Moderation effect on work spirituality and commitment relationship

Setyabudi Indartono
Doctor Candidate, National Central University Taiwan.
Lecturer of Management Department, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia,
Email : Setyabudi_indartono@uny.ac.id

Siti Zulaikhah Wulandari

Economic Faculty of Jendral Sudirman University, Indonesia
Email : zulaikhaw@hotmail.com
Moderation effect on work spirituality and commitment relationship

ABSTRACT

As a common and important construct commitment, numerous studies have investigated

factors that influence commitment. Few studies on employee commitment have able to explain
its antecedents clearly. Workplace spirituality was indicated to be effect to commitment.
However, previous study could not explain individual construct of workplace spirituality. This
study was aimed to explore both workplace spirituality and commitment simultaneously,
assessed in a single composite score of constructs and investigated moderation of gender on this
relationship.
The result shows that workplace spirituality positively related to commitment. Gender
moderates the relationship between workplace spirituality and commitment. Implications of the
findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Keywords: workplace spirituality, commitment, gender

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Moderation effect on work spirituality and commitment relationship

Introduction

As a common and important construct in behavioral studies, researchers expect the

antecedents of commitment to provide insights into employee’s commitment. Numerous studies
have investigated factors that influence commitment both at individual and organizational level,
such as individual characteristics, culture, and human resource policy in practice (Lok and
Crawford, 2001; Gifford et al, 2002; Rashid et al., 2003; Eaton, 2003). Few personal
characteristics, work experiences, alternative investments, socialization experiences, and
organizational investment, have been summarized as antecedents of commitment (Meyer et al,
2002). However, it is difficult to generalize such findings in different contexts (Lok and
Crawford, 2001; Meyer et al, 2002; Rashid et al., 2003). Accordingly, researchers have spent
considerable effort attempting to develop and test the models of commitment antecedent.
At the beginning Meyer et al, (1993) distinguished the constructs of commitment
antecedents into three basic major forms i.e., emotional attachment and belief, perceived
economic value, and ethical reasons of obligation to organization. Thus, antecedents of
commitment were observed based on these criteria. Nevertheless, recent conceptual critique of
commitment model by Solinger at al (2008) invited further investigation on the consistencies of
both empirical and theoretical approach of commitment antecedents. Indeed, few studies on
employee commitment were able to explain its antecedents clearly (Meyer et al, 2002; Rashid et
al., 2003; Lok and Crawford, 2001). No consensus has been reached regarding consistent related
factors that constitute commitment antecedents. Previous studies on commitment indicated that
workplace spirituality effected to commitment (Rego et al, 2008). Even they used the concept of
Milliman et al. (2003) included three workplace spirituality dimensions (meaningful work, sense
of community, value alignment), they study could involved the individual construct of workplace
spirituality. Hence, the correlation between it dimensions and commitment fail to explain the
integrated workplace in spirituality. Therefore, the theoretical contribution is constrained.
Accordingly, the advance method to investigate the integrated single construct of
workplace spirituality was invited. This study was aimed to explore both workplace spirituality
and commitment simultaneously. The construct should be assessed in a single composite score

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rather than different dimension. Furthermore, this study investigated the gender related the
commitment. It was indicated that male and female will have different response on the
relationship between workplace spirituality and commitment.

Theoretical background and hypotheses

Workplace Spirituality
As a controversial topic, the workplace spirituality can be defined as the “recognition that
employees have an inner life which nourishes and is nourished by meaningful work taking place
in the context of a community” (Ashmos and Duchon, 2000, p.137). However, Giacalone and
Jurkiewicz (2003) suggested a different definition of workplace spirituality. They argued that
workplace spirituality as a frame work of organizational values evidenced in the culture that
promote employees’ experience of transcendence through the work process, facilitating their
sense of being connected to others in a way that provides feelings of completeness and joy. Rego
et al (2008) notes that spirituality at work is not about religion or about getting people converted
to a specific belief system, but rather based on personal values and philosophy. It is about
employees who view them selves as spiritual beings whose souls need nourishment at work, who
experience a sense of purpose and meaning in their work, and a sense of connectedness to one
another and to their workplace community.
Relationship between work, organizations and spirituality are argued created an artificial
distinction between mind or spirit and body or material and immaterial, and help organizations to
acknowledge the importance of community as a basis on which success, even survival, can be
achieved. Leaders who are more developed in terms of their spirituality are reported to be more
effective (Cacioppe, 2000; Strack et al., 2002; Fry, 2003; Fry et al., 2005). Workplace spirituality
is also acknowledged as a way to recapture the trust between employer and employee, allegedly
lost with the alienation generated by the dehumanized practices that accompanied the massive
processes of downsizing, the abuses of workers and other actions that breached psychological
contracts (Jurkiewicz and Giacalone, 2004). It contributes to organizational performance
(Milliman etal.,1999; Benefiel, 2003b; Giacalone and Jurkiewicz, 2003; SandersIII et al., 2003;
Garcia-Zamor, 2003; Jurkiewicz and Giacalone, 2004).

