New PhD student at MGMT - Romal Ashrafi

Hello, my name is Romal, and I have recently started as one of the new PhD students. Some of you may already know me, as I have been around the department since November (I admit—I was simply very eager to get to know you all).

I hold a Master’s degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Aarhus University, Department of Culture and Society. It was during my studies there that my interest in organizational studies began to take shape, ultimately leading me to write my master’s thesis on religion in the workplace.

This work raised several unanswered questions, which now form the basis of my PhD project. In my research, I examine religion in the workplace using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitatively, I am interested in understanding religion as a workplace phenomenon: how it emerges, for whom, and under what circumstances. I also explore the dynamics between leadership decisions—or the absence of such decisions—and the role religion comes to play in organizational settings. Quantitatively, I examine outcomes related to religion in the workplace. While many organizations have implemented, or at least attempted to implement, initiatives accommodating employees’ religious needs as part of their DEI efforts, we still lack a solid understanding of whether these initiatives are associated with higher well-being, belonging, and employee or organizational performance. By studying religion in the workplace, I aim to contribute to a field that remains highly underexplored in Western—and particularly Danish—research. In the longer term, I hope my work can support leaders and managers by providing knowledge and practical tools for navigating religious and cultural diversity at work.

Outside of academia, I am married to my wife Nanna, and together we have two wonderful boys, Milas and Noah. Alongside family life, I spend a lot of time exercising—especially weightlifting and martial arts such as MMA, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Despite my energetic side, I also value solitude and enjoy reading philosophy and novels. Like many others, I love traveling, and I have visited several European and Asian countries with my wife.

I look forward to meeting those of you I have not yet crossed paths with. You are always welcome to tempt me with a cup of coffee—after all, as the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish writes: “Coffee should not be drunk in a hurry. It is the sister of time and should be sipped slowly, slowly.”