Religious entrepreneurial communities as a solution for socioeconomic injustice

Abstract

Purpose There are many entrepreneurial communities in the Asian subcontinent, which are known for their economic resilience and religious orientation but have received limited attention in extant literature. These communities include Memon, Delhiwala, Chinioti, Ismaili and Bohri, which have been persistent in keeping their members economically stable, as many centuries, while also retaining their religio-sociocultural identity. This paper aims to add to the body of literature by documenting the possible factors, which contribute toward advancing socio-economic justice for the members of respective communities. Design/methodology/approach This study uses Eisenhardth research strategy within a social constructivist paradigm to process data from in-depth interviews, memos and documentary sources to explore the internal dynamics of three most prominent of these communities (Memon, Delhiwala and Chinioti) in Pakistan. Findings The findings reveal that the secret to their resilience is, perhaps, rooted in their religio-sociocultural communal norms, which may not just ensure effective wealth redistribution among the deserving segments of the society but may also enable its deserving members to achieve self-reliance through community-supported–entrepreneurial–activity. This study proposes that a culture of community-based–family–entrepreneurship coupled with the spirit of cooperation, sacrifice and reciprocity may eliminate the possibility of socioeconomic injustice. Social implications The religious entrepreneurial communities may be seen as an alternate to free-market or state-driven methods to impart socioeconomic justice where needed. The voluntary inclination of entrepreneurs in such communities to facilitate those in need may, perhaps, reduce or even eliminate the need to involve state intervention to redistribute wealth through taxation, which may also eliminate the cost of the state bureaucracy, which is used for the collection and redistribution of taxes. Originality/value The findings add to the body of literature which could help similar communities to improve their socioeconomic stability in a just manner for all its members. Policymakers can also take notice of the religio-sociocultural norms at the source of socioeconomic justice within the respective communities to formulate policies conducive to sustaining such norms where necessary.

An Islamic vision and approach for entrepreneurship: developing through a multi-stage comparative analysis of systems, ideologies and code of ethics

“…So, ideally, in a culture of mutual cooperation and reciprocity, people need not worry much about their personal well-being as others are actively doing so. Social problems in a community adhering to the Divine code of ethics are, thus, solved not for the sake of material self-interest, rather for the sake of genuinely solving the problem to ensure everyone's well-being (Javaid and ul Hassan, 2013;Javaid et al, 2020).…”

“…Simply speaking, the entire network of all stakeholders in such a culture (suppliers, vendors, labor, investor, customers, mentors, etc). may engage with each other like family members (Bubolz, 2001;Javaid et al, 2020).…”

“…Each agent in such networks often acknowledges and strives to maintain the relationship with other stakeholders while honoring commitments and avoiding any behavior which would violate the trust. Each agent would also cooperate beyond business terms whenever the need arises (Javaid et al, 2020;Pearson et al, 2008). The trust and spirit of cooperation, which is also referred to as "social capital" in extent literature (Putnam, 1993), also significantly reduces the agency cost from each transaction, while reducing the overall cost of running a business (Karra et al, 2006).…”

When simplicity becomes complexity: negotiations between a Mennonite enterprising community and the Government of Belize

“…The latter can, for example, occur when tourism enters rural areas such as among the Amish in Pennsylvania, USA, creating economic overdevelopment, the commodification of cultural heritage and the "destruction of the rural idyll" from the perspective of locals (Mitchell, 1998, p. 273). In a similar vein, Javaid et al (2020) argue that the resilience of religious entrepreneurial communities in Pakistan lies in simultaneously sustaining their religious identities and encouraging entrepreneurship among its members, enabled by community support, sacrifice and cooperation and Cahn (2008) observes that micro-enterprises in Samoa are sustainable only when they are congruent with fa'aSamoa (the Samoan way of life and culture). Finally, Ndemo (2005) shows that the Maasai in Kenya have developed microenterprises in response to the land shortage, which has made large-scale herding harder, but notes that they have retained their livestock in accordance with their pastoral culture: "if it was their choice, they would rather retain their traditional economic system instead of integrating themselves with the rest of Kenya in a market economy" (2005, p. 218).…”

“…In the slipstream of the "social turn" in entrepreneurship studies, over the past decades a substantial body of literature has emerged on entrepreneurship in the context of remote communities, be they religious, indigenous, rural or migrant communities (Dana and Dana, 2007;Javaid et al, 2020;Light and Dana, 2013;Verver et al, 2020). On the one hand, these communities choose a degree of distance from the wider society and market to retain their autonomy and uphold community norms, values and belief systems.…”