WORKPLACE SPIRITUALITY, INTRINSIC MOTIVATION, AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK WITH EVIDENCE FROM THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/ShodhPrabandhan.v3.i1.2026.97Keywords:
Workplace Spirituality, Employee Engagement, Intrinsic Motivation, Pharmaceutical And Healthcare Sector, Self-Determination Theory, MediationAbstract
The purpose of this conceptual paper is to explore the interrelationship between workplace spirituality (WPS), intrinsic motivation (IM) and employee engagement (EE) in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. In order to propose a mediation model between the constructs of the paper, the paper incorporates the three theories of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, and the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model. In high-pressure, compliance-driven environments like the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, meaning-centred, purpose-driven work cultures could have a significant impact. Drawing on the existing theoretical and empirical literature, the paper concludes that the spiritually enriched environment (SWE), as a construct, is defined by the presence of meaningful work, sense of community, personal and organizational values, and compassionate ethical practices; and that these factors are linked to the development of intrinsic motivation which consequently leads to increased levels of engagement. Five testable hypotheses and a conceptual framework are proposed to help in the future empirical research in this field.
References
Ashmos, D. P., and Duchon, D. (2000). Spirituality at Work: A Conceptualization and Measure. Journal of Management Inquiry, 9(2), 134–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/105649260092008
Bakker, A. B., and Demerouti, E. (2007). The Job Demands–Resources Model: State of the Art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115
Balasundaram, I., and Baskar, B. (2020). Workplace Spirituality and Employee Engagement: An Empirical Analysis. International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPMB.2020.10032157
Bantha, T., Nayak, U., and Mishra, S. K. (2024). Engaging the Disengaged: The Role of Workplace Spirituality on Millennials' Work Engagement. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 32(9), 1713–1738. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-07-2023-3841
Choudhury, M., and Sinha, P. (2023). Spirituality, Values, and Employee Engagement: A Study in Purpose-Driven Organizations. Journal of Business Ethics, 178(2), 357–370.
Gagné, M., and Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-dEtermination Theory and Work Motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.322
Garg, N. (2017). Workplace Spirituality and Employee Well-Being. Journal of Human Values, 23(2), 129–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/0971685816689741
Grah, B., Penger, S., and Černe, M. (2024). Intrinsic Motivation as Mediator Between Transformational Leadership and Employee Engagement. Human Resource Development Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21500
Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of Resources: A New Attempt at Conceptualizing Stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.44.3.513
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological Conditions of Personal Engagement and Disengagement at Work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.2307/256287
Khan, W. I., and Iqbal, Y. (2013). An Investigation of the Relationship Between Work Motivation and Employee Engagement: A Study on Allied Bank of Pakistan (Master's thesis). Umeå University.
Li, J., Zhang, W., and Chen, L. (2025). Workplace Spirituality and Employee Performance: The Dual Mediating Roles of Intrinsic Motivation and Job Crafting. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 25(1), 45–62.
Macey, W. H., and Schneider, B. (2008). The Meaning of Employee Engagement. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(1), 3–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2007.0002.x
Margaretha, M., Saragih, S., Zaniarti, S., and Parayow, B. (2021). Workplace Spirituality, Employee Engagement, and Professional Commitment: A Study of Lecturers from Indonesian Universities. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(2), 346–356. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(2).2021.28
McKenna, M., Dawson, J., and Arnett, R. (2022). Spiritual Well-Being and Employee Engagement in Healthcare: A Mixed-Methods Study. Journal of Healthcare Management, 67(4), 35–45.
Milliman, J., Czaplewski, A. J., and Ferguson, J. (2003). Workplace Spirituality and Employee Work Attitudes: An Exploratory Empirical Assessment. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 16(4), 426–447. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534810310484172
Milliman, J., Gatling, A., and Kim, J. (2018). The Effect of Workplace Spirituality on Hospitality Employee Engagement, Intention to Stay, and Service Delivery. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 35, 56–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2018.03.002
Moon, T. W., Youn, N., Hur, W. M., and Kim, K. M. (2023). Workplace Spirituality and Job Performance: Serial Mediation by Intrinsic Motivation and Job Crafting. Baltic Journal of Management, 18(1), 63–79.
Mutiara, A. N. R., and Nurhayati, M. (2023). Workplace Spirituality and Employee Engagement: Mediating Role of Achievement Motivation. Adpebi International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.54099/aijms.v2i2.662
Petchsawang, P., and McLean, G. N. (2017). Workplace Spirituality, Mindfulness Meditation, and Work Engagement. Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, 14(3), 216–244. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766086.2017.1291360
Ryan, R. M., and Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.1999.1020
Sahoo, C. K., and Mohapatra, S. (2022). Workplace Spirituality and Employee Engagement: The Mediating Role of Intrinsic Motivation. Asian Journal of Business Research, 12(2), 56–72. https://doi.org/10.14707/ajbr.220099
Saks, A. M. (2011). Workplace Spirituality and Employee Engagement. Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion, 8(4), 317–340. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766086.2011.630170
Salem, N. H., Ishaq, M. I., Yaqoob, S., Raza, A., and Zia, H. (2023). Employee Engagement, Innovative Work Behaviour, and Employee Wellbeing: Do Workplace Spirituality and Individual Spirituality Matter? Business Ethics, the Environment and Responsibility, 32(2), 657–669. https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12463
Schaufeli, W. B., and Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job Demands, Job Resources, and their Relationship with Burnout and Engagement: A Multi-Sample Study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25(3), 293–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.248
Sengupta, S., and Sahu, A. (2017). Spirituality in the Workplace and its Impact on Employee Engagement: A Study in the Indian IT Sector. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 53(2), 142–157.
Sharma, P. K., and Kumra, R. (2020). Relationship Between Workplace Spirituality, Organizational Justice and Mental Health: Mediation Role of Employee Engagement. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 17(5), 627–650. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAMR-01-2020-0007
Syahir, A. N. A., Zainal Abidin, M. S., Sa'ari, C. Z., and Rahman, M. Z. A. (2025). Workplace Spirituality and its Impact on Employee Well-Being: A Systematic Literature Review of Global Evidence. Journal of Religion and Health, 64, 3313–3345. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-025-02350-2
Thompson, S., and Yadav, P. (2024). Purpose-Driven Organizational Cultures and Employee Engagement: The Role of Spiritual Alignment. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 45(1), 13–27.
Tremblay, M. A., Blanchard, C. M., Taylor, S., Pelletier, L. G., and Villeneuve, M. (2009). Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale: Its Value for Organizational Psychology Research. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 41(4), 213–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015167
Van Tuin, L., Schaufeli, W. B., and Van den Broeck, A. (2021). Engaging Leadership: Enhancing Work Engagement Through Intrinsic Values and Need Satisfaction. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 32(4), 483–505. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21430
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Narinder Kaur (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
