Belief Systems and Their
Influence in Business
Practices
By: Chester Ray C. Secorata
What is a belief system
• The unseen force underlying our actions is our
belief system. Throughout our lives human beings
accumulate thousands of beliefs on all facets of life.
We obtain them from things other people tell us,
things we hear on the news, things we read, or any
other external influences we are subjected to. All of
these beliefs interact with each other, affect each
other, and create a system together.
Along with other influences such as our personality,
genetic set-up, and behaviors, our belief system, such as
religion, is one of the greatest forces influencing every
decision we make.
Religion highly affects our lives, whether personal or not.
Some of the world’s major religions are (Christianity,
Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism). Each system
has its own organized of beliefs, ceremonies, and
worship, and each one offers prescriptions for a positive
effort in both life and business.
Christianity
The Christian religion follows the Hebrew Bible by
taking a positive view of physical and human
creation and by seeing God as deeply concerned
with the ethical behavior of human creatures
towards one another. At its core, Christianity is a
religion centered around the teachings of Jesus
Christ. His teachings emphasize the importance of
love, compassion, forgiveness, and humility.
Christianity has significantly influenced business
practices, providing a moral and ethical framework that
guides business leaders in how they treat employees,
customers, and society. Through principles like honesty,
servant leadership, social responsibility, and
stewardship, Christian values shape organizations that
prioritize not only financial success but also the well-
being of people and communities. This approach to
business emphasizes integrity, service, and the belief
that work can be a means of fulfilling a higher calling.
Judaism
• Jews believe there is one god, who not only created
the world, but who every Jew should have an
intimate and interpersonal relationship with. They
believe that God works continuously in the world and
affects all that people do. Further, there is a
covenant relationship between God and the Jews in
exchange for the many good deeds God has done for
the Jewish people and continues to do
Judaism, which for its written laws relies on
the Torah, has greatly influenced marketing
and business ideology. Jewish culture, values
and ideas, including the modern market,
have penetrated many aspects of modern
life. Some important points include (market
honesty, fair pricing, and business
relationships)
Islam
Muslims believe in the Oneness of God that
all things are created by God and that he is
all powerful and all knowing. They further
believe that God has no offspring, sex, class ,
body, and he is not affected by human life’s
characteristics.
For Islam, the source of rules is the Qur’an.
Islamic teachings place great emphasis on
respect for ethical and moral codes in human
behavior. Islamic principles prevent abusing
people through putting restrictions on
misleading advertisements. Under Islamic
law, if a seller sells an item by making false
statements, the buyer shall have the right to
cancel the transactions
Buddhism
Founded on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama,
who is called “Buddha” or the enlightened one is
Buddhism. From the beginning, the basis of Buddhist
practice was meditation and the observance of moral
precepts. The five fundamental moral precepts
practiced by members of the monastic orders and the
laity are: refraining from taking property, behaving
unchastely, speaking wrongly, stealing, and drinking
intoxicants.
In business. Buddhists are guided by the following
principles:
A. The goal should be defined – The clearer the
goal is, the easier it is to be defined.
B. The principle of cause and effect should be
followed – We need to use intuition in the case of
a business proposal to work out the factors that
would take us to our ultimate aim
C. Empathy and compassion for the customers have to
be developed – It is crucial to understand the challenge that
our potential customers may encounter, and to have an
empathic approach towards it
D. Be flexible, innovative, and mindful of impermanence
– Buddhist theory puts into practice another useful insight:
everything is constantly changing we ourselves, the world
and all the people around us.
E. Your team, yourself and the consumer have to be
respected – The Buddhist ethics is based on the
nonviolence principle. They know everyone deserves to be
happy and does not want to struggle. If we try not to harm
others we gain their respect and confidence.
Hinduism
Hindus believe in one true, formless, boundless, all-
inclusive and eternal God called Brahman. He is not
an abstract concept but a real entity that everything
in the universe ( seen an unseen) encompasses.
Hindus have a positive attitude towards business
and wealth creation, yet wealth is not the ultimate
goal. What is more important are ethics (dharma),
and salvation (moksha).
Hinduism influence in business practices is more on
ethical and philosophical foundation for business
practices, with a focus on integrity, responsibility,
sustainability, and the well-being of all involved. By
incorporating principles like (dharma).
