Adaptation and Acceptance: Negotiating Identity Through Communication in Multireligious Workplaces Under Sharia Law

This study explores the dynamics of identity negotiation in multireligious workplaces in Aceh, where Islamic law strongly shapes social interactions between the Muslim majority and non-Muslim minorities. The research aims to examine how minority workers negotiate their identities and how these processes affect workplace harmony. Using a qualitative method, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 informants from both the Muslim majority and Christian minority working in radio stations and NGO offices. The findings show that minority workers adopt symbolic, practical, and communicative adaptation strategies, such as adjusting to prayer times, adopting Islamic greetings, and maintaining selective self-disclosure, as part of their efforts to achieve identity security. Meanwhile, the Muslim majority practices conditional tolerance, accepting minorities as long as they conform to dominant norms. These dynamics foster a form of workplace harmony that is outwardly stable but inherently fragile, as it is built on asymmetrical compromises rather than equal recognition of identities. The study contributes to identity negotiation theory by highlighting the role of communication strategies in sustaining harmony under conditions of unequal power relations.