Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

The State of Spirituality in India and Insights for Marketing


Affiliations
1 Professor, Management Development Institute (MDI), Mehrauli Road, Sukhrali, Gurgaon - 122 007, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


There is an emerging paradigm shift in management over the last two decades towards spirituality. Before going for studies in marketing and spirituality in the Indian context, it is essential to first understand spirituality in the Indian context because India is a diverse country. However, there is lack of a pan – India study to understand the current state of spirituality. This research paper filled this research gap by studying spirituality in India's 36 states and union territories. The results showed differences across states and union territories, small states and big states, islands and mainland, and across different regions. Marketing professionals can use the findings of the study while designing the marketing strategy and marketing mix to reach out to the consumers in a better way. One limitation of this work is that it could have undertaken a pilot project or a case study to relate the findings on spirituality with the spirituality paradigm in the Indian context.

Keywords

Spirituality, Religious Orientation, Spirituality Paradigm, Marketing, India.

Paper Submission Date : September 5, 2020; Paper Sent Back for Revision : January 15, 2021; Paper Acceptance Date : February 5, 2021; Paper Published Online : March 10, 2021.

User
Subscription Login to verify subscription
Notifications
Font Size

  • Adams, V. H., Snyder, C. R., Rand, K. L., Kings, E. A., Simpson, D. R., & Pulvers, K. M. (2003). Hope in workplace. In R. A. Giacalone & C. L. Jurkiewicz (Eds.), The handbook of workplace spirituality and organisational performance (pp. 367–377). M.E. Sharpe.
  • Agarwal, A., & Singh, M. R. (2018). The relationship between retail experience, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intention : Exploring the consumer shopping behavior in unorganized retail settings. Indian Journal of Marketing, 48 (1), 9–27. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2018/v48/i1/120733
  • Arvidsson, A. (2014). Christianity and consumer culture. Sociologica, 8(3), 8–17. https://doi.org/10.2383/79479
  • Ashmos, D. P., & Duchon, D. (2000). Spirituality at work : A conceptualization and measure. Journal of Management Inquiry, 9 (2), 134 –145. https://doi.org/10.1177/105649260092008
  • Balog, A. M., Baker, L. T., & Walker, A. G. (2014). Religiosity and spirituality in entrepreneurship : A review and research agenda. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 11(2), 159–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766086.2013.836127
  • Bamossy, G. J., Borghini, S., Belk, R. W., Gould, S. J., Kozinets, R. V., Maclaran, P., Scott, L., Schau, H. J., Stevens, L., & Turley, D. (2011). Marketplace shaping of spiritual experiences : Current theory and prospects. In, A.
  • Bradshaw, C. Hackley, & P. Maclaran (eds.), E - European Advances in Consumer Research (Vol. 9, pp. 553–554). http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/1007177/eacr/vol9/E-09
  • Belwalkar, S., Vohra, V., & Pandey, A. (2018). The relationship between workplace spirituality, job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behaviors–An empirical study. Social Responsibility Journal, 14(2), 410–430. https://doi.org/10.1108/SRJ-05-2016-0096
  • Benner, D. G. (1989). Toward a psychology of spirituality : Implications for personality and psychotherapy. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 8 (1), 19–30. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1990-02087-001
  • Buchanan - Olivier, M., & Schau, J. S. (2013). Consuming spirituality and the spirituality of consuming media narratives : Why vampirism, why Twilight, why now ? In D. Rinallo, L. Scott, & P. Maclaran (Eds.), Spirituality and consumption (pp. 81–93). New Routledge.
  • Cantril, H. (1965). The pattern of human concerns. Rutgers University Press.
  • Cavanagh, G. F. (1999). Spirituality for managers : Context and critique. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 12 (3), 186–199. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534819910273793
  • Chattaraj, D., Mazumder, R., & Lahiri, S. (2018). Buying behaviour of herbal cosmetics by women consumers : An exploratory study in Kolkata. Indian Journal of Marketing, 48(5), 36–49. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2018/v48/i5/123445
  • Chiu, L., Emblen, J. D., Van Hofwegen, L., Sawatzky, R., & Meyerhoff, H. (2004). An integrative review of the concept of spirituality in the health sciences. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 26 (4), 405–428. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945904263411
  • Daniel, J. L. (2010). The effect of workplace spirituality on team effectiveness. Journal of Management Development, 29 (5), 442–456. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621711011039213
  • De Jager Meezenbroek, E., Garssen, B., Van Den Berg, M., Van Dierendonck, D., Visser, A., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2012). Measuring spirituality as a universal human experience : A review of spirituality questionnaires. Journal of Religion and Health, 51 (2), 336–354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010 9376-1
  • Dyson, J., Cobb, M., & Forman, D. (1997). The meaning of spirituality : A literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26 (6), 1183–1188. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.1997.00446.x
  • Einstein, M. (2013). Branding faith and managing reputations. In D. Rinallo, L. Scott, & P. Maclaran (Eds.), Spirituality and consumption (pp. 132–143). Routledge.
  • Fernandes Bella, R. L., Gonçalves Quelhas, O. L., Toledo Ferraz, F., & Soares Bezerra, M. J. (2018). Workplace spirituality : Sustainable work experience from a human factors perspective. Sustainability, 10(6), 1887. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061887
  • Garg, N. (2017). Workplace spirituality and organisational performance in Indian context : Mediating effect of organizational commitment, work motivation and employee engagement. South Asian Journal of Human Resources Management, 4(2), 191–211. https://doi.org/10.1177/2322093717736134
