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Article

Does Workplace Spirituality Foster Employee Ambidexterity? Evidence from IT Employees

by
Mohammad Nurul Alam
1,
Juman Iqbal
2,*,
Hammad S. Alotaibi
3,
Nhat Tan Nguyen
4,
Norazuwa Mat
5 and
Ali Alsiehemy
6
1
Department of Management, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47512, Saudi Arabia
2
Department of Management Studies, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190006, India
3
College of Taraba, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
4
Faculty of Business Administration, Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages—Information Technology, Ho Chi Minh 70000, Vietnam
5
Department of Marketing, College of Business, Umm AL Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
6
Marketing Department, University of Tabuk, Tabuk 47512, Saudi Arabia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 11190; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411190
Submission received: 14 May 2023 / Revised: 7 July 2023 / Accepted: 9 July 2023 / Published: 18 July 2023
(This article belongs to the Section Health, Well-Being and Sustainability)
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Abstract

:
Incorporating spirituality into the workplace positively affects employees’ physical, psychological, mental, and spiritual well-being, hence contributing to sustainability. With this background, the objective of this study is to broaden our understanding of workplace spirituality and its association with employee ambidexterity through the theoretical lens of social exchange theory. It also examines the underlying mediational mechanism of employee perception of managerial trustworthiness and the moderating role of psychological distance A total of 384 Information Technology (IT) professionals participated in the study. Data were analyzed using Smart-PLS. It was found that workplace spirituality has a positive association with employee ambidexterity. Further, employee perception of managerial trustworthiness partially mediated the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity. Surprisingly, psychological distance did not moderate the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee perception of managerial trustworthiness. However, psychological distance moderated the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity. This study is an attempt to broaden the frontiers of workplace spirituality research, and it provides critical insights into how workplace spirituality fosters employee ambidexterity via employee perception of managerial trustworthiness. The findings also contribute to the scant research on the moderating role of psychological distance. Although studies have emphasized the need to explore the positive consequences of workplace spirituality, scant attention has been paid to its association with employee ambidexterity. To the best of our knowledge, no prior examination has been done on such a model, making our study unique and novel.