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 Conceptually, workplace spirituality has been developed by Ashmos and Duchon (2000)
and Milliman et al. (2003). It was included three levels of analysis: individual, work team and
organization. They extracted seven factors/dimensions for the individual level (conditions for
community, meaning at work, inner life, blocks to spirituality, personal responsibility, positive
connections with other individuals, contemplation), two for the work-team level (work-unit
community; positive work-unit values) and two for the organization level (organizational values;
individual and the organization). Moreover, Milliman et al. (2003) examined how three
workplace spirituality dimensions (meaningful work, sense of community, value alignment)
explain five work attitudes: affective organizational commitment, intentions to leave, intrinsic
work satisfaction, job involvement, and organizational-based self-esteem. It is represents the
degree to which people experience a deep sense of meaning and purpose at work (The
meaningful work dimension), people see them selves as connected to each other and that there is
some type of relationship between one’s inner self and the inner self of other people (The sense
of community). The value alignment dimension measures whether or not individuals experience
a strong sense of alignment between their personal values and the organization’s mission and
purpose. Milliman et al. (2003) selected only the three dimensions mentioned above. They
found that meaningful work dimension explains affective commitment, sense of community
explains all the attitudes and value alignment explains commitment and intention to quit. Even
empirical studies of workplace spirituality and commitment relationship has been indicated,
however previous studies dealing with the topic have often simplistically. It is important to be
explored the different psychological climates.

Workplace spirituality and organizational commitment

Organizational commitment in the fields of Organizational Behavior and
Industrial/Organizational Psychology is, in a general sense, the employee's psychological
attachment to the organization. It can be contrasted with other work-related attitudes, such as Job
Satisfaction, defined as an employee's feelings about their job, and Organizational identification,
defined as the degree to which an employee experiences a 'sense of oneness' with their
organization. Beyond this general sense, Organizational scientists have developed many
nuanced definitions of organizational commitment, and numerous scales to measure them.

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Exemplary of this work is Meyer & Allen's model of commitment, which was developed to
integrate numerous definitions of commitment that had proliferated in the literature.
Organizational commitment can be defined as a psychological state that characterizes an
employee’s relationship with the organization and reduces the likelihood that he/she will leave it
(Allen and Meyer, 2000). According to Meyer and Allen's (1991) three-component model of
commitment, which can characterize an employee’s commitment to the organization? Affective
Commitment: AC is defined as the employee's positive emotional attachment to the organization.
An employee who is affectively committed strongly identifies with the goals of the organization
and desires to remain a part of the organization. This employee commits to the organization
because he/she "wants to". Continuance Commitment: The individual commits to the
organization because he/she perceives high costs of losing organizational membership, including
economic costs (such as pension accruals) and social costs (friendship ties with co-workers) that
would be incurred. The employee remains a member of the organization because he/she "has to".
Normative Commitment: The individual commits to and remains with an organization because of
feelings of obligation. These feelings may derive from many sources. For example, the
organization may have invested resources in training an employee who then feels a 'moral'
obligation to put forth effort on the job and stay with the organization to 'repay the debt.' It may
also reflect an internalized norm, developed before the person joins the organization through
family or other socialization processes, that one should be loyal to one's organization. The
employee stays with the organization because he/she "ought to". The topic has attracted a great
deal of attention from both scholars and practitioners. Wide interest of commitment studies are
possibly due to the impact on a wide range of attitudes and behaviors with organizational
relevance.
This study and thus predicts, then, is that when people perceive their work place as
facilitating the satisfaction of their spiritual needs and the search for meaning at work, they
increase their commitment.
Hypothesis-1: Workers’ workplace spirituality is positively related to their commitment.

