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 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jhtm

Workplace spirituality as panacea for waning well-being during the

pandemic crisis: A SDT perspective
Shalini Srivastava a, *, Pragya Gupta b
a
Jaipuria Institute of Management,Noida, India
b
,Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The present study explores the association between workplace spirituality and wellbeing of employees working
Workplace spirituality in the hospitality sector during the COVID 19 pandemic crisis. Workforce agility and organisational identification
Workforce agility were taken as parallel mediators for the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee wellbeing.
Organisational identification
The hypothesized research model was examined in the light of SDT perspective of psychological needs. Data was
Well-being employees
Hotels
collected through questionnaire survey using standardized instruments. The study surveyed 322 hotel employees
India of the northern region of India and utilized Structural Equation Modeling to test the hypothesized relationships.
Findings confirmed a positive association between workplace spirituality and wellbeing, and established the role
of workforce agility and organizational identification as parallel mediators in this relationship. COVID 19
significantly affected employees in the hospitality sector due to unprecedented uncertainties and economic
hardships, which has taken a toll on mental health and wellbeing of the employees. Supportive organizational
practices and systems are essential to ensure flexibility, adaptability and promptness in reacting to disrupting
situations. Hotels should provide mental and emotional support to their staff during the crisis situation. This
study is the first of its kind to explore the linkage between workplace spirituality and wellbeing of hotel em­
ployees, with the positive effect of workforce agility and organizational identification. The paper makes a sig­
nificant contribution in the emerging debate on the crisis within the hospitality sector by examining critical
factors that influence long-term health and safety of employees.

1. Introduction
The worldwide outbreak of COVID – 19 not only disrupted work
environments but also had a severely detrimental effect on the overall
health and morale of employees. The pandemic can be classified as a
traumatic event that led to rapid changes in working conditions on a
large scale, causing severe physical, emotional, spiritual and psycho­
logical issues (Horch, 2020). All over the world, business leaders and HR
departments are struggling to make quick adjustments to the “new
normal” work order, incorporating drastic changes in ways of working
such as working from home, diverse timings, shifting to altered work or
even no work at all (Helm & van der, 2020, March 25). While some
industries adapted seamlessly to digital working platforms (Mehrolia,
Alagarsamy, & Solaikutty, 2021), a few sectors such as hospitality and
tourism, witnessed major setbacks due to mobility restrictions, social
distancing etc. (Sharma, Thomas, & Paul, 2021; Gossling et al., 2021).
Moreover, the situation is expected to continue for months not weeks,
indicating that, apart from ensuring logistical adjustments and business
continuity, leaders would be required to find solutions for a sense of
belonging, commitment, and engagement within the organization,
general wellbeing of individuals as well as teams. When leaders priori­
tize the concern for wellbeing of employees in such unprecedented
times, they would be rewarded with a workforce that is healthy, resil­
ient, better connected, committed, and engaged with their work and
co-workers and more likely to deliver on their goals. The current sce­
nario is a critical time for organizations to take a fresh look at the
evolving needs of their employees, and evaluate and prioritize their
wellbeing programs by optimizing available resources.
The Corona virus pandemic hit organizations, especially in the hotel
and hospitality sector, with the intensity of a tsunami and the road to
recovery seems long and arduous (Kaushal & Srivastava, 2021a, 2021b).
Losses have been mounting for the industry which has been operating at
a very low scale (Gössling, Scott, & Hall, 2020a, 2020b). This has
already led to closure of many setups, job losses, pay cuts, even job

