Resolving or living with conflicts at work? The case of high-tech Jewish Ultra-Orthodox employees

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this article are to describe and analyze the perceptions and experiences of Ultra-Orthodox men working in the high-tech industry: the identity conflict that they might experience and how they live with, or resolve, this conflict. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 self-identified Jewish Ultra-Orthodox men. The study shows that employees from segregated religious backgrounds face four specific challenges, relating to their faith, spirituality, and emotions, the meaning attributed to work, their cultural identity, and their social identity. These challenges may be experienced as sources of identity conflict. The study also explored the various ways in which employees interpret and or justify their positions in relation to these challenges and, accordingly, their workplace integration.

KEYWORDS:

• Identity conflict
• workplace
• high-tech industry
• Jewish Ultra-Orthodox
• religion
• religious identity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Merav Fraenkel Ben-David

Merav Fraenkel Ben-David, a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Graduate of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, is an independent researcher. Her research interests include diversity management, labor market changes, and the Ultra-Orthodox Society.

Nurit Zaidman

Nurit Zaidman is associate professor and Area Head of Strategy and International Management in the Department of Business Administration, Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Her current research focuses on global teams, knowledge transfer in multi-national companies, intercultural communication, and New Age and spirituality in organizations. Her research has been published in, for example, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Organization, Journal of Business Ethics, British Journal of Management, and Group & Organizational Management.

Guy Ben-Porat

Guy Ben-Porat is a Professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. He is the author of Between State and Synagogue (2013) and co-author of Policing Citizens (2019).