The Value Orientations of Buddhist and Christian Entrepreneurs

Book excerpt: This book is a comparative analysis of the value orientations of Buddhist and Christian entrepreneurs and how these values impact business. The chapters review and analyze the concepts of Buddhist economics and the social teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. The value orientations of Buddhist and Christian entrepreneurs are described by irreducible core values that correspond to the ontological conception, the procedural dimension, and the “other directedness” of a spiritual value commitment in business. The book includes the reflections of Buddhist and Christian entrepreneurs about business spirituality, profit, the temporal perspectives of business, and stakeholder management. The cases testify that a spiritual value orientation can contribute to creating genuine ethical commitment. The findings and the examples can encourage business scholars and practitioners to stop considering ethics as an instrument in the service of profit and serve as inspiration for integrating spirituality into business in a profound way. This book will be of interest to scholars studying business ethics, workplace spirituality and faith at work.