The concept of a gendered organization signifies that advantage and disadvantage,

exploitation and control, action and emotion, meaning and identity are patterned through and in

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terms of a distinction between male and female (Acker, 1990, p.146). He pointed out

organizations consist of relations between people and can never be gender neutral.

Organizations cannot therefore be adequately understood unless gender is acknowledged as a

fundamental element of structure, culture and practice (Britton, 1997). This requires that

gendered assumptions are made visible and challenged (Rapoport etal., 2002; Bailyn, 2006) and

that the constructions of masculinity and femininity, male and female, that shape and are shaped

by organizational processes and everyday practices are understood (Benschop and Verloo,

2006). Gender has been used in social studies to provide explanations for different effects on

outcomes. It was found to have different effects several contexts ranging from interpersonal

relationships to household decision-making (Qualls, 1987, Baghat et al, 2008). For example,

females were known to be more expressive than male, and this was manifested in their socio-

emotional behavior, which in turn had affect on their attitude and behavior at work (Meyers-

Levy and Maheswaran, 1991). Researchers found that male and female employees have

different sensitivity, expressive behaviors, and motivational response on the job (Haswell et al.,

1999; Lysonski and Gaidis, 1991; Whipple and Swords, 1992; Bernardi, 2008).

Popoola, Sunday O, (2009), indicate that a significant relationship existed between gender

and organizational commitment of workers in public sector organizations; and that female were

more committed to their organizations than male (Angle and Perry, 1981; Opayemi, 2004).

However, others showed that gender has no significant correlation with organizational

commitment among white workers (Ahmad and Abubakar, 2003). Ndubisi (2006) indicated the

study to support gender differences in decision-making processes, such as financial decision-

making, retirement decisions, preference for work schedule, absenteeism, what is perceived or

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processed as being "ethical", attributes important in determining self-esteem, emotional

expression, and communication or conversational style.

Although the effects of gender on human interaction have been studied in the social

psychology literature, gender salience research related to workplace spirituality has been limited.

Hence, peer influence on female been shown to be high in gender studies, therefore, is reason to

expect that gender will moderate the influence of subjective norm on behavioral intention. It is

plausible to use gender to explore the different effect of work spirituality on commitment. It is

therefore, hypothesized as follows:

Hypothesis-2: gender moderates workplace spirituality and commitment relationship

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Methods
Samples
This study collected sample data from various businesses. The result of data collection
shows that 150 respondents out of 325 completed the survey, representing an overall 46.2%
response rate. Average age and work experience for respondents were approximately 30.42 years
old and work for 4.63 years respectively. Furthermore four (2.7%) of the respondents graduated

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from high school, 18 (12%) held a diploma, 128 (85.3%) held a graduate degree and 70 (46.7%)
of respondents were male.

Measurement development
Items were either developed by the authors or obtained from previous research. After a
review of wording, content, and so forth, 50 item sets were retained for inclusion in the
instrument. Responses were made on a 5-point Likert-type scale with scale anchors ranging from
1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Independent variables
Workplace Spirituality was measured using 13 items taken from Milliman et al. (2003).
The sample question asked to the participants was “My organization respects my inner life”. A
Five-point likert-type scale was used, and the individual items were averaged (Cronbach’s alpha
=.837).

Dependent variable
Commitment was measured using 12 items taken from Meyer et al 1993 adopted by
Chinen and Enomoto, 2004. The sample question asked to the participants was “I feel a strong
sense of belonging to company”. A Five-point likert-type scale was used, and the individual
items were averaged (Cronbach’s alpha =.888).

Results

4.1. Measure validation

4.1.1. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was adopted to test for the quality and adequacy of the
measurement model. In accordance with the two-step procedure suggested by Anderson and
Gerbing (1988), prior to testing the hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was
performed to examine reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the multi-item
construct measures. Initial specification search led to deletion of some of the items in the

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constructs scale in order to provide acceptable fit. Selected statistics for the final overall-model
assessment show acceptable fit of the measurement model.
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Table 1
Loading factor of construct
TCS AV SSC NC CC AC
TSC1 0.429
TSC2 0.630
TSC3 0.872
TSC4 0.846
TSC5 0.479
AV1 0.651
AV2 0.530
AV3 0.510
AV4 0.410
AV5 0.723
SCC1 0.746
SCC2 0.868
SCC3 0.584
NC1 0.423
NC3 0.931
CC1 0.849
CC2 0.577
CC3 0.657
CC4 0.812
AC1 0.720
AC2 0.949
AC3 0.822

A confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS 7.0 was conducted to test the measurement
model. The chi-squared (df=111) χ2 = 287.435 was significant (p <0.01; Bollen 1989). The ratio
of chi-square to degree of freedom (df.) was 2.59 therefore, measurement model did not exceed 3
(Marsh and Hovecar 1985). Goodness-of-fit of the model are represented by the following values
of RMSEA 0.103 and RMR = 0.058. RMR values of less than .08 indicate a good fit of the
model to the data (Hu & Bentler, 1999, Browne & Cudeck, 1992; Steiger, 1990). The value of
CFI=.0.896, IFI=0.898, NFI = .844, and TLI =.856. According to Marcoulides and schumacker’s
(1996) standard of fitting, the result of CFA indicated a satisfactory fit for the measurement
model.

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 Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is adopted to test for the quality and adequacy by
investigating reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity (Anderson and Garbing,
1988). This study assessed reliability jointly for all items of a construct by computing the
composite reliability and average variance extracted (Steenkamp and van Trijp 1991).
Cronbach’s α is the most widely used criteria to measure the reliability of the items for each
construct (Cronbach’s, 1991). The Cronbach’s α of construct is shown in table 2. Cronbach’s α
of Normative Commitment= 0.743, Continuance Commitment= 0.811, Affective Commitment=
0.902, Team sense of community=0.832, Alignment value=0.829, Meaningful work=0.831 are
all greater than 0.7. Hence, internal consistency of each measurement construct has been
achieved.
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Table 2
Correlation and Crobach α
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1. Team Sense of Community .832
2. Alignment Value .599** .829
3. Meaningful work .365** .543** .831
4. Workplace Spirituality .772** .884** .793** -
5. Normative Commitment .361** .356** .356** .436** .743
6. Continuance Commitment .240** .338** .323** .371** .467** .811
7. Affective Commitment .351** .511** .421** .529** .406** .240** .902
8. Commitment .412** .513** .473** .573** .843** .764** .673** -
** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Convergent validity is determined by the reliability of each construct and the averages
variance extracted (AVE) of each construct. Variance extracted is not only the average
percentage of variation explained among the items, but also a summary measure of convergence
among a set of items representing a latent construct. Variance extracted is computed as the total
of all squared standardized factor loadings divided by the number of items. In other words, it is
the average squared factor loading. Fornell and Larcker (1981) suggested that variance extracted
of 0.5 or higher than squared multiple correlations is good. AVE values exceed the .50 shown in
table 3. Table 4 shows AVE exceeding correlations in all squared multiple correlations.
Therefore, the indicator variables of this study have a good convergent validity.

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 ---------------------------------------------
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Table 3
Convergent Validity and Reliability
Estimate T value SMC α AVE
Team Sense of Community TSC4 0.890 9.461 0.782 0.832 0.655
TSC3 0.854 9.129 0.736
TSC2 0.679 0.446
Alignment Value AV5 0.692 0.489 0.829 0.560
AV4 0.808 10.86 0.645
AV3 0.815 11.08 0.662
AV2 0.660 0.444
Meaningful work SCC3 0.678 8.82 0.469 0.831 0.633
SCC2 0.924 10.73 0.833
SCC1 0.777 0.597
Normative Commitment NC3 0.626 0.423 0.743 0.630
NC1 0.947 6.639 0.837
Continuance Commitment CC4 0.772 9.865 0.600 0.811 0.595
CC2 0.700 8.799 0.488
CC1 0.833 0.696
Affective Commitment AC3 0.879 12.17 0.756 0.902 0.776
AC2 1.000 13.28 1.010
AC1 0.754 0.563

Discriminant validity describes the degree to which the operationalization is not similar
to (diverges from) other operationalizations that it theoretically should not be similar to. A
successful evaluation of discriminant validity shows that a test of a concept is not highly
correlated with other tests designed to measure theoretically different concepts. It is possible to
calculate the extent of which the two scales overlap by using the following formula where rxy is
correlation between x and y, rxx is the reliability of x, and ryy is the reliability of y:
rxy
rxx .ryy

A result greater than .85, however, tells us that the two constructs overlap greatly and
they are likely measuring the same thing. Therefore, the results shown in table 4, demonstrated
adequate unidimensionality, convergent validity, reliability, and discriminant validity.

