Book Talk with Douglas A. Hicks,  author: Religion and the Workplace: Pluralism, Spirituality, Leadership

As globalization occurs and different nationalities and religions move far beyond traditional borders, the great differences in religious and spiritual commitments become an issue in the most secular of places—the workplace. How can a leader successfully negotiate the vast array of beliefs that exist at one company? Many employees consider religion to be central to their identity, yet from the perspective of an employer expressions of faith can be divisive and distracting. These are the sorts of provocative, modern issues Dr. Douglas A. Hicks tackles in Religion and the Workplace: Pluralism, Spirituality, Leadership (Cambridge University Press, 2003).

Hicks analyzes the situation that is created by the diverse religions in the workplace and explores examples of religious conflicts from around the world. He presents the idea of respectful pluralism as a model for how people from different cultural or religious backgrounds can work together productively and still maintain their religious identities. (Dr. Hicks was interviewed in spring, 2004 by Megan Marconyak.)

What inspired this book?

I’ve always been interested in religion and its interaction with different public spheres including religion in politics, religion in business, religion in the university, in hospitals and so on. When I joined the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, I thought it would be interesting to draw upon leadership studies as well as religious studies to take a closer look at how religion is present in the workplace.

You write about “respectful pluralism.” What exactly is does this term mean?

The concept of respectful pluralism presumes inclusion. It serves as a moral guide for how people from different backgrounds can work together in a workplace and get their work done but also treat each other with respect and to see the workplace itself as a moral community. There’s nothing special in that name except that I’m trying to suggest that we negotiate diversity by first recognizing the dignity of every worker.

Is reconciling religion in the workplace a common problem?

I’ve noticed that it’s a challenge, as a minister, as an academic, and as someone interested in business ethics. In all three roles, I’ve seen it in different aspects. As a person of faith I know fellow Christians who struggle with how to apply their faith and beliefs in their everyday lives, and of course, much of our everyday lives is spent in the workplace. I’ve seen a lot of Christians and others who try to make sense of their faith in light of religious diversity. As an academic I have studied workplaces that have tried to model respect and model diversity to negotiate them in productive, constructive ways. And I’ve read some in business ethics about what mutual respect accomplishes for workers. But, there’s not much direct mention in this field about religious diversity. So all those things come together for me to see that there’s a real challenge here and much room for exploration as an academic.

What are some of the main problems that religion presents in the workplace?

First I’d say that religion is not just a problem, it’s also a richness of diverse identities and perspectives in the workplace. Religion is an opportunity and a gift as much as it’s a problem. But there are conflicts created when people have different convictions and practices. Religious dress and obligations of some religious persons to wear headscarves or a particular kind of jewelry or to have a beard or other personal appearance issues—these are challenges of a workplace that is predominantly Western and secular in orientation. Religious speech is difficult. Many Christians, not only Evangelical Christians, want to speak about their faith in Jesus Christ in the workplace. For some colleagues, that’s a wonderful thing. Other coworkers would rather not hear such direct talk about religion. Then, there’s the calendar. People of different religious backgrounds have different holy days and Sabbaths. How to negotiate people’s work schedules and which holidays to observe can present real challenges for supervisors and managers.

What religions do these types of issues affect the most?

Right now it’s the challenge of Muslims in American society. We’ve seen a backlash against Muslims post 9/11 and also against people who appear to be Muslims but might be Hindus or Jews or Christians. Islam is a religion of peace but a few extremists have managed to emphasize the violent nature of Islam. Too much of our public life is focused on equating Islam with terrorism, which is just false. I also think many Christians from conservative backgrounds have felt marginalized in society and I would invite those Christians and others to express their religious identity.

Has the issue of religion in the workplace remained the same throughout history or has it evolved and changed?

It’s changed a lot. The America that we now live in brings diversity to the forefront. In the last four decades after the change in immigration laws in 1965 we have more diversity in America , religiously speaking, than we’ve ever had before and we might have more religious diversity than any country in the world. I think that’s a new challenge even as it’s a new opportunity for workplaces and other public institutions to think about diversity.

Why can’t we simply ignore religion in the workplace and allow no religious practices whatsoever?

Why not ignore religion? I make a moral argument that religious identity is fundamental for many (though not all) Americans. To ask employees to restrict their religious identity violates their moral dignity. We’re going to have a richer and more ethical workplace when we don’t tell people they have to check their beliefs at the door.

How can an employer remain sensitive to employees’ sometimes conflicting needs and wants and also maintain a productive work atmosphere?

Religious differences and other issues are already present in the workplace, so there’s no escape. If you make a religion-free workplace, there will still be conflicts and issues about family time, about vacations and scheduling, about professional dress, and appropriate speech in a professional setting. So, you can’t escape the problem in a diverse world. That’s point one. Point two is that leadership studies teaches us that conflict can be channeled productively. The best way to negotiate potential conflicts is to bring them out in the open, to name them, to have a kind of structure in place to channel conflict in positive directions.

In a Christmas season interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch you indicated that the holiday displays in the downtown business district are inappropriate. What should business or civic leaders do about holiday displays and celebrations? Is it best to do nothing at all??

First, I never meant to make a definitive statement about the displays downtown. The journalist attributed a certain view to me that was a bit overstated. However, in general terms, it’s preferable for workplaces to avoid company-sponsored holiday expression. But, at the same time, and this is a key point, it’s important to encourage individual workers to express themselves. So, if you have Muslim workers, they can certainly wear their hijab [a traditional headscarf] and celebrate holidays and share that with everyone else. Now, am I open to a situation where a workplace itself celebrated a whole host of holidays? I think that’s another possible route to go. That potential route is more difficult than people make it. It’s a lot more difficult than putting a menorah, a Christmas tree and a Kwanzaa symbol in the lobby together because then you’ve omitted other religious and cultural traditions. Bottom line: These are issues that should be discussed openly and constructively among employees and that no academic should dictate the precise policies of any workplace. That’s the part that should be emphasized from the article. I was trying to say that context matters a great deal. We should examine and open up this discussion. I think we can learn a lot from each other when we do.

When writing this book, what were some of the challenges you faced?

It was a challenge to draw on different disciplines, to contribute to leadership studies and draw on leadership studies and also to draw on religious studies. I wanted to add enough specific examples and cases that it would be interesting to readers beyond the academy. One interesting issue: Most of the cases out there of religious identity or religious conflict end up being legal cases. The cases that reach the public eye through the media are ones where religion has caused or been part of a conflict at the workplace. So one challenge I had was finding examples where religious diversity has led to positive outcomes because by definition it’s conflict that the media wants to portray.

Who should read this book?

Anyone interested in living out their faith and values in their everyday life, including work, should read it. Scholars and citizens who want to understand how America has changed religiously in the recent decades should read it. And I hope that employers with a diverse workforce will read it.

When writing this book what did you hope to achieve?

I hoped to get readers to think about the workplace as a moral community and in that light to start a conversation about the religious diversity of employees. And there are other things like helping scholars and employees to think about religion as a part of leadership.

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