Nick and I were really looking for an article that had to do with France since we both studied abroad there. We went different on different summers but we both noticed that there were many more religions being practiced than the few we were used to in Tennessee. This article sparked my attention because some of the friends I met over there were Muslim. After talking them to a while, they informed me that France was almost 10-15% Muslim. It was really nice to share and listen to views and values that I was not used to. This article talks about the increase in Muslims to highly populated cities in France. Also when doing business in other countries, it is very important to be mindful of other religions because your next boss, customer, or partner can be from a different set of cultural values. Not only that, it is also important to know cultural issues before entering business in other countries. Therefore, we have been talking in class about being aware of so many of values of other cultures but we have yet to shed light in the religion aspect.
Religion is a very sensitive and uncomfortable thing to talk about, but should it affect doing business in other cultures? How would you handle doing business with someone with completely different beliefs than you?
Nick and Conner
24 comments:
Religion, although a sensitive topic, should not, and eventually will not affect doing business with other cultures due to the ever globalizing economy. I would not really have any objections doing business with someone who has completely different cultural/religious beliefs than me so long as we had a common goal(success as business partners/customers), and I would be willing to meet in the middle somewhere, and would do this by being respectful towards their culture and observing their customs as in order to benefit, one has to make certain sacrifices.
I don't think that religion should effect business dealings between cultures. Doubtless religion is part of the local culture, but should not be seen as anything beyond that. I believe that in modern times we should be able to move beyond the religious attitude of the Crusades while doing business.
David Mouron
I agree with the previous two comments. I think religion does, at this time, affect business dealings in some situations, but I don't think that it should, and hopefully we can move towards it mattering less and less in the future. If you couldn't do business with someone in a different culture than yours, then a whole lot of opportunities to succeed and profit would be lost. On a different note, I do think that France should have banned praying in the streets. While there is a relatively large Muslim population in France, I think that it is a nuisance for them to block walkways in order to pray. Why can't they just do this inside their mosques? I think street praying should be limited to majority-Muslim countries. Maybe I'm being closed-minded.
Religion is a very uncomfortable and personal belief, religion should not be a factor when it comes to doing business. As long as you a common goal and you respect and you are mindful of that cultures beliefs, religion should have no influence on business deals. As long as you you are respectful of that other cultures beliefs and relgious values, religion should have no effect on your business across cultures.
I don't think religion should be mixed with business, just like religion shouldn't be mixed with politics. But, realistically some countries do mix the two. If I had the choice I would choose not do business with companies that mixed their religion into the business. I think this is a bad mix to deal with and do not like the idea of dealing with something like this. I do realize this may not be an option all of the time though, and if I did find myself in this situation I would become familiar with the religion so I did not offend any business partners. But, again I would avoid these situations at all costs.
While religion shouldn't influence business, it certainly does. Maybe not in the United States where church and state are separate. But in some places where there is no separation, the law is often intertwined with religious law so you may be asked to have respect for those laws and practices. I would be comfortable doing business with someone who has radically different beliefs than mine. I think issues in business with religion would rarely come up. This is an issue about respect and discretion.
-Tricia Bruce
I agree with these comments. If you are conducting business and religion is a part of that culture then it must be respected. Businesses must respect the culture they are entering if they want to be successful. I also believe that you respect it will be shown in return and possibly a deeper lasting relationship will form. In the end, both parties share the same goal.
I agree completely with the comment from Qahir. The goal of doing business is for both parties to have some sort of benefit from the transaction. Though I think it should not be a major factor, I do know that a person's religion shapes their thoughts and beliefs which can in turn effect the way that business is performed. It may be more difficult doing business with a person from a completely different religion, yet it will for sure is not impossible. Difficulties may arise with issues as minute as resting on the Sabbath day to refusing to work with a particular sex.
I think that if the culture practices business with religion, than it should be respected. But if it does not, then it should not be mentioned. Even in Tennessee there are all types of religions and denominations between those religions. However, it does not matter what religion someone is. It should not effect your relationship with that person professionally, you can either adapt to that persons accommodations or simply just not do business with them.
Although specific religious practices may have no place in business, a person's religious background inherently affects the way that he or she does business. If you are faced with a situation in which you must do business with someone who is highly religious, it would certainly be beneficial to have a basic understanding of her religion and how it affects the moral and ethical decisions she makes in her business dealings.