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: Shalini.srivastava@jaipuria.ac.in (S. Srivastava), pragya.g@jaipuria.ac.in (P. Gupta).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.11.014
Received 2 June 2021; Received in revised form 11 November 2021; Accepted 16 November 2021
Available online 10 December 2021
1447-6770/© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. on behalf of CAUTHE - COUNCIL FOR AUSTRALASIAN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY EDUCATION.
All rights reserved.
S. Srivastava and P. Gupta
redundancies (Kuščer & Peters, 2021). As per industry estimates, total
job losses in the Indian hospitality sector in the first six months of the
lockdown have been around $ 5.5 million (Modgil, 2020). People are the
biggest assets for hospitality industry. They are responsible for keeping
the business viable. Hence, it is imperative to pay attention to the health
and happiness of employees, especially post Covid-19.
An important issue in organizational settings is that of growing
complexity in personal and professional lives of employees, which
further affects their emotional and psychological health (Chen, 2020;
Karsavuran, 2021). So the focus of organizations is gradually shifting
towards creating a spiritual climate at work that would influence the
spiritual domain of an individual and positively impact wellbeing
(Pawar, 2016). Against this backdrop, our paper is a significant contri­
bution towards the emerging debate on the crisis within the hospitality
sector, by examining the critical factors that influence long-term health
and safety of the employees. Although a number of researchers have
acknowledged and understood the role of workplace spirituality in
enhancing multiple forms of wellbeing (Khatri & Gupta, 2017; Aboo­
baker, Edward, & K.A, 2019; Mahipalan & S, 2019), a limited number of
studies have been found in tourism and hospitality sector (Soliman, Di
Virgilio, Figueiredo, & Sousa, 2021). The current research intends to fill
this research gap.
Since the COVID scenario has had a major impact on the hospitality
sector, the significance of agility has increased manifold. Even though
hospitality staff are resilient and proficient in masking their feelings,
uncertainties and fear induced by the pandemic could have chipped
their armor (Wragg, 2020). In such circumstances, workforce agility
may be looked upon as a critical component of work-related behaviour
and may be defined as the ability to respond promptly and flexibly to
unexpected changes (Munteanu, Bibu, Nastase, Cristache, & Matis,
2020). An agile workforce is not only able to handle uncertainties and
complexities of work-related situations but also can react to uncertain
environmental uncertainty adequately and timely (Darvishmotevali,
Altinay, & Köseoglu, 2020). This helps the organizations to respond to
uncertain environmental changes effectively without any detrimental
effects on their stress levels and wellbeing concerns (Peters & Buhalis,
2019). The other critical aspect is that when individuals perceive their
organizations to be supportive during despairing times, they feel posi­
tive about the organization and this promotes a higher level of organi­
zational identification (Lam, Liu, & Loi, 2016; Wu, Weisman,
Yoshikawa, & Lee, 2020). More the resources that individuals receive
from the organization, the higher will be their levels of motivation,
satisfaction and wellbeing (Xanthopoulou, Bakker, Demerouti, &
Schaufeli, 2007). Taking into account the importance of agility and
organizational identification in the hospitality industry to enhance
employee wellbeing and the lack of research in this area; the current
study makes a valuable contribution in providing an effective frame­
work for promoting workforce wellbeing.
From a theoretical point of view, the primary goal of this study is to
develop and test a novel and unique research model that contributes to a
thorough reflection on the impact of the pandemic on employee well­
being in the hospitality sector. This is in alignment with the findings of
bibliometric study by Donthu and Gustafsson (2020) who stated that
COVID 19 crisis calls for robust and sustainable business strategies to
meet changing market demands to remain agile and competitive. The
study helps in identifying ways and means to mitigate this situation.
Further the research proposition may be invaluable for stakeholders to
understand and implement sustainable mechanisms to deal or cope with
any potential similar events in future. Since the work profile in hospi­
tality industry is dynamic, volatile and labour intensive, it must be more
agile as compared to other industries (Stylos, Zwiegelaar, & Buhalis,
2021), to handle it in a productive and effective manner, without letting
it affect the wellbeing of employees. This model may help employers to
recognize and allay fears and concerns of the staff by bringing in
spirituality-infused work practices (Jnaneswar & Sulphey, 2021; Zou,
Houghton, & Li, 2020), and utilizing the role of agility and
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Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388
organizational identity so that they feel safe and supported at work,
enhancing general wellbeing (Haldorai, Kim, Chang, & Li, 2020). To the
best of our knowledge, there is paucity of research in the Indian hospi­
tality sector on the role of workforce agility and organizational identi­
fication as mediators in stimulating the association between workplace
spirituality and employee wellbeing.
Taking into consideration the fact that Indian hospitality is recu­
perating and emerging rapidly post the second wave of pandemic, this
study intends to examine the following research objectives: (a) to
investigate the role of workplace spirituality in enhancing employee
wellbeing; (b) to ascertain whether organizational identification and
workforce agility mediate the positive association of workplace spiri­
tuality and employee wellbeing. These research objectives are particu­
larly crucial considering the effect of pandemic on hospitality business
(Donthu & Gustafsson, 2020), as this study highlights the key factors
that needs to be considered during for smooth business operations
during turbulent times.
The study is structured into six sections. In the initial section, the
paper has incorporated SDT theory of motivation as the theoretical base
in explaining workplace spirituality. Its role in organizational func­
tioning as well as beneficial outcomes for employees such as wellbeing
at work, has also been examined. The section that follows explains hy­
potheses development on the basis of extensive literature review, fol­
lowed by research methodology, after which research findings are
discussed. The final section of the paper consists of discussions of the
result findings and the conclusion and implications.
2. Literature review
2.1. Self-determination theory (SDT)
The current study utilizes Self-determination theory to develop a
theoretical basis to understand the role of workplace spirituality in
enhancing wellbeing at work. Self-determination theory (SDT; Deci &
Ryan, 2000) is a meta-theory of human motivation that addresses the
basic issues within a vast range of life domains ranging from relation­
ships, work, personality development, psychological needs, energy and
vitality, self-regulation, aspirations, and most importantly, the impact of
social environments on human behavior, affect and wellbeing (Deci &
Ryan, 2008). The SDT perspective thrives on the basic psychological
needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness, and the influence of
social and cultural context in facilitating individual needs, desires, in­
terests, perceived sense of self-direction, growth and wellbeing (Legault,
Ray, Hudgins, Pelosi, & Shannon, 2017).
For decades, the concept of psychological needs has been used to
explain organizational behaviour by assessing the differences in strength
of particular needs as perceived by different individuals (Gagné & Deci,
2005) to predict motivation, satisfaction and work outcomes. SDT
defined the need for competence (need to feel effective), autonomy
(need to feel self-reliant and free), and relatedness (need to connect with
others), as universal prerequisites necessary for optimal human devel­
opment and growth (Ryan, Sheldon, Kasser, & Deci, 1996). Neverthe­
less, this tendency for human development and growth should not be
assumed to happen naturally for everyone; it can be easily thwarted by a
deficient social environment because an individual is constantly inter­
acting with the external world, striving for need satisfaction which may
or may not be supported always (Legault et al., 2017). So, this idea of a
fit between the individual and the extent to which (s)he can satisfy
her/his needs in the environment, is inherent in the SDT proposition and
is vital for the wellbeing and effectiveness of individuals (Greguras,
Diefendorff, Carpenter, & Tröster, 2014). It can therefore be appropri­
ately ascertained that level of satisfaction of needs is the result of a
match between an individual’s unique attributes/characteristics and the
environmental contextual factors, further predicting wellbeing as an
outcome of satisfaction of needs.
When analyzing the SDT perspective, it is important to distinguish
S. Srivastava and P. Gupta
between autonomous motivation, that denotes an individual’s intrinsic
motivation to engage in any activity voluntarily, and controlled moti­
vation, that indicates an individual acting with a sense of pressure or
force to engage in an activity (Deci & Ryan, 2008). However, both types
of motivation are intentional and can energize & induce behavior as well
as stand in contrast to the concept of motivation that depicts an in­
dividual’s lack of intention and motivation. Another important aspect of
SDT is that extrinsic motivation can vary in extent, which can be termed
as autonomous versus controlled (Gagné & Deci, 2005). The authors
further postulated that when individuals are regulated or energized into
action through applying external contingencies, it specifies extrinsic
motivation, signifying controlled motivation. However, when such
behavioral regulations are internalized to an extent that it no longer
needs the presence of an external contingency to induce the motivated
behavior, it will move towards being autonomous motivation. It is thus
clear, an extrinsically motivating task can be termed as autonomous or
controlling depending on the extent to which the tasks have been
internalized by the individual. The key contribution of SDT is that tasks
can be internalized and integrated within underlying values, thus
eliminating the need for external force, helping individuals experience
autonomous forms of extrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Based
on an extensive study of laboratory experiments and research in varied
domains, Gagné and Deci (2005) argued that satisfaction of the three
basic psychological needs helps in enhancing employee’s intrinsic
motivation and internalization of extrinsic motivation, yielding positive
outcomes such as behavioral changes, effective performance, job satis­
faction, positive work attitudes, OCBs and psychological wellbeing.
2.2. Workplace spirituality
Workplace spirituality provides a holistic view of life to individuals
in terms of pursuing the meaning and purpose in their work, desire to
connect with other people and be a part of the community, and also
aligning organizational goals with individual ethics and value proposi­
tion (Sehra, 2015). The current research proposes that theoretical tenets
of SDT, comprising of three basic psychological needs - that of auton­
omy, competence and relatedness - be utilized to understand employees’
desire to seek the dimensions of workplace spirituality at play in the
organizations they work for. SDT perspective focuses on the role of
intrinsic motivation in the fulfilment of psychological needs that
invariably leads people to become self-motivated and self-driven to
perform at work without any external influence or interference (Deci,
Ryan, Michael, & Vansteenkiste, 2008). Similarly, workplace spirituality
is also concerned with accomplishment of the highest level of human
needs, viewed as spiritual needs that involve searching for deeper
meaning, purpose and experience of feeling good at work (Petchsawang
& McLean, 2017). Such nurturing of human needs is important for
overall psychological growth, integrity and wellbeing of individuals
(Deci & Ryan, 2000) as per SDT.
Workplace spirituality refers to employees’ experiences of mean­
ingful work and community feeling at the workplace (Ashmos &
Duchon, 2000; Duchon & Plowman, 2005) as well as individual’s per­
sonal and professional alignment with the organizational environment
(Garg, 2017). Kinjerski and Skrypnek (2006) believed that workplace
spirituality fosters the individual experience of being passionate and
energized by the work, finding meaning and purpose in work, which gets
enhanced by the feeling that they can express their complete selves at
work and feel connected to their co-workers. In this context, SDT pro­
poses that intrinsic motivation urges a natural desire in people for
growth and self-development that is very similar to what workplace
spirituality propagates. Furthermore, SDT extends the notion that in­
dividuals make efforts to internalize and assimilate tasks with their
underlying values so that there is no need for any external force; rather,
they rely on intrinsic motivation to perform their activities (Deci &
Ryan, 2000).
The need for autonomy, as proposed by SDT theory, refers to an
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Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388
individual’s self-determination and self-regulation to fulfil work needs.
This gets reflected in the spiritual perspective of meaningful work,
implying that it must have a purpose that involves a sense of joy by
engaging one’s full potential to achieve whatever is considered impor­
tant in life (Chawla & Guda, 2013; Duchon & Plowman, 2005). The
presence of spiritual employees at work with high internal energy and
drive is critical for the work environment since such individuals would
be highly motivated. This emphasizes autonomy, one of the basic psy­
chological needs, as per SDT.
SDT suggests that the need for competence encourages individuals to
embrace challenges and responsibilities that help them in optimizing
their capacity to perform and promote enhancement in feelings of
meaningfulness i.e., seeking meaning and value in work (Moon, Youn,
Hur, & Kim, 2018). This drive to seek fulfilment of competence need is
akin to what workplace spirituality induces among employees that is, to
seek fulfilment of deeper intrinsic needs, consistent work values, and
meaning for common good (Barrett, 2003). Thus, it makes it clear that
the natural inclination of human beings towards competence needs, as
promulgated by SDT, is an inherent factor in explaining why meaningful
work has been incorporated as a significant dimension of WPS.
It is interesting to note that the workplace spirituality dimension of
sense of community shares some common grounds with SDT’s related­
ness needs. SDT argues that satisfaction of relatedness needs takes place
in the social context when employees feel connected with their col­
leagues and their intrinsic motivation increases since it enhances the
sense of belongingness in the organization (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Satis­
faction of the need to be connected to others and be effective in a social
environment supports people’s tendency to internalize community
values and behaviors endorsed by other group members, and enhances
their intrinsic motivation to be useful and effective in work.
Autonomy need of the SDT theory concurs well with the WPS
dimension of alignment with organizational values. Alignment with
organizational values implies that employees feel engaged with the or­
ganization’s beliefs and values, not just socially and cognitively, but also
spiritually (Gatling, Kim, & Milliman, 2016). The process of values
alignment gets facilitated when supportive HR practices promote
employee empowerment, making employees feel valued as spirited
human beings who bring their whole selves to work (Milliman, Fergu­
son, Trickett, & Condemi, 1999; Rego & Pina e Cunha, 2008). Similarly,
it can be inferred that the SDT perspective of internalization of external
environmental factors into self-directed behaviours and fulfilment of the
need for autonomy (Gagné & Deci, 2005) also act as key drivers for
individuals to seek alignment with the values, goals and beliefs of the
organization, as proposed by the WPS dimension of alignment with
organizational values (Gatling et al., 2016).
It is thus clear that both workplace spirituality and SDT have similar
processes of inner consciousness by which an individual can identify and
work towards the fulfilment of their inner needs, values and beliefs
(Gatling, 2016). In subsequent sections, we will examine whether indi­
vidual inclination to fulfil SDT’s needs of autonomy, relatedness and
competence can be attributed to the reasons why intrinsically motivated
employees seek meaningful work, community and alignment of values -
significant dimensions of workplace spirituality.
2.3. Employee wellbeing
Currently, when the world is widely affected by the COVID-19
pandemic, many individuals are experiencing mental issues due to loss
of family and friends, loneliness, fear, anxiety, anger, stress, etc. (Feroz
et al., 2020). As per a recent survey of about 1500 people across 46
countries (HBR, 2021), majority of employees are stressed out due to the
raging pandemic and a general feeling of loss of control over life and
work, which is greatly affecting their general and workplace wellbeing.
Although organizations established different practices that supported
remote working yet high productivity, increased senior leader care and
concern, operational agility; the new work order led to a completely
S. Srivastava and P. Gupta Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388

