Introduction
National Conference on
Workplace Chaplaincy
Yale Christian Business Conference
Ethics and Spirituality in the Workplace
The
mission of the Ethics and Spirituality in the Workplace program (ESW)
is to help people integrate the claims of their faith with the demands
of their work.
As our name
suggests, we attempt to accomplish our mission primarily in the areas
of Ethics and Spirituality. Business ethics is often studied from a
purely secular perspective. However, such a method ignores the fact
that most businesspeople, like most people in general, are people of
faith and often approach ethical issues from a faith-based perspective.
Hence, here at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture,
we seek to address the complex ethical issues of the business world with
not only philosophical rigor but also theological insight. Spirituality
in the workplace is an emerging phenomenon—one that is here to
stay. It means many things, from feeling free to speak openly about one’s
faith to simply feeling comfortable donning religious headwear. But ultimately
it is a matter of being able to feel “whole” at work—being
able to bring one’s spiritual self to the job alongside one’s
mental and physical selves. Both employers and employees are beginning
to recognize spirituality’s value as well as its necessity. Because
spirituality, or faith, in the workplace is such an expansive field,
our work here is quite diverse. We investigate workplace spirituality’s
meaning, benefits, and methods. Our strategy of coupling theoretical
analysis and research with practical ideas and resources is implemented
primarily by:
Developing models and frameworks for living ethically and faithfully
in the marketplace.
Convening conferences, offering seminars, conducting research, and publishing
materials that result in theologically informed and practically sound
resources.
As we seek to bring together citizens of the university, the marketplace,
and the church, we engage several audiences: business and clergy leaders;
MBA students and clergy candidates; and corporations and congregations.
And we do this at the local, state, and national levels. Currently, our
local focus is the greater Yale community, to which we speak by teaching
courses and holding conferences, such as the Yale
Christian Business Conference. At the state level, the Center hosts the Greenwich
Leadership Forum. Typically held once a month, these forums provide Connecticut
business leaders opportunities to discuss faith-related business issues
in an open and collegial environment. Our Leaders Offline program endeavors
to do the same but at a regional and national level.