Does religion influence entrepreneurial behaviour?

Henley, Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4057-1679 2017. Does religion influence entrepreneurial behaviour? International Small Business Journal 35 (5) , pp. 597-617. 10.1177/0266242616656748

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Abstract

Religion cannot be ignored in assessing the range of cultural and institutional influences that impact on entrepreneurial activity. This article integrates key themes from sociology of religion in the context of emerging ideas about religion and entrepreneurship in order to highlight key research questions. New institutional theory is discussed as a potentially useful lens for viewing the range of means through which religious expression and institutions might support entrepreneurship. A macro-level empirical investigation of societal indicators of religious affiliation and regulation of religion alongside Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data highlights particular data correlations and mediating influences. A significant association between entrepreneurial activity and evangelical or Pentecostal Christian religious affiliation is found, along with evidence that the impact of religion on entrepreneurship is mediated through pluralism and regulation. In discussing these findings further, the article proposes a more integrated conceptual framework for understanding the link between religious drivers and entrepreneurship, alongside institutional mediation. This forms the basis for further research, focusing on individual experience rather than aggregate associations and exploring in further depth of the mediating impact of institutional arrangements.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Publisher:	SAGE Publications (UK and US)
ISSN:	0266-2426
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	4 August 2016
Date of Acceptance:	6 June 2016
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2024 08:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/93591

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