different set of risks to employee wellbeing such as fear of job losses, lack beneficial for the wellbeing of the employees, organization and society
of work-life balance, inadequate technology, isolation, so on and so forth at large. Wallace (2019) argued that job characteristics such as
(Oehler, 2020). The conversation in management research on employee self-actualizing work, helping others and a sense of belongingness,
wellbeing is not new but its relevance in the current situation is not contribute towards a sense of meaningful work which eventually leads
over-rated. to eudaimonic wellbeing. Based on review of literature, it can thus be
Employee wellbeing can be identified as the overall positive expe­ hypothesized that:
rience and functioning of an employee in an organization (Grant et al.,
H1. There is a positive association between WPS and employee
2007) and is a multidimensional construct consisting of physical, social,
wellbeing.
psychological (Grant et al., 2007), mental and spiritual well-being
(Pawar, 2016, 2019). While multiple categories of wellbeing can be
3.2. Workplace spirituality and workforce agility
included to describe employee wellbeing, we have taken the eudaimonic
perspective of wellbeing, which focuses on the psychological aspects of
In the latest AON survey of HR professionals on “Accelerating
wellbeing (Ryan & Deci, 2001), viewed as an expression of one’s true
Workforce Agility and Resilience” (Aon Pulse survey 5, 2020), around
self (Grant et al., 2007). The indicators of psychological wellbeing are
84% of HR leaders felt that workforce agility is extremely important for
closely linked with the aspects of autonomy, personal growth,
the organization yet, only 39% admitted that their current workforce is
self-acceptance, life, purpose and positive relatedness (Pawar, 2019) -
very agile. Notion of an agile organization is the most widely-held
very well aligned with the SDT theory of autonomy, relatedness and
proposition to handle uncertain and unpredictable business environ­
competence.
ments (Sherehiy & Karwowski, 2014) with creativity and innovative
work behavior (Afsar & Badir, 2017). According to a qualitative study by
3. Conceptual model and hypotheses development
Darvishmotevali and Tajeddini (2019), the hotel managers confirmed
that organizational agility can help surviving the complex environments
This study aims to investigate whether there is any significant as­
of hospitality industry. Gartside, Silverstone, and Cantrell (2014) argued
sociation of workplace spirituality with employee wellbeing, and also
that instead of depending upon a few top executives, agile organizations
study the mediating effects of workforce agility and organizational
rely upon employees at all hierarchical levels to be deployed suitably as
identification on this relationship. The researchers modelled this study
per demand of the hour. Workforce agility reveals how capable the
on prior research conducted by Milliman, Czaplewski, and Ferguson
employees are at adapting to unprecedented changes in the work envi­
(2003), which is one of the earliest empirical evidence of relationships
ronment (Paul, Jena, & Sahoo, 2020omes inevitable to cope with
between the three dimensions of workplace spirituality with five
fast-changing work landscapes (Jadoul, Nascimento, Salo, & Willi,
employee attitude variables, including organizational commitment,
2020). Hospitality industry is dynamic in nature and is focused on
intention to quit, intrinsic work satisfaction, job involvement and
providing great experience to demanding customers; so there is a greater
organization-based self-esteem (OBSE). Thereafter, a few researchers
need for employees not only to be productive and service oriented but
attempted to examine the relationship of WPS with different attitudinal
also to be creative, innovative and agile, to address challenging
and behavioral variables such as job satisfaction, turnover, intention to
customer demands. In this context, Sherehiy and Karwowski (2014)
quit, commitment (Crawford, Hubbard, Lonis-Shumate, & O’Neill,
found that employee autonomy is an important determinant of ensuring
2008; Gatling et al., 2016), employee engagement, intention to stay,
workforce agility as it enhances an employee’s intrinsic motivation to­
service delivery (Milliman, Gatling, & Kim, 2018).
wards work. Interestingly, autonomy is an important dimension of SDT
theory as it refers to an individual’s self-determination to fulfil his job
3.1. Workplace spirituality and employee wellbeing
responsibilities by choice and not due to external pressure. Whenever
employees feel that their contribution in the workplace is creating an
SDT theory proposed the presence of intrinsic motivation in in­
impact and is valued within the organization, workforce agility is rein­
dividuals for satisfaction of needs, desires, interests, self-growth and
forced (Paul, Jena, & Sahoo, 2020).
wellbeing. This is very similar to the intrinsic-origin perspective of
Also, if individuals believe that they are performing meaningful
workplace spirituality proposed by Krishnakumar and Neck (2002), who
work, even if it is unexciting, they try to internalize their tasks in work
described it as a phenomenon originating from the inside of an indi­
behaviors (Ryan & Deci, 2006). This further leads to greater involve­
vidual, meaning thereby that it is an inner search for meaningful expe­
ment of the employees at all hierarchical levels, greater speed and
rience at work, sense of community and connectedness with others, and
flexibility (Olsson & Salay, 1983 as cited in Muduli, 2016) and work­
alignment of personal values at work. In other words, the presence of
force agility. Another important competence required to create an agile
workplace spirituality helps self-management or autonomy at work,
workforce is collaboration which implies that when individuals work in
makes the employees experience relatedness and competence by facili­
groups, they exhibit better productivity and efficiency, and develop task
tating an empowered environment that leads the organizational activ­
relationships (Qin, Nembhard, & BarnesL, 2015). Several studies have
ities in a meaningful direction (Giacalone & Jurkiewicz, 2003). The
emphasized the significance of a feeling of community and connected­
hospitality industry is service-oriented and geared towards continually
ness at the workplace, as an important factor of workplace efficiency and
providing great experience and satisfaction for customers, which can be
effectiveness (Paul & Saha, 2015). This leads to increase in productivity
tedious and tough. It is therefore important to investigate potential
and average task speed (Onyait, 2019), in other words, agility.
benefits of fostering WPS in the hospitality industry, to mitigate any
detrimental effects of negativities on employees’ health. Crawford et al. H2. There is a positive association between WPS and workforce agility.
(2008) examined employees from two hotel management groups, one
where WPS was promoted and one that did not. The authors found 3.3. Workplace spirituality and organizational identification
significant differences between the two organizations regarding em­
ployees’ positivity towards the organizational environment. Scholars Researchers have defined organizational identification as the psy­
have identified that when individuals are engaged in meaningful work, chological bonding between the employee and the organization as a
they experience significant positive effects including commitment, social entity (Edwards & Peccei, 2007) or the extent to which em­
satisfaction, sense of fulfilment (Whittington & Whittington, 2018), and ployees’ attributes align with those of the organization (Dutton, Duke­
psychological wellbeing (Cameron, 2012). In a recent study on Indian rich, & Harquail, 1994). Organization identification is an essential
hospitality employees (Haldorai et al., 2020), it was found that an element for effective functioning of the organization (Fuller, Marler,
ethical work environment that embraces spirituality at work is Hester, Frey, & Relyea, 2006). Hence, the organization must maintain a

