WEALTH CREATION AND SOCIO-RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: A STUDY OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS BETWEEN PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS IN CALABAR, NIGERIA

Bassey Antigha Okon, Ojua, T. A. and Attah, Frank

Department of Sociology

University of Calabar, Cross River State

E-mail: antigha2k4@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out to determine the effect of socio-religious affiliation on wealth creation as a major factor in entrepreneurial success. The study was a comparative analysis of Catholics and Protestants to ascertain Max Weber’s paradigm that Protestants are more entrepreneurially successful than Catholics. Sample of 400 subjects, purposively chosen, were accidentally selected proportionally between Catholics and Protestants. Simple percentage analysis was utilized to test two null hypotheses guiding the investigation. The findings reveal that: socio-religious affiliation influence creation of incremental wealth and that Protestants are more entrepreneurially successful than Catholics. The study corroborated Max Weber’s position. It was recommended that Protestant evangelization should continue in order to increase the number of people with high level of entrepreneurial spirit who will engage in creation of incremental wealth to foster capital formation and industrial development.

Keywords: Wealth creation, Religious affiliation, entrepreneurial success, Protestants and Catholic.