1. Introduction

The importance of spirituality in the workplace has grown in recent years because of its positive effect on employees’ mental health and for the sustainable development of individuals [1]. Rising job dissatisfaction and stress rates are major contributors to burnout, hostility, and disrespect at work. Mental health issues are on the rise globally, and, according to the World Deloitte’s Mental Health Survey 2022, they have significant financial implications for Indian employers. The survey reveals that the poor mental health of employees is costing Indian employers approximately US$14 billion annually. This alarming figure is further compounded by the fact that a substantial 80% of the Indian workforce has experienced mental health problems in the recent past [2]. As a response to these difficulties, a new style of management called “workplace spirituality” (hereafter WS) has emerged that helps workers balance various areas of their life with the business [3]. Workplace spirituality refers to recognizing and integrating spiritual or transcendent aspects into the workplace environment and organizational culture [4]. According to a study conducted by [5], incorporating spirituality into the workplace positively affects employees’ physical, psychological, mental, and spiritual well-being, hence contributing to sustainability. An emerging perspective suggests incorporating spirituality as the fourth dimension of sustainability as it ensures healthier living for individuals [6]. Thus, the workplace’s demand for connectivity, meaning, purpose, altruism, virtue [7], nurturing, and optimism (components of spirituality) [8] is likely at an all-time high. Organizations are encouraging the expansion of this new trend because they believe that a humane work environment is advantageous for both employees and the company. Previously, it has been noted that if an organization’s employees are content, they may be more productive, inventive, and satisfied [3]. Nonetheless, a dispirited workplace may lead to low morale, high employee attrition, exhaustion, frequent stress-related illness, and rising absenteeism. Despite the recent increase in WS research [9,10,11,12], surprisingly, little rigorous research has been done to determine how WS affects employees’ job-related outcomes.
This study addressed hitherto untapped workplace spirituality outcomes and is one of the first attempts of its kind. Additionally, the concept of WS holds more significance in the case of employees working in the Information Technology (hereafter IT) industry due to the nature of their work. According to estimates from the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) (an organization representing the IT industry) in 2017, India’s IT sector contributes significantly to employment generation and generates an annual income of US$154 billion [13]. India is widely regarded as a knowledge hub in this information-driven era of the 21st century. India has emerged as a global leader in the IT and IT-enabled services sector by offering high-quality solutions at affordable prices. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, India has witnessed a convergence of services, resulting in reduced tariffs and abundant bandwidth availability at decreasing costs. This competitive landscape has fostered growth and innovation, particularly in fiber optics and wireless technology. As a result, it has been a major center for IT in the recent decade, and Indian software companies have achieved global prominence due to the availability of an inexpensive English-speaking workforce. The IT industry has made India its principal location for outsourcing. However, there exists another side to it as well. A recent poll found that more than a quarter of IT workers are experiencing stress due to personal problems, an unsettling work environment, or both. A study conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) indicated that around 43% of employees in India’s corporate sector face mental health challenges in the workplace. Additionally, a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017 highlighted that 18% of global depression cases can be traced back to India [14]. The IT industry is heavily reliant on technology, and many IT professionals spend a significant amount of time working with computers, software, and digital systems. This dependence on technology can lead to feelings of disconnection, isolation, and stress. Moreover, IT jobs in particular often require a high level of focus and attention to detail and can be stressful. This can result in job dissatisfaction, fatigue, and anxiety. Therefore, incorporating spirituality into IT could influence not only the outcomes of IT professionals, such as increased creativity but also the outcomes of the organization as a whole. However, the majority of prior research on workplace spirituality has been conducted in hospitals [15], hospitality settings [11], teaching [16], and accounting firms that studied the effects of spirituality on workplace outcomes including productivity and morale [7], organization justice [17], and innovative work behavior [18]. This means that studies on workplace spirituality among IT employees in India are still in their infancy stage. Hence, the main aim of this study is to expand the previous research on the consequences of workplace spirituality by examining its impact on an understudied variable, i.e., employee ambidexterity. The existing research has a significant gap in its coverage, as very few studies have investigated the connection between WS and employee ambidexterity. Employee ambidexterity (EA) is defined as the behavioral orientation of employees to combine exploitation and exploration-related activities within a certain time frame [19]. Explorative activities involve experimentation, innovation, and the pursuit of new opportunities; whereas exploitative activities, on the other hand, involve refining and optimizing existing knowledge, resources, and capabilities. Within the literature, considerable research efforts have been devoted to identifying the consequences of employee ambidexterity such as innovation [20]. Little is known about the antecedents of EA. Hence, this study aims to address the following question:
  • Research Question (RQ1): Does workplace spirituality foster employee ambidexterity in the IT industry?
Furthermore, the question arises as to how WS can reinforce employee ambidexterity. For this reason, we argue that employee perception of managerial trustworthiness (EPMT) will mediate the association between WS and EA. The perception of managerial trustworthiness refers to how employees perceive and evaluate the trustworthiness of their managers or supervisors within the organizational context. It involves assessing the manager’s credibility, reliability, honesty, and integrity. However, insights into these aspects are inadequately studied. The present study is an attempt to address this gap as well. Hence, this study aims to address the following question:
  • Research Question (RQ2): Does employee perception of managerial trustworthiness mediate the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity in the IT industry?
Additionally, this study aims to elucidate the plausible impediments under which the positive effect of WS practices will be amplified or mitigated. Hence, the current study also explores the buffering role of psychological distance (PD) between WS and EPMT. Perhaps no other concept is as crucial to human relationships in organizations, yet so poorly understood, as PD [21]. PD is described as the degree of emotional attachment between individuals in the context of interpersonal communication. Psychological distance is widely employed in a variety of study domains such as trade, consumer domain, etc. [22]. However, psychological distance in the organization and especially in the IT sector of India is still in the nascent stage except for a few rare cases [17,23]. This research is especially essential given the paucity of prior evidence about these research concerns. Therefore, the present study attempts to untie the black box of the association between workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity through the moderating effects of psychological distance. Hence, this study aims to address the following questions:
  • Research Question (RQ3): Does psychological distance moderate the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee perception of managerial trustworthiness in the IT industry?
  • Research Question (RQ4): Does psychological distance moderate the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity in the IT industry?
In an attempt to answer the above-mentioned research questions, in the following are some of the major additions to the literature that this research hopes to make: First, this study explores the association between WS and EA. Understanding the role of WS as a vehicle for employee ambidexterity is still lacking in IT organizations. To bridge this gap, an examination of the effects of workplace spirituality is required. Moreover, to date, research has been predominately conceptualized at the organizational level and is almost exclusively studied at the organizational level [24,25]. Although, recent studies [26,27] have transferred the emphasis on exploration and exploitation to the level of individual workers in businesses. Despite this shift in focus, we still lack in-depth knowledge regarding the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee-level ambidexterity. Further, until recently, only few studies have looked into how spirituality in the workplace affects outcomes in the organization in the Indian context. Second, this study investigates the role of EPMT as a mediator between WS and EA to obtain a deeper and more holistic understanding of the relationship. Third, this study also explores the distinctive effects of WS on EPMT, which can be elicited by PD. Hence, this study explores the moderating role of psychological distance between workplace spirituality and employee perception of managerial trustworthiness. To make the contribution more enriching, we also test the moderating role of PD between WS and EA. To the best of our knowledge, such an association remains outside the purview of studies. Finally, this study provides a theoretical contribution using social exchange theory (SET) [28]. In particular, the objective of this study is to explore the relationship between WS and EA through the mediating role of EPMT, which is contingent upon PD. This study is also useful for IT practitioners since it highlights the need for implementing workplace spirituality.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Social Exchange Theory

Social exchange theory [29] provides a plausible explanation to elucidate how WS fosters EA via EPMT. It is one of the most significant theoretical frameworks for elucidating behaviors in the workplace [30]. According to [28], the term “social exchange” encompasses the transfer of both material and immaterial goods and services among members of society. As per this theory, behavior is the result of an exchange process [31]. This exchange mechanism aims to maximize advantages and minimize costs. Individuals, according to this view, evaluate the potential rewards and risks of such relationships. When employees are shown they are valued on the job, they are more likely to reciprocate with good attitudes and efforts that benefit the company as a whole.

