Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society

Volume 11, 2000

Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Meeting

Determinants of Ethical Business Behavior in Russia
Values Emanating from Religion and Folklore

This paper examines the role of religion and folklore as societal determinants of personal ethics and business ethical behavior in the new Russian economy. A historical overview of the Russian Orthodox Church describes the influence of religion on the Russian culture and mindset. Analysis of the role of folklore in Russian society and the major themes of popular Russian fairy tales shows moral values and themes similar to those in Westem countries. Further examination of values promulgated from communism and capitalism, as well as the interrelationships among the four factors is warranted.