  • Gatling, A. (2015). A causal model for integrating workplace spirituality into hospitality organizational transformation. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 14(2), 177–194. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2015.955563
  • Geigle, D. (2012). Workplace spirituality empirical research : A literature review. Business and Management Review, 2(10), 14–27. http://www.businessjournalz.org/bmr
  • Herriott, E.N., Schmidt - Wilk, J., & Heaton, D.P. (2009). Spiritual dimensions of entrepreneurship in Transcendental Meditation and TM–Sidhi program practitioners. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 6(3), 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766080903069299
  • Husemann, K. C., & Eckhardt, G. M. (2019). Consumer spirituality. Journal of Marketing Management, 35 (5–6), 391–406. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2019.1588558
  • Izberk - Bilgin, E. (2012). Infidel brands : Unveiling alternative meanings of global brands at the nexus of globalization, consumer culture, and Islamism. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(4), 663–687. https://doi.org/10.1086/665413
  • Joelle, M., & Coelho, A. M. (2019). The impact of spirituality at work on workers’ attitudes and individual performance. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 30(7), 1111–1135. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1314312
  • Kakati, R. P., & Ahmed, S. (2016). Dynamics of family role structure in consumer behaviour. Indian Journal of Marketing, 46(6), 51–61. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2016/v46/i6/94846
  • Kale, S. (2006). Consumer spirituality and marketing. In M. C. Lees, T. Davis, & G. Gregory (Eds.), AP–Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research (Vol. 7, pp. 108–110). Association for Consumer Research. https://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/13027/volumes/ap07/AP-07
  • Kapuscinski, A. N., & Masters, K. S. (2010). The current status of measures of spirituality : A critical review of scale development. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 2(4), 191–205. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020498
  • Karakas, F. (2010). Spirituality and performance in organizations : A literature review. Journal of Business Ethics, 94(1), 89–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0251-5
  • Kumar, P., & Kanchan. (2019). Purchasing criteria for apparels among Indian consumers. Indian Journal of Marketing, 49(1), 48–60. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2019/v49/i1/140606
  • Loo, M. K. (2017). Spirituality in the workplace : Practices, challenges, and recommendations. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 45(3), 182–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/009164711704500303
  • Mathras, D., Cohen, A. B., Mandel, N., & Mick, D. J. (2016). The effects of religion on consumer behavior : A conceptual framework and research agenda. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 26(2), 298–311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2015.08.001
  • Mick, D. G. (2017). Buddhist psychology : Selected insights, benefits, and research agenda for consumer psychology. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 27(1), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2016.04.003
  • Miller, D. W., & Ewest, T. (2013). The present state of workplace spirituality : A literature review considering context, theory, and measurement/assessment. Journal of Religious & Theological Information, 12(1–2), 29–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/10477845.2013.800776
  • Mitroff, I., & Denton, E. (1999). A study of spirituality in the workplace. Sloan Management Review, 40 (4), 83–92.
  • Pillania, R. K. (2020). India happiness report 2020. http://pillania.org/india-happiness-report-2020/
  • Pirkola, H., Rantakokko, P., & Suhonen, M. (2016). Workplace spirituality in health care : An integrated review of the literature. Journal of Nursing Management, 24(7), 859–868. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12398
  • Ratnakar, R., & Nair, S. (2012). A review of scientific research on spirituality. Business Perspectives and Research, 1(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2278533720120101
  • Redden, G. (2016). Revisiting the spiritual supermarket : Does the commodification of spirituality necessarily devalue it ? Culture and Religion, 17(2), 231–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/14755610.2016.1183690
  • Rinallo, D., Borghini, S., Bamossy, G., & Kozinets, R. V. (2013). When sacred objects go B®a(n)d : Fashion rosaries and the contemporary linkage of religion and commerciality. In D. Rinallo, L. Scott, & P. Maclaran (Eds.), Spirituality and consumption (pp. 29–40). Routledge.
  • Rinallo, D., Maclaran, P., & Stevens, L. (2016). A mixed blessing : Market mediated religious authority in Neopaganism. Journal of Macromarketing, 36(4), 425–442. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276146716655780
  • Rocha, R. G., & Pinheiro, P. G. (2020). Organizational spirituality : Concept and perspectives. Journal of Business Ethics, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04463-y
  • Simon, S., & Manohar, B. M. (2017). Consumer involvement towards ready-to-eat breakfast cereals in India : An application of revised product involvement inventory (RPII). Indian Journal of Marketing, 47(2), 34–46. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2017/v47/i2/110026
  • Standifer, R.L., Evans, K.R., & Dong, B. (2010). The influence of spirituality on buyer perception within business-tobusiness marketing relationships : A cross-cultural exploration and comparison. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 9(3), 132–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332667.2010.505458
  • Thakur, K., & Singh, J. (2016). Spirituality at workplace : A conceptual framework. International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research, 14(7), 5181–5189.
  • Zinnbauer, B. J., Pargament, K. I., & Scott, A. B. (1999). The emerging meanings of religiousness and spirituality : Problems and prospects. Journal of Personality, 67(6), 889–919. https://doi.org/10.1111/14676494.00077

