Introduction

Religion is defined as a set of beliefs that are held by a group of people. Religion is one of the key factors in workplace cultural diversity thus, it should be considered especially in this era of mass globalization. Faith is a major factor in global economic growth perhaps more so in the emerging markets. The various religious customs have several effects on the business practices. The three most common religions include Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. This paper will discuss how the three religions affect business practices all around the world.

1.      Islam

Islam is the second most practiced religion in the world. For this reason, it has several effects on business practices. Although Muslims are all around the world, they are more prevalent in the Middle East and Africa. First, the religion has strong instructions that guide behavior. For instance, women are not allowed to wear western clothing and instead are allowed to wear veils that cover the entire body to show modesty. Even though in less conservative areas people are allowed to wear western clothing, some restrictions exist on which type of clothing to wear. For this reason, international business taking in conservative Muslim regions cannot venture into retail cloth selling, as they will be required to alter their inventory. Secondly, Muslims also need several breaks per day for praying as well as ritual washing before eating and praying. These practices can affect workplace efficiency. Finally, the Islamic faith has several holiday days such as Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr, which might eat a lot of productive time.

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