Why study Religions and Business?

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Why study Religions, Business and International Economic Relations?.

Related Doctorates, Masters and Courses taught by EENI Global Business School:

1. Professional Doctorate in Global Ethics, Religions, and International Business;
2. Master in Religions and International Business;
3. Courses (Religions and Business): Christianity, Orthodoxy, Islam, Indian Religions, Chinese Religions, Buddhism.

Religions and International Business

Despite the phenomenon of the Globalization, the trend towards the regionalization is increasingly important. The different Religions of the World (84% of humanity belong to some religion) define a series of economic areas that significantly influence on the way of doing business, politics, culture, economic relations within each economic area as well as outlining the interactions with the other economic areas.

Any professional related to the International Business must know, in addition to the fundamentals of the foreign trade and global marketing, the pillars of these religions to understand how they influence both on business and on their respective economic area.

This knowledge will be essential to avoid the intercultural clashes and to adapt the internationalization and international marketing strategies to each economic area.

The Master / Doctorate in Religions and International Business focuses on analysing the pillars of these religions, characteristics of the global economic areas, the main economic organizations and the trade agreements related to each economic area.

Many of the most important businessmen and philanthropists of the world, openly declare their adherence to some religion.

Therefore, the student will analyze the profiles of several businessmen and women of each of the studied religions, where the important influence on their beliefs in their businesses can be observed. Below are a summary of some businessmen analysed.

Christian Businessmen (Catholics and Protestants)

Two of the richest businessmen in the world are Christians: Amancio Ortega (founder of Inditex, Catholicism, Spain) and Carlos Slim (Christian Maronite, Mexico).

Isabel dos Santos (the richest woman in Africa, Angola) or Folorunsho Alakija (the richest Nigerian woman) are Christian.

The American businessman Thomas Monaghan (founder of Domino Pizza, took the vows of poverty) is Catholic. The richest man in Colombia, Luis Sarmiento, is also Catholic.

African Christian Businessman, Businesswomen and Politics:

1. Cheryl Carolus (South Africa);
2. Divine Ndhlukula (Zimbabwe);
3. Amini Kajunju (DR Congo);
4. H.E. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (South Africa);
5. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (Liberia);
6. Patrice Motsepe (South Africa);
7. Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa);
8. Mike Adenuga (Nigeria);
9. Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (Nigeria);
10. Orji Uzor Kalu (Nigeria);
11. Strive Masiyiwa (Zimbabwe);
12. Sifiso Dabengwa (Zimbabwe).

American Christian Businesspeople.

1. Antonio Moraes (Brazil);
2. John Marinho (Brazil);
3. Philip Anschutz (US, Presbyterian);
4. Truett Cathy (US, Baptist);
5. Ray Hunt (US, Methodist);
6. Howard Ahmanson (US, Pentecostal);
7. Steve Strang (US, Pentecostal).

Why study “Christianity, Ethics and Business”?.

Orthodox businessmen

Vladimir Potanin, one of the largest Russian businessmen or the Egyptian entrepreneur Onsi Sawiris (founder of Orascom Group) are Orthodox Christians.

1. Helena Baturina (Russia);
2. Alexander Lebedev (Russia);
3. Nayla Hayek (Lebanon);
4. Mimi Alemayehou (Ethiopia).

Why study “Orthodoxy, Ethics and Business”?.

Muslim Businessmen

His Royal Highness Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal (one of the world's biggest investors, Saudi Arabia), Alhaji Aliko Dangote (the richest man in Africa, Nigeria), Mohamed Ibrahim (one of the most influential Africans in the world, Sudan), Yusuf Hamied (founder of one of the largest pharmaceutical laboratories in the world, India) or the Saudi Lubna Olayan (one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the world) are Muslims.

1. Arab Businessmen and Businesswoman: Sheikh Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber, Jawad Ahmed Bukhamseen, Nasser Al Kharafi, Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo, Abdul Aziz Ghurair, Majid Al Futtaim, Mohammed Al-Barwani, Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Reem Ebrahim Al-Hashimi, Amina Al Rustamani, Shaikha Al Maskari, Hayat Sindi, Shaikha Al Bahar, Maha Al-Ghunaim, Hanan Al Kuwari, Randa Ayoubi, Ayah Bdeir, Minoush Abdel-Meguid;
2. African Muslim Businessmen and Businesswoman: Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi, Tarek Talaat Moustafa, Mohamed Mansour, Osama Abdul Latif, Mohamed Ali Harrath, Reginald Mengi, Ali Haddad, Othman Benjelloun, Alhaji Muhammadu Indimi, Miloud Chaabi, Adewale Tinubu, Anas Sefrioui, Mohamed Hassan Bensalah, Hassan Abdalla, Naushad Merali, Said Salim Bakhresa, Aziz Akhannouch, Ahmed Mekky, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Olufemi Otedola, Tunde Folawiyo, Mohammed Dewji, Hajia Bola Shagaya, Iman, Amina Odidi;
3. Asian Muslim Businessmen: Muhammad Abdul Mannan, Muhammad Yunus, Mian Muhammad Mansha, Salman Rahman, Dewan Farooqui, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Tan Sri Mokhtar, Azim Premj, Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Bonyads.

Why study “Islam, Ethics and Business”?.

