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Panel Symposium:  Faith and Work:  Christian Perspectives on Meaning Making Within Organizations

Please feel invited to the Symposium, Faith and Work: Christian Perspectives on Meaning Making Within Organizations.  This symposium highlights the 2016 Academy of Management Annual Conference explores, making organizations meaningful, by considering how meaning is brought to organizations by individuals, groups and larger societal movements who adhere to and place the Christian faith as central to their personal identity.

The topics of this symposium will also be addressed more fully in a forthcoming book, "Faith and Work: Christian Perspectives, Research and Insights into the Movement", Published by Information Age Publications (June 1^st, 2017).

Full Description of Symposium.

Christians bringing their faith to work is a phenomenon is recognized by the guild as important to understanding how employees at every level of the organizations desire to live holistic lives, and how these employees' individual actions create changes within organizations and ultimately society (Giddens, 1984).

This reality is seen in the expanding literature regarding the impact of spirituality on organizational life, and it is creating recognition within the Academy of Management and organizations.  Yet, the importance of religious faith, or faith and work (Miller 2007), within organizational life, while identified as foundational (Benefiel, Fry & Geigle, 2014) is still formative. The nascent development of faith and work may be surprising for some when one considers that the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life (2008; 2013) determined that 92% of the American population said they believe in God, and 83% self-identified with a religious group.  Correspondingly, other studies indicate that world religious adherence is currently at 80%, and by 2050 it is predicted to rise to 85% (Johnson, 2010). Finally, there is a persistent rise in Equal Employment Opportunity Claims in the United States pertaining to religious discrimination (Greenwald, 2012). 

More importantly, faith is regarded as foundational to a person's identity and correspondingly their personal meaning. Emmons (2003) argues from a psychological perspective that a person's religion is instrumental in the formation of one's identity, specifically in regards to personality. He suggests, "People construct a life story often rooted in a religious ideology that gives a unique meaning to their life" (p. 134).  Wuthnow (2011) speaking from a sociological perspective concurs that religion is a central human activity; humans use religion and spirituality to create meaning for themselves. 

Yet, the way forward for people of faith to bring their whole selves, including their faith, into the workplace is opaque and resources to support them are scant (Miller & Ewest, 2014).  Challenges of integration of faith into the workplace abound, even from within the Academy of Management. Consider Mitroff (2003) who stated, "I still believe that formal, organized religion has very little, if any, role to play in the workplace" (p. 378).  Nolan (2006) concurred, suggesting businesses have always regarded religion as an issue to be left outside the organization.

Those who adhere to a faith tradition are longing for theories and insights into how they can be true to their faith within the workplace and yet be sensitive and respectful to others of varying faith commitments and beliefs (Hicks, 2003).  Yet for Christians, respect of other faith traditions is especially difficult since Christianity as the dominant religion has become secularized and institutionalized within the workplace as represented in holidays and days off (Alexis, 2012).

Within the multiple theoretical and research dimensions of management, religion and spirituality, the symposium will focus on theoretical, conceptual and strategic theories and research which consider how individuals and organizations integrate their Christian faith in the workplace, and how these groups attempt to change society as a whole.  This historical movement is characterized by a desire for people to live a holistic life which integrates their Christian faith into the workplace, also deemed "faith at work" (Miller, 2007).  Historically, Christian's faith integration is manifested individually or collectively and is demonstrated in the ways it shapes and informs the values systems, ethics, character, and attitudes and behaviors at work (Benefiel, Fry & Geigle, 2014; Miller, 2007; Miller and Ewest, 2014; Neubert, Bradley, Ardianti, & Simiyu, 2015; Neubert & Halbesleben, 2014).  The symposium will utilize three overall themes: individual integration, organizational strategies for integration and societal integration.

Panel

Dr. Timothy Ewest Associate Professor of Business Administration Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX. Visiting Research Collaborator Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative.

Dr. Mitchell J. Neubert, Chavanne Chair of Christian Ethics in Business and a Professor of Management Baylor University  Waco, TX 76798

Dr. Faith Ngunjiri, Associate Professor of Ethics & Leadership; Director, Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work, Concordia College, MN.

The format will be as follows:

*A brief introduction of the theme and corresponding sub-themes presented (5 Minutes).

*Each panelist will discuss the topic within their section: individual, organizational or societal. (10 minutes each).

*A moderated discussion concerning the integration of these themes (20 minutes).

*Questions/comments from audience (30 minutes).

*Concluding statements from panelists (10 minutes).

References

Alexis, Y. G. (2012). Not Christian, but nonetheless qualified: The secular workplace – whose

hardship? Journal of Religion and Business Ethics. 3(1), 1-24.

Benefiel, M., Fry, L. W., & Geigle, D. (2014). Spirituality and religion in the workplace: History, theory,

and research. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 6(3), 175.

Hicks, D. A. (2003). Religion and the workplace: Pluralism, spirituality, leadership. Cambridge, England:

Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511615474

Emmons, R. (2003). The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns: Motivation and Spirituality in

Personality. Guilford Press, New York.

Greenwald, J. (2012). Religious discrimination claims rising. Business Insurance. 46(7), 3-18.

Johnson, T. (2010). A statistical approach to the world's religions adherents, 2000-2015. CE. In

J.G. Melton & M. Bauman (Eds), Religions of The World: A Comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices (Vol. 1, pp. lv-lix), Santa Barbara, CA.

Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. (2008). U.S. Religious Landscape Survey.

Retrieved from http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf.

Pew Research Center Publications (2010). U.S. religious knowledge survey. Retrieved June 20,

2012, from Pew Research Center Publications website: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1745/religious-knowledge-in-america-survey-atheists-agnostics-score-highest.

Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. (2013). "Nones" on the Rise: One-in-Five Adults

Have No Religious Affiliation. Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Unaffiliated/NonesOnTheRise-full.pdf

Miller, D.W. (2007). God at work: The history and promise of the faith at work movement. New

York: Oxford University Press.

Miller,D & Ewest, T. (2014). The Present State of Workplace Spirituality: A Literature

Review Considering Context, Theory, and Measurement/Assessment Journal of Religious & Theological Information, 12(2), 29-54.

Mitroff, I. (2003). Do not promote religion under the guise of spiritualty. Organization, 10(2), p..

375-382

Nolan, J. (2006). Doing the right thing: A Catholic's guide to faith, business and ethics.

Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenge