Religion; the Forerunner of Organisational Culture: The Case of Quakerism in the Employment/Industrial Relations Practice of John and George Cadbury
Olusoji James George; Adediji, Okanlawon; Oluwakemi Owoyemi

Abstract
Influence of national culture on organisational culture dominates the contemporary literature on corporate culture. There also existed many studies as regards the relationship between cultural values and economic behaviour starting from Weber’s (1905) Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism to Wiener’s (1981) English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit 1850-1980; but not many writings as regards the role of religion in the development of organisational culture or other management practices using Quakerism & John and George Cadbury as the case. This study will therefore focus on the influence of religion on the development of an organisational culture; this is because religion or the absence of it may determine the behaviours of an individual. This is the case of John and George Cadbury who were Quakers and established in 1824 what is today know as Cadbury Worldwide. John and George Cadbury’s style of management or their management practices (especially their employee relations practices) were different from those of other employers of their days. This was why they were referred to as ‘good employers’. This study employing historical and descriptive research methodology concludes that what made them different from other employers of their time was the fact that they were Quakers.

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