Read more
Though the majority of Americans claim faith in God and adults spend the majority of their time working, these two important dimensions of life are rarely effectively integrated. It is important for people of every faith tradition to consider how, when and if their faith and work are to be integrated. This is especially true as research shows that the integration of faith and spirituality in the workplace results in numerous benefits for individuals, organizations and society - if done respectfully. This book presents key research insights concerning integration influences and strategies for Christians who seek to integrate their faith and their work. Specifically, it discusses how individual, occupational and organizational factors influence faith and work integration, and suggests diverse ways to integrate the Christian faith at work. The Faith and Work Integration Spheres of Influence Model is presented as a tool to guide individuals in better understanding how to develop their own personal plan for faith and work integration within the context of limiting or enabling occupational and organizational factors. It also suggests areas for further research on this topic. Readers will learn how Christian faith and work integration can be maximized based on individual attributes, occupational characteristics, and organizational factors.
List of contents
1. Introduction.- 2. Historical Perceptions of the Meaning of Work.- 3. The Meaning of Work.- 4. Christian Views of Work.- 5. Definitions and Terminology.- 6. Benefits of Faith and Work Integration.- 7. The Need for Faith and Work Equipping and Training.- 8. The Faith and Work Integration Spheres of Influence Model (FWSI).- 9. Individual Influences and Strategies.- 10. Occupational Influences and Strategies.- 11. Work Organization Influences and Strategies.- 12. Faith Organization Influences.- 13. Conclusion.
About the author
Sharlene G. Buszka is Associate Professor and Chair of Accounting and Business Administration at Daemen College, USA. Her research interests include: the integration of faith and work, work-life balance, ethics, and refugee workforce development.
Timothy Ewest is Associate Professor of Business and Director of the M.B.A. program at Houston Baptist University, USA. He is also a Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics, Tysons, VA.
Summary
Though the majority of Americans claim faith in God and adults spend the majority of their time working, these two important dimensions of life are rarely effectively integrated. It is important for people of every faith tradition to consider how, when and if their faith and work are to be integrated. This is especially true as research shows that the integration of faith and spirituality in the workplace results in numerous benefits for individuals, organizations and society - if done respectfully. This book presents key research insights concerning integration influences and strategies for Christians who seek to integrate their faith and their work. Specifically, it discusses how individual, occupational and organizational factors influence faith and work integration, and suggests diverse ways to integrate the Christian faith at work. The Faith and Work Integration Spheres of Influence Model is presented as a tool to guide individuals in better understanding how to develop their own personal plan for faith and work integration within the context of limiting or enabling occupational and organizational factors. It also suggests areas for further research on this topic. Readers will learn how Christian faith and work integration can be maximized based on individual attributes, occupational characteristics, and organizational factors.
