The key elements of this study can be summarized as follows. There are numerous studies that emphasize the increasing importance of concepts of spirituality in management and leadership research. “The management field will benefit greatly from incorporating a spiritual perspective into our theories as well as into our research and theory development process” (Neal et al., 1999, pp. 182-3). This has led to a growing consensus that spirituality is central factor which can contribute to the enhancement and development of leadership, learning and communication in the modern business workplace.
Therefore, the present study has attempted to use various concepts of spiritual praxis in research to determine their necessity, effectiveness and relevance to the workplace environment. Concepts derived from mainly Eastern spiritual theory have been included in the research design. These include the aspects of detachment, mindfulness and mindful mediation and compassion and love. These aspects are explored in terms of the perception, attitudes and views of managers; as well as in terms of their subjective assessments of morality, stress and care without that environment. The central aim of the study is to ascertain the relevance of spirituality within the parameters of this theoretic research design.
To this end a qualitative methodology will be used. This is seen to be the most appropriate and advantageous method of collation of the relevant data. The central reason for this is that the subject matter is concerned with subjective expression and states of being which are more amenable to an intimate and personal interview situation.
The intention of this study is not only to ascertain the necessity for spirituality in the workplace but also to determine, via the directed interviews, what aspect and elements are seen by managers to more or less effective in terms of the applications of spirituality in the workplace.