378
S. Srivastava and P. Gupta Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388

positive and strong employment relationship by creating feeling among dependent on employees’ evaluation of life circumstances and quality of
employees of a strong identification with the organization (Kar­ life which enhances their performance (Peters & Buhalis, 2019). Muduli
anika-Murray, Duncan, Pontes, & Griffiths, 2015). Employment in hos­ (2016) posited and proved that workforce agility and organizational
pitality industry is perceived to be undesirable due to strenuous working agility can be achieved through various supportive organizational
conditions, low wages, long working hours, high work pressures, lack of practices such as learning and training, reward system, employee
career development opportunities etc. Therefore, it is crucial for orga­ involvement, teamwork and efficient information system. Such man­
nizations to encourage employee identification to prevent high turnover agement practices help the employees in performing well at a job
and disengagement (Getz, 1994; Yang, Wan, & Fu, 2012). In a study on adaptively and flexibly (Sherehiy, 2008) and also enhance wellbeing at
Chinese hotel industry, Peng, Lee, and Lu (2020) found that when em­ work (Tuomivaara, Ala-Laurinaho, Ylisassi, & Valtanen, 2016).
ployees identify themselves with the organization, it enhances the
H4. There is a positive association between workforce agility and
feeling of relatedness, a significant dimension of workplace spirituality.
employee well-being.
In other words, when an employee is high on OI, he/she feel oneness
with the organization. Moreover, Indian hospitality industry is reeling
3.5. Organizational identification and employee wellbeing
under shortage of skilled manpower and high attrition rate, making it
imperative to focus on suitable HR practices and positive work envi­
Organizational identification refers to the extent to which employees
ronment to encourage organizational identification and counter nega­
identify themselves with the organization (Dutton et al., 1994), and act
tive image (Santhanam, Kamalanabhan, Dyaram, & Ziegler, 2015).
in the interest of the organization in such a way that the organization’s
Most definitions of spirituality in workplace often incorporate a link
successes and failures are perceived as their own (Mael & Ashforth,
between core attributes of the organization and the individual. This has
1992). Taking reference from the insights and findings of social identity
been endorsed by several authors like Mitroff and Denton (1999a), who
theory, Wegge, Van Dick, Fisher, Wecking, and Moltzen (2006) argued
emphasized alignment of individual and organizational values. Milli­
that strong psychological attachment of employees to their organization
man et al. (2003) referred workplace spirituality as being connected to
enhances work motivation and wellbeing. They further contended, that
deeper value attributes. Boroş (2008) found that the degree to which
high organizational identification leads to high work motivation as
individuals identify themselves with the values and goals of their or­
depicted by high job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behaviour,
ganization is valuable for both individuals and the organization. In­
low turnover intention, and better wellbeing as indicated by lower
dividuals with high organizational identification perceive their jobs to
health complaints, lower emotional exhaustion, and lower feeling of
be meaningful. due to the belief that their contribution is important for
depersonalization. Similarly, Kumar Mishra and Bhatnagar (2010)
achievement of the organization’s objectives and goals (Lee, Park, &
found evidence of a positive relationship between organizational iden­
Koo, 2015). According to SDT, workplace spirituality helps in creating a
tification and employee wellbeing. They further asserted that conscious
conducive work environment by incorporating a spirit of trust, cooper­
facilitation of organizational identification can act as an important
ation, mutual caring and understanding (Fry, 2003). This in turn, in­
process to enhance employee wellbeing and lower emotional
duces a strong sense of belongingness and social membership among the
exhaustion.
individuals, which is closely linked to stimulating a sense of organiza­
Due to odd-hour shifts, higher people-contact hours, overtime lead­
tional identification among employees (Chen, Jiang, Zhang, & Chu,
ing to fatigue, burnout, emotional exhaustion and stress etc., wellbeing
2019).
of employees in the hospitality sector gets compromised and may result
H3. There is a positive association between WPS and organisational in employee absenteeism, higher turnover and disengagement (Shani,
identification. Uriely, Reichel, & Ginsburg, 2014). Peng et al. (2020) observed that
employees with high OI are intrinsically motivated to perform and
contribute to the organizational success which thereby helps in benefi­
3.4. Workforce agility and employee wellbeing
cial outcomes. In her qualitative study on the hospitality sector, Ponting
(2019) asserted that corporate leader’s efforts to create organizational
Organizations need to openly embrace and practice agility to get an
identification through purpose-orientation and people-centric identity
edge in the fast-changing business environment (Pradhan, 2016). In the
leads to enhancement of employee wellbeing which is essential for
current situation, it has become a necessity to survive the turbulence of
organizational success. In a recent study conducted on hotel employees
the pandemic crisis. Munteanu et al. (2020) emphasized that the process
in China, Su and Swanson (2019) observed that higher levels of orga­
of transformation of an organization into an agile and sustainable or­
nizational trust and identification help in boosting employee wellbeing.
ganization is possible only through its employees. In other words, an
The SDT concept of relatedness is extremely useful in providing an un­
agile workforce is the best bet for organizations to handle unexpected
derstanding of how various social forces and interpersonal environ­
and volatile changes in the environment by proactively presenting
mental factors help individuals to identify with others in a social
viable solutions (Muduli, 2016). The Agile Manifesto (2013) presented
context, and engage in behaviors and values that are exhibited and
12 principles that describe agile ways of working. Out of the 12 prin­
endorsed by group members (Gagné & Deci, 2005). Satisfaction of the
ciples, most important in the context of employee wellbeing are: facili­
need to be identified as someone contributing effectively at work en­
tating autonomy to motivated people, providing them with adequate
hances an individual’s intrinsic motivation and it reflects positively in
organizational support and resources, and promoting self-managed
overall wellbeing.
teams to ensure better coordination and collaboration to achieve the
desired results (Känsälä & Tuomivaara, 2013). As proposed by SDT H5. There is a positive association between organizational identifica­
theory, the need for autonomy refers to an individual’s tion and employee wellbeing.
self-determination and self-regulation to fulfil the work needs, out of
their own volition and without any external pressure (Gagné & Deci, 3.6. Workforce agility and organizational identification as mediators
2005; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Furthermore, high internal energy and drive
to perform are critical for any work environment as individuals with Workplace spirituality has always been perceived in organizations as
such traits will be highly motivated, emphasizing autonomy, a basic a significant means to enhance employee wellbeing (de Klerk, 2005;
psychological need proponed by SDT. Kotera, Adhikary & Gordon Garg, 2017; Pawar, 2016). During the ongoing pandemic crisis, em­
(2018) emphasized a significant relationship between intrinsic motiva­ ployers are even more concerned about the physical and mental health
tion and mental health of UK hospitality workers. Employee wellbeing is implications induced due to stress, fear and uncertainty, and are looking
very important for hospitality firms as the success of an organization is for a holistic approach to address psychosocial issues related to this

