Is Work an Act of Worship? The Impact of Implicit Religious Beliefs on Work Ethic in Secular vs. Religious Cultures

This research examines the impact of implicit religious beliefs on work ethic in specific cultural contexts. Based on three studies, the authors found that thoughts related to religion impact work ethic, but only when the culture embraces religious values at work and in public environments. In a com...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of business ethics 2023-12, Vol.188 (3), p.509-531
Main Authors: Taghavi, Shiva, Segalla, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business and Management
Business Ethics
Cues
Cultural factors
Cultural identity
Education
Ethics
Management
Multiculturalism & pluralism
Original Paper
Philosophy
Quality of Life Research
Religion
Religious beliefs
Religious identity
Secularism
Work ethic
Workforce
Worship
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Summary:This research examines the impact of implicit religious beliefs on work ethic in specific cultural contexts. Based on three studies, the authors found that thoughts related to religion impact work ethic, but only when the culture embraces religious values at work and in public environments. In a comparative setting, Moroccan participants primed with religious thoughts displayed greater work ethic, whereas similarly primed French participants exhibited less work ethic ( Study 1 ). For North African–French biculturals, religious stimuli interacted with cultural identity to predict work ethic ( Study 2 ) and activated religious beliefs and cultural identity had a significant effect on their level of effort ( Study 3 ). Our research reveals that implicit religious beliefs can predict work ethic in a manner contingent on a cultural setting. In cultures where religious values are historically embraced and encouraged, work ethic constitutes a religious construct that enhances work ethic. Conversely, in secular cultures, religious cues inhibit work ethic. We believe that within a multi-cultural, multi-religion work force, it is important to take note of these influences.
ISSN:0167-4544
1573-0697
DOI:10.1007/s10551-023-05325-z