Workplace spirituality and organisational effectiveness in the Indian higher education sector: exploring the relationship and mediating role of positive organisational scholarship factors

The present research empirically examines the association of workplace spirituality with organisational effectiveness, the linkages between their respective dimensions, and how select positive organisational scholarship (POS) factors mediate the relationship between the two constructs. Data were gathered from academics of higher education institutes across India using online self-report questionnaires. The analysis was carried out using statistical techniques including correlation analysis and tests of mediation. The results revealed significant positive associations between workplace spirituality and organisational effectiveness, and between their respective sub-dimensions. Additionally, POS factors like job satisfaction, affective and normative commitment, trust, spiritual well-being, and resilience emerged as mediators of the relationship between the two constructs while continuance commitment and emotional labour did not. Since the assertions purporting organisational effectiveness as an outcome of workplace spirituality have only persisted in the conceptual domain to date, the findings of this study fulfil a long-felt need by empirically establishing such association, and also help to understand the dynamics behind this relationship by exploring its operationalisation through POS factors. This should alleviate resistance among practitioners towards the adoption of organisational transformation initiatives through workplace spirituality to improve organisational effectiveness by enabling the implementation of appropriate evidence-based, contextually relevant, and risk-mitigating strategies.