Business and Faith

I posted this in answer to a question posed on how faith might affect actions in business situations. The person asking added that there should be a personal aspect to how it might affect the answerer.

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I've not yet encountered a business situation where faith has ever been an overt consideration. However, I can see where the psychology of faith (and belief) can play into negotiations and inter-office social networks.

Consider the propensity for individuals to congregate and make distinctions of belonging based on certain aspects of personal behavior. These aspects could be favorite singer, favorite food, nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or (to the point of the question), faith.

I have made a distinction between faith and religion. A further distinction could be made between faith and belief. the distinctions are analogous to the distinction between ethics and morality. These distinctions are difficult for most people to discern and quantify, so that most do not try.

Given this inability to unconsciously separate faith from belief, as apposed to the conscious act of thinking about the distinction, most who ascribe to a particular religion are more likely to favor dealings with those of the same religion. As an example, I would point out the website you provide in clarification.

People will trend toward dealing more with those within their perceived group. While people may deal with those outside these groups, they will be more likely to impose greater restrictions during negotiations with those others. It is an unconscious, not easily controlled compulsion usually ingrained from early development in childhood in what some might call, "indoctrination." I, however, see this more as, "tribal education." Each faith group is a subculture requiring its members to be educated in proper action toward others in that subculture. Humans are social creatures and must feel that they belong to a group. Religion is a fast and easy way to belong.

Although I was not raised under any particular faith, I was surrounded more by those who were Christian than those of any other religion. While I do not subscribe to their tenets of faith, because of my early development I do understand them and their actions toward one another more than I do any other religious group.

While these group interactions will be subverted under he daily activity of the business as a whole, I would be able to enjoy a normal working relationship with most people, personality clashes not-withstanding. I think that if there ever were an overt display of religion, or even an implied requirement to be of that religion in order to enjoy a normal working relationship with the majority of people in the office, I would be packing up quickly and going away. I do not include Christmas or Hanuka displays as there really is no way to avoid either in most nations and especially in the USA. I also do not include charity drives even when run by a religious group, as I do not believe that morality or ethics live within any religion - they are just a good place to start - so the act of charity belongs to all.