From Vision Casting to Overhauling: How Workplace Experience Reshaped the Personal Philosophies of Retired Faculty

The workplace is more than an occupational arena; it is a dynamic environment that interacts with, and progressively reshapes the personal philosophies of those who inhabit it over extended periods. Drawing on a phenomenological research design, this study examined how the workplace experiences of retired faculty members in a Philippine state university campus reshaped their personal philosophies over careers spanning 35 to 38 years. Four retired faculty members, selected through purposive sampling and justified on grounds of sample homogeneity and information power, participated in iterative semi-structured interviews conducted to the point of documented thematic saturation. Data were analyzed through Groenewald’s (2004) five-phase explicitation process, supported by repertory grid analysis, cool warm analytical lenses, an audit by an external qualitative consultant, and sustained reflexive bracketing of the researcher’s insider position. Three overarching themes emerged: (1) Vision Casting, describing how institutional leadership structures realigned participants’ professional purpose; (2) Tempering Ground, capturing the workplace as a crucible of adversity that sharpened, challenged, and at times destabilized participants’ belief systems; and (3) Overhauling Escapades, illustrating the iterative, reflective process through which participants restructured their personal philosophies toward deeper understanding, resilience, and service. A conceptual model integrating the three themes is proposed. Findings indicate that workplace spirituality, as mediated by leadership style, collegial relationships, and institutional culture, constitutes a significant though not exclusive vector of philosophical transformation for long-serving educators, operating alongside family, faith, culture, and broader life experience. The study contributes a processual, career-arc account of philosophical transformation to phenomenological workplace research, with practical implications for administrator appointment, faculty well-being policy, and institutional development in Philippine higher education.

personal philosophy; workplace spirituality; organizational change; leadership; retired faculty; belief systems

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