Abstract

REGO, Arménio; SOUTO, Solange  and  CUNHA, Miguel Pina e. Espiritualidade nas organizações, positividade e desempenho. Comport. Organ. Gest. [online]. 2007, vol.13, n.1, pp.7-36. ISSN 0872-9662.

This article has two main assumptions: (1) spirituality is a layer of positive psychology and positive organizational behavior; (2) in spiritually rich organizations, individuals put their "energies" and strengths in the service of the organization and self-development. The core of the research is that of this second assumption. The sample includes 254 workers of organizations operating in Brazil. The study evidences that individual perceptions regarding five dimensions of organizational spirituality (sense of community; individual and organizational values alignment; sense of contribution to the community; joy at work; opportunities for an inner life) explain organizational commitment and productivity. The results suggest that individuals with higher affective and normative commitment, higher productivity and lower instrumental commitment, experience a sense of work community, feel that their values are aligned with those of the organization consider to be making a useful work to the community and feel joy at work. The text discusses the relevance of this evidence in a context of scanty empirical research about spirituality in organizations, and pinpoints two arguments: (1) spirituality in organizations can result from the positive strengths (e.g., character strength and optimism) of its members, namely those of theleaers; (2) climates that are rich in organizational spirituality promote commitment and productivity because they set free individual positive strengths and channel their potential to the benefit of the organization and self-achievement.

Keywords : Organizational spirituality; positive organizational behavior; organizational commitment; productivity.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )