No Cover Image

Journal article 114 views 9 downloads

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, Pages: 1 - 27

Swansea University Author: Paul Jones Orcid Logo

  • 71115.VOR.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    © 2025 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.

    Download (1.74MB)

Check full text

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...

Full description

Published in: Entrepreneurship & Regional Development
ISSN: 0898-5626 1464-5114
Published: Informa UK Limited 2025
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71115
first_indexed 2025-12-08T14:04:59Z
last_indexed 2026-01-23T06:51:55Z
id cronfa71115
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2026-01-22T14:16:26.9062661</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>71115</id><entry>2025-12-08</entry><title>The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>21e2660aaa102fe36fc981880dd9e082</sid><ORCID>0000-0003-0417-9143</ORCID><firstname>Paul</firstname><surname>Jones</surname><name>Paul Jones</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2025-12-08</date><deptcode>CBAE</deptcode><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&#x2019;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.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Entrepreneurship &amp; Regional Development</journal><volume>0</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart>1</paginationStart><paginationEnd>27</paginationEnd><publisher>Informa UK Limited</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>0898-5626</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1464-5114</issnElectronic><keywords>Personal social responsibility; opportunity versus necessity driven entrepreneurship; productive entrepreneurship; religious commitment; Upper Echelons Theory; Iranian entrepreneurs; Islamic institutional context</keywords><publishedDay>23</publishedDay><publishedMonth>12</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-12-23</publishedDate><doi>10.1080/08985626.2025.2603457</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Management School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>CBAE</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal)</apcterm><funders>Swansea University</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2026-01-22T14:16:26.9062661</lastEdited><Created>2025-12-08T13:40:11.4752636</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Management - Business Management</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Amir</firstname><surname>Emami</surname><orcid>0000-0002-2680-8628</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Yasaman</firstname><surname>Shamohammadi</surname><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Mark D.</firstname><surname>Packard</surname><orcid>0000-0003-0991-4266</orcid><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Paul</firstname><surname>Jones</surname><orcid>0000-0003-0417-9143</orcid><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Shayegheh</firstname><surname>Ashourizadeh</surname><orcid>0000-0003-1378-269x</orcid><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Leo-Paul</firstname><surname>Dana</surname><order>6</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>71115__35954__b339d919b96a4154ad1f4f72fd53c595.pdf</filename><originalFilename>71115.VOR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2026-01-09T15:45:11.7644176</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1826136</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>&#xA9; 2025 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2026-01-22T14:16:26.9062661 v2 71115 2025-12-08 The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation 21e2660aaa102fe36fc981880dd9e082 0000-0003-0417-9143 Paul Jones Paul Jones true false 2025-12-08 CBAE 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. Journal Article Entrepreneurship & Regional Development 0 1 27 Informa UK Limited 0898-5626 1464-5114 Personal social responsibility; opportunity versus necessity driven entrepreneurship; productive entrepreneurship; religious commitment; Upper Echelons Theory; Iranian entrepreneurs; Islamic institutional context 23 12 2025 2025-12-23 10.1080/08985626.2025.2603457 COLLEGE NANME Management School COLLEGE CODE CBAE Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) Swansea University 2026-01-22T14:16:26.9062661 2025-12-08T13:40:11.4752636 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Management - Business Management Amir Emami 0000-0002-2680-8628 1 Yasaman Shamohammadi 2 Mark D. Packard 0000-0003-0991-4266 3 Paul Jones 0000-0003-0417-9143 4 Shayegheh Ashourizadeh 0000-0003-1378-269x 5 Leo-Paul Dana 6 71115__35954__b339d919b96a4154ad1f4f72fd53c595.pdf 71115.VOR.pdf 2026-01-09T15:45:11.7644176 Output 1826136 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Author(s). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation
spellingShingle The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation
Paul Jones
title_short The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation
title_full The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation
title_fullStr The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation
title_full_unstemmed The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation
title_sort The role of religious beliefs in productive entrepreneurship and personal social responsibility: insights from a non-WEIRD nation
author_id_str_mv 21e2660aaa102fe36fc981880dd9e082
author_id_fullname_str_mv 21e2660aaa102fe36fc981880dd9e082_***_Paul Jones
author Paul Jones
author2 Amir Emami
Yasaman Shamohammadi
Mark D. Packard
Paul Jones
Shayegheh Ashourizadeh
Leo-Paul Dana
format Journal article
container_title Entrepreneurship & Regional Development
container_volume 0
container_start_page 1
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 0898-5626
1464-5114
doi_str_mv 10.1080/08985626.2025.2603457
publisher Informa UK Limited
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Management - Business Management{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Management - Business Management
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description 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.
published_date 2025-12-23T05:38:56Z
_version_ 1857893313904902144
score 11.097758

Similar Items