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 Table 4
Average Variance Extracted, square correlation, and
Discriminate Validity
1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Team sense of community 0.655 0.358 0.133 0.130 0.058 0.123
2. Alignment value 0.721 0.560 0.294 0.127 0.114 0.261
3. Meaningful work 0.439 0.654 0.633 0.127 0.104 0.178
4. Normative Commitment 0.459 0.454 0.453 0.630 0.218 0.164
5. Continuance Commitment 0.292 0.412 0.393 0.601 0.595 0.057
6. Affective Commitment 0.406 0.591 0.487 0.495 0.280 0.776
AVE value are shown in parentheses
Discriminate validity are shown on the left side AVE value

4.1.2. Competing model issues

Based on Koufteros (2009), the used model was found from the competing modeling of
second order construct. This study tests the model of commitment. The first model of workplace
Spirituality specifies that all 10 items are each reflective of one latent variable. The test indicates
that chi-square per degree of freedom is above 3 and also other fit indices indicates model fit.
The second model posits uncorrelated latent variables that are related to their respective observed
variables. In view of the strong correlations between the latent variables, an orthogonal
specification for the relationships between latent variables would be expected to produce poor
model fit. Indeed, such was in fact the case where all fit indices here failed to pass muster. In
situations where first-order factors are poorly correlated, this specification could prove to be
appropriate.

Model 3 was similar to Model 2 except for the fact that the latent variables were free to
correlate. The model fit was quite acceptable as all fit indices met respective criteria. However,
retention of such a model would not resolve the issue of discriminant validity. In addition, when
first-order factors are highly correlated, multicollinearity emerges. In instances however where
first-order factors exhibit moderate correlations, a measurement model specification such as the
one represented by Model 3 would be advisable. Model 4 presents a second-order factor (i.e.,
workplace spirituality and commitment) that is related to first-order factors/facets that in turn are
related to the respective observed variables. At a first glance, it appears that the first-order
factors act as both independent and dependent variables (Byrne, 1998). In Structural Equation
Modeling, if a variable has an arrow pointing to it then it is targeted as a dependent variable and
it will maintain such status throughout. A variable can either operate as a dependent variable or
an independent variable but not both (Byrne, 1998). Within the context of higher-order

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modeling, the first-ordered factors are conceptualized as dependent variables. This implies that
their variances and covariance are not estimable within the model.
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Table 5
Alternative measurement model structures
Goodness of fit indices for Model 1 Model 2 Model 3 Model 4
alternative models of factor One first order Four first order Four first order Four first order
structure factor factors- factors-correlated factors- one
uncorrelated second order
factors
Workplace Spirituality
Chi-square 314.24 209.96 113.03 117.9
Df 35 35 32 32
Chi-square /df 8.98 6.00 3.53 3.68
Normed-fit index (NFI) .77 .83 .91 0.90
Normed-fit index (NNFI) .73 .81 .90 .89
Comparative fit index (CFI) .79 .85 .93 .92
Standardized root mean square .12 .29 .083 .13
residual (RMR)
Commitment
Chi-square 327.89 121.27 59.23 59.23
Df 20 20 17 17
Chi-square /df 16.39 6.06 3.48 3.48
Normed-fit index (NFI) .61 .84 .91 .91
Normed-fit index (NNFI) .48 .81 .89 .89
Comparative fit index (CFI) .63 .86 .93 .93
Standardized root mean square .21 .23 .081 .081
residual (RMR)

4.1.3. High order constructs issues

A higher-order model (Koufteros, 2009) can be posited and can relate the manifest
variables to their respective first-order latent variables which can then be related to their second-
order latent variable(s). The contribution of each dimension to a higher-level construct can be
assessed and delineated as compared to bundling all items together in a single composite score. If
all items are bundled together (through just one first-order latent variable for example), the
explication of the resultant construct is incomplete (Gerbing et al, 1994) and the contribution of
various content domains to the final scale score will not be known. In other words, if in example
all items/manifest constructs of normative, continuance and affective commitment as reflective
items of a single first order construct of commitment, then it would be difficult to ascertain the

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contribution of each domain on the overall construct.