2.2. Workplace Spirituality and Employee Ambidexterity

Spirituality in the workplace is the recognition that workers have a spiritual life that is nourished by doing good work that contributes to society [4]. The term “workplace spirituality” has been coined to describe an attitude held by employees who feel a connection with their co-workers based on trust, love, and a shared sense of being, and who are therefore better able to accomplish the organization’s goals via their work. Additionally, WS has been defined as “those aspects of the workplace (individual, group, or organization) that promote individual feelings of satisfaction through transcendence”.
The present study has conceptualized WS based on three of its components: meaningful work, a sense of community, and alignment with values [32]. The three elements often surfaced in the WS literature and have been closely associated with various outcomes. Meaningful work refers to a profound sense of purpose and meaning in one’s work [32]. The association and connectedness with others are reflected by the sense of community. The extent to which an individual feels that their values are in concordance with organizational purpose is reflected by the alignment of values. Previous studies have related WS to various positive outcomes such as employee wellbeing [33], organization performance [34], job involvement, organization identification, work-related satisfaction [35], organization justice [17], organizational commitment, intrinsic job satisfaction [32], job involvement [36], workplace agility [37], and employee performance [38], among many others. It has also been found that workplace spirituality has a negative relationship with workplace deviant behavior [11]. Depending on the existing literature, it is assumed that since WS is associated with an array of positive individual and organizational outcomes, it will also foster EA.
Ambidexterity is the ability to both use and refine existing knowledge (exploitation) whilst also creating new knowledge to overcome knowledge deficiencies or absences identified within the execution of the work (exploration).
[39] p. 9
Studies have categorized ambidexterity at the organization level, group level, and individual employee level. The concept of “ambidexterity” has been extended to the organizational level, referring to an organization’s ability to excel in two different areas However, the original meaning of ambidexterity pertains to an individual’s ability to be equally proficient with both hands. This study is primarily focused on the individual employee level [40]. Individual employee ambidexterity is the capacity to achieve alignment and adaptability at an individual level. EA consists of two activities that include explorative and exploitative [41]. Employee exploration includes things such as brainstorming and implementing new ideas, searching for competitive advantages and solutions, and using creative thought [42]. Exploitative activities, on the other hand, involve drawing from pre-existing knowledge to boost productivity and quality [43]. The ambidexterity entails two conceptualizations, which include structural and contextual. The present study has operationalized ambidexterity as contextual, which posits that people should be able to engage in both exploratory and exploitative activities simultaneously [43]. This conception of ambidexterity indicates an emphasis on individual organization members, given that employees are the ones who must engage in exploratory or exploitative behaviors [42]. This operationalization is in line with [20,44]. Researchers (e.g., [45]) hypothesize that exploratory and exploitative activities can occur in complementary domains and are not necessarily in competition.
Furthermore, the assumption that workplace spirituality practices will foster employee ambidexterity stems from SET [28]. According to SET, employee attitudes and behaviors are a result of transactions and exchange connections between employees and the organization [46]. SET is an influential framework for comprehending reciprocal or resource-exchanging actions [47]. In bilateral interactions, the reciprocal laws of social exchange theory predict that one party’s benevolent behaviors will elicit a similar response from the other party [48]. This theory emphasizes the importance of trust and reciprocity in interpersonal relationships. In the context of workplace spirituality, employees engage in a mutually beneficial relationship where the organization supports the spiritual well-being and personal growth of its employees. By applying SET, one may consider EA as a consequence of favorable social exchange between employees and their organizations. When employees believe that the organization is fair, positive attitudes are developed. Hence, drawing on this tenet of reciprocity, this theory proposes that if workers believe their work is sacred and it gives them a sense of purpose in life, they will be more ambidextrous in their approach to the job. Hence, based on the aforementioned theory and literature, we hypothesize the following:
Hypothesis 1 (H1).
WS has a positive association with EA.

2.3. Mediating Role of Employee Perception of Managerial Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness is a prerequisite for trust [49]. Trust refers to an attitude held by a trustor towards a trustee. The degree of trust employees have in their managers has often been used as a measure of how well supervisors and subordinates work together [46]. The present study has operationalized employee perception of managerial trustworthiness based on authors [50] classification of managerial trustworthiness that integrated three factors of perception of trustworthiness factors, viz., ability, benevolence, and integrity. Ability is regarded to be the trustee’s proficiency in his or her position. This component is crucial since it serves as the foundation for establishing trust. Benevolence demonstrates a favorable personal attachment to a trustor [50]. It includes focusing on the well-being of trustors and providing individualized care. The authors of [50] describe integrity as a broad concept that includes things such as being honest, being forthright, and treating people with respect.
In the current study, we posit that EPMT mediates the relationship between WS and EA. This means that workplace spirituality will foster EPMT, which will, in turn, amplify employee ambidexterity. This assumption is supported by previous studies that contend that spirituality in the workplace may include beneficial elements such as trust. In addition, according to [51], spirituality in the workplace is characterized by high levels of trust and mutual respect. Additionally, as per [52], WS enhances honesty. It has also been contended that WS inculcates a sense of trust among persons [53]. The author of [53] also noted that workplace spirituality has several advantages for the company, such as improved interconnection and trust among employees. Furthermore, EPMT has also been positively connected with employee attitudes, including employee satisfaction and intention to leave [54]. In addition to this, The author of [55] confirmed that EPMT positively impacts the association between prosocial motivation and job performance. The author of [56] also suggested that the ability and benevolence of supervisors towards their subordinates influenced subordinates’ willingness to engage in extra-role behaviors. Based on the same notion, we argue that EPMT mediates the relationship between WS and EA.
Moreover, a significant explanation of these associations is provided by SET. Taking support from SET, whose major component is that effective interactions foster trust, we argue that the presence of workplace spirituality will signal employees’ perception of managerial trustworthiness, which in turn fosters employee ambidexterity. Researchers have contended that a transactional exchange relationship results in trust. SET suggests that when organizations demonstrate ‘goodwill’ for their employees (in the case of this study through workplace spirituality), this creates a “responsibility” for the employees to return the ‘good deed’ [57]. If employees perceive management activities favorably, they will reciprocate with attitudes and behaviors that the firm values [58]. By applying SET, employee ambidexterity may be considered a consequence of the favorable social exchange between employees and organizations. When employees perceive their work and organization as meaningful and in line with their values, positive attitudes may be developed. Moreover, from the perspective of social exchange, trustworthiness serves as an influential initiator in exchange interactions and should produce positive effects [28]. Hence, integrating SET and the above-mentioned empirical evidence, we argue the following:
Hypothesis 2 (H2).
EPMT mediates the relationship between WS and EA.

