2011 International Faith and Spirit
at Work Conference
Links to 2011 Conference Video and Audio Recordings
Keynote Speakers - Click on name for bio
Purpose: This conference was an opportunity to create an experience of dialogue and discovery between business leaders, students, academics, and faith and spiritual leaders. The purpose was to focus on unresolved challenges that are arising in the field of faith and spirituality in the workplace, and to collectively share what we've learned and what we are struggling with. We asked ourselves, "What remains to be done, and how can we help each other?"
Vision: This conference is a place where leading edge thinkers and practitioners from the business community, the academic community, the non-profit community and the faith/spiritual community come together to dialogue about the challenges and opportunities with integrating faith and spirituality in the workplace. The conference focused on action-oriented outcomes such as collaborative research, co-created programs, and interdisciplinary writing projects.
Program
Click on the "Research" tab for copies of the research papers that were discussed at the conference.
Click here for Detailed Program.
2011 Conference Sponsors
Our 2011 Diamond Sponsor is Tyson Foods. We would like to express our gratitude to them and to all of our sponsors for supporting our work on the study of faith and spirituality in the workplace.
DIAMOND SPONSOR
TYSON FOODS
GOLD SPONSORS
ASCENSION HEALTH
MERCY HEALTH SYSTEMS
DAYSPRING, a division of Hallmark
SILVER SPONSORS
MCKEE FOODS
BRONZE SPONSORS
DEEP CHANGE
2011 Conference Partners
Organizations and individuals who have helped organize the conference or who have provided in-kind services (in alphabetical order:
Compassion Happens: A socially conscious education network for entrepreneurs.
Edgewalker Collaborative Network: A common space where people come together to co-create a world that works for all.
International Association for Management, Religion, and Spirituality: A dedicated forum for the dissemination of theory and best practice in the field.
Intersections: Forging a common ground for global social justice.
John Brown University: A Christian university providing an academic, spiritual and professional foundation for world-impacting careers.
Mama Carmen's: Orphan care through coffee development.
Management, Spirituality and Religion Interest Group of the Academy of Management: Focused on interdisciplinary theoretical and applied research and pedagogy related to the relevance and relationship of spirituality and religion in management and organizational life.
Russell Media: Changing the world by placing transformational content into every home, office, university, and church.
Spirituality, Leadership and Management (Australia): A forum for the exploration and expression of ideas about spirit in business and organizational life.
Terra Studios: Home of the bluebird of happiness.
True North Coaching: Creating a culture of communication.
White River Hardwoods: Elegant hardwood mouldings and handcarved woodcarvings.
WorkMatters: Bridging the gap between faith and work.
History:
This is the first International Faith and Spirit at Work Conference, hosted by the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas. We plan to make this an annual event.
Much of the design of this conference grew out of the International Spirit at Work Awards, co-founded by Judi Neal and John Renesch in 2001. In the first few years of the awards, the ceremonies were held at the Spirit in Business conferences, located in New York, San Francisco, and Switzerland. The Awards Selection Committee decided to run their own Spirit at Work conference in 2005 so that award honorees could offer in-depth workshops about the faith and spirituality in the workplace efforts that had worked for them.
This year's conference has expanded to include research presentations and involvement from faith and spiritual leaders.
Executive Summary of past award recipients
.jpg)
.jpg)
Senior Walk Fulbright Peace Fountain Courage to Lead Statue
Registration Fees:
When you sign in at the conference, you will be asked to show identification and proof of your registration category. "Students" refers to full-time students who do not have a full-time job.
Faculty who bring classes to keynote talks or workshops attend free.
| Registration Category | ||
| University of Arkansas Employee |
$295 | |
| Academic/Non-profit |
$395 | |
| Faith leader (pastor, priest, etc.) |
$395 |
|
| Business |
$795 |
|
|
University of Arkansas student |
Free with ID/No meals | |
| Students from other universities |
$200 |
|
| Nov. 7 Dinner/Awards only |
$120 |
Our Values
1. We value the integration of body, mind, emotion and spirit. Our conference is designed to nurture all of these aspects of the human being.
2. We value participation and dialogue. Questions and exploration are more important than definitive answers.
3. We value collaboration between business leaders, academics, faith and spiritual leaders, and students. It is our hope that new and creative projects and collaborative efforts will come out of this conference.
