The initial research was expanded into more number of respondents. The result is that the first three groups of entrepreneurs are also expanded into five. In this post, I will share the report of the researchers with more details. And I want to start with the first group or type of entrepreneurs – the “Make Me Whole” type of entrepreneurs.
The researchers report their finding on this type of entrepreneurs by asking them their views about relationship between spirituality and entrepreneurship, role of spirituality as part of work and personal life, living out personal values at work, understanding of success, motivation in business, and sources of meaning and joy.
Relationship Between Spirituality and Entrepreneurship
This type of entrepreneurs seeks to integrate business with personal life. They make a definite relationship between spirituality and their role as entrepreneurs. One respondent, when asked about this relationship, replied: “Very, very important in both, because of course one’s personal life and business life are very interconnected. No matter how much people don’t want it to be, they still are. And so, you just can’t have spirituality in your personal life and then not have it in your business life. I think that is almost impossible.”
Role of Spirituality as Part of Work and Personal Life
The “Make me Whole” entrepreneurs believe that spirituality provides the basis for life. It is how they cope with difficulty. It supports their value system and sense of ‘self’. Spirituality influences ‘self’ in decision making and in directing behaviors. One respondent said: “People would remember me as a hard working person who brings happiness to myself and others — I inspire people, change lives and bring out the best in people…”
Living Out Personal Values at Work
For this type of entrepreneurs, service to customers is more about doing what is good and right than gaining financial profits. When asked about the experience of living one’s personal values in a previous employment situation, one respondent said, “The people I worked with before were good people but they couldn’t bring out that spirituality in their own people.”
Understanding of Success
For the respondents, success is not about employees selling or the customers buying more, but about being, “loved by the people around me and living that lifestyle of loving people and receiving it.” Many in this group spoke of fostering creativity, capabilities or interests. One entrepreneur states, “God has given me a gift, a talent, a vision and it’s my mission to use this gift to help humanity. I want to make others happy….”
This type of entrepreneurs measures success by adding value to employees, customers and the larger community. The top three definitions of success for this group include:
- Doing something they loved
- Finding meaning and purpose in work
- And helping others
When these entrepreneurs spoke about disappointment, it was based on difficulties in relationships between individuals, rather than loss of money. Discussions on money emerged from frustrations to meet minimum financial needs.
Motivation in Business
This type of entrepreneurs were extremely passionate about their work, believing that work impacts, inspires and changes the lives of those they work with, especially employees. They have a strong desire to please the customer but their underlying reasons indicate personal values rather than sales. These entrepreneurs truly love what they do and many gave up higher income jobs to fulfill personal goals. One respondent said “I could no longer work for ‘the man’ and I wanted to find something I love and meaningful to me.”
Sources of Meaning and Joy
The “Make me Whole” type of entrepreneurs seeks meaning and purpose in life and reports a high degree of joy. One entrepreneur’s quote really summarized the feeling of this group: “My mission statement is to bring happiness to myself and others, to be the best example I can be so that I can inspire; to change lives and bring out the best in the people I touch and, I think that’s what I want them to remember.”
Source: http://www.icsb.org/documents/Entrepreneurship_and_Spirituality.pdf
Christian Entrepreneur 