2.4. Moderating Role of Psychological Distance

PD includes the “psychological effects of actual and perceived differences between the supervisor and subordinate” [21] (pp. 328–332) as well as demographic distance, power distance, perceived similarity, and value similarity. It has been demonstrated empirically that followers view superiors’ psychological proximity as particularly advantageous for receiving “sensitive and individually-tailored confidence-building communication” [59] (p. 172). In addition to being more approachable, the author of [59] suggested that socially and physically proximate leaders are better able to act as role models for good work habits. It has also been observed that closeness to a leader may help subordinates see their superior in a more sympathetic light, which can help build rapport and trust between the two parties [60]. Alternatively, less PD is linked to better subordinate performance and greater subordinate satisfaction [60]. Manager–subordinate relationships suffer when there is more psychological distance between them, which hinders trust building [61]. This is because when workers have more psychological distance between themselves and their direct supervisor, they may feel mistreated, and we hence argue that the employee perception of managerial trustworthiness may decrease. Those who maintain a high PD are seen as dangerous to the smooth operation of relationships and groups because their actions undermine rather than fortify interpersonal bonds such as employee perception of managerial trustworthiness.
Drawing on SET, this study proposes that low PD will manifest itself by strengthening the favorable relationship between WS and EPMT. As such, we would expect that in case of more psychological distance, employee perception of managerial trustworthiness will be exacerbated. Thus, it is expected that high PD is negatively related to EPMT. The idea of social exchange theory (SET) suggests that managers who are more emotionally distant from their subordinates pose a risk to the health of their relationships and teams. The norm of reciprocity is the base of SET, where an individual is likely to help those who help them. However, in case of more psychological distance, employees might not develop mutually beneficial relationships because of the perception of a superior that is not supportive and beneficial. Employees’ sense of relational identity may be influenced by their superiors’ treatment of subordinates and the extent to which their bosses are emotionally distant from them [62], hence reducing the EPMT. We contend that when employees have a close relationship with their immediate supervisor, they can experience discretion, support, autonomy, and development opportunities, and they perceive that they are treated with respect in their interpersonal interactions, which fosters the EMPT [63]. Conversely, when employees have a substantial PD from their immediate supervisor, they may question their ability to trust and develop long-term relationships with managers. In addition to this, we expect the extent of PD to influence the strength of the relationship between WS and EA as well. Less PD is beneficial as it helps in the development of trust among superiors and subordinates and thus strengthens the association between WS and EA. In addition, drawing on SET, we argue that low PD can foster positive social exchange because employees feel valued and hence increase employee ambidexterity.
Therefore, we hypothesize the following:
Hypothesis 3 (H3).
PD moderates the relationship between WS and EPMT such that this relationship is stronger in the presence of low PD.
Hypothesis 4 (H4).
PD moderates the relationship between WS and EA such that this relationship is stronger in the presence of low PD.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Study Sample and Procedures

The study’s population included IT professionals belonging to various IT firms in India. The focus of this study was specifically on IT employees as they are white collared employees and work centrality and meaningful work is imperative for them [64]. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to collect the sample. The reason for using this sampling technique was that we wanted to collect data from organizations that incorporate WS practices. The information was gathered through a self-administered questionnaire using pen-and-paper from December 2022 to February 2023. Firstly, organizations incorporating WS were identified. Organizations that fostered an organizational culture of a meaningful purpose beyond profit, inclusivity, ethics, mindfulness, and self-awareness among employees were shortlisted. This was done by first identifying the number of IT firms in India. After determining the IT firms, their mission and vision statements were thoroughly analyzed to see if they foster workplace spirituality in any form. In addition, before the actual data collection, a preliminary survey was also conducted in which employees were questioned as to whether the shortlisted organizations incorporated the characteristics of workplace spirituality not only in letter, but also in spirit. A team of research assistants visited those organizations. After seeking permission, these participants were informed of the study’s purpose. The respondents were told that the study intends to collect information on WS and EA, and they were asked to rate their feelings on WS, EPMT, PD, and EA (Figure 1). They were also assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses. The questionnaires were collected immediately. The questionnaire was written in standard English because the respondents were sufficiently qualified and had a reasonable command of the language. A total of 401 respondents filled out the questionnaire, out of which the data of 384 respondents were used for analysis. A total of 92 respondents (23.96%) belonged to the age group of 20–30. A total of 110 respondents (28.96%) belonged to the age group of 31–40. A total of 148 respondents (38.54%) belonged to the age group of 41–50 and only 34 (8.85%) belonged to the age group of 51–60. In terms of experience, 102 respondents (26.56%) had an experience of less than 5 years. A total of 110 respondents (28.65%) had an experience of 5–10 years, 145 respondents (37.76%) had an experience of 11–15 years and only 27 respondents (7.03%) had an experience of more than 15 years. In terms of gender, 187 participants (48.70) were males and 197 (51.30%) were females. In terms of designation, 66 respondents (17.19%) were help desk technicians, 47 (12.24%) were IT technicians, 58 (15.10%) were web developers, 69 (17.97%) were system administrators, 44 (11.46%) were system analysts, and 100 respondents (26.04) belonged to the category of others (See Table 1). Variables such as age, experience, gender, and designation were included and controlled as similar variables have been controlled by previous studies [65]. Surprisingly, the impact of control variables was found to be insignificant.

