Dear Professors,

Indian Government- ICSSR wants to initiate a joint research project to be conducted in India and Japan by two business schools. We invite the interest from the Japanese business schools to join us to conduct a research on the following:

"Project Title:

Impact of Workplace Spirituality on Employee Performance and Organization Citizenship Behaviour in Japan and India 

In Japan, unfortunately 60 people take their life every day (Gates 2018). There are 25 attempts of suicide for every 1 successful attempt. Japanese work culture, including portraying a happy and professional exterior at all times, physical and mental exhaustion due to overtime and workload is one of the leading causes of adult depression and frustration leading to suicide. This was again highlighted by the famous death of the 24- year-old Matsuri Takahashi in the year 2015 who 105 hours' overtime one month before killing herself.With workplace problems prominent among the causes of suicide, companies have a duty to act Kobayashi (2018).

Workplace Spirituality develops a supporting and a healthy work environment. According to a study conducted by Karkaras (2010), Workplace Spirituality enhances employee well-being and creates a sense of community and interconnectedness, which in turn enhances productivity and performance. Workplace spirituality has many dimensions, four of them include: meaningful work, sense of community (Ashmos and Duchon 2000), compassion (Petchsawang and Duchon 2009), and organizational values (Milliman et al. 2003). Such values in the organizational culture are antidotes to prevailing depression. It has been observed by many researcher’s (Duchon and Plowman2005, Fry 2003, Milliman et al. 2003) that there is a positive co-relation between Workplace Spirituality and Employee Performance. Organization Citizenship Behavior involves a combination of behaviours, such as taking and accommodating extra duty, loyalty to the system and the rules regulations of an organisation. Productive employees who exhibit Organization Citizenship Behavior are very resourceful because not only do they breed productivity, but also create a warm and a supporting work environment. Tepper 2017 established a positive co-relation between spirituality and Organization Citizenship Behaviour. Workplace spirituality has its roots in Organizational Behaviour theories wherein Maslow’s perception regarding self-actualization relates to the sense of spirituality (Neck & Milliman, 1994). Spirituality having its roots in India can develop a promising research with a potential solution to the Japan’s social challenge."

The interested Professor can contact, Dr Prof R. K. Srivastava on email: [log in to unmask] OR [log in to unmask]. 

Government of  India along with the Japanese Government will fund the research which includes travel and stay. If the joint research is awarded, all necessary accommodation, administrative and logistical support for the related visits of the partner shall be organized by the host business schools on either side without any financial commitments.

Dr. R.K. Srivastava
Professor and HOD
Government of Maharashtra's Sydenham Institute of Management Studies,3rd Floor,B-Road,Churchgate
University of Mumbai-150 Years of standing
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www.simsree.org
+91 9819836861