The empirical and managerial landscape of workplace spirituality: a systematic literature review of studies published in ABDC list journals

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive understanding of workplace spirituality's (WPS) past, present and future by conducting a systematic literature review over the past 15 years, tracing its emergence in the managerial landscape and identifying the research gaps. Design/methodology/approach A PRISMA framework is used to systematically analyse 58 empirical studies categorised according to the ABDC journal quality list and published between 2009 and 2024. Furthermore, this review highlights the key trends, methodological approaches, dimensions explored, geographic distribution, research themes and the existing research gaps. Additionally, the Theory, Context, Characteristics and Methodology framework emphasises critical theoretical perspectives, contextual factors, distinguishing characteristics and methodological approaches that can shape future research in WPS. Findings The review revealed the global interest in WPS’s positive organisational impacts, supported by rigorous empirical studies and advanced statistical methods. Furthermore, this research highlights a significant gap in exploring WPS antecedents, suggesting a need for future studies to examine the factors contributing to WPS’s development and enhancement within organisational settings. Research limitations/implications This study focuses on the Scopus database and English-language papers, deliberately excluding other sources such as unpublished work, books and non-empirical articles. Consequently, this study may need to look at some relevant studies. Originality/value This study is original in its systematic approach to review the literature on WPS, categorising the empirical articles according to established quality lists and applying the Theory, Context, Characteristics and Methodology framework to identify future research directions. This paper offers a holistic understanding of WPS and provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners in this evolving field.

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