The formation and role of religious social capital in driving entrepreneurial action

• Published in: Journal of Business Venturing Insights Vol. 20; p. e00426
• Main Authors: Alemayehu, Binyam Zewde, Steffens, Paul, Gordon, Scott R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.11.2023
• Subjects: Entrepreneurial action; Religion and entrepreneurship; Social capital; Religion and entrepreneurship; Social capital; Entrepreneurial action
• ISSN: 2352-6734; 2352-6734
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbvi.2023.e00426

Spiritual capital serves as a unique resource that can contribute to entrepreneurial action. This paper develops the concept of religious social capital, as a distinct component of spiritual capital, and theorizes its role in motivating and supporting entrepreneurial action. This is important because individuals with religious affiliations are often deeply embedded within a religious community yielding strong and unique forms of social capital; and social capital in general is well established as a key driver of entrepreneurial action. The paper then elaborates the distinctive structural, cognitive and relational dimensions of religious social capital, and theorizes distinctive mechanisms by which these enable effective entrepreneurial action through community attention and community spanning. •Spiritual capital is a unique resource that can contribute to entrepreneurial action.•Individuals embedded in religious communities derive unique forms of social capital.•Religious social capital comprises structural, cognitive, and relational dimensions.•Nine religion-distinctive elements of social capital are theoretically elaborated.•Describes seven religion-distinctive mechanisms that enable entrepreneurial action.