The Role of Spirituality in Moderating Hospitality Industry Conflict Management and Promoting Sustainability

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analytically explore the underlying assumptions and rationale of the main trends of spirituality in the workplace and to investigate conflict management in the hospitality industry while considering the role of spirituality as a mitigating aspect. It also offers an overview of the field and makes recommendations for hotel managers on the importance of a spiritual and humanistic workplace. Conflict management in a hospitality operation is a problem which every employee of a hotel has to contend with at some or other time. Any conflict is viewed as disruptive in nature. Sometimes, conflicts are valuable for enhancing work performance and lead to careful analyses of the goals of the business, and this is always a beneficial exercise. However, when conflict is at a high level for a comparatively long period of time, it is destructive and it impacts a business in a negative way as strategic business objectives in both the long and short-term are not met. How well hotel employees are able to impact on the sustainability of their workplace is determined by the degree to which spirituality exists and the way in which it promotes productivity and innovation. Workplace spirituality affects the manner in which employees view themselves when they are under the influence of their work environment. The imperative aspect is to manage conflict by improved communication skills and by developing an esprit d’corps amongst the employees across each of the departments in an operation, and more especially by driving spirituality in the workplace. Spirituality is thus viewed as something which gives meaning or purpose to one’s life and minimizes the potential for conflict.