Religion and Organizational Stigma at Work

This book uses stigma theory to provide meaningful insight into the coping mechanisms of employees who experience critical and judgmental reactions to their religion in the workplace. Thomson's research synthesizes the various models of invisible diversity management and offers strategies for application at the organizational level.

Though religion positively shapes us as individuals and plays an essential role in our lives, our faith can also be perceived as a negative character flaw, or stigma, in the workplace. Despite an increasingly diverse organizational culture, there is minimal literature on how critical and judgmental reactions to religion are created and handled at work. Religion and Organizational Stigma at Work fills this gap by using stigma theory to provide meaningful insight into the coping mechanisms of employees to formal organizational policy, culture and norms. Thomson''s research synthesizes the various models of invisible diversity management into a single model, and offers strategies for application at the organizational level. In an ever increasing diverse workplace, understanding how religion influences attitude, behavior and performance is vital.