Illness,Crisis and Loss: Towards a Spiritually Intelligent Workplace?

Abstract

This article looks at the contribution the contemporary debate about spirituality—and spiritual intelligence—can make to our understanding of a healthy, or sick, organization, and the implications this can have for the health or sickness of those involved. The loss of a spiritual understanding can have a profound impact not only upon the success of the organization, but also upon those who work for it. By contrast, a spiritually intelligent organization will not only ensure that it takes care of its employees when they experience grief and loss at a personal level; it will also address structural issues which affect the well-being of the organization itself. This article explores ways in which the contemporary debate about spirituality throws important light on the concept of loss and grief in the workplace at a structural level.