Abstract
Globalisation, increased migration and mobility of the workforce necessitate the need to study diversity in organizations. Various dimensions of diversity such as gender, race, age, ethnicity, culture, etc. have been extensively mentioned in the literature, but diversity on the basis of religion has proven to be far less traceable. Since there is no consensus among researchers till date with regard to one particular definition of religion, the current study thus attempts to define and differentiate religions on the basis of three elements i.e. beliefs, practices and culture. Further, after reviewing the literature, the positive as well as negative outcomes of religious diversity at the workplace have been identified and it has been found that studies favouring such diversity at the workplace outnumber those that mention the negative outcomes of the same. Thus, the study presents a radical shift from ‘eliminating religious diversity’ to ‘managing religious diversity’ and further, towards ‘valuing religious diversity’ at the workplace. A conceptual model has been developed which proposes that accommodating religious diversity of the employees in organizations would lead to positive employee outcomes whereby employees feel satisfied and committed to the organization which ultimately leads to increased organizational effectiveness. Lastly, managerial and policy implications have been discussed.
Keywords:Diversity, Organization, Religion, Religious diversity, Workplace
Introduction
Diversity is an innate part of our ‘being’, irrespective of debate and whether appreciated or not. To exemplify Read Full Article