Abstract Views: 218

PDF Views: 3




  • The State of Spirituality in India and Insights for Marketing

Abstract Views: 218  |  PDF Views: 3

Authors

Rajesh K. Pillania
Professor, Management Development Institute (MDI), Mehrauli Road, Sukhrali, Gurgaon - 122 007, India

Abstract


There is an emerging paradigm shift in management over the last two decades towards spirituality. Before going for studies in marketing and spirituality in the Indian context, it is essential to first understand spirituality in the Indian context because India is a diverse country. However, there is lack of a pan – India study to understand the current state of spirituality. This research paper filled this research gap by studying spirituality in India's 36 states and union territories. The results showed differences across states and union territories, small states and big states, islands and mainland, and across different regions. Marketing professionals can use the findings of the study while designing the marketing strategy and marketing mix to reach out to the consumers in a better way. One limitation of this work is that it could have undertaken a pilot project or a case study to relate the findings on spirituality with the spirituality paradigm in the Indian context.

Keywords


Spirituality, Religious Orientation, Spirituality Paradigm, Marketing, India.

Paper Submission Date : September 5, 2020; Paper Sent Back for Revision : January 15, 2021; Paper Acceptance Date : February 5, 2021; Paper Published Online : March 10, 2021.


References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom%2F2021%2Fv51%2Fi3%2F158061