The influence of religion as a cultural-cognitive institution in internationalisation

Abstract

The inclusion of the metaphysical in the understanding of international business phenomena has, to date, been somewhat neglected. Furthermore, the scholarly work on the influence of religion on strategic internationalisation decisions requires refinement. In addition, the understanding of location choice and entry decisions taken by womenowned enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa is nascent. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of religion on the strategic internationalisation decisions of women-owned enterprises in South Africa. The study drew on institutional theory (in particular, the cultural-cognitive institution) to ground the research. A qualitative research method was employed in the analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with women owners who identified as religious. The interviewees’ answers pertaining to their personal and business experiences provided a rich description of their religious beliefs, values and practices. These influences were found to be relevant to their enterprise decisions. However, religion was somewhat less influential in specific internationalisation decisions, particularly in the location decision. The location decision was influenced by the co-existence of economic and religious influences and included non-religious networks. The influence of religion in entry decisions was most evident in the pattern of internationalisation. The researcher posits a possible religious influence in the unsystematic pattern of internationalisation of the enterprises.