I agree with The previous two comments. Yes it is always best to have a understanding of someone's faith but in the business world I think it best to keep separated. I personally have always avoided this conversation in business dealings.
as above said some countries are governed with less distinction between church and state. in places where religion may dominate daily life, i don't think it should be a barrier to profitable enterprise. it's important to assess the entire legal environment no matter even if religious in nature, only because it could have potential effects on the business.
As must as I think that religion should not affect doing business in other cultures, I believe that might be the American culture speaking in me. Although religion is a very important aspect to many people in our culture, myself included, we try very hard to keep it separate from our professional lives. However, that may not be the case in other cultures in that some of their religious practices may be a part of their daily business doings as well and I think people should be sensitive to that if that is the case.
In my opinion, I dont think religion should affect business. These are two distinct cultures in itself - Religion and Business. Religion MIGHT play a major role in the location of a business but cannot determine the effectiveness, growth, or efficiency of a business. With globalization and high technology in today's world, business can strive anywhere in the world without physical location or employment of locals.
This is a great topic. I was raised Catholic, but never fully understood the ideas of organized religions. I quickly learned that the strongest spiritual belief you can have is with yourself and of that's that. Who is one to judge anyone based on their religion? They have equal entitlement as do you or I. Just because I don't see eye to eye with christians, doesn't mean I have a problem working side by side with them, especially since they dominate the Western workforce. The same absolutely applies to people of various other religious beliefs, rather it be Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish. The second everyone on this earth comes to terms with acceptance of other people's spiritual beliefs, no matter how extreme they might first seem, is the second this world takes a major step forward. Maybe some day..
I agree with the many people who said that they would prefer if religion did not matter in business, but I also agree that it cannot entirely be avoided. In my experience religion can seriously affect the way people view the world and act in it in certain cases. I am opened to business with people of any religion, but I have come across people who did not want to do business with people who did not share their values. One other thing I found really interesting about reading this article was my strong American reaction to it. I found it absurd that the government would ban any kind of religious practices, and then I realized that I may not feel that way if it were not for my American upbringing.
Religion definitely is a touchy subject. I agree with the other commenters in saying that religion should not be mixed with business. The reason I believe that the French government is banning the burka and the Muslim prayers in public is to try to maintain as much Church and State separation as possible. The way they're going about this is a bit harsh, but either way, I think religion and business should have a similar idea. Business and religion are two entirely separate entities, and they should remain that way.
I agree that, explicitly, religion should not be mixed with business. However, I do not think it should be ignored. When dealing with a company, it has its own company culture, and when dealing with an individual, he has his own set of beliefs and principles. While I do not think denominations need to be openly discussed in business, it is inevitable that an individual or company's core values are going to be somewhat influenced by religion. Fortunately, most relgiions share the same basic principles; I would much prefer working with someone who believes in the Golden Rule, for example, regardless of what demonination he claims. Therefore, while a company Meet-and-Greet should not include questions like, "Do you believe in God?" I do think it is important to keep in mind the values that religion may influence.
I think everyone agrees that religion should not interfere with your business. Obviously be respectful to each person's beliefs, but don't let the differences ruin what could be a good job. If being around people with different religions and cultures is uncomfortable for you, then you should probably stay in your own region.
I do not think that religion should prevent people from doing business with one another. It is very rare that religious beliefs are discussed in the work place, after all when your at work your their to do business, not discuss your personal life with colleagues. Outside of work is a different story, but i feel as long as the two parties are willing to work together and set aside their differences, then religion should not prevent business agreements.
When it comes to religion it seems there is never one right way to handle it in politics, business, etc. I would say that no matter who you are doing business with, or where you are you should always be cautious about what you say or do. As long as people can respect and understand that people have different beliefs, then everyone should be able to work together.
Business practices in countries like Saudi Arabia are predicated upon religious beliefs. We've learned that some people in some countries will discount predictions about the future because they believe it is preordained. This seems so frustrating! If a Saudi Arabian and an American want to make a decision and the Saudis see projections of future sales as irrelevant, how can they make an agreement? These differing beliefs seem so fundamental as to be irreconcilable.
Religion is definitely a touchy subject, but I think it should be completely separate from doing business in other countries. Business practices are different the same way religious practices are different, so if religion affects how they do business it's just going to be a part of adapting to the differences of working internationally anyways.
It is always wise to conduct a little research on the religion of the people that you will be conducting business with to prevent any accidentally insulting behaviors. For example, if Hindus were coming to America to do business with you it would be worth reviewing their dietary practices so you do not accidentally serve something they cannot eat. I feel that religious and cultural identities usually go hand in hand so it is important to be educated on both.
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