Scaling the notion of Islamic spirituality in the workplace

Abstract

Purpose Exponential growth in interest of workplace spirituality has led to the development of numerous theories based on various religious faiths. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the underlying dimensions of workplace spirituality in Islam by developing a scale to measure it and to present a subset of knowledge on workplace spirituality from both western and Islamic perspectives. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from 223 employees working at Islamic-based institutions in Indonesia. They tested the validity and reliability of the proposed indicators of Islamic workplace spirituality using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Findings This study enhances the literature in the field of human resources development, especially in the area of workplace spirituality, by empirically assessing the extent of spirituality in the Islamic workplace. The findings revealed 13 indicators that define Islamic workplace spirituality in the Indonesian business organizational context. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to Indonesia. In order to apply the 13 indicators in a broader, more global context, researchers need to conduct similar studies on a number of institutions worldwide. Practical implications Scholars and professionals may use the research findings to justify their efforts in designing, developing, and implementing appropriate learning and performance improvement interventions, so that Islamic spirituality can increase continuously among employees. Social implications This study provides guidelines to the human resources managers of Islamic-based institution to assess the degree of spirituality of each job applicants during job selection. Originality/value This study is one of the first attempts to examine and measure Islamic spirituality in the workplace, not only in Indonesia, but also worldwide. The 13 indicators, drawn from religious psychology, provide a new scale to measure spirituality.