The Impact of Religious Fasting on Organizational Functioning

The articles in this special issue of the Journal of Management, Spirituality, & Religion examine how religious fasting functions as a specific ritual that shapes workplace dynamics and organizational performance. While traditional research often treats religion as a broad set of beliefs, these articles investigate the concrete ways that fasting practices during Ramadan or Lent influence individual behavior, team cohesion, and ethical conduct. The included studies explore diverse geographical contexts to highlight how fasting can act as an identity marker, a test of social solidarity, or a catalyst for self-regulation. The authors collectively demonstrate that while fasting presents physical challenges, it also offers opportunities for spiritual growth and enhanced prosocial attitudes in the workplace. This collection aims to fill significant gaps in management literature by providing a multidimensional framework for understanding faith-based rituals in modern organizations. Based on the studies in this issue, the guest editors propose a research agenda to guide future scholarly work in this area.