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S. Srivastava and P. Gupta
global challenge (Koss, 2020). The basic psychological needs of auton­
omy, competence and relatedness as postulated by SDT theory help in
understanding needs, desires, interests, sense of self-direction, self-­
efficacy, growth and wellbeing (Legault et al., 2017). Coppola, Rania,
Parisi, and Lagomarsino (2021) observed that spirituality incorporates
the idea of a sense of belonging and existential interconnectedness
(relatedness), an important tenet of the SDT perspective that is closely
related to perceptions of wellbeing, physical and mental health.
Organizational identification indicates the connection of employees
with the organization (Lyu, Yao, Zhang, & Liu, 2020) and is reflected by
dedication, sense of belonging and high energy levels (Van Bogaert
et al., 2014), that in turn, promotes a work environment with optimism
and self-efficacy (García-Sierra, Fernández-Castro, & Martínez-Zar­
agoza, 2016). This sense of belongingness and feeling of interconnec­
tedness is what is referred to as the SDT need for relatedness. It is a
universal prerequisite for human growth and development (Ryan et al.,
1996), and vital for wellbeing and effectiveness of individuals (Greguras
et al., 2014). Several studies have noted that organizational identifica­
tion has a significant role in enhancing employees’ health and satisfac­
tion (Steffens et al., 2009), decrease in employee burnout (Haslam &
Reicher, 2006) and other sicknesses ranging from minor ailments to
depression (Haslam & Reicher, 2006; Wegge et al., 2006). Taking a cue
from social identity theory, Knight and Haslam (2010) found that
organizational identification partially mediates the role of managerial
control and wellbeing. Peng et al. (2020) propositioned role of OI as a
mediator in enhancing perceived job performance and
pro-environmental behaviours in hotel sector. However, integrated
proposition of examining the role of organizational identification in the
association of workplace spirituality and employee wellbeing has not
been taken up so far; the current study is an attempt to fill this gap.
Rapid changes at workplace demand that employees remain agile,
adaptable and flexible (Varshney & Varshney, 2020). Recent research
based on responses of 850 C-suite leaders by Randstad Sourceright
(2021) reported that the COVID 19 pandemic has accelerated the pace of
organizations to openly embrace and remain focused on workforce
agility than ever before. Similarly, an AON study (2020) titled “Accel­
erating Workforce Agility and Resilience” found that around 84% of
respondents believed that workforce agility is pivotal to future success of
organizations globally; organizations are taking efforts to strengthen
workforce resilience including overall wellbeing of employees. Dar­
vishmotevali et al. (2020) observed the significant role of organizational
agility in mitigating the negative impact of uncertainties in the work
environment on employees and the organization in general. Similar
findings were reported by a recent Malaysian study on hospitality in­
dustry by Alsubaihi, binti Rahman, Mohamad, and Khaleel (2020).
Several studies have shown that various organizational practices such as
human capital, equitable rewards system, performance management,
job enrichment, information systems and competencies etc., signifi­
cantly promote workforce flexibility and agility (Sherehiy & Karwowski,
2014; Beltrán-Martín & Roca-Puig, 2013). These practices enhance the
ability of employees to perform a flexible range of tasks which
strengthens their sense of autonomy and self-determination (Muduli,
2016). Furthermore, Muduli (2016) argued that high level of mean­
ingfulness associated with a task internally motivates employees to
exhibit commitment, involvement and agility, which may be further
helpful in enhancing wellbeing at work (Tuomivaara et al., 2016). This
closely aligns with the focus of SDT theory on the role of intrinsic
motivation in the fulfilment of psychological needs, that invariably leads
people to become self-motivated and self-driven to perform well at work
voluntarily, without any external direction (Deci et al., 2008). This is
especially important for the overall growth, development and wellbeing
of employees (Deci & Ryan, 2000). This study attempts to examine the
mediating role of workforce agility in the link between workplace
spirituality and employee wellbeing.
H6. The relationship between WPS and employee wellbeing will be
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Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388
significantly mediated by (a) workforce agility; and, (b) organizational
identification.
4. Research methodology
4.1. Sampling method and procedure
Data for the present study were collected from employees working in
the hospitality sector in India. In consonance with prior studies in the
sector, this study used a convenience sampling method for data collec­
tion (Farooq, Zhang, Talwar, & Dhir, 2021). HR managers of 22 hotels
located in North India were contacted via mail and telephone and were
briefed about purpose of the survey. These hotels were selected based on
their ratings (3 or more ratings). Of 34 hotels, only 16 hotels accepted
the request for data collection. Reason for the low acceptance for data
collection, as shared by a few HR managers, was that the hotels were
busy developing strategies to cope with the pandemic situation. De­
partments that participated in the survey were the food and beverage
department, housekeeping department, front office, training, security,
finance and HR department. Before starting the process of data collec­
tion, we informed the HR mangers that the study needs to utilize diverse
variation of demographic categories. Hence, it was ensured that the
departments which participated in the survey (food and beverage
department, housekeeping department, front office, training, security,
finance and HR department) comprised of varied demographic cate­
gories such as age, gender, marital status, education and experience.
Data was collected during October 2020 to December 2020. To curtail
issues and problems associated with convenience sampling, the sample
was selected based on larger variation. We ensured that the sample
included all demographic categories of population (age, experience,
gender, marital status and education). With the help of the HR man­
agers, around 620 employees were contacted to be part of the survey, of
which 452 gave their consent. A Google link of the survey was shared
with all the respondents. It had the statements about demographic
variables and all the four study variables. The questions were jumbled to
reduce social desirability among the respondents. They were further
assured of confidentiality of their responses by allocating a code as an
alternative to the hotel’s name in the survey form. Of 452 respondents
who showed willingness to be a part of the survey, researchers were able
to get 331 filled surveys after six weeks. Nine of the responses were
discarded due to incomplete forms, leaving 322 to be used for the study.
For ensuring adequacy of sample size for the proposed model, the
G*Power was used (Faul, Erdfelder, Buchner, & Lang, 2009). The power
value was computed as 0.92, which was more than the generally
accepted minimum level of power i.e., 0.80 (Cohen, 1988).
4.2. Scales
The present study used standardized scales which were measured on
a five-point Likert scale with 5 referring to strongly agree and 1 referring
to strongly disagree. The scale descriptions are mentioned in Appendix 1
of the paper.
Workforce spirituality was measured on a 9-item scale (Ashmos &
Duchon, 2000; Milliman et al., 2003). “My spirit is energized by work,”
is an example of scale item.
Workforce agility was measured through 7 items taken from Breu,
Hemingway, Strathern, and Bridger (2002). The items included the di­
mensions, Adaptive, Flexible, Developmental, Collaborative, Compe­
tent, Speed and Informative. An example is, “I am comfortable with
change, new ideas and new technologies in my organization”.
Organizational identification was measured through a three-item scale
adapted from the MDIS, modified to address organizational foci (Stoner,
Perrewé, & Hofhacker, 2011). Example of, “If asked if I belong to this
organization, I would say ‘Yes’’‘, reflects the scale items.
Well-being was assessed through the 3-item scale “War­
wick–EdinburghWell-being Scale (SWEMWBS), 2008". Items included,
S. Srivastava and P. Gupta Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388

“I’ve been feeling optimistic about future.” also found to be positive and significant.

4.3. Multivariate normality test and common method bias 5. Results

As the p-value of both skewness and kurtosis was found to be more 5.1. Demographic details
than .05, results indicated that the data was multivariate normal. As the
data was multivariate normal, along with reflective relationship & Demographic details of the respondents are depicted in Table 2. Age,
testing the existing theory, the authors used covariance-based structural gender, marital status, education and experience were controlled as they
equation modeling CB-SEM (Hair, Hult Ringle, & Sarstedt, 2017). could confound the results, in line with prior studies that argued the
CB-SEM requires that the sample size be large with no outliers, and the confounding effect of socio-demographics on individual behavior in
collected data should exhibit linearity, normality, absence of hetero­ varied contexts (Dhir, Talwar, Kaur, Budhiraja, & Islam, 2021; Kumar,
scedasticity, and absence of multicollinearity (Talwar et al., 2020, Dhir, Talwar, Chakraborty, & Kaur, 2021). Gender, age and marital
2021). status, were coded to negate the impact of demographic variables. Male
Apart from randomly arranging the items to overcome the issue of was coded as 1 and Female was coded as 2; married employees were
common method bias (Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Lee, & Podsakoff, 2003) coded as 1, unmarried as 2, and neutral as 3; age and experience were
which normally occurs during cross-sectional data collection, the re­ coded in the range of 1–4, with 1 being the lowest and 4 the highest.
searchers used Harman’s single factor test, in concordance with recent
studies (Kaur, Dhir, Talwar, & Ghuman, 2021). The results of factor 5.2. Descriptive statistics
analysis showed that the first factor accounted for 29% of total variance
which was less than the value of 50% stated for CMV to occur (Podsakoff Table 3 depicts the descriptive statistics, and correlation values of the
et al., 2003). Hence, the issue of common method bias was not appli­ scales. The issue of multi-collinearity was also rooted out as correlation
cable for the present study. The heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correla­ coefficients between the constructs was found to be less than 0.70,
tions (HTMT) was also carried out and it was observed that all the HTMT thereby strengthening the case in support of discriminant validity.
values were less than the suggested cut-off of 0.85 (Henseler, Ringle, &
Sarstedt, 2015), thereby eliminating all chances of common method 5.3. Hypotheses testing
bias.
AMOS 20 (Arbuckle, 2009) was utilized to test the hypothesized
4.4. Reliability and validity analysis model. As depicted in the results in Table 4, a positive and significant
association between WPS and WB supported the first hypothesis of the
The study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) which is a study (β = 0.17, t = 3.92, p < 0.01). Hypothesis 2 of the study also was
statistical tool for exploring multivariate relationships among all the supported with a positive association between WPS and WA (β = 0.18, t
study variables viz., measurement and latent variables. The measure­ = 3.07, p < 0.01). A positive association between WPS and OI (β = 0.21,
ment model was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) t = 4.88, p < 0.01) supported Hypothesis 3 of the study. The fourth
before testing the hypothesized structural model (Anderson & Gerbing, hypothesis of the study was supported when a positive association was
1988).
The researcher followed Hair, Anderson, Tatham, and Black (2006) Table 2
observation of overall model fit and contrast validity. While examining Demographic details (N = 322).
factor loading estimates, it was observed that some items had a factor Variable Frequency Percentage (%)
loading of less than 5 which can lead to a problem for convergent val­
Gender
idity (Hair et al., 2006). Hence, two items were dropped from the Male 167 51.86
well-being construct. The measurement model thus provided a satis­ Female 155 41.84
factory model fit (Hair, Black, Babin, & Anderson, 2010). Reliability was Marital Status
Married 158 49.07
assessed using Cronbach alpha, and construct validity was assessed
Single/others 164 50.93
using convergent and discriminant validity. Reliability of over 0.70 was Age (Yrs.)
found for all the items, thus fulfilling the condition recommended by 21–30 176 54.65
Fornell and Larcker (1981). Fornell and Larcker’s (1981) recommen­ 31–40 83 25.77
dation of discriminant validity was established, as the AVE for each 41–50 45 13.98
More than 50 18 5.60
construct was more than the correlation value.
Education
The measurement model demonstrated good model fit (x2/df = 2.90, Graduate 184 57.14
RMSEA = 0.06, GFI = 0.931, AGFI = 0.922, and CFI = 0.938). Similarly, Postgraduate 89 27.64
the structural model also witnessed good model fit, with modification Others 49 15.22
Experience (Yrs.)
indices of all parameters under the prescribed values (x2/df = 2.94,
1–5 166 51.55
RMSEA = 0.06, GFI = 0.928, AGFI = 0.921, and CFI = 0.936). 6–10 88 27.33
Table 1 of the study depicts composite reliability and average vari­ 11–15 56 17.39
ance extracted of the second-order constructs which were found to be More than 15 12 3.73
under recommendation values. Association between the constructs was

