StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Religion in Organizations - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
From the paper "Religion in Organizations," it is clear that organizations such as Coca-cola and Ford Motors have adopted a faith-friendly approach. Faith-friendly approaches increase employees’ morale and commitment to the organization thereby strengthening employee retention…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.2% of users find it useful
Religion in Organizations
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Religion in Organizations"

The increased diversification can be attributed to globalization hence the settlement of workers from different regions. However, the increased diversity has prompted debates on whether the expression of religion should be allowed in the workplace. The likes of David Miller, Director of Princeton University Faith and Work Initiative, suggest that organizations should allow religious expression. Such suggestions draw their support from arguments that organizations cannot embrace employees’ ethnicity without acknowledging their religion\

Conversely, the likes of Dr. Ramsey suggest that accommodating such a workforce of myriad religions is cumbersome for HRM professionals. For example, attending to religious needs such as holidays, dress codes, private prayer spaces, and certain foods may be overwhelming. Moreover, the requests may be contrary to organizations’ policies such as those regarding dressing. For example, an employee’s religious need to wear the catholic cross conflicts with British Airways’ policy against wearing any visible jewelry. As such, Dr. Ramsey argues that organizations should not accommodate religious requests that may reduce profits or harm other employees. In response to such conflicts of interest, organizations may offer policies giving employees choices on their dress codes. For example, organizations may offer choices for employees to pick positions that do not require uniforms.

Moreover, organizations may offer educational seminars allowing employees to express their religious beliefs and the symbols they would like to wear to work. In addition to allowing expression, these seminars offer a platform for other employees to understand the perspectives of other faiths. This approach has already been adopted by some leading companies such as IBM and Texas Instruments. The increasing religious issues have prompted HR departments to spend more time with spirituality and religion. This is in a bid to incorporate spirituality and religion into the organization’s culture. However, the incorporation of religion in organizations should be done keenly since surpassing a certain threshold may be problematic. As such, most organizations believe that less religious expression in workplaces is better and hence cater for limited special arrangements such as granting off days during major religious holidays.

Nevertheless, the inclusion of religious policies in organizations is essential since some religious attributes provide underlying values that motivate and guide the organizations. For example, all religions highly value family, integrity, and personal industriousness, and are committed to shaping morally upright behaviors. Additionally, Miller argues that religious inclusion gives recruiters an advantage since religion somewhat gives practice meaning. Religious matters have also been addressed legally with laws preventing discrimination or coercing based on religious lines. This implies that organizations are obliged to accommodate reasonable religious requests such as prayers and religious holidays. Employees may seek legal assistance in scenarios where organizations seem discriminatory on the lines of religion (Lupu and Tuttle, 2010). In this response, many organizations in America and other parts of the world have reviewed their policies to accommodate various religious needs.

Answer

Matters relating to religion in the workforce are relatively sensitive hence organizations need to address them appropriately. This may involve the evaluation of organizations’ goals and objectives and measuring them against the religious needs of employees. This is because although religion is important it should not affect the expected productivity. Some organizations do not accommodate religious needs due to fear of negative implications that may arise (Fernando, 2007, p. 76). As such it is crucial for organizations to find a balance between religion and organizational goals. Nevertheless, religion is an important aspect of people’s lives since it is a symbol of hope and reason. Additionally, different religions have their ways of expression hence in organizations comprising employees from diverse religions there is bound to be some difference. However, there are always ways of accommodating all religious needs to ensure a favorable working environment free from conflicts.

