8 - Respectful pluralism at work
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2009
Summary
The analysis thus far has critically engaged with disparate approaches to addressing religious diversity, such as keeping religion and spirituality out of the workplace altogether, translating or reducing diverse religious beliefs and practices to a so-called common spirituality, or maintaining an era of Christian establishment. Building upon these earlier arguments, the remaining chapters construct an alternative perspective on how workplace leaders and followers can most adequately negotiate religion, in its various forms, in their organizations.
The central aim of this chapter is to provide a defensible and convincing explanation of and moral justification for respectful pluralism. I argue that this framework allows employees to express, within constraints to be outlined, their religious as well as political, cultural, spiritual, and other commitments within the workplace. In addition, no religious tradition should receive undue institutional preference or priority. In order to explain the constructive framework, the first section outlines the descriptive realities of the contemporary workplace in which respectful pluralism would operate and to which it would respond. It also describes the nature of the moral argument I am making and how it can contribute to ongoing debate about religion and the workplace. The subsequent sections present the moral argument for respectful pluralism, including a concise statement of the framework's guiding principle and limiting norms. Finally, the framework is examined in practice vis-à-vis a number of real-life dilemmas that workplace managers and employees face.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Religion and the WorkplacePluralism, Spirituality, Leadership, pp. 159 - 183Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003