Civil society as a social sphere is constantly subjected to change. Using the Dutch context, this article addresses the question whether religiously inspired engagement is a binder or a breakpoint in modern societies. The author examines how religiously inspired people in the Netherlands involve themselves in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and voluntary activities. Religious involvement and social engagement in different European countries are compared and discussed. In addition, the author explores the models of civil society and applies these to both the Christian and Islamic civil society in the Netherlands. Using four religious ‘identity organizations’ as case studies, this article discusses the interaction of Christian and Islamic civil society related to secularized Dutch society. The character and intentions of religiously inspired organizations and the relationship between religious and secular involvement are examined. This study also focuses on the attitude of policymakers towards religiously inspired engagement and government policy on ‘identity organizations’ in the Netherlands.
Het streven naar een divers personeelsbestand behoort bij de retoriek die in menige organisatie wordt gebezigd, het in ogenschouw nemen van diverse perspectieven voor een goede besluitvorming eveneens. Alhoewel het debat over de gevolgen van diversiteit en het onderzoek naar het verschijnsel al decennia gaande zijn, wisselt de relevantie van het onderwerp sterk. Diversiteit staat op de agenda als de omgeving daartoe aanzet. Deze externe prikkels zorgen echter niet voor meer diversiteit op de werkvloer en dragen onvoldoende bij aan het op een hoger plan brengen van het diversiteitsonderzoek.
The higher education sector has become increasingly aware of how the increasing diversity in society affects their institutions. The student population has become more diverse and future employers increasingly require trained students who are able to meet the demands of dealing with a more diverse market/clientele. In this regard, education institutions need to align their strategic approach to diversity within their organization. The purpose of this paper is to examine strategical reasons to diversify in different education teams in relation to two different diversity practices: attraction and selection of culturally diverse lecturers and utilization of cultural differences in team interaction.
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