European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online) Vol.8, No.35, 2016 85 Religious Impact on the Performance of Entrepreneurs: A Comparative Study of Male and Female in Sub-Saharan Africa Lydia Asare-Kyire School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu Dr. Zheng He School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu Ackah Owusu School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu Danish Junaid School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu Abstract Religion is a very abstract and complicated concept. Although a lot of works have examined the relationship between religion and entrepreneurial activities, few studies tested the impact of religion on gender entrepreneurial performance. In this study, we use Ghana as a sample to empirically explore how religion impacts on gender entrepreneurial performance from three dimensions i.e. marital life, inheritance system and societal perception in sub-Saharan Africa. Our empirical findings suggest there are inequalities from the impact of religion on the performance of male and female entrepreneurs. This research revealed a significant impact of religion through marital life and societal perception on male entrepreneur’s performance as compared to their female counterparts. In contrast, inheritance system had no significant impact on gender which deviates from the norm in the sub- Saharan African community. Implications of the findings have been discussed and recommendations are made at the end of the paper. Keywords: Entrepreneurs, Gender, Religious Impact, Sub-Saharan Africa Introduction According to Khraim, (2010) and Zelekha et al., (2014), diverse religions impact differently in the daily lives of people, their choices and perceptions. Although a lot of works have explored the relationships among religion, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial behavior and found a positive relationship between religion and entrepreneurship (Adamu et al., 2011; Audretsch et al., 2007; Coles, 2014; Khraim, 2010; Nwankwo et al., 2012; Parboteeah et al., 2014; Wiseman et al., 2013; Wyper, 2010; Zelekha et al., 2014). Whether and the extent religion can affect gender entrepreneurial performance in the same context is still a problem that needs further investigation. There is no doubt that entrepreneurs play a vital role in enhancing economic growth and development in nations. As members of the community, they are influenced by socio-cultural practices. In sub-Saharan Africa, socio- cultural practices impacted on colonial and post-colonial government policies and unfairly opened doors for men to develop both economically and socially than women in most societies (Awumbila, 2001; Mikell, 1989). In this paper, taking Ghana as a sample, we examine the religious impact on male and female entrepreneurial performance. Here, religion is measured in the dimension of the entrepreneur’s marital life, inheritance traditions/systems and his/her societal perception which are practices with the tendency of affecting entrepreneurial performance (Constantinidis, 2010; Kelley et al., 2012; Saxena, 2013). Findings from our empirical studies suggest that marital life and societal perception are in favor of male entrepreneurs’ performance than female entrepreneurs. Inferences from the empirical analysis however, put forward that inheritance system has no significant influence on male and female entrepreneurs which is a deviation from the norm in the sub-Saharan African community. This work adds to bridging the gender inequality gap by suggesting that women should be sensitized and trained in entrepreneurship skills and given more opportunities to set up businesses so as to acquire the maximum benefits of economic activities just like their male counterparts. It also advocates for public entrepreneurial education on issues of religious orientation that will positively influence entrepreneurial performance and encourage the youth in entrepreneurship. Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Marital Life According to Jennings and Mcdougald, (2007), Amazue and Ugwu, (2014), work and family are not compactible. However, works done by Powell and Eddleston, (2013) and supported by Marais et al., (2014) proved that work and family are compactible. Saxena, (2013) posited that marital life could be instrumental in strengthening businesses and community linkages. Matzek et al., (2010) explored spousal support as a resource for couples brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk provided by International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE): E-Journals