Religious Diversity in the workplace

« The french principle of Laïcité and Religious Pluralism in the Workplace: Main Finding Issues »
« Le principe français de Laïcité à l’épreuve du pluralisme religieux dans l’entreprise: Principaux enjeux et constats »

The singular principle of « laïcité », in the French context, is often misunderstood even if secularism is searched with different degree of intensity among most democratic countries. Public service neutrality leading sometimes to religious expressions restrictions in the workplace often cause criticisms. But are these critics justified? What are the motivations behind the French principle of « laïcité »? What does jurisprudence say in France, in Europe but also in the United States and Canada on this issue? In fact, two different philosophies – however complementary - are to be distinguished…

Patrick Banon et Jean-François Chanlat, Chapitre 10 , page 264 in:
Religious Diversity in the workplace
Cambridge University Press

Éditeurs:
Jawad Syed, Lahore University of Management, Pakistan
Alain Klarsfeld, Toulouse Business School
Faith Wambura Ngunjiri, Concordia College, Minnesota
Chamine E.Härtel, University of Queensland

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.

Commentaires:
« This important book provides a much overdue review of religions 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…A must read for academics and practitioners alike. » Y.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. »

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. »

Eddy Ng, F. C. Manning Chair in Economics and Business, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia