The complex interface of work and religion (original) (raw)
Religious Diversity in the Workplace
Employees bring their beliefs and religious values to work, and this can be a source of either positive performance or negative conflict. Social conflicts around religion impact more than societies and communities. They also impact organizations. 'Anti-religion' sentiments tend to be based on the perception that religion can be neatly separated from the 'more acceptable/palatable' spirituality, but this ignores the fact that - for most people - the two are intimately intertwined and inseparable. As religious identity is salient for a majority of the world's population, it is thus an important aspect of organizations - particularly those with a large and diverse body of employees. This handbook provides a timely and necessary analysis of religious diversity in organizations, investigating the role of national context, the intersections of religion with ethnicity and gender, and approaches to diversity management. Reviews 'This important book provides a much overdue scoping review of religion at the workplace, a matter far too often overlooked. Whilst gender, sexuality, race, have by now entered mainstream diversity management, rarely does religion feature on an organization's Head of Diversity brief. This collection remedies the lack. A must read for academics and practitioners alike.' Yochanan Altman - Middlesex University and The Open University of Hong Kong 'This book is a tour de force. Not only does the text explore myriad religions and the impact on organizations, the text also unveils the importance of understanding diversity management in very different socio-cultural and geo-political contexts. As a consequence, one is left in no doubt of the central role of religion in organizations, and everyday lives. Together with gender and race difference dimensions, religion is radically shaping not only management philosophy, but also international relations and spatial critiques of the political economy of development. In celebrating difference and diversity as part of organization and social theory, one wonders why religion has not been addressed before. This book corrects this.' Beverly Dawn Metcalfe - American University of Beirut 'Recent terrorist attacks in several countries have tested our tolerance of religious diversity. This edited volume written by prominent diversity scholars is particularly timely in enlightening our understanding of spirituality and religion at work. The contributions touch on religious misunderstandings, discrimination, conflicts, and accommodating religious diversity in the workplace.' Eddy Ng - F. C. Manning Chair in Economics and Business, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia 'Religious Diversity in the Workplace treads boldly where many fear to go, thoughtfully raising the role and impact of religion and growing religious diversity at work. Yet go we must, if companies want to flourish at home and abroad in today’s global marketplace. The editors and contributors offer a welcome and illuminating guided tour - for both scholars and practitioners - of a wide range of perspectives and insights into religious diversity in the workplace, and why it matters now than more than ever.' David W. Miller - Director, Princeton University Faith and Work Initiative, and author of God at Work: the History and Promise of the Faith at Work Movement
Religious Diversity at Workplace: a Literature Review
Humanistic Management Journal, 2021
The globalization, increased migration, and mobility of workforce necessitate the need to study religious diversity in organizations, which has not yet received adequate academic attention of management scholars. The paper attempts to define and understand the nuances of religious diversity with the help of certain theories from psychology and sociology domains. It aims to present the legal provisions of different countries regarding workplace religious discrimination and endeavours to synthesize and analyze the pros and cons of religious diversity at workplace. The paper follows a systematic literature review approach. The descriptive analysis of search results and thematic analysis of the literature reviewed has been presented. It is found that the theories from other domains can be borrowed to understand the root cause of different perceptions for religious diversity. The favourable and unfavourable outcomes of workplace religious diversity have been identified and categorized at two levels i.e. individual and organizational. It is realized that the favourable outcomes of bringing religion to workplace outnumber the unfavourable outcomes and therefore it is time to leverage workplace religious diversity. Lastly, the paper attempts to equip the human resource managers with certain strategies to better deal with religious diversity issues at the workplace.
Human Resource Management
We conducted a systematic review of relevant literature to address how religious and occupational identities relate to each other in the workplace. We identified 53 relevant publications for analysis and synthesis. Studies addressed value differences associated with religion and occupation, identity tensions, unmet expectations, and the connection of religious identity to well-being and work outcomes. Key variables in the connection between religious and occupational identities included personal preferences, the fit between religious identity and job-related concerns, and the organization's policies, practices, and expectations. We highlight the personal and organizational consequences of being able to express religious identity at work and the conditions that promote high congruence between religious identity and its expression in the workplace. From these findings, we develop a research agenda and offer recommendations for management practice that focus on support for expression of religious identity at work while maintaining a broader climate of inclusion.
