FUTURE OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN MACEDONIA:

FOCUS ON RELIGIOUS ASPECTS

Prof. d-r Marjan Mladenovski, HEI Euro College, R.N.Macedonia

 INTRODUCTION

• global trend of increased opening of the labor market to all social groups
and individuals
• democratic and humanist principles in terms of equality
• strong economic support in a direction of utilization of the overall economic
potential

• diversity is a wide category (positive effects and problems)

 RELIGION IN THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA

• secular state
• multireligious Macedonian society, dominance of 2 religions
• religious relations - overlap with relations between Macedonians and Albanians

RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE
Orthodox 64,8 %
Muslims 33,3 %
Others (atheists) 1,5 %
Catholics 0,35 %
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Protestants 0,03 %
 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
• The crucial research question is whether and how religious differences influence the business sector or workplace.
• Illustration - through the perception of the 100 young students (age 18 – 26) from Kumanovo (“Little Macedonia”)
• research sample based on the phrase “convenient sample”
• first group - students of University of Tetovo, Faculty of Business Administration – dispersed studies in Kumanovo (Albanian
ethnic community, Muslims)
• second group - students of the Faculty of Business Administration on HEI “Euro College” in Kumanovo (Macedonians and
smaller ethnic communities, Orthodox Christians)
• studies which produce managerial staff
• Comparative analysis (Orthodox Christians – Muslims)
• horizontal relationships – work in the same office, opening a joint venture
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• vertical relations - employment, promotion or working for a member of the “different” religious group
 Graphic nr.1 Work in the same office

Would you mind working in the same office with: Graphic nr.2 Partnership
94.7%

yes no partly I would open a joint company with:

yes no partly
63.3%
73.7%

46.7%
0.23

13.3%
5.3% 26.7% 26.7%
0 21.1%
Muslims Orthodox

5.3%

Muslims Orthodox

Table nr.1 Opening joint company (gender structure)

      Partnership with Muslims
      yes no partly Total
Gender male Count 4 9 1 14
% within gender 28,6% 64,3% 7,1% 5 100,0%
female Count 4 5 7 16
% within gender 25,0% 31,3% 43,8% 100,0%
Total Count 8 14 8 30
% within gender 26,7% 46,7% 26,7% 100,0%
 Graphic nr.3 Advantage in employment of a member of a same religion

As a manager would you rather hire a member of your religion instead a

member of: 94.7%
yes no unknown Graphic nr.4 Advantage of promoting a member of same religion

As a manager would you rather promote a member of your

54.8%
religion instead a member of:
41.9%
yes no unknown
84.2%

0.03 5.3% 58.1%

0
Islamic religion Orthodox religion 41.9%

10.5%
5.3%
.0%
Islamic religion Orthodox religion

Table nr.2 Advantage of promoting a member of same religion (gender structure)

      Promoting "your own" instead of a Orthodox
      yes no unknown Total
Gender male Count 2 9 1 12
% within gender 16,7% 75,0% 8,3% 100,0%
female Count 0 7 0 6 7
% within gender ,0% 100,0% ,0% 100,0%
Total Count 2 16 1 19
% within gender 10,5% 84,2% 5,3% 100,0%
 Graphic nr.5 Acceptance of a manager from different religion

Would you mind to have a:

yes no unknown
Table nr.3 Acceptance of a manager from different religious community (gender structure)
89.5%
      I would mind to have a manager member of Orthodox religion
73.3%       yes no unknown Total
Gender male Count 1 10 1 12
% within gender 8,3% 83,3% 8,3% 100,0%
female Count 0 7 0 7
% within gender ,0% 100,0% ,0% 100,0%
Total Count 1 17 1 19
% within gender 5,3% 89,5% 5,3% 100,0%
26.7%

5.3% 5.3%
.0%
Muslim manager Orthodox manager

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 CONCLUSIONS
In general, in any of the studied future situations in which members of different religious
communities might find themselves - some difficulties might be expected.
Sharing a common office is not a bigger problem for anyone.

Business partnership with “different" - unacceptable for Orthodox, Muslims with less reserve.

Employment of adherents of their own religion - a priority for Orthodox.

Promoting of adherents of their own religion - a dilemma for Orthodox.

Manager of different religion - acceptable situation, Orthodox with reserve.

Female students are more open to differences in religious affiliation.

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Thank you for your attention!