The Relationship between Spirituality in the Workplace and Work Intentions

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative study with a correlational design was to explore the relationship between spirituality and work intentions from the perspective of 140 employees of a behavioral health agency in the state of Arizona. The predictor, spirituality, is supported by the theory of Spirituality in the Workplace, which applies the Spirituality in the Workplace Scale. The criterion, work intentions, is sustained by the Employee Work Passion Appraisal (EWPA) model and employs the Work Intention Inventory Short-Form. This study intended to determine if there was a relationship between the overall of spirituality in the workplace and its three dimensions (organizational values, meaningful work, and sense of community) and the overall of work intentions and its five dimensions (intent to use organizational citizenship behaviors, intent to endorse the organization, intent to perform at a higher than average level, intent to stay in the organization, and intent to use discretionary effort on behalf of the organization). RQ1 applied Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient to determine a statistically significantly positive relationship between the overall of spirituality and the overall of work intentions, rs = 0.658, p < 0.001. Additionally, RQs 2-6 employed multivariate linear regression and multiple linear regression to determine a statistically significant relationship between spirituality and intent to endorse, t(132) = 3.806, p < 0.001 and a statistically significantly relationship between spirituality and intent to stay, t(132) = 3.590, p < 0.001. However, there was insufficient evidence to support a significant relationship between spirituality and the intent to use OCBs, the intent to perform, and the intent to use discretionary effort. Key Words: Spirituality, Spirituality in the Workplace, Work Intentions