Abstract
Purpose This systematic review uses cross-disciplinary literature to examine identity conflict and complementarity between occupational and religious identities in healthcare settings and address questions such as how do the religious and occupational identities of health care staff interact? In what situations are these identity dimensions productively compatible? In what situations do they create tension and conflict for the staff member and their occupational practice? What implications do any tensions/conflict create for the well-being of the staff members, and their colleagues, the quality of service provision, and the organisations? How might these implications be best managed at individual, work team, and organisational levels? Design/Methodology We use both qualitative (expert interview N=10) and systematic review methods (search in cross-disciplinary and open grey literature) Results The results of the review concern possibilities for complementarity between these identity dimensions but also conflict where religious identity may make demands that can generate avoidance of some occupational requirements. Limitations The systematic review has included English language only as the language inclusion criteria which may have restricted its coverage. Research/Practical Implications The results have research implications for identifying current research gaps in identity conflict. It also has practical implications for well-being and practice in healthcare settings in the management of the psychological and social consequences of perceived identity incompatibility, for example, stress, anxiety, negative self-evaluation, intra-team conflict. Originality/Value We provide a comprehensive overview of cross-disciplinary literature on the relationship between religious and occupational identity, including the nature and management of identity compatibility and conflict within healthcare organisations.