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The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation

Amir Emami Orcid Logo, Yasaman Shamohammadi, Mark D. Packard Orcid Logo, Paul Jones Orcid Logo, Shayegheh Ashourizadeh Orcid Logo, Leo-Paul Dana

Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Volume: 38, Issue: 5-6, Pages: 784 - 810

Swansea University Author: Paul Jones Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1080/08985626.2025.2603457

Abstract

What channels entrepreneurial effort towards activities that generate broad social and economic value, rather than towards rent-seeking or destructive pursuits, remains a critical question for developing nations. This study investigates whether and how religious beliefs steer entrepreneurs towards p...

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Published in: Entrepreneurship & Regional Development
ISSN: 0898-5626 1464-5114
Published: Informa UK Limited 2026
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71115
Abstract: What channels entrepreneurial effort towards activities that generate broad social and economic value, rather than towards rent-seeking or destructive pursuits, remains a critical question for developing nations. This study investigates whether and how religious beliefs steer entrepreneurs towards productive outcomes. Employing Upper Echelons Theory as a lens, we argue that religious beliefs shape productive entrepreneurship through the mediating mechanism of personal social responsibility (PSR), and that this process is influenced by the entrepreneur’s entry mode (necessity versus opportunity). Data from 390 entrepreneurs in Iran, analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), reveal that religious beliefs do bolster productive entrepreneurship. However, this relationship is fully mediated by PSR, i.e. religious faith increases productive entrepreneurship primarily by fostering a sense of social and ethical duty. Furthermore, while necessity-driven entry typically weakens PSR, strong religious commitment effectively neutralizes this negative effect. These findings highlight the role of internal value systems as a foundation for ethical venturing, offering valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to foster productive entrepreneurship and advance social welfare.
Keywords: Personal social responsibility; opportunity versus necessity driven entrepreneurship; productive entrepreneurship; religious commitment; Upper Echelons Theory; Iranian entrepreneurs; Islamic institutional context
College: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Funders: Swansea University
Issue: 5-6
Start Page: 784
End Page: 810

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