An Exploratory Study of Spirituality in German Enterprises

Dorothea Alewell,Tobias Moll

doi:10.5771/0935-9915-2021-1-1

Abstract

Spirituality at work is increasingly attracting attention in management research, especially in the Anglo-Saxon and Asian contexts. However, for the German context, we know little about spirituality at work from scientific research, and findings and results from other sources are broadly scattered. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collect first findings on employer’s perception of spirituality at work and specific HRM practices in German workplaces. We analyse daily newspapers and related best-practice publications and conduct a small-scale qualitative employer survey in Northern Germany. To structure the results, we propose three main impact perspectives on spirituality in the workplace (workforce diversity, employee needs, and employer capabilities) as well as different employer stances in dealing with these three perspectives, from faith-avoiding to faith-based (Miller & Ewest, 2015). In all three perspectives and stances, companies already implement different HR activities under different expectations and perceptions. Some German organisations already address the needs perspective by room-related tools, working time-related tools, food-related offers, and instruments that facilitate coordination and cooperation in multi-religious settings. Employer stances differ concerning religious and non-religious spirituality. While employers view nonreligious spirituality in the company as generally positive (faith-friendly), they are often sceptical of religious spirituality at work (faith-avoiding or faith-safe).

Highlights

For some years, researchers – often from Anglo-Saxon countries – have been intensely discussing topics of spirituality, faith, and religion at work
The remainder of this paper is structured as follows: After defining and explaining our interpretation of key terms and concepts, we provide a brief and structured overview of the discussion of spirituality at work, developing a classification system to organise the anecdotal empirical evidence and to guide us on what to look for concerning spirituality at work (Section 2)
Spirituality in the Workplace in German Firms: What Do We Know Empirically? After we have examined what to look for concerning workplace spirituality in German firms, we turn to our research question: What do we know about the perceptions of employers or firms on spirituality at work in Germany? We will first present and justify our methodological approach and will present our results

Summary

Introduction

Researchers – often from Anglo-Saxon countries – have been intensely discussing topics of spirituality, faith, and religion at work We expect that differing perspectives on spirituality correlate with different stances of how organisations accommodate spirituality and with the resulting use of differing instruments: The Diversity Perspective An argument for considering religious spirituality in HRM follows from German law, especially the Constitution (Grundgesetz) and the General Law on Equal Treatment (Allgemeines Gleichstellungsgesetz/AGG) (Alewell & Rastetter, 2020) Both refer to religion as an important dimension of equality and human rights. Firms’ perceptions of the likelihood of detection after non-compliance with the law, their perceptions of how likely sanctions after noncompliance with the law are, and the perceived cost of noncompliance will influence their compliance activities In this perspective, organisations may interpret different forms of individual spirituality and religious confessions of their employees as a dimension of diversity.

Results and Discussion

Congratulation and seasonal greetings cards

Conclusion and Future Research