Hindu Businessmen

Important Indian entrepreneurs are Hindu (Hinduism): Shri Mukesh Ambani (Director of Reliance Industries, 3% of the Indian GDP), Senapathy Gopalakrishnan (co-chair of Infosys, one of the largest technology companies in the world) or Kiran Mazumdar (founder of BIOCOM, the largest Indian biotechnology company).

1. Kumar Mangalam Birla;
2. S P Hinduja.

Why study “Indian Religions and Business - Hinduism”?.

Gita-Ramakrishna Institute of Yoga Science (IGRCY).

Buddhist Businessmen

Kazuo Inamori (founder of Kyocera and Buddhist monk, Japan) or Lee Kun-hee (president of Samsung, South Korea) are Buddhists.

1. Kith Meng (Cambodia);
2. Thaksin Shinawatra (Thailand);
3. Padma Jyoti (Nepal).

Why study “Buddhism, Ethics and Business”?.

Businessmen of other religions

Christianity, Islam, Hinduism (1,210 million Hindus) and Buddhism are considered the largest religions in the world (by the number of believers), but it is also necessary to know the profile of businessmen of other minority religions.

Zoroastrian businessmen

The Tata Group (has Western brands such as Jaguar or Land Rover, 3.2% of the Indian GDP) belongs to a Zoroastrian family.

1. Adi Godrej;
2. Cyrus S. Poonawalla;
3. Wadia Family.

Jain Businessmen

Sahu Jain, which controls the largest Indian communication group, is Jainist.

1. Gautam Adani;
2. Bhavarlal Hiralal Jain;
3. Ajit Gulabchand.

Sikh Businessmen

Corporations such as the Rotchild Group or Mastercard have hired Sikh managers due to their moral rectitude.

1. Manmohan Singh (Former Prime Minister of India);
2. Ajaypal Singh Banga;
3. Hardeep Singh;
4. Jogishwar Singh.

Jewish Businessmen

Although Judaism only accounts for 0.2% of the world's population, its influence on the international business is very important. The South African business woman (Wendy Appelbaum), one of the largest entrepreneurs in Algeria (Issad Rebrab) or one of the richest bankers in the world (Joseph Safra, Brazil) are Jews.

Confucian and Taoist Businessmen

The Chinese businessman Zhang Ruimin (president of the Haier Group) is Confucian

The Taiwanese businessman Chang Yung-fa (founder of the Evergreen logistics group) professes the I-Kuan Tao religion (based on Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism).

Why study “Taoism, Confucianism and Business”?.

Agnostic Businessmen

The Giving Pledge, the largest philanthropic initiative in the world was created by the North-Americans: Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft) and Warren Buffett (one of the largest investors in the world), both agnostics.

Civilizations, religions and regional economic integration.

The economic areas analyzed are the following:

1. Economic Area of the African Civilization
   1. West African Economic Area;
   2. Central African Economic Area;
   3. Southern African Economic Area;
   4. East African Economic Area;
   5. Interactions of the African Civilization with the other Civilizations.
2. Hindu Economic Area;
3. Sinic Economic Area;
4. Buddhist Economic Area;
5. Economic Area of the Islamic Civilization
   1. Arab Economic Area;
   2. Central Eurasian Economic Area;
   3. Malay Economic Area;
   4. Maghrebian Economic Area;
   5. African Economic Area (belonging to the African Civilization);
   6. Economic Integration of the Islamic Civilization;
   7. Interactions of the Islamic Civilization with the other Civilizations.
6. Economic Area of the Western-Christian Civilization
   1. European Economic Area;
   2. American Economic Area:
      1. North American Economic Area;
      2. Latin American Economic Area;
      3. Caribbean Economic Area.
   3. Economic Area of Oceania.
7. Orthodox Economic Area.

For each of these economic areas, the main Economic Organizations and trade agreements are analyzed in a summary form.

For example, for the East African Economic Area, the following regional Economic Organizations are analyzed briefly:

1. Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA);
2. East African Community (EAC);
3. Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD);
4. Southern African Development Community (SADC);
5. COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (FTA);
6. International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR);
7. Indian-Ocean Rim Association (IORA);
8. Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD);
9. Nile Basin Initiative (NBI);
10. Indian Ocean Commission (IOC);
11. Economic Community of the Great Lakes Region (CEPGL);
12. Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).

Free Trade Agreements related to East Africa:

1. MERCOSUR-Egypt;
2. Agadir Agreement;
3. India-Mauritius Agreement;
4. East African Community-U.S. Trade Agreement;
5. COMESA-U.S. Trade Agreement;
6. Africa-European Union Strategic Partnership;
7. United States-Africa (AGOA);
8. Islamic Trade Preferential System (TPS-OIC).

In addition to the economic interactions with the rest of the world economic areas.

From the religious point of view, the training approach is neutral, that is, it is not based on the superiority of any religion or any type of proselytism, and that only through the knowledge of the pillars of these religions can they be respected and therefore be able to adapt regionally according to the characteristics of each economic area.

Doctorat FOAD en éthique, religions et affaires Doctorado Online en Religiones y Negocios Internacionales Doutoramento EAD em Ética, Religiões e Negócios.

Master en religions et affaires Máster en Religiones y Negocios Mestrado em Religiões e Negócios.

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