Organizations are essential in passing on the hard-won knowledge from one generation to the next

Do Not Promote Religion Under the Guise of Spirituality Ian I. Mitroff Organization, May 2003; vol. 10: pp. 375 - 382....California, Los Angeles, USA Aurobindo, Sri (1993) The Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo's...regard to organized religion; see Aurobindo (1993). Do Not Promote Religion...Ordinarily Sacred (1992). References Aurobindo, Sri (1993) The Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo's... Check item Full Text (PDF) References Table of Contents MatchMaker

I believe deeply in the sanctity of work and of organizations. For better and for worse, work is the centerpiece of most people’s lives. Whether we like it or not, work is inextricably intertwined with our perpetual search for meaning. Work is an integral part of our spirituality, our search for ultimate meaning. I believe even more fervently that today’s organizations and today’s jobs are in serious need of redesign. Far too many pose a serious threat to the human soul.

The invention of organizations is one of humankind’s greatest achievements. Organizations are essential in passing on the hard-won knowledge from one generation to the next. Few things long-lasting can be accomplished without them. Thus, the fundamental choice is not between having or not having organizations; rather it is with regard to the kinds of organizations we choose to create. The fundamental choice is whether we will have organizations that promote human health and development, or organizations that promote sickness and dysfunction. [...]

One of the most important outcomes of the interviews was the finding that people seriously want the opportunity to realize their full potential as whole human beings both on and off the job. Second, they want to work for ethical organizations. Third, they want to do interesting work. And, although making money is certainly important, at best it is a distant fourth. First and foremost, people want to bring their the whole selves to work, the ‘complete package’ so to speak. [...]

If any religion is to be tolerated in the workplace, it is a ‘universal religion’, one that we are far from realizing (Fowler, 1995). And yet it is precisely the idea of a ‘universal religion’ that is synonymous with spirituality. 6:40 PM