Date of Award

12-1-1998

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Economics

First Advisor

Dr. Arthur M. Diamond

Abstract

The analysis described in this study is focused on the influence of religious ethics over individuals' tendency to seek top-managerial positions in their professional activity. The analysis assumes agents maximize utility. According to religious doctrines, afterlife salvation is a goal which could be accomplished only by following certain prescribed behavioural norms. While salvation can be considered as being an identical goal for most religions, the- way of pursuing it differs from one religion to another. This difference in means of attaining salvation reflects on various aspects of human behaviour. One of these aspects is the professional conduct of people engaging in business related activities, which constitutes the focus of our investigation. While Protestant and Judaic religions implicitly stimulate people to orientate themselves towards topmanagerial position, Catholic and Orthodox religions discourage this orientation. Starting from this hypothesis, the topic was thoroughly investigated using both exploratory and descriptive research. The final results constitute a partial support for the initial hypothesis. They are not to be seen as absolute conclusions, but as a perfectible contribution to a better understanding of the relationship between religious norms and the economic activities individuals engage in.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the Department of Economics and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright 1998, Corneliu Munteanu.

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