A Literature review of religion and work discipline - Muslim employees as a case study

Purpose: Cultural and religious diversity in the workplace is a phenomenon. As diversity within the workforce becomes more prevalent, issues of how to best accommodate diversity in the workplace become more salient. This review examines how authors have approached the topic of religious practice in the workplace and also explores the range of management strategies employed to respond to religious diversity. Originality: Contextualising current paradigms relating to religion in the workplace and discussing its implications provides greater insight into the viewpoints of religious groups in the workplace. Moreover, identifying the key areas where further research into religious differences and diversity in the workplace is required will result in an understanding of the relationship between organisational management strategies and employee religious observances and practices in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach: This review looks at the literature, mainly journal articles, pertaining to religious diversity in the contemporary workplace context. Findings: Employers and HR managers are increasingly faced with the challenge of how to best understand religious diversity and how to accommodate the need for religious observances and practices by employees in the workplace. A clearer distinction needs to be made between religion in the workplace and spirituality in the workplace. Research examining the effects of religious dissimilarity in the organisational context is scarce. It is evident from a review of the literature that Muslim employees in non-Muslim countries are facing some restrictions in expressing their faith.