Abstract
There are a very few studies available to gain insight into the impact of yoga and
alternative therapies1 on stress management, conflict resolution and work
productivity. In previous studies the focus fell on the gendered perspective,
exploring the impact of spiritual modalities on the physical and mental wellness of
male and female employees. Spiritual practices such as yoga and other alternative
therapies have been found to be significant to enhance work productivity, hence
be part of organisational wellness programmes. However, this aspect is not fully
implemented due to various reasons including a lack of spiritual understanding,
religious preferences and organisational cultures. The aim of this article is to
expand upon and enhance this analysis by aligning spiritual practices to
workplace productivity. Books, journal articles, dissertations, and conference
proceedings dealing with spirituality at the workplace were reviewed. Based on
the literature available, two hypotheses are explored, namely (a) that workplace
spirituality enhances employee wellness and has a positive impact on improved
productivity; and (b) that workplace spirituality impacts differently on male and
female employees (gendered perspective) and leads to improved productivity. The
article formulates a model called Workplace Spirituality for Gender-based
Productivity (WSG-bP) for consideration under the umbrella of existing
Employee Work Wellness programmes.