Islamic Theory of Motivation,Personality and Business Stress: Evidence from India

Abstract

Human motivation, like a powerful magnet, has attracted psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, psycho-analysts and management thinkers. Human behavior is totally built on the motives and motivation of human beings. To help understand raison d’etre of what motivates a human being and what constitutes different personality structures based on motivation, several western behavioral scientists have unleashed, in leaps and bounds, theories, propositions, prescriptions, ideas, concepts and models. The painstaking research carried out across the globe does not totally validate the concepts developed by western behavioral scientists. This shocking contradictory outcome even in the same culture, throws light on the fact that these theories have no universal validity. Islam which claims to be a revealed knowledge should have universal relevance and empirical studies should be able to establish its theories across all the cultures (Muslim as well as Non-Muslim). An attempt has been made in this study to empirically investigate the universal validity of Islamic concept of personality and business stress in predominantly non-Muslim business organizations in India. Nearly 90% of business organizations in India are owned and managed by non-Muslims. The results have established the validity of the claim that Islam is not a culture specific ideology; further the findings of the study provide inconclusive support to the hypothesis that Islamic concepts of personality, namely , Nafsul – ammara,Nafsul – lavvama and Nafsul – Mutmaina do predict business stress.

Keywords : Motivation; Personality; Business Stress;  Nafsul – ammara,Nafsul – lavvama and Nafsul – Mutmaina