3.2. Study Tools

All the variables were measured using standardized scales from the literature (see Supplementary Files, Table S1). WS was measured using a scale from [4,32]. It comprises nine items and captures three dimensions of WS, viz., meaningful work, sense of community, and alignment with organization values holistically. A similar scale has been used by previous studies to gauge WS [66]. Participants rated items on a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). The scale’s reliability was 0.905. EA was measured using the 11-item individual-level employee ambidexterity scale from [67]. One item was deleted due to low factor loading. Hence, the final scale had only 10 items. It consists of both explorative and exploitative activities at the individual level. Participants rated items on a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). The scale’s reliability was 0.942. EPMT was conceived as a multi-dimensional scale that comprises ability, benevolence, and integrity and was measured using the scale from [50]. Ability and benevolence consist of one item each, and integrity comprises three items, making it a total of five items. We took a cumulative score of these three dimensions and measured it as an integrated variable. The original scale had seven items, but due to the low factor loadings, three items were deleted. Participants rated items on a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). The scale’s cumulative reliability was 0.863. PD was measured by a three-item scale developed by [21]. Participants rated items on a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). The scale’s reliability was 0.837.

4. Results

4.1. Pre-Test and Pilot-Test

Before the final analysis, 10 IT employees were randomly chosen, and they provided an idea of how IT employees would understand the questionnaire to avoid any sort of confusion. Minute modification was done based on the ideas and opinions of these 10 IT employees. After conducting a pre-test, we proceeded with a pilot study to assess the reliability of our survey instrument using SPSS (v 26). The pilot study included a sample of 15 participants, and we examined the internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha (CA). Encouragingly, all constructs demonstrated reliability above the recommended threshold of 0.70. Specifically, we obtained Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.718 for WS, 0.721 for PD, 0.733 for EPMT, and 0.701 for EA, all of which align with the reliability standard established by [50].

4.2. Common Method Bias (CMB)

To examine the common method bias (CMB), the study assessed the heterotrait–monotrait ratio of correlations (HTMT) and inner variance inflation factor (VIF) values. According to [68], CMB exists if the principal constructs are significantly correlated (r > 0.90). However, all correlation values among the constructs in the current study are less than 0.90 (as seen in the HTMT table), and the highest correlation value is 0.606, indicating no CMB issue. Another way to detect CMB is by examining the inner VIF values. A VIF value of greater than 3.30 indicates the possibility of CMB contaminating the model. In the current study, the highest VIF value is 1.428 (as seen in the structural model assessment table), which is well below the threshold value of 3.30 [69], confirming the absence of CMB. Overall, these results suggest that CMB is not a significant issue in the current study, and the findings can be interpreted with confidence.
Table 2 presents the descriptive statistics of the constructs and their intercorrelations. The results show that all of the constructs are significantly correlated with employee ambidexterity (EA). The mean value of EPMT is the lowest among the constructs, with a value of 4.461, while EA has the highest mean value of 3.963. These findings suggest that the constructs are important factors that contribute to EA and should be considered when developing strategies to enhance employees’ ambidexterity.

4.3. Data Analysis and Measurement Model Assessment through Smart-PLS

The preliminary data analysis was conducted to examine CMB missing data, outliers, data normality, and correlation of the variables. Once the data were deemed appropriate, a measurement model was created in Smart-PLS software 4.0 to assess the constructs’ reliability, validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and internal consistency. The next step was to evaluate the proposed hypotheses in the structural model [70,71].
In the measurement model, the PLS algorithm was run, and the factor loadings of all the items were found to be between 0.658 and 0.877, meeting the cut-off values suggested by [72]. The average variance extracted (AVE) values were greater than 0.5 (50%), which meets the threshold value recommended by [73] indicating the convergent validity of all items towards their constructs. The internal consistency was also confirmed, as Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability values were both higher than 0.70, as recommended by [74]. This was confirmed by Table 3 and Figure 2. Once the required assessments, such as internal consistency and convergent validity, were assured, the discriminant validity was checked.
To confirm the discriminant validity, we used two methods: Fornell–Larcker and heterotrait and monotrait (HTMT) ratio. The Fornell–Larcker results are presented in Table 4, which confirms the discriminant validity. The diagonal cells show the square root of AVE, which is higher than the correlation values below them [72]. This confirms the discriminant validity of all the constructs. We also used the HTMT ratio to confirm discriminant validity. All the correlation values among the constructs were less than 0.9, as recommended by [71], confirming the discriminant validity of all the constructs. The Fornell–Larcker and HTMT results for checking the discriminant validity can be found in Table 4.

4.4. Assessment of the Structural Model

To assess the structural model, we first checked the inner VIF to ensure there was no collinearity issue. We observed that the highest VIF value was 1.428, which is lower than the threshold of 5, confirming there was no collinearity issue [70]. We also checked the coefficient of determination through R2, the effect size F2, and the predictive relevance through Q2. All of these values achieved their threshold values, as shown in Table 5. This indicates that our model has good explanatory power and is a good predictor of the outcome variable.
We conducted a 5000-resample bootstrapping procedure in Smart-PLS to examine the proposed hypotheses. Bootstrapping is a resampling technique that involves drawing repeated samples with replacements from the original dataset to create new samples of the same size. The 5000-resample bootstrapping helps to obtain robust estimates of parameters, such as means, medians, standard deviations, and confidence intervals. Bootstrapping allows for hypothesis testing and determining the statistical significance of findings. By comparing the estimated parameter values from the bootstrapped samples to the null hypothesis or other reference values, researchers can assess the significance of their results. The first hypothesis (H1) regarding the relationship between WS and EA was found to be significant (p = 0.001, t = 3.291) with a positive effect (β = 0.184). The second hypothesis aimed to test the mediating effects of EPMT between WS and EA. It was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.016, t = 2.428) with a significant mediation effect. The value of LL is 0.012 and the value of UL is 0.078, indicating that there is no 0 between them, further confirming the significant mediation. Additionally, the mediation is partial as the direct relationship between WS and EA was also found to be significant, hence extending support for H2. The third hypothesis (H3) aimed to establish the moderating effects of PD between WS and EPMT. This association was not supported (p = 0.668, t = 0.429), indicating that PD does not play a significant moderating role in the relationship between WS and EPMT. The fourth hypothesis (H4) aimed to establish the moderating effects of PD between WS and EA. This association was supported (p = 0.049, t = 1.971) with a negative effect (β = −0.081), suggesting that in the presence of PD, the relationship between WS and EA weakens. The results of the proposed hypotheses are presented in Table 6.
Figure 2 provides a visual representation of the interactive effect of PD on the relationship between WS and EA. The figure demonstrates that PD moderates the relationship between WS and EA. Specifically, when PD is high, WS is low, and, consequently, EA is low. Conversely, when PD is low, WS is high, and, eventually, EA is high. To further explore this relationship, we conducted path analyses at both high (i.e., 1 SD above the mean) and low (i.e., 1 SD below the mean) levels of PD. The figure displays the simple paths at low and high levels of PD for the relationship between WS and EA. Overall, these findings suggest that PD plays an important role in the relationship between WS and EA, highlighting the importance of considering individual differences when examining these constructs.