Higher order models are reflective of the body of literature that posits and tests higher-
order models (e.g., Rindskopf and Rose, 1988; Arnau and Thompson, 2000; Somers et al., 2003;
Lai, 2006). The model used was selected from structural model evaluated. Higher order model is
been chosen if various fit indices are plausible such as chi-square per degrees of freedom, the
norm fit index (NFI), the non-norm fit index (NNFI), the comparative fit index (CFI), and the
standardized root mean square residual. Rindskopf and Rose (1988) suggested that at least each
first order has two measure. If the model fits the data adequately, the model then could be used to
test further research hypothesis.
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Figure 2 shows the second order of commitment. Selected statistics for the final overall-
model assessment shows acceptable fit of the measurement model. The data fit included: chi-
square value (59.23)/df (17)= 3.48, Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.91, Non-Normed Fit Index
(NNFI) = 0.89, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.93, Incremental Fit Index (IFI) = 0.93, Relative
Fit Index (RFI) = 0.86, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.129, Root
Mean Square Residual (RMR) = 0.060, Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) = 0.91, and Adjusted
Goodness-of-Fit Index (AGFI) = 0.81.

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 Second order of workplace spirituality shows acceptable fit of the measurement model.
The data fit included: chi-square value (117.02)/df (34)= 3.68, Normed Fit Index (NFI) = 0.90,
Non-Normed Fit Index (NNFI) = 0.89, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.92, Incremental Fit
Index (IFI) = 0.92, Relative Fit Index (RFI) = 0.86, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation
(RMSEA) = 0.13, Root Mean Square Residual (RMR) = 0.063, Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) =
0.86, and Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index (AGFI) = 0.76.

Hypothesis testing
In order to test the antecedent of effect of workplace spirituality on commitment,
correlation and regression analysis was used. Hypothesis 1 was that conditions of workplace
spirituality are positively related to commitment. Table 2 showed that Team Sense of
Community are positively related to commitment (rnormative=.361**; rcontinuance=.240**;
rAffective=.351**, p<.01), Alignment value are positively related to commitment (rnormative=.356**;
rcontinuance=.338**; rAffective=.511**, p<.01), Meaningful work are positively related to
commitment (rnormative=.356**; rcontinuance=.323**; rAffective=.421**, p<.01). Workplace Spirituality
is positively related to commitment (r =.573**, p<.01).

A Structural analysis shows the chi-squared (df=119) χ2 = 318.502 was significant (p

<0.01; Bollen 1989). The ratio of chi-square to degree of freedom (df.) was 2.676. Goodness-of-
fit of the model are represented by the following values of RMSEA 0.106 and RMR = 0.062.
RMR values of less than .08 indicate a good fit of the model to the data (Hu & Bentler, 1999,
Browne & Cudeck, 1992; Steiger, 1990). The value of CFI=.0.882, IFI=0.885, NFI = .778, TLI
=.849, Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI) = 0.822, and Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index (AGFI) =
0.744. According to Marcoulides and schumacker’s (1996) standard of fitting, the result of
structural model of fit indicated a satisfactory fit for the measurement model. The standardized
regression weights on the default model second ordered found that workplace spirituality
effected positively to commitment (γ =.779, p<.01). Hence, the results revealed that hypothesis 1
is supported.

Hierarchical moderated regression analysis was conducted to test the mediating effect of
employee’s gender. Table 6 presents the results of estimation of the main effect and the
moderating effects of employee’s gender. The results indicated that the moderating effect of
employee’s gender was significant. As shown in Table 6, gender moderating effects on the

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relationship between workplace spirituality and commitment. The findings supported
Hypotheses-2.
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Table 6
Moderation of Gender on workplace spirituality-commitment correlation
Commitment
β in regression
R Step 1 Step2
Workplace Spirituality (WS) .573** -.573** .450**
Gender -.146 -.021 .010
WS * Gender .192*
R2 .329 .351
F 35.994** 26.296**
ΔR2 .337
F change 4.966**
* p < .05 ; ** p < .01.

