Religious Beliefs and Entrepreneurial Behaviors in Africa: A Case Study of the Informal Sector in Uganda
Loading...
Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Africa Journal of Management
Abstract
Religion plays a major role in Africa’s polity and its influence on thebusiness landscape of the continent has been acknowledged
in literature. This study contributes to the discourse by investigating and explaining how religious beliefs shape entrepreneurial
behaviors in Uganda’s informal sector. Using a qualitative methodology, we explored how entrepreneurs in the context use
or adopt religious beliefs in their entrepreneurial activities. By spanning a diverse set of entrepreneurial activities in the informal
sector − food vendors, fabricators, hawkers, and recyclers among others − we conducted 49 in-depth interviews. Our findings
reveal that the entrepreneurs relied on their religious beliefs in defining and coping with a penurious context. Further to this, we
explain how religious beliefs galvanize business behaviors and calibrate the entrepreneurial identities of respondents in the
context. To facilitate future work, the study highlights how knowledge gaps in the cultural and social setup of the informal
economy will produce new insights in entrepreneurship research. It concludes by guiding policymakers and educators to engage
and involve faith-based institutions in the entrepreneurship promotion agenda.
Description
Keywords
Religion, business landscape, entrepreneurs
Citation
Rebecca Namatovu, Samuel Dawa, Adeyinka Adewale & Fiona Mulira (2018): Religious Beliefs and Entrepreneurial Behaviors in Africa: A Case Study of the Informal Sector in Uganda, Africa Journal of Management, DOI: 10.1080/23322373.2018.1516939