4. We value focusing on what works and what is possible rather than focusing on what's wrong and where the problems are. We are solutions-oriented.
5. We value action. We hope that you will be inspired to take positive action in your work as a result of this conference.
.jpg)
Old Main, University of Arkansas.
2011 International Faith and Spirit at Work Conference
November 7-9, 2011
Beautiful Fayetteville, AR from Old Main on the University of Arkansas campus.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is this a conference about religion?
A: This is a conference about faith and spirituality (a connection to something greater than oneself), and an exploration of how faith and spirituality can provide meaning and purpose to work and organizational life. We explore what's working and what's not working in this professional field. We have many people from many religious traditions at the conference who will share the wisdom from their particular religious training.
Q: Who is this conference designed for?
A: It is designed to be interdisciplinary, bringing together people from business, academia, and different faith and spiritual traditions. We all can learn so much from each other.
Q: How much does this conference cost?
A: Details on prices are under the "About" tab on our conference page.
Q: I'm from out of state. How do I get there and where can I stay?
A: Click here for Travel Information.
Q: I am a book author - can I sell my books at the conference?
A: Yes, we encourage authors to bring their books or other products to sell. We will have an onsite bookstore, coordinated by Beth Loving. Download this Bookstore Form and email it to Beth. You are responsible for all shipping costs. The conference will take 20% of sales to support scholarships for international students to attend the conference next year.
Q: What is the religious culture of Northwest Arkansas? Is there a respect for diversity?
A: Northwest Arkansas is very culturally and religiously diverse, and the University of Arkansas and the City of Fayetteville are very actively promoting a culture of diversity. You might enjoy reading this article titled "Area a Multi-Faith Mecca".
Q: What can I do to help this conference be as green as possible?
A: We recommend that each attendee purchase $7 worth of carbon offsets. Click here for a list of options.
Q: I am interested in seeing some sights when I am in Northwest Arkansas. What do you recommend?
A: Our conference planning committee put together this great list of spritual sites and locations to visit. There's a lot to see here and we hope you enjoy it!
Q: I would like to go to a religious service when I am in Northwest Arkansas.
A: Our conference planning committee compiled this list of Religious Congregations in the area, with as wide a representation as we could find.
Q: Where can I go during the conference if I want to go somewhere quieter to have a cup of coffee and talk to someone?
A: Please see this map of gathering places, all just a few minutes from the Reynolds Center.
A campus landmark - Old Main, University of Arkansas.
-
Confirmed keynote speakers:
2011 Theme: Faith, Spirituality and Sustainability
Location: Donald W. Reynolds Center, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
The Sam M. Walton College of Business
Fall images of the University of Arkansas campus.
For more information, contact Judi Neal at +1 479 575 3721
The Greek Theatre on the University of Arkansas campus.
Spirituality in the Workplace: A Retrospective Look at the Debate
This is a seven minute video that documents the International Spirit at Work Award, the precursor to the International Faith and Spirit at Work Award.
The International Faith and Spirit at Work Awards
.jpg)
The International Faith and Spirit at Work Award (formerly called the Willis Harman Spirit at Work Award) will be given to selected organizations that have implemented specific policies, programs, or practices that explicitly nurture faith and spirituality inside their organizations.
The 2011 International Faith and Spirit at Work Conference and the awards ceremony will be held November 7, 2011 at the Reynolds Center, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas.
International Faith and Spirit at Work Awards: Organizational recipients of the 2011 awards will be honored at an awards ceremony at the conference, and will lead workshops on their best practices. They will be joined by past recipients of the International Spirit at Work Awards.
International Faith and Spirit at Work Individual Leadership Award: We seek to recognize individuals whose personal leadership or actions inspire and promote the ideal of work with purpose and meaning. These awards will be given out at the Intersections Conference in New York City on May 17, 2012.
Click below for the nomination form:
Research Presentations
Research Papers: The following research papers were presented at the 2011 International Faith and Spirit at Work conference.
- Bell, R., L. Jones, M. Longstreth, J.Neal. Spirituality in Higher Education: A Comparison of a Faith-Based and a Secular Organization
- Boelhower, G. A Model for Wise Decision-Making Based on Spiritual Principles.