The most notable differences arguably emanate from dress codes associated with each particular religion. Major challenges facing organizations include determining whether employees should be allowed to wear religious symbols and attire. Research studies have found that allowing employees to express religion boosts morale and commitment to the organization (Borstorff and Cunningham, 2013). As such, individual performance is increased while simultaneously strengthening employee retention (Bond, Hollywood, and Colgan, 2009). This implies that it is in the interests of organizations to allow religious expression. Nonetheless, organizations need to be sensitive to symbols allowed since some may have negative implications on customer satisfaction thereby reducing profits. In response to this organizations may allow employees to pick positions that have low customer interactions. This would ensure that employees’ religious needs are met while simultaneously ensuring customer satisfaction. Therefore, organizations should accommodate employees’ religious needs since it improves the general working environment.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Management Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words, n.d.)
Management Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words. https://studentshare.org/human-resources/1859251-management-seminar
(Management Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
Management Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words. https://studentshare.org/human-resources/1859251-management-seminar.
“Management Seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”. https://studentshare.org/human-resources/1859251-management-seminar.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Religion in Organizations

Religion and Theology

Throught the existence of people there has always been the aspect of religion.... Name of Student: Course: Name of Tutor: Date of submission: religion and Theology Throught the existence of people there has always been the aspect of religion.... It is hard to separate religion and liberty in the present days.... religion has played a crucial role in advocacy for human rights and in democracy promotion.... How one responds to other religions that exist apart from our own determines how committed one is to observing this freedom of religion....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Public Relation Contribution to Organizations

This assignment "Public Relation Contribution to organizations" focuses on public relations that are considered a very important part of organizational strategy.... A large number of organizations are moving towards public relations activities to engage the stakeholders with the company.... A large number of organizations are moving towards the public relations activities to engage the stakeholders with company.... It is the result of the organizations' perception that is developed from the organization's conduct, attempt of an organization to derive certain perception and behavior towards its products and services....
10 Pages (2500 words) Assignment

How Social Organization Affects Religious Life

One major captivating aspect that the book reveals concerning culture and spirituality is Kung's unique dance that seems to provide the focal point because anthropologists consider it as a primary ritual that encompasses and expresses cosmology, medicine and religion in a simultaneous manner.... The Island of Menstruating Men: religion in Wogeo, New Guinea.... Conclusion According to the analysis of different social organizations depicted by the four ethnographies, it is evident that different people in the world respond to their surrounding environment in vast ways because most individuals in the diverse world depend on the seasons of the year, while others depend on vast symbols presented by nature to perform spiritual rituals or to perform a social event....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Dose spirituality have a place in the organisation when a manager is tackling issue such as sustainability

Making the quantum leap: Lessons from physics on studying spirituality and Religion in Organizations.... pirituality in organizations ... The paper focuses on establishing the ways that the managers in an organization are dealing with the issues of sustainability through the spirituality in the organization....
1 Pages (250 words) Research Paper

Pilgrimage as a Common Practice in Many Religious Organizations

The author of the paper titled "Pilgrimage as a Common Practice in Many Religious organizations" states that while this pilgrimage practice varies from one religion to another, the most outstanding of all is the Islamic visit to Mecca, Western Saudi Arabia.... ... ... ... Mecca is an important city in Islam....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Organization and religion

In a matter speaking, the organizational constraints that are oftentimes adopted by religious organizations have to do with the risen or canonical laws that are the result of a particular holy book, relics, or prophecy.... Similarly, without a level of doctrine and written belief that creates a distinct aspects of cohesion within the believing communities, religious organizations would lack the same qualities that have been previously described with respect to the business world....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Comparison of Two Religious-Political Organizations

The use of religion in such situation to further their anti-west sentiments had threatened the whole world.... This essay "Comparison of Two Religious-Political organizations" focuses be on the fundamentalism of the organization and its relevancy to their motives and political ambitions.... Furthermore, the role of Western imperialists and their handpicked regional players and the resulting anti-imperialist sentiments culminating in these organizations will be discussed as a subsidiary part of the research topic....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Typologies of Religious Organizations

This essay "Typologies of Religious organizations" considers New Religious movements as well as key features of various religious fundamental groups and differences between religious organizations.... Typologies of Religious organizations The of the Typologies of Religious organizations Today's world is preoccupied by numerous sources of religious beliefs including churches, denominations, sects and cults.... In this assignment we will consider them as well as key features of various religious fundamental groups and differences between religious organizations. ...
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us