Abstract

While Northern Ireland is still characterised by deep politico-religious divisions that permeate almost every aspect of life, the workplace has long been recognised as a particularly important forum where cross-community contact is facilitated and indeed legislated for. However, the sectarianism that has been endemic in this society for decades has inevitably seeped into the workplace. Based upon a thematic analysis of four studies examining inter-group relations and communication within workplaces, a set of guiding principles for dealing with such sectarianism, in relation to inter-group workplace communication, has been developed. These principles, while derived from the specific context of Northern Ireland, are founded on concepts such as equality and open communication and are thus more widely applicable.