Religious Implication for International Business



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In todays entry, I will be chaging my methodology; instead of talking about a certain topic, i will focus on answering 4 questions proposed as an exercise by our organizations and culture teacher, Gina D´Amato.

These questions are centered, as you will see ahead, on RELIGION.

1. How can we create an ethical relationship between religion and business so that they may cooperate towards a more sustainable and respectful development of life?
   Maybe im thinking a concept from an utopia, but maybe it might be feasible. Maybe main leaders of all the religions (or at least those that are more influential) could participate in an international forum (like some type of UN, for example) where they could create, according to each partys point of view, a manual, an instruction guide for business practices according to religions. This manual would include of course, an ethical aspect, which teaches ethics in business.
   Maybe another, more extreme option, would to be to impose in each country (that is, each government), the ethical practices described in the main religion of the population. Although this would be unfair to many, its for the greater purpose (seeing it from an american point of view).
2. Can you imagine a world without religion where everyone would be trying to get immediate satisfaction to their individual needs?
   In my opinion, there WOULDNT be a world if this were to happen; people would probably lose hope inmediately, would hano no self control, would go back in evolution and act as animals and would finally end the human race. I think that the belief that there is a god (which ever god you believe in and which ever religion you follow) gives people a sense of inferiority, where an almighty supreme entity watches over us and in a certain way, is constantly watching what we do on earth. Without a religion, a set of rules or an all supreme god, people would probably feel absolutely free to do whatever they want and that would bring chaos and destruction to humanity.
3. Religion can create networks of trust and familiarity that facilitate economic transactions. Can you name other positive aspects of this relationship?
• Group well being and personal growth inside the business world.
• Protection and refugee from persecution.
• Guidance, spiritual partnership and companionship.
• Benefits and bailment.



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4. Do you think that stereotyping based on religion has been influenced by economical or political interests? why?
   In my opinion, YES. Why? because we can see for example how the US has not only declared the war on one person or group (Bin Laden-Al Qaeda), but they have also declared the war on muslims (although it has not been done directly, wee can see it through their actions). Another political interest is seen when Sarzoky (president of France) stated that he would not allow women to wear burkas and that sort of behavior wasnt welcomed in the country, but why? because he knows that women following these practices (mainly muslims) would not accept to take it off (probably because of their personal beliefs or religion) and that eventually, they would not go to France.
   On the other side, in my personal life experience in New York, I saw a very curious practice: people would always stereotype Jews as the best bankers, but why? Because many american banks have their foundations on Jewish followers, so this type of stereotyping was for them as publicity.
   Whose interests?
   Mainly politicians, poweful guilds and religious leaders opinion in the country.
   What is the role of The Media in this issue?
   They play very important role because they have strong influence (it not all) on what people say and think. People are based on what they hear on the news and what they read in newspapers to argument their facts. But as we know it, the media is nothing else but another type of business, which we have seen over the years how some are influenced, obliged to say whats convenient to those who have the power and are propense to being bribed.

Images

1. Retrieved on 15/05/2011. http://blog.beruby.com/beruby-contents-es/files/2011/03/Religi%C3%B3n.gif.
2. Retrieved on 15/05/2011. http://www.cuttingedge.org/News/earth7.jpg.