Workplace spirituality and critical thinking skills of faculty in higher education in Pakistan: the mediating role of knowledge management

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between workplace spirituality (WPS) and faculty critical thinking (CT) and the mediating effect of knowledge management (KM) among faculty at public universities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional research design to attain the objective. Using simple random sampling, the data were collected from 295 faculty members working in public universities in Sindh, Pakistan. The hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) based on covariance and mediation analysis was conducted using Preacher and Haye’s (2008) approach.

Findings

Findings revealed a significant positive association between WPS, KM and faculty CT. In addition, the results indicated that KM played a partial mediating role in the relationship between WPS and CT.

Practical implications

Encouraging WPS can cultivate an environment of transparency, teamwork and knowledge exchange, promoting and enhancing faculty CT abilities.

Originality/value

Rare research exists regarding the connections between WPS, KM and CT in the Pakistani higher education system.

Citation

Bhutto, S., Mydin, A., Hyder, K., Sarki, I.H. and Rind, G.M. (2024), "Workplace spirituality and critical thinking skills of faculty in higher education in Pakistan: the mediating role of knowledge management", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-12-2023-0576