This is the continuation of the previous post. The first article provides an overview of entrepreneurship and spirituality. The present article deals with preliminary considerations in approaching the relationship between entrepreneurship and spirituality.
The Popularity of Workplace Spirituality and the Present Consensus
Workplace spirituality is becoming popular. It is perceived that workplace plays a significant role in fulfilling the need of an individual for personal wholeness. Workplace serves as an avenue to find one’s purpose in life. Workplace is sought to provide a friendly environment open to the expression of personal values. Workplace is expected to give a space where the best capabilities of a person are utilized.
However, workplace spirituality is not easily understood due to diverse perception about the nature of spirituality. The consensus is against a kind of spirituality with sectarian orientation or associated with established religion and doctrinal distinctive, which are considered divisive. The trend is toward a pluralistic understanding of spirituality, which boils to an individual understanding of spirituality.
Fundamental Definitions of Spirituality
Current research offers various perspectives on spirituality. The researcher utilized previous studies to provide the source for the emerging spiritual themes, which are necessary in understanding the connection between spirituality and entrepreneurship. Ashmos and Dunchon (2000) define spirituality as the “recognition of an inner life that nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work that takes place in the context of a community.” This definition suggests the bringing together of the mind, body and spirit into the workplace. Mitriff and Denton (1999) define spirituality as the “basic desire to find ultimate meaning and purpose in one’s life and to live an integrated life.” From these fundamental definitions of spirituality, three spiritual themes emerged in the context of both the workplace and entrepreneurship.
Three Spiritual Themes in Entrepreneurial Context
1. Finding ultimate meaning and purpose in life
The first spiritual theme is about finding the ultimate meaning and purpose in life. As I understand it, the researchers report two relationships between work and calling. One, basing on the study of Moore, when work turns into a calling, it gives a person sense of meaning and identity in life. And two, making Thompson as the reference, when a person finds meaning in his work, it turns into a calling. The researchers add Leider’s further observation that work as a calling requires the alignment of distinctive skills to the needs of the world.
Not many people have realized such meaning in their lives. The researchers report that in the book Power of Purpose, Leider quotes Oliver Wendell Holmes that “most of us go to our graves with our music still inside us”. Leider perceives here the precise significance of experiencing crisis in life. Life crisis serves the purpose to awaken a person for him to realize his life’s calling. On the other hand, those who become conscious of their calling in life but refuse to follow their calling are people who are likely prone to depression.
2. Living an integrated life
An integrated life is a life connected to one’s ‘self’ and whose personal values are in alignment with organizational values, mission and vision. One of the characteristics of connection to ‘self’ is reaching the person’s full potential.
3. Living in a community and making a contribution
The alignment of personal values, mission and vision with the organizational values, mission and vision creates both a meaningful relationship in the workplace. This relationship with others provides the foundation for fellowship and creates a community within the workplace. This further results into a meaningful contribution of individuals to the community.
Personal Assessment
I have nothing to say contrary to the emerging popularity of workplace spirituality, the current consensus, and fundamental definitions of spirituality. The researchers simply report their findings and describe the current trend. However, concerning spiritual themes, I appreciate two things. First, I appreciate the insight about the role of crisis in life to awaken the individual’s realization of his life’s calling. Second, I realize the importance of a workplace providing a vehicle for personal development. In the world of entrepreneurs, the space for such development is so vast.
Christian Entrepreneur 