Abstract The paper is a literary review of material dealing with spiritual practice in the workplace. The paper begins by looking at companies themselves and how they handle both employee and customer satisfaction. The paper then turns to what motivates employees and what is important to them, how employers handle their businesses, and employees and their spirituality. The paper works from one area to another and by being specific it enables one to see the scope of business today, from the employer, employee, and customer perspectives, and how spirituality affects this.
From the Paper "Many individuals have been losing the battle with customer retention for quite some time (Jackson, Cunningham, & Cunningham, 1988). A large part of this comes from the fact that they do not have a strong link between the services that they provide and the profit that they make. In other words, they do things along their service chain that do not please those that are involved in it (customers, employees) and therefore their profits are lower than what they would otherwise be. Because of this it has become increasingly important for companies to figure out how to keep customers and employees interested in doing business with them and how to keep loyalty at a higher level (Jackson, Cunningham, & Cunningham, "
Abstract Religious individuals are known to practice certain ceremonial and traditional behaviors. Much of this is done automatically because as children they were simply told to behave and to think about spirituality in a certain way. This paper examines how spiritual development is most purely experienced on a personal level once the full understanding of the meaning of these practices and beliefs is realized. It looks at how conceivably all these traditional ways of developing spiritually are significant to one development, but spiritual growth simply occurs when the individual inner faith exceeds the longing for the physical world around them.
From the Paper "Silence in spiritual development Silence can be best described as time spent in accordance with God, focusing only on his word quiet reflection. When time is spent in silent reflection, one acquires a state of awareness and knowing that they are in God's presence. This inner stillness and attentive listening brings total surrender to God's word. This leads to spiritual poverty and self-emptying (Duff 2003, 227). It is during a period of silence, we turn from words to seek God's voice and guidance. The sanctuary of silence helps cleanse and invigorate one's spirit. In the Christian Biblical version of the Creation, God 'spoke' and the world came to exist. The center of Christian meditation is to return to this primal state. "
Abstract This paper examines Dylan Thomas and his poetry by analyzing his work through spiritual glasses. It describes the influences of spirituality versus religion. It studies his work "18 Poems" which he wrote in 1934 and how it brought him immediate recognition. It excerpts his poems and analyzes them. It concludes that Dylan Thomas was a very spiritual person influenced mostly by Christian, Jewish and Catholic images.
From the Paper "Every poet is, in a sense, two people: the poet and the persona, or presence, that speaks through the poetry. With Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) both poet and persona tend to scintillate into the sublime and the ridiculous. With the aid of what Thomas called Comrade Bottle, they could unleash themselves into the depths of the subterranean and the grotesquely morbid. Some of Thomas? early verses were unintelligible, so in love with words was he; and critics have often disagreed on valid interpretations of Thomas? work (Ferris, 2000, p.95). As well, the disagreements carry over to valid interpretations of the poet's life. How much of his drunken, often tactless prattle was for the sake of the song, and how much was the poet's gift"and torture"of seeing so much and feeling so deeply that it was all he could do to fend off madness? In a 1933 South Wales Evening Post essay, he wrote: "the borderline of insanity is more difficult to trace than the majority of people, comparatively safe within the barriers of their own common-sensibility, can realise" (Bedford-St. Martin?s, N.D. 2). "
Abstract Nursing has both literal and symbolic meanings. Nursing has been part of the care for people longer than the practice of medicine itself. A nurse with a strong spiritual faith, a firm belief in an afterlife and in the power of faith, can help a patient in ways that other nurses simply can't. This responsibility, then, requires of the nurse the ability to respect, relate, and support the spiritual needs of the patient. The nurse can see the emotional and spiritual toll that illness has upon the patient.
Abstract This paper discusses the issue of whether or not modern art and architecture consider spirituality in their themes. The paper contends that the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and artists Mary Cassatt and Judy Chicago contain a fundamentally spiritual dimension that speaks to the persistence of the human spirit and the linkage of that spirit to nature and to society.
From the Paper "Despite the fact that clearly identifiable religious imagery began to disappear in the course of the modern era many if not precisely most of the major artists and architects of the nineteenth and twentieth century have been ..."
Tags: art, architecture, spirituality, Mary Cassatt, Frank Lloyd Wright, Judy Chicago
Abstract This paper looks closely at the elements of materialism and spirituality. It contends that materialism takes the more significant role in our daily lives. The paper firstly looks at the ideas of psychology, Marx and Nietzsche to prove that materialism is central to our human nature. The author explains that writings negative to materialism usually only deal with the excess of materialism, not materialism itself, to finally conclude that spiritually is important but not vital to existence.
From the Paper "This estrangement between the two spheres of life, the relationship between materialism and spirituality, is as central a divide as one can imagine. From the remains of our earliest writings, these concepts have been illuminated for us by religious figures, philosophers, novelists, and literary critics, amongst many others. The two concepts, however, are often inextricably linked. In our daily lives, it is clear that materialism remains dominant, and it is vital to our survival as a species. Substance, then, is the true reality of the world, as it is used for the medium of explanation. Spiritualism, too, has been shown to play an important role in our lives as well, as faith has been illustrated as a guiding construct for people daily. The following will address the concepts of materialism and spirituality, analyzing the importance or vitality of acknowledging our material nature while allowing that spirituality too has a place ..."
Abstract This paper discusses Watson's definition of spirituality in terms of her theory of transpersonal caring as "a return to reverence and a sense of sacredness with regard to life and human experiences, especially those related to caring and healing work during their most vulnerable moments of life's journey". The paper talks about how spirituality is completely based on one idea: that all human beings and every object in the universe are connected and are also interconnected. Not only does the individual person have a connection to the universe, but the nurse and patient are interconnected in this reverence and sacredness.
