Religious Beliefs and Entrepreneurship Among Dutch Protestants

22 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2013

See all articles by Cornelius A. Rietveld

Cornelius A. Rietveld

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE)

Elco van Burg

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics

Date Written: October 10, 2013

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.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, religion, beliefs, Christianity, protestantism

Suggested Citation

Rietveld, Cornelius A. and van Burg, Elco, Religious Beliefs and Entrepreneurship Among Dutch Protestants (October 10, 2013). ERIM Report Series Reference No. ERS-2013-015-STR, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2338857

Cornelius A. Rietveld (Contact Author)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam, NL 3062 PA
Netherlands

Elco Van Burg

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, School of Business and Economics ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, 1081HV
Netherlands
+31 20 59 82510 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/elco-van-burg

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