INTERCULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDING WHEN DO FASTING IN

MONTH OF RAMADAN AT WORKPLACE

Dimas Buinggoro Novantika
State Islamic University of Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang

1. INTRODUCTION
Islam is a large global faith, and the Muslim community is one of the fastest-growing
minority communities in the Western world, including the United States. Nevertheless, few
empirical studies have looked into the lived religious experience in the U.S. It's Muslim
communities at workplace especially when doing fasting in month of Ramadan 1. There are
various types of stress that can be faced everyday in month of Ramadan owing to the effect of
belief prevalent in workplace. There is a conflict that occurs throughout the life of a religious
human being that brings into consideration to one's own values and the friction that exists in the
workplace. In this topic the researcher has imagine that how a Muslim do fast while they are still
working in workplace that do not know what is fasting and what are the intercultural issues or
misunderstanding in workplace.
2. DISCUSSION
A. Major Theoretical Concepts
Intercultural misunderstanding Muslim do fast when month of Ramadan is coming in
workplace. According to Professor Monceri, to engage in an inter-cultural dialogue, some
basic skills are needed for intercultural communicator including interest in alternate
worldviews, ability to individuate (one’s own) value-judgments, ability to distinguish
between understanding and acceptance, ability to overcome inner discomfort, disposability to
change one’s own value- system, ability to accept a ‘refusal’ and empathy. As a matter of
fact, all sides ought to make an attempt. Employers will recognize that interacting with
workers with diverse ethnic and theological backgrounds is already unavoidable. We will
politely receive knowledge from their culturally and spiritually observant workers on the
scheduling of big events and festivals.
B. Research Question
Identify the value positions at stake when they are having Muslim worker in month of
Ramadan. There are many aspects of the rules at stake with the employer. By encouraging the
employer to leave work early, the employer can be suspected of unfairness against other
1
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting
(sawm), prayer, reflection and community.
 workers who depart at the usual time. How to solve the conflict when Muslim worker get
unrespect full as a human being. Employers will recognize that interacting with individuals
with diverse ethnic and theological backgrounds is already unavoidable. We will politely
receive knowledge from their culturally and spiritually observant workers on the scheduling
of important events and festivals.
C. Methodology
In this study, the researcher uses strength dependent as the month of Ramadan is coming, the
researcher has agreed to address the potential inter-religious tension that might occur at the
workplace. There is a tension that happens in the life of a religious human being that brings
into consideration one's own beliefs and the stress that happens in the workplace. The month
of Ramadan is coming. Approach, studying "exemplary" workers (ie, so-called clergy) to
gather information about their experiences of fasting while working in a different religious or
cultural environment the purpose of this article is to use it on the basis of in-depth qualitative
interviews with the American Muslim worker. 5 This method section will discuss problems
including: (a) sample, (b) interview methods, (c) data processing, and (d) reflexivity,
respectively.
D. Data Extracts
Tarek El Masry, who was working as junior Sales manager during 2002 (one-year contract)
in a medium company specialized in video games, based in Paris. First, he would abstain
from his lunch break. At the beginning, there was no problem with this since he used to work
during his usual break. However, the problem arose when he asked his manager if he can
possibly finish work earlier since he doesn’t take his one-hour daily break. The manager
refused absolutely judging this as unfair for the other employees and seeing that the
employees should accommodate themselves to the working hours of the company, regardless
of their personal obligations.
From one of case, shows that being a Muslim as a minority in western country, it is quite
challenging. They have to carrying out religious orders while they are still working, even
though fasting is a physical and mental challenge and a sacrifice and sometimes as a Muslim
they need to pay attention on the environment are they supporting you or not. Researcher do
not ensure are their stakeholder will understand Muslim people from cultural and religious
backgrounds.
 E. Findings
First is the manager showed understanding while listening to his employee but he was still
convinced that it was “abnormal” for the company to re-schedule Muslim worker working
hours and to assign some of the tasks supposed to be done by Muslim worker to other
colleagues because of the timing and the nature of the task (business lunch for e.g.,). The
researcher will also be thinking about it is not quite easy to do re-schedule for Muslim worker
while they work with stakeholder from western country that majority is not Muslim. Letting
Muslim workers leave early will cause social jealousy in the work environment. it is also
difficult for stakeholders to reschedule Muslim workers who are in a state of fasting and want
to change the schedule of lunch breaks by working and returning early. because it will lead to
social envy in the environment.
3. Conclusion
Finally, there is no doubts that Muslim employment would continue to rise and that certain action
is needed to find a collective consensus on the Ramadan Holy Day in companies. Intercultural
communication may be accomplished by bringing empathy, compassion and comprehension to
businesses as part of their everyday lives. It also requires the participation of Muslim workers as
subjects to which a fairer agreement will be fulfilled for them to avoid social jealousy between
workers in the office environment.
 4. REFERENCES
Communication, M. o. (2016). Fasting the Month of Ramadan at the Workplace - CS EN. Retrieved from
Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication: https://www.mic.usi.ch/fasting-
month-ramadan-workplace-cs-en

religious observances Ramadan. (2020, March 4). Retrieved from wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

Zahra Alghafli, T. H.-Z. (2019). A Qualitative Study of Ramadan: A Month of Fasting,. Creative Commons,
1-2.