An Integrative Review of Critical Spirituality

Abstract

As spirituality provides people with meaning in life and informs their sense of values and ethics, there is increasing interest among management scholars concerning this research field. People are characterised by an innate need to find meaning in their lives and work. Consequently, management theory and practice are challenged to address such topics. One controversy is the discussion of what kind of spirituality is debated in management theory and practice. The majority of publications emphasise the positive consequences of spirituality, thereby considering it as a management tool for improving the performance of employees and organisations. By contrast, critical approaches to spirituality focus on a serious debate about the meaning of life and work, including a critical analysis of organisations and managerial practices. Although research on critical spirituality spans a range of diverse disciplines, an interdisciplinary systematic analysis is still missing. This systematic review aims to present an overview of critical spirituality by integrating knowledge from diverse disciplines. It contributes to the management discourse by providing an understanding of spirituality beyond traditional management perspectives with a synthesised overview of the most influential theoretical foundations and key themes of critical spirituality as well as a framework of implications for management theory and practice.