Xerox Production Manager Jim Deese has to address the concerns of an employee who is uncomfortable with the company's "vision quests," or creative and spiritual retreats. Starting in the early 1990s, Xerox began conducting these vision quests as a means of invigorating production and innovation at the company, which had struggled over the years with product development and increasing competition. Xerox has worked hard to better its product, increase workforce communication, and enable employees to develop spiritually and embrace a higher vision, both work-related and personally. Some studies have shown that incorporating some element of spirituality helps to generate a happier and more creative workplace. Nonetheless, the employee, a professed atheist, is uncomfortable with the vision quests and the company's other mildly spiritual practices, and Deese must decide how to respond.

The management of Telescope, a wildly popular online search engine, must deal with an impending crisis: a security breach in which information from thousands of users has been compromised. Technically-thanks to its carefully worded "terms of use"-the company is not financially liable for any ensuing damage. But Telescope prides itself on its commitment to acting responsibly. Its motto is "We Do Only Good," and the company has published a set of philosophies, including "Focus on the customer and harmony follows" and "Make money, not mischief." Telescope is well-respected in the Internet world for its non-corporate appearance and non-greedy attitude. Its IPO, almost 10 years ago, had been met with enthusiasm and the company had stellar revenues. The big question for CEO and Co-Founder Spencer Milo is, "How do the ideals and passion with which he had started Telescope come into play now?" He has to reconcile what the company stands for and how his organization can square its sense of purpose and faith with the actions that might be necessary to keep Telescope a thriving business.

The manager of a large meatpacking factory has agreed to the request of his 100-plus Muslim workers who have asked to take breaks at sunset to properly observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Although such an exception is an irregularity, the manager believes it is an appropriate response to the religious needs of such a large percentage of his employee base. But the requested breaks-at very precise times-have begun to interfere with the overall operation of the plant, resulting in a loss of productivity. Other employees have become irritated, believing they are carrying the burden of the break times and resenting what they see as preferential treatment. Because of the productivity issues, the other employees' complaints, and concerns about the credibility of his management, the manager considers reneging on his agreement with the Muslim workers.

These 14 vignettes have been developed to facilitate a discussion on the place of spirituality or religion in the workplace. Developed primarily from public sources, but