RELIGIOUSNESS DIFFERENCES AND ASSOCIATIONS OF BELIEFS AND PRACTICES: MUSLIMS IN RELIGIOUS AND NON-RELIGIOUS WORK ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

This study addressed the following four questions: Does the influence of Islam is highly prevalent in the life of Malay Muslims in Brunei? Is the level of religiousness high? Are their religious beliefs associated with their religious practices? Are there any differences in religiousness between employees in religious work environment (RWE) and non-religious work environment (NRWE)? Using responses from 370 Malay Muslim employees, several measures of religiousness were analyzed. Analyses were done to determine descriptive statistics, correlations, and group differences. Findings showed that the influence of Islam was highly prevalent at all levels. They reported influence of Islam not only at personal level, but also at both upbringing and organizational levels. Religiousness was high, while beliefs and practices were interrelated. Malay Muslim employees in RWE were observed to have higher Islamic religiousness relative to those in NRWE. These findings highlight that in a theistic society where religiousness is already high, the nature of work environment can still potentially play a role in making a difference.