Religious Ethics And Variations In Entrepreneurship Across Social Groups

The phenomenon of entrepreneurship has become increasingly important to civic and private leaders all over the world. In response to calls by scholars to develop theory on entrepreneurship by conducting systematic analyses of how specific institutions shape the entrepreneurial process, the current study explores how Muslim and Mormon religious institutions shape entrepreneurship for their adherents. According to the pew research center, 31% of the world population adhere to the tenets of some sect of Christianity, and another 23% adhere to some sect of Islam with Christianity projected to increase by 35%, and Islam by 75%, over the next 35 years. The institutions of these two religions are influencing the behaviors of over half of the world population, and that share is increasing, not decreasing, over time. An institutional approach to entrepreneurship would be incomplete without systematic analysis of how religious institutions support, influence, and cause variation in the entrepreneurial process. Through observation and in-depth interviews with Muslim and Mormon (a Christian sect) entrepreneurs, the study found that religious institutions from both faiths supported and caused variation in entrepreneurial opportunities, modes of entry, modes of governance and social organization, operational start-up, and resource mobilization. Implications of the findings are discussed.