Table 1
Reliability and validity of the constructs.
CONSTRUCTS CR AVE MSV ASV WA WPS WB OI

WA 0.921 0.626 0.408 0.155 0.791

WPS 0.901 0.505 0.195 0.083 0.167 0.711
WB 0.851 0.538 0.408 0.149 0.439 0.158 0.734
OI 0.913 0.726 0.195 0.080 0.171 0.242 0.122 0.852

Abbreviations: WA, workplace agility; WPS, workplace spirituality; OI, organizational identification; WB, well-being.

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S. Srivastava and P. Gupta Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388

Table 3 unprecedented economic difficulties in sustaining their businesses.

Descriptive statistics (N = 322). Hence, the need of the hour is to build a more resilient and agile
Variables Mean SD 1 2 3 4 workforce, to help cope with such crises, both at personal and organi­
zational levels. The study is particularly significant in the current sce­
1. Workforce agility 4.60 1.12 0.79
2. Workplace spirituality 3.04 1.04 .17** 0.71 nario as the world had never faced an economic crisis as severe as the
3. Wellbeing 3.62 1.19 .60** .16** 0.73 current one during the COVID 19 pandemic (Ramelli & Wagner, 2020).
4.Organisation Identification 4.12 1.13 .19** .50** .26** 0.85 While it had an impact on almost all sectors, the hospitality sector was
Note: **correlation significant at 0.01 level; Discriminant validity is represented amongst the first and worst impacted sectors (Khan, Niazi, Nasir, Hus­
diagonally and in bold and italics. sain, & Khan, 2021), resulting in massive employee layoffs, salary cuts,
forced leaves etc. (Kaushal & Srivastava, 2021a, 2021b). Such a colossal
economic crisis and loss of employment greatly impacted mental health
Table 4 of employees, especially in the hospitality sector in India (Kaushal &
Direct effects. Srivastava, 2021a, 2021b). Emphasis on organizational practices that
Parameters Estimate Lower Upper SE t Outcome enhance each aspect of WPS – meaningful work, sense of community and
alignment of values - can assist hospitality employees embark the path of
Direct effects
WB < — WPS 1739 0866 2612 0444 3.92 Supported revival by making them resilient to cope up and win over the crisis.
WA < — WPS 1802 0650 2954 0586 3.07 Supported The present study investigates an important aspect of organizational
OI < — WPS 2139 1277 3001 0438 4.88 Supported research i.e., enhancing wellbeing at work, especially significant during
WB < — WA 4209 3415 5003 0404 10.42 Supported
the current times when radical transformations on the work front have
WB < — OI 1408 0348 2469 0539 2.61 Supported
necessitated a call for higher levels of agility to remain relevant (Anand,
Note: *Empirical 95% CI does not overlap with zero. 2021). The study focused on examining the relationship of workplace
Abbreviations: WA, workplace agility; WPS, workplace spirituality; OI, organi­ spirituality with wellbeing at work. SDT theory was utilized to develop
zational identification; WB, well-being. the theoretical basis for the model. Further investigations revealed that
organizational identification and workforce agility successfully mediate
established between workforce agility and WB (β = 0.42, t = 10.42, p < the relationship between WPS and employee wellbeing.
0.01). Similarly, a positive association between OI and WB (β = 0.14, t As hypothesized, workplace spirituality was found to have a signif­
= 2.61, p < 0.01) supported Hypothesis 5 of the study. icant relationship with employee wellbeing. Previous researches on
Table 5 of the study depicts the results for parallel mediation (see workplace spirituality have focussed on the inner spirit of an individual
Fig. 1). Direct effect of WPS on well-being was found to be significant that requires constant nourishment in the form of meaningful work done
(effect = .2799, t = 5.68, p < 0.01). Association between workforce in the context of community (Ashmos & Duchon, 2000; Kinjerski &
agility and WB was also found to be significant (effect = 0.4209, t = Skrypnek, 2006). The need for autonomy posited by SDT theory
20.42, p < 0.01). Mediating effect of workforce agility on the WPS -WB emphasized that when an individual finds purpose and meaning in work,
relationship was found to be significant (indirect effect = 0.0758, Boot (s)he performs it out of volition, without any pressure (Ryan & Deci,
SE = 0.1373, p < 0.01), thereby supporting Hypothesis 6a of the study. 2006), which in turn, reduces job stress and enhances wellbeing at work.
Similarly, the direct effect of WPS on OI was found to be significant Furthermore, SDT’s need for competence drives the individual to accept
(effect = 0.2139, t = 4.88, p < 0.01). Association between OI and WB challenges and responsibilities, and perform the tasks to the best of their
was also found to be significant (effect = 0.1408, t = 2.61, p < 0.01). capabilities, which results in the feeling of meaningfulness at work
Mediating impact of OI on the WPS -WB relationship was found to be (Moon et al., 2018). Paul and Saha (2015) posited that survival, success
significant (indirect effect = 0.0301, Boot SE = 0.0603, p > 0.01), and wellbeing at work get initiated when organizations have collabo­
supporting Hypothesis 6b of the study. It can therefore be stated that rative work systems where individuals and teams work together to
workforce agility and OI were found to be significant parallel mediators achieve outstanding performance and organizational success. This sense
for the relationship between WPS-WB. Fig. 2 depicts the results. of community augurs well with SDT’s need for relatedness when em­
ployees feel connected with colleagues and organizations. This sense of
6. Discussion belongingness enhances intrinsic motivation (Deci & Ryan, 2000),
thereby enhancing wellbeing. Pawar (2016) examined the possible role
Businesses had already been struggling with rapid economic, social, of workplace spirituality in enhancing multiple dimensions of employee
cultural, geopolitical and structural changes, and the subsequent impact wellbeing and indicated that it can be effectively used as an intervention
on work environments. An unforeseen situation like the COVID-19 to enhance multiple dimensions of employee wellbeing without
pandemic, has had a severely adversarial impact on business continu­ impairing any form of it. When individuals internalize external factors of
ity (KPMG, 2020). Apart from the alarming crisis related to health, many motivation into self-directed behaviours (Gagné & Deci, 2005), it fa­
organizations, especially in the hospitality business, are facing cilitates the process of alignment of values, not just socially and cogni­
tively, but also spiritually (Gatling et al., 2016). This helps in reducing
the perception of workplace stressors and enhances a sense of wellbeing
Table 5 (Kumar & Kumar, 2014). It is thus clear that wellbeing of employees is
Indirect effects and 95% CIs.
important for the hospitality industry specifically because only an
Parameters Estimate Lower Upper SE t engaged and healthy employee will whole-heartedly contribute towards
Indirect effects service delivery, thus keeping the customer happy and satisfied. Work­
Effect Boot Boot Boot place spirituality helps in fostering a positive environment that en­
LLCI ULCI SE courages people to be mindful, compassionate and sincere, resulting in
WB < — WA < 0758 0301 0193 1373
enhancement of wellbeing which is essential, especially during turbu­
–WPS
WB < — OI < –WPS 0301 0141 0043 0603 lent times as are being experienced now.
WB < — WA, OI < 1060 0331 0440 1723 Findings of the study reveal that workplace spirituality is positively
–WPS related to workforce agility, as proposed in our theoretical model.
Note: *Empirical 95% CI does not overlap with zero. COVID 19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on global economy,
Abbreviations: WA, workplace agility; WPS, workplace spirituality; OI, organi­ including the hospitality sector which was probably the most impacted
zational identification; WB, well-being. due to mobility restrictions, lockdown, social distancing norms etc.,