Accommodating Religious Practices in the Workplace: The Case of Indonesian Workers in Taiwan
Society, 2019
The increasing number of Indonesian migrant workers, who are largely Muslims in Taiwan, makes the work environment more diverse. Consequently, the need for diversity management programs such as accommodating religious practices in the workplace has become significantly more relevant. But the extant studies and reports point out those migrant workers, who are largely Muslims, have not been properly accommodated to implement their religious practices in the workplace. The study seeks to understand as how Indonesian migrant workers, who are largely Muslims, experience a kind of deprivation of their religious practices in the workplace. To that end, it uses a qualitative case study method to investigate a group of Indonesian Muslim workers of the X Company who were deprived to observe daily prayers in the workplace. The results of the study evidently found that the employer views that accommodation of such religious practices in the workplace as unreasonable for the company. The results...
2016
As more employees bring their spirituality and religious beliefs into the workplace, employers are being asked to accommodate them. This paper defines spirituality and religion from the perspective of the workplace and documents the increasing importance of these phenomena. The paper then explores the legal issues of employers’ duty to accommodate their employees’ religious and spiritual beliefs and concludes with some recommendations to employers.
Contemporary Management Research. Vol.10, No.1, pp.59-80, 2014, 2014
As the workforce is becoming more diversified in terms of culture, ethnicity, and religion, many individual values are carried over to the workplace. Now, in the post-9/11 world, employees working in religiously diverse organizations might be prone to increased interpersonal conflicts and misunderstandings because of their religious affiliation. Yet, exploring the effects of religious diversity in organizations is still in its embryonic stages. This study investigated the perceptual effects of perceived religious discrimination on employee work-related behaviors, mainly commitment and engagement. The study surveyed 548 employees working in religiously diverse organizations. The findings suggested that when workers perceive religious discrimination in their organization, their commitment and engagement are affected. It is recommended that managers in general and specifically human resource managers devise strategies and develop management interventions to mitigate the negative organizational and personal consequences of religious discrimination in the workplace. Further studies should assess the effects of employees’ perceived religious discrimination on other behavioral outcomes.
Work And Religion: Artificial Dichotomy Or Competing Interests?
2009
Prior research has examined the relationship between religiosity, religious involvement, and involvement in secular, civic organizations. However, research has not examined the influence of religious involvement on secular, non-civic organizations (i.e. work organizations). This study examines the link between religiosity, religious involvement, and the three-component model of organizational commitment. More specifically, the author hypothesizes that individuals high in religiosity (and religious involvement) will have lower affective, continuance, and normative commitment than less religious (or non-religious) individuals. In addition, it is hypothesized that this relationship is moderated by a third factor: organizational spirituality. Further, the author hypothesizes that for organizations that are spiritual the negative relationship between religiosity and job commitment will be weakened or even negated.
Spirituality and Religion in the Workplace: History, Theory, and Research
Academy of Management Proceedings, 2013
The role of spirituality and religion in the workplace (SRW) is a relatively new area of inquiry that has emerged from scholarly fields not typically associated with the study of the psychology of religion and spirituality. This article explores the underlying assumptions and history as well as the state of current theory and empirical research regarding SRW. We first describe the history of the efforts to integrate spirituality and religion into the workplace, with their foundational roots in the Protestant Work Ethic and their emergence through the Faith at Work movement. Next we review the major theoretical developments in this area that have established a domain of relevant definitions, constructs, frameworks, and models. Then we review the empirical research on spirituality in the workplace and conclude that 2 major streams have emerged that have, to date, discovered similar findings in regard to their significant impact on relevant individual and organizational outcomes. Finally, we explore particular challenges associated with integrative work and future theory building and research.