Fasting as a Test for Team Cohesion in Religiously Diverse Workgroups? A Comparative Case Study in France

Le jeûne comme test de cohésion d'équipe dans des collectifs de travail religieusement diversifiés ? Une étude de cas comparative en France

Hugo Gaillard ()
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Hugo Gaillard: ARGUMans - Laboratoire de recherche en gestion Le Mans Université - UM - Le Mans Université

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Abstract: Purpose. This paper examines how religious fasting interacts with organizational rituals and team cohesion in secular workplaces. It explores how Ramadan shapes daily interactions, solidarity, and coordination within diverse workgroups. Design/methodology/approach. The study uses a qualitative, processual design based on two waves of semi-structured interviews conducted during and after Ramadan 2024 with five French work teams (n = 25). Data were analyzed abductively to identify evolving cohesion configurations over time. Findings. Fasting is conceptualized not as a causal factor but as a revealer that magnifies everyday interaction patterns. It makes visible how cohesion is sustained, adjusted, or strained. Three configurations emerge: strengthened, stable, and weakened cohesion. Originality/value. The study advances research on religion in organizations by showing how fasting illuminates the implicit social fabric of teamwork. It highlights cohesion as a dynamic process shaped by ritual reconfiguration, relational adjustments, and diversity management practices in secular contexts.

Keywords: Ramadan; longitudinal study; social identity; organizational rituals; team cohesion; Cohésion d'équipe; rites organisationnels; identité sociale; étude longitudinale (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05416917v1
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Published in Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, inPress

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05416917

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