Abstract
Diversity has received great interest in previous research and recent attempts aim to create measures and frameworks to enable its practice, assessment, and management. However, a link between diversity and justice is missing in some empirical research, and diversity is often approached as a condition to be managed. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the approach of the Bahá’í Faith as a contemporary world religion to diversity and its operationalisation. This research, hence, employs scriptural study and case study methods to establish the theoretical bases of such an approach and explores them in organsiational practice. It initially explores how diversity is articulated and suggested to be utilised in Bahá’í scripture, and then explores three case studies that attempted to apply these principles to their organisations. The results of the study indicate that fostering diversity was a multilevel undertaking requiring compassion, responsibility, and at times, restructuring at an individual level and at a legal, political, economic, and social level, with a focus on justice and fairness. It was found that its oversimplification and absence of justice in its criteria could eventually result in unfair exclusions and challenge its operationalisation. The findings of this research could enable managers to ‘foster diversity’ and develop their diversity frameworks based on justice and fairness, including the aspects of organisational environment/culture; managers’ compassion, actions, and policies; and employees’ concern and participation in respecting and appreciating the various aspects of diversity (e.g. gender, race, religion/faith, cultures, and thoughts).
Presenters
Legha MomtazianSenior Lecturer , International Business and Human Resource Management, The Business School, University of Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Baha'i Faith, Unity in Diversity, Fairness and justice, Compassion, Organisation