5. Discussion

Drawing on SET, the authors developed and tested a novel model to investigate the association of WS with EA mediated through EPMT. This study shows that WS positively relates to EA. This means that when employees perceive meaning and purpose in their work, they tend to involve themselves in ambidextrous behavior (explorative and exploitative). WS is an environment in which individuals may understand their primary purpose in life, form meaningful connections with colleagues and others related to the workplace, and match their essential beliefs with the organization’s principles. Those who practice WS also see their employment as a chance to contribute meaningfully to society [11]. These findings are also consistent with prior research that has noted that WS is associated with an array of positive outcomes such as [32,35,36,71]. Moreover, these findings are also in line with the notion of SET, where employees who perceive that they are the recipient of a positive environment in the organizations reciprocate by exhibiting ambidexterity as the presence of WS provides a moral basis for favorable results. The authors also postulated that EPMT mediates the relationship between WS and EPMT. It was found the EPMT has a significant mediating effect. Previous studies have contended that WS inculcates traditions of interconnection and a sense of trust among persons who are part of a certain work process, which in turn incites cooperative sentiments [75]. However, the relationship between WS and EPMT has not been explored explicitly by previous studies, we argue that WS guides all the necessary nutrients required for the development of EPMT. Additionally, the author of [41] argues that trust is an imperative antecedent of ambidexterity. Individuals in trustworthy relationships are more likely to have positive attitudes and exhibit competent behavior when faced with unexpected changes in the workplace [50] because trust is a consistent, loyal, open, and confident connection with trusted people [76]. Furthermore, individuals who trust others provide and receive social support, which creates a more promising future [77]. Building trust is an effective technique for facilitating adaptability, alignment, and other ambidextrous behaviors [75]. Again, using SET as a core theoretical focus, which is based on the reciprocity principle in which positive organizational initiates are reciprocated positively by employees, it can be argued that WS fosters EPMT and hence EA.
Additionally, this study also provided novel information about the differential impact of WS on EPMT. It was hypothesized that the effect of WS and EPMT varied as per the PD. Surprisingly, this association was not found to be significant. This means that workplace spirituality promotes a sense of connectedness and shared purpose among employees and managers, irrespective of their psychological distance. The reason for this can be that workplace spirituality often promotes open and inclusive communication practices, allowing employees and managers to engage in meaningful dialogue and build relationships based on mutual respect and understanding. This emphasis on communication can bridge the psychological distance and foster trust between managers and employees, minimizing its moderating effect on the relationship between workplace spirituality and perceived trustworthiness. However, due to the dearth of studies, we are unable to corroborate it with existing studies. This assumption needs empirical validation.
Additionally, the buffering effects of PD on WS and EA were significant. The impact of WS on EA was weaker in the presence of more PD. For employees with high PD, an increase in WS decreases the EA. In other words, the augmenting effect of WS on EA is more pronounced for employees with less PD. This can also be explained by SET. Using the notions of this theory, low PD would mean more EA as employees who perceive less PD (which means emotional bonding between superiors and subordinates will be higher) will reciprocate by trusting the management more. In addition, due to the lack of empirical studies explicating the role of PD in the relationship between WS and EA, we are unable to directly compare the current results with those of previous research.

5.1. Theoretical Contributions

We attempt to make some promising contributions to the theory and practice. First and foremost, this study is a rare attempt to examine the association between WS and EA. It was found that WS plays a significant precedent to EA. Such an association remains outside the purview of existing studies. In addition, this study from a collectivist country such as India contributes to the little literature on WS in Asian cultural settings. Second, WS has been mostly explored in a hospitality and health care context; this study adds to the little knowledge by exploring workplace spirituality among IT professionals (except a few [18]). Third, by exploring the underlying mediational mechanism of EPMT, this study advances the WS literature as well, given the absolute dearth of studies examining the potential of EPMT. This study, therefore, extends previous research on WS and EA by introducing a substantive mediator to explain how spirituality promotes ambidexterity. In doing so, this study provided insights that EPMT is the key psychological conduit through which WS translates to employee ambidexterity. Fourth, by examining the buffering effects of PD, this study makes an essential contribution by revealing the boundary conditions that regulate the relationship between the two. The obtained results established that low PD moderates the association between WS and EA in such a way that this relationship is stronger in the presence of low PD. The presence of low PD strengthened the relationship between the two, thereby adding to the literature. This study, therefore, linked independent research areas, thereby creating new opportunities for the advancement of each field. Fifth, this study makes an essential theoretical contribution by applying SET to explain why WS fosters EPMT, and, therefore, EA takes a step further to identify the proposed relations in the light of SET. SET is based on the notion of reciprocity and explains how WS translates to EPMT and hence EA. Thus, this study attempts to advance theory building by linking the reciprocity notion of SET to a new model. Moreover, this study also supports the prepositions of SET empirically. Previous studies have related WS with various outcomes using other theories such as PO fit [78], self-determination theory [66], etc. This study makes an extension of the workplace spirituality literature using SET.