- Brown, M. Work in a Spiritual Place: The Benedictine and Buddhist Experience.
- Dorjee, G.T. and S. Miller. Using 2nd Century Wisdom for a 21st Century World
- Elliot, L. Spirit Works: A Documentary.
- Furness, S. No Alien: Susan Furness Interviewed by John Renesch.
- Goparaj, H. Bridging West and East on People Competencies.
- Heaton, D. and C. Consciousness Based Education
- Illingworth, Sankaran, Keogh, and Shaw. Leadership Development in a Faith-based Non-profit Organization using a Relational Leadership Model: A Case Study.
- LoRusso, J. Caffeine and Catechism: Self-Transfromation and Identity at Starbucks Company.
- Spiller, R. and C. Spiller. Taking Care of Business: Spiritual Direction for Businesspeople.
- Stead, J. and E. Stead. Building Spiritual Capabilities to Sustain Sustainability-based Competitive Advantage.
- Stoner, J. Spirituality and Global Sustainability
- Sweeney, P. and L. Fry. Character Development Through Spiritual Leadership
- Vallabh, P. and M.Singhal. Workplace Spirituality Facilitation: A Person-Organization Fit Approach.
For more information, contact Judi Neal at +1 479 575 3721
Conference Coordinators:
Judi Neal and Sara Miller are the Conference Coordinators for the International Faith and Spirit at Work Conference.
Research Program Team:
- Rhonda Bell, CEO, Inspired Health Care Consulting
- Sarah Miller, True North Coaching
- Judi Neal, Director, Center for Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace
- Joe Walenciak, Director, Graduate Business Programs
- David Wetton, Interfaith Minister, Doctoral Student, Durham University
Awards Selection Committee:
- Tim Bowman, Senior Engineer, Ford Motor Company Ltd.
- Jim Farren, Co-Founder and Director, Compassion Happens
- Alex Gharagozlow, Phenomenex
- Alan Harpham, Company Director, The APM Group / P5 the Power of Projects / Subject Matters
- Elisa Mallis, Accenture
- Mark Russell, CEO, Russell Media
- Sam Simon, Senior Fellow, Intersections
- Antoinette Braks, Spirituality, Leadership and Management (SLAM)
Conference Planning Committee:
- Jacob Adler, Rabbi and Faculty, Temple Shalom, University of Arkansas
- Jatin Desai, CEO, Desai Learning
- Geshe Dorgee, Visiting Professor and Buddhist Monk, University of Arkansas
- Jake Ehrehreich, President, Future Professionals for Faith and Spirituality
- Ralph Ellis, Facilitator/Coach, Edgewalkers International
- Jim Farren, Co-Founder and Director, Compassion Happens
- Al Genna, Deacon, (retired from) Mercy Health Systems (mission and ethics)
- Barry Goldberg, Principal and Executive Coach, Entelechy Partners
- Michele Halsell, Director, Applied Sustainability Center, University of Arkansas
- Beth Loving
- Willa Lyon, Director, Physician Relations and Business Development,
- Wendy MacColl, Director of Learning Services, DigiLearn Services
- Sara Miller, CEO, True North Coaching
- Priscilla Mondt, Chief Chaplain, Veteran's Health Care System of the Ozarks
- Maria Moraca
- Colleen Poplawski, Student, University of Arkansas
- Nathan Pugh, Student, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas
- David Roth, President, WorkMatters
- Samikshya Sharma, Student, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas
- Carole Shook, Faculty, Accounting Department, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas
- Sam Simon, Senior Fellow, Intersections
- Theres Stiefer, Director, Center for Executive Education, University of Arkansas
- Pam Styles, Assistant Director, Center for Retailing Excellence, University of Arkansas
- Steve Thomason, Priest, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
- Joe Walenciak, Director, Graduate Business Programs,
- Paul Ward, Director, Strategy Education, ConnerPartners
Press Releases
International Faith and Spirit at Work Award Announcement- October 2011
Media Links
Kyle Kellams interviewed Judi Neal about the International Faith and Spirit at Work Conference on Ozarks at Large. To find this particular interview put "2011-10-06" in the Search by Date box.
Connect With Us: