Spiritual intelligence influences and augments employee engagement amidst the crisis

Nanjaraje S. Urs; Sandeep Kumar Gupta; T. Lavanya Kumari

doi:10.31893/multirev.2024212

Keywords:

Abstract

Ensuring the safety and engagement of employees has remained a top priority for employers throughout the crisis situation like that of COVID-19 pandemic. Transformational leaders have demonstrated optimism and efficiency in navigating crises, rebuilding confidence, supporting the workforce, and progressing amidst uncertainty. These leaders recognize the diverse needs of internal and external stakeholders, understanding that these needs can vary on a case-by-case basis. Short-term decisions have been made to sustain operations while adhering to physical distancing measures and to provide economic and socioemotional support to employees.Research revealed that employees who were working remotely experienced a heightened sense of well-being, displayed more positive effects, and demonstrated increased engagement. The job crafting theory presents valuable perspectives on how employees can effectively navigate crisis situations by actively reshaping their job roles and empowers them to maintain engagement, resilience, and effectiveness amidst uncertainty and change. Spiritual intelligence (SI) has enabled employees to approach challenges with a focus on meaning and value. It has allowed individuals to perceive the COVID-19 crisis differently and to adapt to their circumstances. SI empowers employees to be creative, draw upon their observations, respond with compassion, and adapt their beliefs. Survey results and correlation analyses have indicated a positive relationship between leaders' efforts to engage employees and the enthusiasm of engaged employees for the organization's future. These findings highlight the influential role of leaders in shaping employee engagement (EE), as well as the connection between EE and employee SI.
References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Urs, N. S., Gupta, S. K., & Kumari, T. L. (2024). Spiritual intelligence influences and augments employee engagement amidst the crisis. Multidisciplinary Reviews, 7(9), 2024212. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2024212

[1] Ashmos, D. P. & Duchon, D. (2000). Spirituality at work: a conceptualization and measure. Journal of Management Inquiry, 9(2), 134-145

[2] Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond exceptions. New York: Free Press.

[3] Bewick V., Cheek L., Ball J. (2003). Statistics review 7: Correlation and regression. Crit. Care. 7, 1-9.

[4] Bhatnagar, J. (2007). Talent management strategy of employee engagement in India ITES employees: Key to retention. Employee Relations, 29(6), 640-663.

[5] Business World (2020). www.businessworld.in (accessed on 20 Mar 2022)

[6] Catteeuw, F., Flynn, E., & Vonderhorst, J. (2007). Employee engagement: Boosting productivity in turbulent times. Organizational Development Journal, 25(2), 151-156.

[7] Chaudhary, M., Sodani, P. R., & Das, S. (2020). Effect of COVID-19 on economy in India: Some reflections for policy and programme. Journal of Health Management, 22(2), 169-180.

[8] Emmett, J., Schrah, G., Schrimper, M., & Wood, A. (2020). COVID-19 and the employee experience: How leaders can seize the moment. McKinsey & Company, www.mckinsey.com (accessed on 22 Jan 2022)

[9] Emmons, R.A. (2000). "Is spirituality an intelligence?". The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 10, 27-34.

[10] Ernst and Young (2020). www.ey.com (accessed on 03 Jan 2022)

[11] Goforth, C. (2015). Using and interpreting Cronbach’s alpha. University of Virginia Library, 15, 1-2.

[12] Jain, M. (2013), Employee Attrition - Causes and Remedies, Journal of Social Welfare and Management, 5(2), 69-73.

[13] Kahn, William A (1990). "Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work”. Academy of Management Journal, 33 (4), 692–724.

[14] King, S., & Nicol, D. M. (1999). Organizational enhancement through recognition of individual spirituality: Reflections of Jaques and Jung. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 12(3), 234-243.

[15] Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human resource management review, 1(1), 61-89.

[16] Neck, C. P. & Milliman, J. F. (1994). Thought self-leadership: finding spiritual fulfilment in organizational life. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 9(6), 9-16.

[17] Northouse, P. G. (2021) Leadership theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

[18] Reave, L. (2005). Spiritual values and practices related to leadership effectiveness. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(5), 655-687.

[19] Robinson, D., Perryman, S., & Hayday, S. (2004), The drivers of employee engagement. Brighton: Institute for Employment Studies.

[20] Roof, R. A. (2015). The association of individual spirituality on employee engagement: The spirit at work. Journal of Business Ethics, 130, 585-599.

[21] Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600–619.

[22] Salanova, M., & Schaufeli, W.B. (2008). A Cross-National Study of Work Engagement as a Mediator between Job Resource and Proactive Behavior. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(1), 116-131.

[23] Samuel, M. O., & Chipunza, C. (2013), Attrition and Retention of Senior Academics at Institution of Higher Learning in South Africa: The Strategies, Complexities and Realities, Journal of Social Science, 35(2), 97-109.

[24] Stead, J. G., & Stead, W. E. (2014), Building spiritual capabilities to sustain sustainability based competitive advantages. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 11(2), 143- 158.

[25] The Gallup Organisation (2004), Available at: www.gallup.com. (accessed on 10 Jan 2020)

[26] Tims, M., Bakker, A. B., & Derks, D. (2013). The impact of job crafting on job demands, job resources, and well-being. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 18(2), 230–240.

[27] Torabi, M., &Javadi, S. (2013), Studying the impact of spiritual intelligence on job engagement. International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences, 2(9), 752-756.

[28] Urs, Nanjaraje S., Rajapadmanabhan, V., & Manjunath, S. (2022). Importance of emotional quotient and spiritual quotient on employee engagement in IT/ITES industries during COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 27(3), 369-383.

[29] Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J. E. (2001). Crafting a job: Revisioning employees as active crafters of their work. Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 179–201.

[30] Zohar, D., Marshall, I., & Marshall, I. N. (2000). SQ: Connecting with our spiritual intelligence. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Abstract

References

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