Spiritual Leadership as a Paradigm for Organizational Transformation and Recovery from Extended Work Hours Cultures Louis W. Fry Melanie P. Cohen ABSTRACT. Various explanations are offered to explain why employees increasingly work longer hours: the combined effects of technology and globalization; people are caught up in consumerism; and the ‘‘ideal worker norm,’’ when professionals expect themselves and others to work longer hours. In this article, we propose that the processes of employer recruitment and selection, em- ployee self-selection, cultural socialization, and reward systems help create extended work hours cultures (EWHC) that reinforce these trends. Moreover, we argue that EWHC organizations are becoming more prevalent and that organizations in which long hours have become the norm may recruit for and reinforce workaholic ten- dencies. Next, we offer spiritual leadership as a paradigm for organizational transformation and recovery from the negative aspects of EWHC to enhance employee well- being and corporate social responsibility without sacri- ficing profitability, revenue growth, and other indicators of financial performance. Finally, we will offer suggestions for future theory, research, and practice. KEY WORDS: spiritual leadership, workaholism, organizational transformation, organizational culture Introduction A half century ago, social scientists predicted that technology would allow employees to enjoy a 15-h workweek at full pay by 2030. So far, this prediction appears far from coming true. Today’s reality is that workers world-wide face increasing demands to work extended hours and consequently experience considerable work overload – working more hours and more intensely during those hours than they can reasonable cope with. Recent statistics from The Families and Work Institute report that 44% of Americans say they are over worked, up from 28% who felt this way 3 years earlier (Gallinsky et al., 2005). This trend is especially strong in Japan, Korea, China, and other Asian countries, which has led to increasing incidences of karoshi – death from over- work. The Japanese government and other experts estimate that the karoshi death toll in Japan is close to 10,000 and that up to 1 million white-collar employees are at risk and work over 80 h of over- time per month (Meek, 2004). Various explanations are offered to explain why employees work such long hours. One explanation Louis W. (Jody) Fry is a Professor of Management in the College of Business Administration at Tarleton State Uni- versity – Central Texas. He has published articles in top management journals such as The Journal of Applied Psychology, Organization Science, The Academy of Management Journal, and The Academy of Manage- ment Review. He is on the editorial review board of The Leadership Quarterly, a Co-Editor of the Journal of Management, Spirituality, and Religion, and the founder of the International Institute for Spiritual Leadership (http:// www.iispiritualleadership.com/). Dr. Melanie P. Cohen works at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the Information Technology Strategist/Business Architect and is an adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland University College Graduate School of Management and Technology. She holds a Doctorate in Management from the University of Maryland University College. Her work at HUD has focused on maximizing business and technology integration and the role of information technology in organizational productivity. Her research interests focus on public management and the 21st century organization. Journal of Business Ethics (2009) 84:265–278 Ó Springer 2008 DOI 10.1007/s10551-008-9695-2