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S. Srivastava and P. Gupta
Fig. 1. Conceptual model.
Fig. 2. Hypothesized model.
leading to revenue loss, job loss, decreased market demand and so on
(Davahli, Karwowski, Sonmez, & Apostolopoulos, 2020). Such unpre­
dictable changes leave employees feeling worried, disheartened and
insecure (Paul et al., 2020). Hence, organizations need to incorporate
supportive organizational practices such as training, reward system,
involvement, teamwork and effective information system, to promote
adaptability, flexibility, and agility of the workforce (Muduli, 2016;
Sherehiy & Karwowski, 2014). Organizations being committed to
employee training and upskilling, helps in employee empowerment and
autonomy, major determinants of workforce agility (Sherehiy & Kar­
wowski, 2014). This aspect of autonomy as per SDT theory relates to
self-determination of employees to fulfil job responsibilities which leads
to purpose and meaning to the work being performed (Ryan & Deci,
2006). This further culminates into speed, flexibility and workforce
agility (Muduli, 2016). Second, teamwork environment facilitates
congeniality amongst members and effective collaboration in the
completion of projects on time, thereby resulting in agile work behavior
(Breu et al., 2002). Organizations must attempt to induce team envi­
ronment synergistic impact on workforce agility by enabling a sense of
community at the workplace, a significant dimension of workplace
spirituality. The current study established the role of workplace spiri­
tuality and its underlying dimensions in promoting workplace agility,
which has especially assumed significance in the current scenario where
adaptability and quick response to unpredictable changes is called for.
Results have confirmed the positive association of WPS with orga­
nization identification. The onslaught of COVID 19 has highlighted or­
ganization’s responses to react, decide and implement certain actions.
These may not be people-friendly such as layoffs, salary cuts etc., and
may have great impact on organizational identification (Ashforth,
2020). The study also laments the ongoing erosion of organizational
identification even before the pandemic due to popular trends such as
the DIY gig economy and rapid virtualization of work. Thus, the need of
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Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388
the hour calls for organizations to proactively look out for not only their
employees but other stakeholders such as the surrounding community
(Gibson, 2020) to boost organizational identification. Interestingly,
when employees witness their organizations being proactive in
espousing the core values of following the right path of helping the
employees and others during a crisis, they feel aligned with its value
system, thus fostering organizational identification (Gouldner, 1960).
The findings are consistent with SDT’s need for relatedness wherein
group-based relationships not only enhance a sense of community
amongst its employees but also enrich workplace experiences and
thereby better identification with the organization (Haslam, 2004).
Knight and Haslam (2010) found evidence that employees’ perceptions
of comfort and autonomy in workplace had a major bearing on their
identification with the organization which in turn, leads to job satis­
faction and wellbeing. Our findings emphasize that the organization
must facilitate meaningful work, sense of community and value align­
ment for their employees, as it helps them achieve their best and identify
with organization goals. SDT suggests that employees feel motivated to
fulfil the need for autonomy that lets them perceive the tasks they
perform as meaningful and important for achievement of the organiza­
tions’ goals and objectives. This in turn, enhances a sense of belong­
ingness and helps in the stimulation of organizational identification
among employees (Chen et al., 2019).
Results of our study further revealed that workforce agility has a
positive association with employee wellbeing. The pandemic has given
rise to deep uncertainties among employees (De-la-Calle-Durán &
Rodríguez-Sánchez, 2021) and crisis effects are visible on India’s
tourism and hospitality industry that has been most badly affected
(Dash, 2020). Unexpected and volatile changes in the environment can
be handled only by proactively presenting viable solutions by employees
(Muduli, 2016; Munteanu et al., 2020). Out of twelve principles
describing agile ways of working proposed by Agile Manifesto (2013),
S. Srivastava and P. Gupta
four principles are most important in the context of enhancing employee
wellbeing. These are: facilitating autonomy to motivated people,
providing adequate organizational resources to perform well, promoting
self-managed teams for better coordination and collaboration to achieve
desired outcomes (Känsälä & Tuomivaara, 2013). Many organizations
start de-prioritizing employees’ psychological needs due to business
losses caused by lockdown and other restrictions (Kumar, 2021). This
severely affects employee wellbeing and engagement (De-la-Calle-Durán
& Rodríguez-Sánchez, 2021). Workforce agility and resilience can help
address health and wellbeing of employees in the pandemic environ­
ment. Pandemic situation has created a hospitality landscape that had
never been experienced before in human history. Hospitality organiza­
tions have been forced to adopt new strategies and approaches to handle
the disruptive environment. Workforce agility has become one of the
most important factors in ensuring safe, healthy and rewarding work
environment for employees.
Findings supported the hypothesized model that organizational
identification has a positive association with employee wellbeing. Ash­
forth (2020) argued that individuals need to identify themselves in the
organizational (work) context to remain relevant and valued; however,
meeting this need is a constant challenge during COVID 19. Employees
view uncertain situations and circumstances, such as the one being
experienced due to COVID 19, as beyond their purview of control which
leads them to negative behavioral responses (Vander Elst, De Cuyper,
Baillien, Niesen, & De Witte, 2016). When employees perceive the work
environment to be favorable and leading to positive consequences, it
decreases job insecurity (Piccoli et al., 2017) and enhances their iden­
tification with the organization (van Dick, Grojean, Christ, & Wieseke,
2006). When employees experience strong psychological attachment
with the organization, it boosts their motivation levels and wellbeing
(Wegge et al., 2006). Our hypothesis gets support from similar studies by
Kumar Mishra and Bhatnagar (2010) who contended that the more
employees internalize organizational attributes and identify with their
organization, the better is their well-being. Su and Swanson (2019) also
presented their findings on similar lines that employee wellbeing in­
creases significantly with higher levels of organizational trust and
identification. Our results endorse the relationship of organizational
identification with wellbeing. Therefore, organizations must work to­
wards providing such environment to employees that would enhance
their sense of belongingness and pride. When employees display strong
identification with the organization and attach emotional significance to
its membership, their beliefs about it become more positive and results
in their wellbeing.
Our analysis confirmed that workforce agility and organizational
identification significantly mediate the relationship between workplace
spirituality and employee wellbeing. Positive associations of workplace
spirituality with wellbeing have been extensively researched and proven
in earlier studies (Garg, 2017; Jnaneswar & Sulphey, 2021; Karakas,
2010; McKee, Driscoll, Kelloway, & Kelley, 2011). It is now important to
identify means through which these constructs can be utilized in orga­
nizational settings to bring about the desired outcomes. Varshney and
Varshney (2020) postulated that agility, adaptability and flexibility of
employees are important factors to handle unprecedented and
fast-changing environments at the workplace such as the one being
faced during COVID 19. AON study (2020) reported that workforce
agility and resilience are central factors for future success of organiza­
tions globally and for the means to achieve employee wellbeing. Simi­
larly, organizational identification has been emphasized as having a
significant role in reducing employee burnout (Haslam & Reicher,
2006), improving employee satisfaction and health (Haslam, Jetten,
Postmes, & Haslam, 2009), and reducing physical and mental ailments
such as stress, depression (Haslam & Reicher, 2006; Wegge et al., 2006).
Knight and Haslam (2010) argued that wherever organizations foster
autonomy and decision-making control in the hands of employees, it
encourages organizational identification, job satisfaction, and ulti­
mately the wellbeing of employees. Hospitality employees experience
384
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388
stressful conditions that affect their wellbeing. However, it has been
proven that spiritual awareness attenuates the overwhelming pressure
of stress and enhances employee wellbeing. Organizations must imple­
ment spiritual practices at work as this provides valuable resources to
employees by bringing in a sense of purpose, feeling of belongingness.
This helps them cope with the vagaries of work life. WPS enables in­
dividuals to experience awareness of their capabilities, improved re­
lationships, sense of autonomy and a realistic view of the volatile and
