Disposition im Rahmen des Forschungsseminars des
Lehrstuhls für Unternehmensführung und Organisation
The impact of Religion on Entrepreneurship: This seminar thesis aims to examine the
link between the importance of religion in a country and its impact on entrepreneurship.
The research question of this study is: "Why should the importance of religion in a
country have an effect on entrepreneurship?" By examining different dimensions of
religion, including values, social networks, trust and work ethic, this study seeks to
understand mechanisms by which religion affects entrepreneurial activity.
Entrepreneurs who are influenced by religious values and ethics are more likely to
engage in ethical business practices than those who are not (Seabright, 2014).
Furthermore, in countries where businessmen are embedded in religious communities,
they gain access to strong social networks providing them with additional resources,
mentorship, and business opportunities (Block et al., 2019). This takes place, because
religious communities often foster social connections that entrepreneurs can support by
accessing valuable resources, advice, and potential clients or partners. Next to that,
entrepreneurs influenced by certain religious teachings exhibit a strong work ethic and
motivation, resulting in greater perseverance, determination, and success in their ventures
(Schilpzand and de Jong, 2021).
According to a Global attitudes survey of the PEW research center (2015), there seems
to be an evident connection between economic success and the significance of religion in
a country. The bar graph shows that wealthy industry countries rank much lower in
consideration to religiosity compared to undeveloped majorly African nations. Moreover,
some religions appear supporting and shaping when it comes to entrepreneurial success,
whereas others, as the Hinduism for instance rather impede it (Audretsch, 2007).
The findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the role of religion
in shaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem. As the author of this seminar paper, I
anticipate being able to identify clear correlations and to generalize certain
characteristics of the single world religions.
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Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/12/23/americans-are-in-the-middleof-the-pack-globally-when-it-comes-to-importance-of-religion/ (16.05.2023).