When we think of hospitality, Las Vegas should be one of the first locations that come to mind. But when we think of spirituality in the workplace, Las Vegas is likely the last place that comes to mind.
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) July 15, 2013
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority 2012 Visitor Profile study, one-half (47%) of all first-time visitors said their primary reason for visiting Las Vegas was vacation or pleasure with 8% stating they came primarily to gamble. Among repeat visitors, 43% came for vacation or pleasure, 39 million people visited Las Vegas in 2012, and it’s safe to say that the majority were seeking comfort, sustenance, pleasantness, entertainment, amusement, and enlightenment.
I would argue that there is a deep and compelling relationship between hospitality and spirituality and that Las Vegas, despite its long-standing reputation as “sin city,” is ground zero for understanding how spirituality can positively effect hospitality business results.
Hospitality, true hospitality, is emotionally powerful. It touches something very deep in us—our profound human longing to be cared for, to be appreciated, to be valued and respected, and to have our needs and wants met. Hospitality has the spiritual power to enrich the guest, the employee serving the guest, and ultimately the company.
There is an emerging and accelerating call for spirituality in the workplace. Companies such as Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Aetna International, Big Six accounting’s Deloitte and Touche, and Law firms such as New York’s Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Haroller have all implemented strategies and tactics to develop spirituality in the workplace. These companies realize that their employees spend the vast majority of their waking hours at work and that these employees are often seeking a deeper sense of meaning and fulfillment in their job.
There is compelling evidence that workplace spirituality programs not only lead to beneficial personal outcomes such as increased work satisfaction, and commitment but that they also deliver improved productivity and reduce absenteeism and turnover. From a management, leadership, and organizational perspective, spirituality could be the ultimate competitive advantage and Las Vegas hospitality organizations are in the perfect position to lead the way.
In order for spirituality in the workplace strategies and tactics to be successfully implemented, there are two things that must be done to lay the groundwork:
1. Differentiating spirituality and religion - Spiritual concerns are separate from the concerns of any religious group and are not synonymous with those of religion. If spirituality in the workplace is viewed through the lens of religion, it can be divisive in that it may exclude those who do not share in the denominational tradition or it may conflict with the social, legal, and ethical foundations of business and public administration.
2. Research must be conducted to understand current employee work attitudes so that a baseline is created for strategy development. Investigating the effect of spirituality in the workplace offers insights on employees’ organization commitment, intention to quit, intrinsic work satisfaction, and job involvement, and it can also lay the foundation for revolutionary organizational change.
Benefits related to workplace spirituality include: the ability to connect employees with the organization’s vision/purpose/mission is enhanced. People with hope/faith have a vision of where they are going, and how to get there; they are willing to face obstruction and endure hardships and suffering, to achieve their goals. Hope/faith is thus the source for the conviction that the individual’s/organization’s vision/purpose/mission will be fulfilled. And finally, there is a deep sense of meaning and purpose in hospitality work. The discipline of spirituality at work can help hospitality employees to see that the work they do makes a difference in peoples lives. Las Vegas hospitality employees get the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of million of people each year and Las Vegas hospitality organizations should consider workplace spirituality in the context of increasing guest and employee satisfaction as well as strengthening overall business performance.
To learn more about workplace spirituality, contact Dr. Anthony Gatling, Assistant Professor, at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.
Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) July 15, 2013
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority 2012 Visitor Profile study, one-half (47%) of all first-time visitors said their primary reason for visiting Las Vegas was vacation or pleasure with 8% stating they came primarily to gamble. Among repeat visitors, 43% came for vacation or pleasure, 39 million people visited Las Vegas in 2012, and it’s safe to say that the majority were seeking comfort, sustenance, pleasantness, entertainment, amusement, and enlightenment.
I would argue that there is a deep and compelling relationship between hospitality and spirituality and that Las Vegas, despite its long-standing reputation as “sin city,” is ground zero for understanding how spirituality can positively effect hospitality business results.
Hospitality, true hospitality, is emotionally powerful. It touches something very deep in us—our profound human longing to be cared for, to be appreciated, to be valued and respected, and to have our needs and wants met. Hospitality has the spiritual power to enrich the guest, the employee serving the guest, and ultimately the company.
There is an emerging and accelerating call for spirituality in the workplace. Companies such as Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Aetna International, Big Six accounting’s Deloitte and Touche, and Law firms such as New York’s Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Haroller have all implemented strategies and tactics to develop spirituality in the workplace. These companies realize that their employees spend the vast majority of their waking hours at work and that these employees are often seeking a deeper sense of meaning and fulfillment in their job.
There is compelling evidence that workplace spirituality programs not only lead to beneficial personal outcomes such as increased work satisfaction, and commitment but that they also deliver improved productivity and reduce absenteeism and turnover. From a management, leadership, and organizational perspective, spirituality could be the ultimate competitive advantage and Las Vegas hospitality organizations are in the perfect position to lead the way.
In order for spirituality in the workplace strategies and tactics to be successfully implemented, there are two things that must be done to lay the groundwork:
1. Differentiating spirituality and religion - Spiritual concerns are separate from the concerns of any religious group and are not synonymous with those of religion. If spirituality in the workplace is viewed through the lens of religion, it can be divisive in that it may exclude those who do not share in the denominational tradition or it may conflict with the social, legal, and ethical foundations of business and public administration.
2. Research must be conducted to understand current employee work attitudes so that a baseline is created for strategy development. Investigating the effect of spirituality in the workplace offers insights on employees’ organization commitment, intention to quit, intrinsic work satisfaction, and job involvement, and it can also lay the foundation for revolutionary organizational change.
Benefits related to workplace spirituality include: the ability to connect employees with the organization’s vision/purpose/mission is enhanced. People with hope/faith have a vision of where they are going, and how to get there; they are willing to face obstruction and endure hardships and suffering, to achieve their goals. Hope/faith is thus the source for the conviction that the individual’s/organization’s vision/purpose/mission will be fulfilled. And finally, there is a deep sense of meaning and purpose in hospitality work. The discipline of spirituality at work can help hospitality employees to see that the work they do makes a difference in peoples lives. Las Vegas hospitality employees get the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of million of people each year and Las Vegas hospitality organizations should consider workplace spirituality in the context of increasing guest and employee satisfaction as well as strengthening overall business performance.
To learn more about workplace spirituality, contact Dr. Anthony Gatling, Assistant Professor, at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.