Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Rietveld, C.A.
Author-Name-Last: Rietveld
Author-Name-First: Niels
Author-Name: van Burg, E.
Author-Name-Last: van Burg
Author-Name-First: Elco
Title: Religious beliefs and entrepreneurship among Dutch protestants
Abstract: Religious beliefs affect the economic behavior of individuals. The aim of this study is to investigate the relation between religious beliefs and entrepreneurship. Empirical evidence that entrepreneurship rates differ among religions suggests that religious beliefs influence the pursuit of entrepreneurship. However, how and which specific religious beliefs play a role in this relationship remains unknown. Therefore, we study the relation between two key religious beliefs and entrepreneurship within one specific branch of Christianity, namely, Protestantism. Using a unique sample of 756 Christian protestant entrepreneurs and employees from the Netherlands, we show that protestant entrepreneurs have a stronger belief than comparable protestant employees that their work is a calling from God and that protestant entrepreneurs are more likely to perceive a duty to add value to society through their occupational work. These results indicate that research on the relation between religion and entrepreneurship is instrumental in explaining the engagement of people in entrepreneurship.
Creation-Date: 2013-10-10
File-URL: https://repub.eur.nl/pub/41554/ERS-2013-015-STR.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
Series: RePEc:ems:eureri
Number: ERS-2013-015-STR
Classification-JEL: D21, L20, L26, Z12, Z13
Keywords: Christianity, beliefs, entrepreneurship, protestantism, religion
Handle: RePEc:ems:eureri:41554