Abstract This paper examines the causes and types of stress an employee may experience in the workplace. The author differentiates between harmful stress and stress resulting from manageable challenges and other positive factors. The role of managers in delegating appropriately to maintain environments with normal stress levels is also explored. Several well known CEOs are given as examples of how to cope with stress and appoint good managers to handle work-flow. The paper also includes a discussion of how those outside of the US handle stress in the workplace. The paper concludes with symptoms of stress and how to recognize if one needs intervention. Suggestions for wellness are also given.
Outline:
Define Workplace Stress
Successful CEOs
Workplace Stress and How Employees in Other Countries Cope
What Happens When Stress Gets the Best of You?
Methods of Dealing With Stress
Five Most Stressful Jobs
Wellness Strategies
Works Cited
From the Paper "In the area of one's career, one may be under- or over-promoted. Too much responsibility creates as much stress as not enough. Job security, from fear of redundancy either from the state of the economy, or a lack of tasks or work to do, lack of career development opportunities and overall job satisfaction, may be factors that create stress about one's career."
Tags: stress, workplace, fear, role, ambiguity, career
Abstract This paper proposes a new law called The Workplace Privacy and Productivity Act to standardize workplace privacy issues rather than having the courts resolve them on a case-by-case basis. The paper discusses balancing the needs of the organization with the needs of employees.
From the Paper "Employees and employers have long struggled to balance the needs of the organization with the personal needs of workers. As employees work longer hours they may feel entitled to use the phones provided by the employer for ..."
Tags: Human resources, employee privacy, workplace privacy
Abstract The paper discusses how the United States' government as a federal employer instituted a drug free workplace program in the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan. The program was intended to focus on the growing concern of individuals being addicted to drugs using drugs during working hours and the consequences of drug use was to include health issues. The paper explains how the federal government believed at the time that if a drug free workplace program were created for federal employees, other employers throughout the country would follow suit developing national awareness regarding the issue. The paper notes that the federal drug free workplace program has clearly defined policies regarding drugs and government employment.
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that death is one of the hardest things to grasp for a human being. The writer discusses that in "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" when Ivan realizes his death is inevitable he begins his spiritual awakening. The writer points out that it took Ivan Ilyich to be on his death-bed before he realized that almost his whole life had been not as great as he previously thought. During his life he neglected his family, only wanted to succeed at his work, and thought life was all plain an simple. The writer concludes that by taking the time to reflect on his life Ivan was able to see what had happened in it and all the wrongful things that had been done.
From the Paper "The story opens up as the title proclaims with the death of Ivan Ilyich. The first chapter displays everyone's reactions toward Ivan Ilyich. Upon first word of his death all his colleagues and so called friends first thoughts to themselves is if they will get a promotion or a raise. Not one of them seems sympathetic towards him or seems at all mournful. His best friend since they were young schoolboys Peter Ivanovich was just doing what seemed right and didn't feel much sorrow upon hearing his death, while talking to Ivan Ilyich's wife Praskovya Fedorovna. Even she was talking about how much money she can get after his death. This sets up the story with a certain angle and background for what else is come in the story. A foreshadowing of Ivan Ilyich's life and how he lived it."
Abstract This paper deals with workplace stress from many perspectives. It starts with the modern definition of stress using stimulus and response. It also examines the various causes and consequences of stress. The consequences, measured in both quantitative and qualitative terms, are analyzed from the viewpoint of employers and employees. Lastly, the paper explains why managers are concerned with workplace stress.
From the Paper "Stress is an everyday occurrence in one's life. It is the wear and tear on one's body caused by pressures and problems one experiences in day-to-day life. In general, stress is perceived to be an unpleasant effect that has a negative impact on performance. However, research showed that stress is not entirely bad (Hellriegel, Slocum & Woodman, 1995). In fact, depending on an individual's ability and method of coping, certain degree of stress is essential for survival in life. As such, stress can mean different things to different people."
Abstract This looks at several issues regarding diversity in the workplace. The writer discusses the existence of bias against one or more minority groups. The writer explains that this prejudice includes changes in women's role in the workplace and discrimination faced by African Americans. The writer concludes that diversity should be valued.
From the Paper "Gender roles in Western societies have been changing rapidly in recent years. For example, as more women adopt the role of single parents and primary breadwinners they become more interested in careers, rather than in relatively low paying jobs. This can create friction in the workplace, as women begin to compete more actively and more effectively for leadership and managerial positions. What are some of the difficulties men have in adjusting to women's new roles? One of the most ... "
Abstract This paper discusses the critical role that motivation plays in the workplace and the fragility of the various means of motivation. This paper goes on to discuss some basic recommendations to promote increased motivation in the workplace, and the advantages and disadvantages there of.
From the Paper "Motivation in the workplace is one of the greatest challenges for managers. High levels of motivations are directly connected to high levels of productivity. Increasing productivity is always a major goal of managers in any organization. A lack of motivation in the workplace is a major issue for managers and is associated with employees who see no value in the work that they do or see no reason to achieve the goals set out for them ("Incentives" 1). Therefore, understanding the role that motivation, both internal and external, can play in the workplace is crucial to creating a working environment in which all can succeed and thrive. Unfortunately, increasing motivation can be a tricky endeavor, one that has its pros and cons."
Abstract The paper examines how, when people discuss gender relations, specifically gender discrimination in the Canadian workplace, they usually conduct their discussion on the presumption that there are only two genders - male and female. The writer proposes that gender relations have become much more complex than this, and the paradigm of just two, opposite genders is increasingly being challenged. The paper analyses some of the repercussions of this aspect of gender relations in the Canadian workplace. There is a rising tide of gender activists who are questioning the binary paradigms that pervade our thinking about gender relations, e.g. man OR woman, gay OR straight, etc.