5.2. Managerial Implications

Our research has practical implications for organizational leaders, administrators, and practitioners, in addition to its theoretical contributions. First, this study informs practitioners of the importance of WS as it is linked to a variety of workplace outcomes. This study encourages them to develop and implement diverse WS initiatives in the organization as it is associated with an array of positive outcomes (such as ambidexterity in the case of this study). Employees are more likely to feel spiritually fulfilled when they find meaning and purpose in their work. Organizations can foster this by providing work that aligns with employees’ values and interests, and by offering opportunities for personal and professional growth. Additionally, WS is often strengthened by positive relationships with colleagues and supervisors. Organizations can encourage this by promoting a culture of respect, empathy, and kindness, and by providing opportunities for employees to socialize and build connections. Spiritual practices such as meditation and prayer can help employees feel more connected to themselves, others, and the world around them. Google, for example, has introduced a mindful mediation course for fostering a culture of spirituality. Moreover, organizations such as Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, and Staples are incorporating spirituality via programs such as servant leadership, which emphasizes working for the greater good through service to others. In addition, they have implemented employee stock options and social impact investments, which have helped to establish stronger links between individual efforts, business goals, and community needs. Such practices can be implemented by other organizations as well.
Second, by establishing the mediating role of EPMT in workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity, this study equips practitioners with vital knowledge about the contribution of managerial trustworthiness in enhancing EA. For enhancing EPMT, managers should communicate clearly and consistently with employees. They should be transparent about their decisions and actions and provide explanations when necessary. This can help build trust by showing employees that their managers are open and honest. Managers should be consistent in their actions and decisions. They should treat employees fairly and avoid playing favorites. This can help build trust by demonstrating that managers are impartial and consistent. Managers need to have the opportunity to learn and grow inside their organizations. Through this, they can learn the techniques and gain the insight needed to earn the respect of their staff. Third, this study also demonstrates the role of PD in moderating the association between WS and EA. By this, this study calls for the need of inculcating actions that will reduce PD in the workplace. For the same reason, employers should foster an atmosphere where employees feel at ease expressing their ideas and opinions. Regular check-ins, team meetings, and feedback sessions can help facilitate open communication and build trust between employers and employees.
Moreover, encouraging teamwork and collaboration can help reduce PD by fostering a sense of shared purpose and creating opportunities for employees to work together towards common goals. Employers can create a sense of belonging by fostering a supportive work environment and promoting diversity and inclusion. This can help employees feel valued and respected, which can reduce feelings of PD. Moreover, for enhancing ambidexterity, employers can provide employees with training and development opportunities that help them develop skills in both exploration and exploitation. This can include job rotation programs, cross-functional projects, and training programs that encourage employees to develop skills in multiple areas. Employers can foster a culture of innovation by promoting creativity, rewarding new ideas, and encouraging collaboration. This can help employees develop a mindset that values exploration and experimentation.

6. Limitations and Future Research Directions

Despite its contribution to the body of knowledge, this study has limitations that provide opportunities for future research. Since the data were collected from a singular source, the possibility of reverse causality exists [79]. Therefore, future studies can be conducted using longitudinal or experimental research designs. Second, the sampling technique used in this study can pose a risk of bias. Therefore, additional studies may be conducted with the use of probability techniques to generalize the findings. Further, the sample was restricted to IT employees, which can limit the generalization to other contexts. Hence, future studies can extend the findings of this study to other contexts as well. Moreover, the context conceptualized workplace spirituality’s composite score rather than considering its separate dimensions, viz., meaningful work, purpose, and alignment with personal goals. Additionally, the study also considered the composite score of employee perception of managerial trust. Future studies can consider each dimension separately. In addition, this study did not consider all the plausible antecedents of employee ambidexterity and only focused on employee ambidexterity and not the organization. Future studies may look into organizational ambidexterity as well.

Conclusions

In a nutshell, drawing on SET, this study intended to find the association between workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity, with employee perception of managerial trustworthiness mediating this relationship among 384 IT employees. Further, to advance the level of understanding, this study tested the moderating effects of psychological distance between workplace spirituality and employee perception of managerial trustworthiness and employee ambidexterity. Specifically, as expected, support was found for most of the hypotheses. The findings revealed that workplace spirituality fostered employee ambidexterity. Employee perception of managerial trustworthiness mediated the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity. Concerning the moderation hypotheses, surprisingly, PD did not moderate the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee perception of managerial trustworthiness. However, PD moderated the relationship between workplace spirituality and employee ambidexterity. Hence, this study advances theory and research by clarifying the association between the variables. We hope that this study provides a platform for future studies.

Supplementary Materials

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/su151411190/s1, Table S1: Questionnaire items.

