Work ethic and economic development: An investigation into Weber’s thesis

Annemiek Schilpzand and Eelke de Jong

European Journal of Political Economy, 2021, vol. 66, issue C

Abstract: This paper argues that the capitalist spirit associated with Max Weber’s Protestant Ethics is not associated with Protestantism but with the modernization phase of economic development. A preference for hard work is also found amongst other religions and non-religious people at times of high economic growth and decreases after the modernization phase. We find a robust relationship between the level and growth of economic development during an individual’s childhood and this individual’s work ethic. An epidemiological approach is applied to indicate that the direction of the relationship runs from growth and the level of economic development at the time values are formed, to work ethic. Protestant adherence has a positive relation with work ethic, but this relation is less robust than economic development.

Keywords: Protestant ethic; Work ethic; Economic development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J20 O12 Z12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:poleco:v:66:y:2021:i:c:s0176268020301063

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2020.101958

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