Spirituality-at-Work in the Land of Dollar God*

Spirituality-at-work is a new movement in the United States that links spirituality with business. It seeks to usher in a values-based environment wherein individuals can experience meaning and purpose in life by functioning holistically—as physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual beings. Several examples are cited of companies actively working towards achieving such a climate, and their success in meeting social as well as fiscal responsibilities. The paper traces some of the undercurrents that have led to this new movement—rightsizing, labour force shortages, entry of women, concerns for ecology and human collectivity, society’s renewed interest in religion, and new thinking on the essence of leadership. The paper concludes with an examination of the likely future of the movement. A generation after its declaration that God was dead, Time magazine published a cover story ’Church Search ’ in contemporary America. Among business journals, The Economist noted that something spiritual is stirring in people’s lives. The realm of the spiritual is being linked with business, and heralded as the beginning of a new business paradigm. Surprisingly, this beginning is not based on new concepts, but on notions that are centuries old. In 1996 more than 30 con-ferences, including the American Society for Training and Development, addressed the business-spirituality connections in th