Author Contributions

Methodology, H.S.A.; software, M.N.A.; validation, N.M.; resources, N.T.N.; writing—original draft, J.I.; writing—review and editing, A.A.; funding acquisition: H.S.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

The researchers would like to acknowledge the Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, for funding this work.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable as this was a survey based study and did not pose any threat or risk to the respondents.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Data is available upon request from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for helping to improve the manuscript substantially.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Sustainability 15 11190 g001 550
Figure 1. Theoretical framework.
Figure 1. Theoretical framework.
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Figure 2. Interactive effect of PD in between WS and EA.
Figure 2. Interactive effect of PD in between WS and EA.
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Table
Table 1. Sample demographics.
Table 1. Sample demographics.
Demographic InfoCategoriesFrequencyPercent
Age20–309223.96
31–4011028.65
41–5014838.54
51–60348.85
Experienceless than 5 years10226.56
5 to 10 years11028.65
11 years 15 years14537.76
more than 15 years277.03
GenderMale18748.70
Female19751.30
DesignationHelp desk technician6617.19
IT technician4712.24
Web developer5815.10
System administrator6917.97
System analyst4411.46
Others10026.04
Table
Table 2. Means, standard deviation, and correlations of the study variables.
Table 2. Means, standard deviation, and correlations of the study variables.
VariablesMeanSDAgeExper.GenderDesign.WSPDEPMTEA
Age2.3230.9371
Experience2.2530.9290.0381
Gender1.5130.5000.0630.0571
Desig.3.7241.8100.0300.0210.0621
WS3.8090.7770.216 **0.0220.0120.0781
PD3.7530.8110.186 **−0.0220.0290.0000.526 **1
EPMT3.4610.8040.127 *0.054−0.0460.0440.330 **0.371 **1
EA3.9630.7830.175 **0.0910.107 *−0.0220.277 **0.217 **0.299 **1
Note: n = 384, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01 (2-tailed), CA are reported in the parentheses on the diagonal, WS: workplace spirituality, PD: psychological distance, EPMT: employee perception of managerial trustworthiness, EA: employee ambidexterity, Desig.: designation.
Table
Table 3. Constructs validity and reliability.
Table 3. Constructs validity and reliability.
ConstructsItemsFLCACRAVE
EAEA010.8090.9420.9500.657
EA020.793
EA030.818
EA040.820
EA050.800
EA060.820
EA070.860
EA080.799
EA090.782
EA100.803
EPMTEMPT040.8270.8630.9010.645
EPMT010.814
EPMT020.802
EPMT030.801
EPMT050.771
PDPD010.8770.8370.9020.754
PD020.856
PD030.871
WSWS020.7870.9050.9230.571
WS030.794
WS040.833
WS050.755
WS060.808
WS070.715
WS080.658
WS090.664
WS010.768
Notes: CR: composite reliability, AVE: average variance extracted, CA: Cronbach’s alpha, WS: workplace spirituality, PD: psychological distance, EPMT: employee perception of managerial trustworthiness, EA: employee ambidexterity.
Table
Table 4. Discriminant validity—Fornell–Larcker and HTMT.
Table 4. Discriminant validity—Fornell–Larcker and HTMT.
Fornell–LarckerHTMT
ConstructsEAEPMTPDWSEAEPMTPDWS
EA0.811
EPMT0.3040.803 0.332
PD0.2220.3740.868 0.2450.437
WS0.2840.3330.5270.7560.3030.3730.606
Note: In Fornell–Larcker, the square root of AVEs are higher than the inter-correlation values. WS: workplace spirituality, PD: psychological distance, EPMT: employee perception of managerial trustworthiness, EA: employee ambidexterity.
Table
Table 5. Assessment of the structural model.
Table 5. Assessment of the structural model.
R-SquareEndogenous
Variables		R SquareR Square
Adjusted		0.26: Substantial,
0.13: Moderate,
0.02: Weak
[72])
EA0.1400.131
EPMT0.1660.159
Effect Size
(F-Square)		Exogenous
Variables		EAEPMT0.35: Substantial,
0.15: Medium effect,
0.02: Weak effect
[72]
EPMT0.049
WS0.0280.030
Colinearity
(Inner VIF)		Exogenous
Variables		EAEPMTVIF ≤ 5.0
[73]
EPMT1.199
WS1.4281.386
Predictive
Relevance
(Q-Square)		Endogenous
Variables		CCRCCCValue higher than
o indicates
Predictive Relevance
[74]
EA0.0870.577
EPMT0.1020.463
Note: CCC: construct cross-validated communality, CCR: construct cross-validated redundancy, WS: workplace spirituality, EPMT: employee perception of managerial trustworthiness, EA: employee ambidexterity.
Table
Table 6. Hypotheses testing result.
Table 6. Hypotheses testing result.
HypothesesOS/BetaSD95% C.I. Bias
Corrected		TPDecision
LLUL
H1: WS → EA0.1840.0560.0700.2783.2910.001Supported
H2: WS → EPMT → EA0.0420.0170.0120.0782.4280.016Supported
H3: PD × WS → EPMT−0.0220.052−0.1260.0720.4290.668Not Supported
H4: PD × WS → EA−0.0810.041−0.1550.0051.9710.049Supported
Note: OS: original sample, LL: lower limit, UL: upper limit, WS: workplace spirituality, PD: psychological distance, EPMT: employee perception of managerial trustworthiness, EA: employee ambidexterity.
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Alam, M.N.; Iqbal, J.; Alotaibi, H.S.; Nguyen, N.T.; Mat, N.; Alsiehemy, A. Does Workplace Spirituality Foster Employee Ambidexterity? Evidence from IT Employees. Sustainability 2023, 15, 11190. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411190

AMA Style

Alam MN, Iqbal J, Alotaibi HS, Nguyen NT, Mat N, Alsiehemy A. Does Workplace Spirituality Foster Employee Ambidexterity? Evidence from IT Employees. Sustainability. 2023; 15(14):11190. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411190

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alam, Mohammad Nurul, Juman Iqbal, Hammad S. Alotaibi, Nhat Tan Nguyen, Norazuwa Mat, and Ali Alsiehemy. 2023. "Does Workplace Spirituality Foster Employee Ambidexterity? Evidence from IT Employees" Sustainability 15, no. 14: 11190. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151411190

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