Figure 3 provides graphical representation of the moderating effects of gender. The graphs
show that when workplace spirituality is low, female employees demonstrate higher commitment
compared with male employees. When workplace spirituality is high, male employees
demonstrate higher commitment compared with their counterpart.
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Figure 3
Moderation of gender on workplace spirituality-commitment correlation
0.50
male
Female
0.338
0.266
Commitment

0.00
Low-0.092 High

-0.404
-0.50
Workplace Spirituality

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 Conclusion
Discussion
Extending approach of higher order of workplace spirituality and commitment has
successfully investigated single construct of workplace spirituality related to single construct of
commitment. Each construct manifest their dimension as the first ordered latent variable.
Workplace spirituality and commitment construct is bundled from it items as a single composite
score. The workplace spirituality construct was successfully represents the Milliman et al (2003)
model. Hence, model of workplace spirituality included meaningful work, sense of community,
and value alignment, and dimension of commitment proposed by Allen Meyer (1991) included
normative, continuance, and affective commitment is plausible to be reflected by on single
construct, commitment. Accordingly, the hypothesis of workplace spirituality has positively
related on commitment, become more explainable.
Table 2 provides inter-correlation among first ordered and second ordered constructs.
Both dependent and independent construct analyzed shows that there are significant correlation
between first ordered and second ordered constructs of workplace spirituality and commitment as
single composite form or it dimensionality. Meaningful work, sense of community, and value
alignment of workplace spirituality was significant on normative, continuance and affective
commitment. It was mean that the degree to which people experience a deep sense of meaning
and purpose at work is positively related to the employee's positive emotional attachment to the
organization, employee’s remains a member of the organization, and their feelings of obligation.
People see them selves as connected to each other and that there is some type of
relationship between one’s inner self and the inner self of other people significantly related to the
employee's positive emotional attachment to the organization, employee’s remains a member of
the organization, and their feelings of obligation. The individuals experience a strong sense of
alignment between their personal values and the organization’s mission and purpose are
positively significant related to the employee's positive emotional attachment to the organization,
employee’s remains a member of the organization, and their feelings of obligation.
Moderation effect of gender consistently provides evidence that organizations consist of
relations between people and can never be gender neutral (Acker, 1991), and found that male and
female employees have different sensitivity, expressive behaviors, motivational response on the
job, and decision-making processes. When employee felt low on meaningful work, sense of

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community, and value alignment, female employees express higher commitment compared with
male employees. However, male employees demonstrate higher commitment compared with
their counterpart, if the work more meaningful, higher sense of community and strong sense of
alignment between their personal values and the organization’s mission and purpose.

Implication
The current study expanded previous perspective on the investigation of workplace
spirituality and commitment. Compare to the previous investigations, the validation process of
this study includes the test of the quality and adequacy of the measurement model (suggested by
procedure of Anderson and Gerbing, 1988), to examine reliability, convergent and discriminant
validity of the multi-item construct measures. Procedure of competing modeling used to test the
correlation between latent variables, resolve the issue of discriminant validity and
multicolinearity, variance and covariance estimable of the model. Furthermore, the higher order
model by Koufteros (2009) used to bundling items measured together in a single composite score
and to ascertain the contribution of each domain on the overall construct.
Accordingly, the measures include dimension formed the construct suggested to be test in
advance. These procedures are needed to avoid validation bias of measurements. Workplace
spirituality included meaningful work, sense of community, and value alignment; and
commitment consist of normative, continuance and affective, highly suggested to be validate for
confirmatory factor analysis, competing modeling and higher ordered issues.

Limitation and future research direction

Notwithstanding these contributions, this study has its limitations. This study allows us to
rule out employee perception of workplace spirituality and commitment. However, it is an open
question as to whether these results can be applied on different broader coverage. Although
gender was found to express the relationship between workplace spirituality to commitment,
other psychological attachment variables can be invited to explain these relationships.
Additional longitudinal study on workplace spirituality change is needed to compare this
finding. It is also useful to explain the prediction of commitment changes and conclusion.
Measurement equivalence is now more than ever a general concern in organizational studies. It is
not only examined in cross-cultural, but also in comparisons of participants with different levels

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of academic achievement, from different industries, of different sexes, in experimental versus
control groups, and in comparisons between self-and supervisor-ratings of performance. Hence,
examine the equivalence approach is the extended procedure (Cheung, 1999) solves the
standardization problem by performing a systematic comparison of all pairs of factor loadings
across groups.
The sub conditions of workplace spirituality on profit versus non-profit organizations, private
versus public sectors, and home versus host country of strategic perspectives, different
occupation and task, different country and culture, Hofstadter’s dimensions, or workers’
demographic backgrounds, different values and characteristics of workers should become future
attractive investigations. It was strongly predicted to relate to commitment differently.

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