Nurturing perseverance: The influence of workplace spirituality

Abstract

Orientation: The turbulent external environment has caused employees to resign at an alarming rate. Employers are also struggling with issues such as low productivity and low work engagement. In response to these challenges, it is necessary to consider what motivates employees to work hard consistently without giving up when faced with adversity and setbacks. Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish whether workplace spirituality at an individual, work unit and organisational level enhances perseverance. Motivation for the study: Contemporary employees are challenged personally and in the work context. Remaining motivated and invested in their work despite these challenges requires a higher form of inspiration, which suggests the importance of workplace spirituality. Research approach/design and method: The research adopted both a deductive and an inductive research approach, and a descriptive cross-sectional research design was used. Data were collected utilising a survey strategy, and the final sample consisted of 385 respondents. Main findings: The study’s findings show that individual spirituality influences perseverance. Individual spirituality fully mediates the influence of organisational spirituality and work unit spirituality on perseverance. Practical/managerial implications: To ensure that employees work hard consistently despite challenges and hardships, workplace spirituality should be considered at the individual, work unit and organisational levels. Emphasis also needs to be placed on supporting the spiritual development and growth of spiritual employees, as individual spirituality seems to promote perseverance. Contribution/value-add: The study contributes to theory development and knowledge creation of workplace spirituality and perseverance constructs.