Workplace spirituality and stress: evidence from Mexico and US

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of this article is to study the relationship between three dimensions of workplace spirituality (inner life, meaningful work and sense of community) and work stress in Mexico and the USA.Design/methodology/approach– Structural equation modeling was used as the statistical tool. The technique for conducting the analysis was partial least squared. The total sample size consisted of 304 individuals from both countries.Findings– Results show that for both countries, inner life and sense of community were found to be insignificant. However, meaningful work was found to be negatively and significantly correlated with work stress for both countries. Results suggest that in both countries, when employees conduct meaningful activities, they perceive less stress.Research limitations/implications– For the US sample, an important percentage of individuals were part-time workers. This could have an effect on the perception of workplace spirituality and work stress because the employees do no spend enough time in the workplace. Second, compared to Mexico, the majority of the US sample was collected in the southern part of the country.Practical implications– Results can provide guidance for human resources managers and business specialists to understand the importance of conducting meaningful activities at work to control, manage and prevent stress at work. For instance, rotation at work of employees could be a potential technique for stress reduction.Originality/value– This study contributes by studying samples from two different countries. In addition, it seeks to understand the relationship between workplace spirituality and work stress.