The Value Orientations of Buddhist and Christian Entrepreneurs A Comparative Perspective on Spirituality and Business Ethics

This book is a comparative analysis of the value orientations of Buddhist and Christian entrepreneurs and how these values impact business.

“A new track of comparative and qualitative research in the field of business spirituality disclosing how Buddhist and Christian entrepreneurs are twins with a different value DNA”.

"In an era rife with irresponsible and unethical production and consumption habits, this book brings a refreshing view of spirituality in business, and can provide a new spiritual compass for world’s businesses. In an articulate and systematic manner, Kovács explores the stories of people bringing spiritual values into business from two of the world's greatest spiritual traditions. This book is a significant contribution to the new field of business spirituality.”

Lopen Karma Phuntsho, Buddhist Scholar and President of The Loden Foundation

This book includes the comparative analysis of the value orientations and the core operating values of Buddhist and Christianentrepreneurs. Besides, the book reviews the developments of the concepts of Buddhist economics and the social teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. The analysis includes the reflections of Buddhist and Christian entrepreneurs about business spirituality, profit, the temporal perspectives of business, and stakeholder management. The cases testify that a spiritual value orientation can contribute to creating genuine ethical commitment. The findings can encourage business scholars and practitioners to stop considering ethics as an instrument in the service of profit and serve as inspiration for integrating spirituality into business in a profound way.

This book will be of interest to scholars and practitioners studying business ethics, workplace spirituality and faith at work.

Gábor Kovács is assistant professor at the Business Ethics Center at the Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary. He completed his PhD studies in 2017, and received his master’s degreein Buddhist studies from the Dharma Gate Buddhist College in Budapest in 2010. He has been secretary of the Hungarian Bhutan Friendship Society since its foundation in 2011. He has been a member of the Pali Translation Group since 2008. He has also been a member of the European SPES Institute since 2010.