CHAPTER 2: Religious and Spiritual Aspects of Meaning in the Context of Work Life

In recent years, research documenting the myriad ways in which religious and spiritual meaning systems influence multiple aspects of human cognition, emotion and behavior along with mental and physical well-being has grown rapidly (for a reviews, see Paloutzian & Park, 2005). However, little of this research interest has extended to individuals’ work lives, a surprising omission given the large role that work plays for most individuals. This chapter describes religiousness and spirituality from the perspective of meaning systems and then examines the applications of religious and spiritual meaning in the context of work.

Specifically, this chapter presents theory and research regarding (1) global meaning (beliefs, goals, values, and sense of purpose) and (2) meaning making in the context of stressful situations, and describes how religion and spirituality can be a major part of both aspects of meaning. Then a model of the pathways through which religious or spiritual meaning systems may influence aspects of individuals in the workplace is presented. This model proposes that religious and spiritual meaning systems influence many aspects of work life through the pathways of (1) career choice and development, (2) on-the-job conduct, (3) work-related stress and coping, and (4) work-related well-being. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research efforts on applying the religious and spiritual meaning model to the workplace.