Religion and humane entrepreneurship: Insights for research, policy, and practice

ABSTRACT Our research examines the impact of religion on the humane orientation of entrepreneurs. Specifically, we studied whether and how humane entrepreneurship (HumEnt) is guided by the entrepreneur’s religious background. We conducted qualitative semistructured interviews with 16 entrepreneurs across four of India’s major religions: Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, and Sikhism. We found that HumEnt matters in entrepreneurial ventures and across industries. Further, we noted deep connections between HumEnt and religion, with entrepreneurs indicating a pervasive influence of religion on the multiple dimensions of the HumEnt construct. Yet, in terms of religion’s impact on the three specific HumEnt dimensions, we also noticed significant differences across the four religious groups.