectionism, human excellence, and the teachings of the Islam religion in levels of individual, group, and organizational is more valuable and comprehensive than the Western materialistic approach. Therefore, due to the comprehensiveness of the teachings of Islam on the one hand and the importance of the existence of spirituality on the other hand, the cultivation of spirituality with Islamic approach is necessary.

Keywords

• spirituality
• workplace spirituality
• islamic approach
• western approach
• organizational behavior