uncertain environment, to have better control over stressful situations.
Furthermore, our findings prove that hospitality organizations must
promote workforce agility so as to empower employees to respond
quickly and appropriately to customer demands, especially the
fast-changing needs in dynamic and unpredictable environments. When
employees sense the organization providing an enabling work environ­
ment and an alignment of personal values with organizational values,
their sense of belongingness gets enhanced and they start aligning with
the organizational purpose and goals. Strong organizational identifica­
tion leads to enhanced wellbeing of employees.
6.1. Theoretical implications
The current study has identified some valuable conceptual and
theoretical implications for researchers working in the hospitality
sector. A crucial take away from the study is that the core needs for
autonomy, competence and relatedness, proposed by self-determination
theory, may explain the effectiveness of WPS dimensions of meaningful
work, sense of community and alignment with organizational values, in
achieving workforce wellbeing. COVID 19 has significantly changed the
mind-set of people towards travel and tourism, shifting the focus to life
and health. This has led to huge losses for the industry and created
sustainability concerns. The theoretical framework proposed in the
study would help in establishing certain mechanisms through which the
hospitality sector may adapt to cope with this unprecedented crisis and
achieve a positive trajectory to revival. The framework and emergent
changes play a part in revealing a sense of direction and guidance in
developing a future course of action in the “new world order”, for e.g.,
ensuring agile ways of working to enhance wellbeing at work.
6.2. Managerial implications
Results of the study present several useful insights for business
managers and HR practitioners. The notion of wellbeing at work can be
well stimulated by promoting workforce agility which means that when
organizations invest in empowering employees to make autonomous
decisions for achievement of organizational goals without any mana­
gerial control, it enhances employee wellbeing. Furthermore, when
employees get energized by experiencing organizational trust in their
capabilities and supportive HR practices to enable them to perform well,
their identification with the organization goes up, leading to job satis­
faction and wellbeing. The study indicates that supportive organiza­
tional practices and systems are particularly relevant for the hospitality
sector because of the dynamic nature of the industry where flexibility,
adaptability and promptness to react to situations are paramount.
Findings also indicate that organizational leaders, rather than getting
insecure, must enhance their own capabilities to handle empowered
employees at lower hierarchies which is crucial for workforce agility and
identification with the organization. This can be possible when they
imbibe spiritual values and infuse their subordinates too with such
values since it helps everybody to find meaning and purpose in work,
realize the importance of working collaboratively in the service of cus­
tomers. Findings of the current study and a few previous ones have
corroborated the need for a spiritual domain in employees as well as a
spiritual climate in the organization. For instance, organizations can
indulge in ideas such as encouraging yoga, meditation and mindfulness
at workplace, to transform itself into a spiritual work domain beaming
with positivity, creativity, productivity and wellbeing. Such efforts from
S. Srivastava and P. Gupta
the organization would lead employees to be less self-centred and more
connected with the big picture as portrayed by the organization, and
help themselves get aligned to the organizational objectives. The more
the employees feel connected to the organization, the more positivity
and feeling of wellbeing would be experienced by them. Organizations
may also take constructive steps in understanding inner motivational
needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) of their supervisors and
other employees and try to provide them with the kind of work that is
most suited to their abilities and interests. This will keep the employees
motivated and also enhance well-being at work.
6.3. Limitations and directions for future research
Although our study presents valuable insights and significant con­
tributions to the existing body of knowledge, the study is not devoid of
limitations. The chosen sample for the study includes respondents
working in the hospitality sector in the Delhi-NCR region; hence,
generalization of the findings will be possible only if the sample is
expanded to include hospitality employees from across India. This can
be a future area of research. Sample of the present study was selected
based on larger variation to curtail the issues and problems associated
with convenience sampling, it is recommended for future researchers to
collect data from a larger sample from multiple states of India for
generalizability of result. As the key variables investigated in our study
are positive, it would be worthwhile to examine the influence of vari­
ables with negative connotation such as turnover intention, emotional
labour, perceptions of organizational politics, workplace incivility etc.,
on the relationship between workplace spirituality and wellbeing.
Further, the mediating role of personality dimensions such as psycho­
logical capital indicators like optimism, self-efficacy, and hope during
unprecedented times, can also be taken for future study. A comparative
analysis between various industries can give more robustness to the
results. The same model can also be tested in the context of other in­
dustries that have been badly affected due to COVID 19. The present
work has used a cross-sectional approach, which cannot be used to
confidently claim causal relations between the variables used in the
study. Although this was reduced by randomly putting the scale items
through CMV, it can be reduced through a longitudinal study. Future
research can explore the intercultural (cross-cultural context) as well as
intercultural (within India) dynamics of workplace spirituality.
Declarations of interest
None.
Appendix 1: Constructs and Scale items Source
Meaningful work (MW) Ashmos and Duchon (2000)
My spirit is energized by work
I see a connection between work and social good
I understand what gives my work personal meaning
Sense of Community (SC) Milliman et al. (2003)
I feel part of a community
I think employees are linked with a common purpose
I believe employees genuinely care about each other
Alignment with Organisational Values (AOV) Ashmos and Duchon (2000)
I feel positive about the values of the organization
My organization cares about all its employee
I feel connected with the organization’s goals
Workplace Agility Breu et al., (2002)
I am comfortable with change, new ideas, and new
technologies in my organization.
I am flexible to quickly change from task to task, job
to job and place to place.
I map my skills, benchmark for skill assessment and
develop the skill.
I am comfortable with cross-functional project team,
collaborative ventures with other companies, or a
virtual organization.
(continued on next column)
385
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 50 (2022) 375–388
(continued )
Appendix 1: Constructs and Scale items Source
I take shortest possible time to develop my skills,
adjust to new environment, and collecting
information.
I take personal interest in collecting information
about my organization and other related
organization.
I am enthusiastic about my job
Organisational Identification Stoner et al. (2011)
‘If asked if I belong to this organization, I would say
‘Yes’’,
‘I consider myself a member of this organization’
‘When something bad happens to this organization, I
personally feel hurt.’
Well-being Warwick–Edinburgh
I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future Well-being Scale
I’ve been dealing with problems well (SWEMWBS), 2008
I’ve been able to make up my own mind about things
I’ve been feeling close to other people
I’ve been feeling relaxed
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Dr Shalini Srivastava is working as Professor (OB & HR) at Jaipuria Institute of Manage­
ment, Noida, India. She is PAN Area Chair (OB/HR) and Ex-Dean (Research) at Jaipuria,
Noida. She is in the Reviewer Board International Journal of Information Management,
which is an A* Journal. She is the Reviewer of top category Journals like IJHM, IJCHM,
IJIM to name a few. Dr Srivastava’s 100+ research papers have been extensively published
in ‘A’, ‘B’ category of ABDC listed Journals of Emerald, Elsevier, Wiley, Taylor & Francis,
and Sage. Her paper entitled: “Leader Effectiveness in Emerging Markets” has been
awarded as a Highly Commendable Paper of year 2014 by Emerald Publishing Group. Her
research interest is sustainability, personality, CSR, managerial effectiveness, mobile
banking, OCB, change management, employee engagement, well-being Leadership.
Prof. Pragya Gupta is an Assistant Professor of Management at Jaipuria Institute of
Management at Noida She is also associated with University School of Management
Studies, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi as a research scholar. Her area
of research interest is HRM, Organizational Behavior and Workplace Spirituality. She also
has close to 14 years of prior experience in working with Corporate HR of reputed
multinational companies in Delhi-NCR. She is accredited with close to 15 papers and ar­
ticles in journals of national and international repute and proceedings of national and
international conferences.