Abstract

Religion, as a system of meaning shaping an individual’s worldview, life practices, and community engagement, has been shown to influence entrepreneurship. Yet, despite the growing body of research on religion and entrepreneurship, the field still lacks a comprehensive overview of how religion influences the entrepreneurial process. This literature review addresses that gap by systematically collecting and categorizing studies on religion and entrepreneurship through the lens of the theory of planned behavior, one of the leading frameworks for understanding entrepreneurship. Drawing from 107 research articles, we find that most studies focus on the influence of religion-related entrepreneurial attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on entrepreneurial activity. Additionally, our findings highlight the ambivalent role of religion in the entrepreneurial process, producing both positive and negative outcomes. On the positive side, religious influences can strengthen entrepreneurial attitudes, such as resilience and altruism, and improve behavioral control by providing access to resources and networks, ultimately leading to favorable entrepreneurial outcomes. Negative consequences arise in terms of behavioral control, such as limited access to financing, and in subjective norms due to religious restrictions. These restrictive norms tend to disproportionately affect women entrepreneurs. We conclude by recommending further research, particularly on the influence of religion on entrepreneurial intentions and its impact on the gap between intentions and actions.

Religion and Entrepreneurship through the Lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review

Research on religion and entrepreneurship has gained significant momentum, highlighting the strong connection between religious beliefs and individual career and business. However, the field lacks a comprehensive overview of the specific role religion plays in the entrepreneurial process. One of the leading theoretical frameworks for understanding behavioral processes is the theory of planned behavior (TPB), which has strong ties to entrepreneurship. Beyond using TPB to explain the entrepreneurial process, it also serves as an effective framework for organizing existing research on the intersection of entrepreneurship and religion.

The objective of Religion and Entrepreneurship through the Lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review is to categorize empirical studies on religion and entrepreneurship within the TPB framework, offering a comprehensive theoretical overview of religion's role in the entrepreneurial process. In this context, we aim to address the following research question: How does religion influence the entrepreneurial process when viewed through the lens of the theory of planned behavior? To address this question, the authors conducted a systematic literature review and the findings reveal that the majority of these studies focus on how religion influences entrepreneurial attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Several positive effects of religion on entrepreneurial action are identified including enhanced attitudes such as resilience and altruism, as well as improved behavioral control through better access to resources and networks. However, there are also negative consequences, particularly in terms of limited access to financing for entrepreneurs and restrictive subjective norms arising from religious beliefs disproportionately affect women entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the authors emphasize the necessity for additional research on the role of religion in shaping entrepreneurial intentions, particularly concerning its influence on the gap between intentions and actions.

The monograph is structured as follows: Section 2 introduces the systematic review methodology in terms of article identification, screening, and selection and provides a short introduction to TPB and its categories. Section 3 reviews and describes the existing literature for each TPB category. Finally, Section 4 interprets and discusses the results and highlights theoretical implications, limitations, and avenues for future research.