Religious Work Culture and Women’s Workplace Safety Climate in Bangladesh: The Mediating Role of Perceived Organizational Support for Religiosity

Abstract

Purpose: Basing on Institutional Theory, this study examines whether religious work culture functions as a normative institutional force that fosters a safer workplace climate for women. Specifically, it investigates the direct effect of Religious Work Culture (RWC) on Women’s Workplace Safety Climate (WWSC) and the mediating role of Perceived Organizational Support for Religiosity (POSR) in the context of Islamic financial and academic institutions in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach: Adopting a quantitative research design, data were collected from 272 female respondents, including faculty members, employees, and students of selected Islamic academic and financial institutions in Bangladesh. Purposive sampling was employed to capture faith-based organizational environments. The proposed research model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings: The results reveal that religious work culture grounded in Islamic ethical norms significantly enhances women’s workplace safety climate. Religious work culture also exerts a positive influence on perceived organizational support for religiosity, which in turn strengthens women’s perceptions of workplace safety. Mediation analysis confirms that perceived organizational support for religiosity partially mediates the relationship between religious work culture and women’s workplace safety climate, supporting the institutional logic that normative values are translated into protective outcomes through organizational practices.

Practical implications:  The findings suggest that institutionalizing religious values such as dignity, justice, and harm prevention—along with visible organizational support for religiosity—can contribute to safer and more respectful workplaces for women. These insights are applicable beyond Islamic institutions to other organizations seeking culturally grounded mechanisms to promote workplace safety.

Originality/value: This study extends Institutional Theory by demonstrating how religious work culture operates as a normative institution that shapes women’s workplace safety through organizational support for religiosity. It offers empirical evidence from a Muslim-majority context, contributing to the emerging literature on faith-based organizational practices and gender-sensitive workplace climates.