Barbalet, Jack (2008) Weber, Passion and Profits: 'The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism' in Context, Cambrdige University Press.

"Jack Barbalet's reading of Max Weber's sociology of religious asceticism extracts a new richness from these classical texts and restores to modern sociology a discourse - passion, virtue and calling - which we have unfortunately lost. More than simply an interpretation of Weber's work on the Protestant sects, Barbalet situates his appreciation of Weber within the broader context of theories of the market, the missing work on Roman Catholicism and anti-Semitism. Weber, Passions and Profits, building on his earlier work on emotions, is not only a work of immense scholarship but also a work of passion." - Bryan S. Turner, Editor of The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology (2006)

Product Description: Max Weber's 'The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism' is one of the best-known and most enduring texts of classical sociology, continually inspirational and widely read by both scholars and students. In an insightful and original interpretation, Jack Barbalet discloses that Weber's work is not simply about the cultural origins of capitalism but an allegory concerning the Germany of his day. Situating 'The Protestant Ethic' in the development of Weber's prior and subsequent writing, Barbalet traces changes in his understanding of key concepts including 'calling' and 'rationality'. In a close analysis of the ethical underpinnings of the capitalist spirit and of the institutional structure of capitalism, Barbalet identifies continuities between Weber and the eighteenth-century founder of economic science, Adam Smith, as well as Weber's contemporary, the American firebrand, Thorstein Veblen. Finally, by considering Weber's investigation of Judaism and capitalism, important aspects of his account of Protestantism and capitalism are revealed.

Ali, A. J. (2005). Islamic Perspectives On Management And Organization (New Horizons in Management). Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar.

The dynamics of the global business environment necessitate that organizational assumptions and underpinnings are understood in their socio-cultural context. This pioneering book covers issues related to Islamic assumptions about organization and management, enabling readers to understand the challenges in managing corporations that operate in an Islamic environment.

The author provides an original and up-to-date treatment of management orientations and practices in Muslim countries and provides pertinent information about the frame of reference for Muslims and Muslim organizations. 

Relying on classic interpretations of organizational issues without ignoring contemporary thought, the author uses original sources and extensive business, psychology, sociology, and religious references to highlight the orientations and practices that lead to superior performance in a Muslim environment. He goes on to identify both organizational and societal attributes that are essential for effective relationships at the workplace, underscoring the peculiarities of personal relationships and their tremendous influence on organizational expectations and conduct.

Scholars and practitioners who specialize in business, economics, international relations, religion, and sociology will find this book a necessary resource for broadening their understanding of the religious and cultural aspects of conducting business across cultures. The comprehensive and original coverage of the book will prove useful in understanding business, cultural, and philosophical issues related to the Islamic World.

Here is an excerpt from the Islamic Work Ethic and Values chapter of the book:

“The issue of work ethics and value systems associated with work has captured the attention of scholars for the last seven decades. Most discussions about these topics have been concerned with Judeo-Christian contributions and, to a large extent, have been carried out in Western countries. Despite the fact that many other religious and ethnic groups have achieved prosperity and tremendous economic advancement during part of their history, their contributions have been almost totally ignored in management literature. The Islamic view of work and ethical considerations have either been misunderstood or not widely studied in the field of organization studies. This chapter provides insights into the Islamic Work Ethic and the underlying assumptions for personal value systems. The emphasis will be on the meaning of work and organization in early Islamic teaching.” (p. 50)

Isaacs, Mark D. (2006) Centennial Rumination on Max Weber's the Protestant Ethic And the Spirit of Capitalism, Dissertation.com

Max Weber's sociological classic The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism was published first in 1904-1905. In this book Weber argues that religion, specifically "ascetic Protestantism" provided the essential social and cultural infrastructure that led to modern capitalism. Weber suggests that Protestantism has "an affinity for capitalism" and something within Protestantism—by accident or design—creates the necessary preconditions that lead to the flowering of a just, free, and prosperous society.  Weber also wonders if the economic backwardness of certain societies and regions of the world are somehow related to their religious affiliation. Weber’s century old thesis challenges the erroneous core assumptions of many secular humanists, postmoderns, Roman Catholic traditionalists, and Islamists. In view of the threat of the War on Terror, and in the face of the inadequate response of secularist and post-modern intellectuals, it is vital that we understand and appreciate the profound paradigm shift that occurred during the sixteenth and seventeenth century that led to the unfolding of modern capitalism. Despite a plethora of critics Max Weber’s one-hundred year old thesis still stands. (Adapted from Amazon)

The Rev. Mark D. Isaacs is a Lutheran clergyman and an adjunct college professor. He earned a B.A. in Economics from Westfield State College (1980), a M.Div. degree (1992) and a S.T.M. degree (2005) from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He received his Ph.D., Summa Cum Laude, from Trinity Theological Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana (2005). Pastor Mark worked as a research economist, business editor, and economics writer before attending seminary. Since June 1996 he has served as pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Wurtemburg located in Rhinebeck, New York. Since January 2000 Pastor Mark has served as an adjunct professor in several area colleges.

Sajoo, Amyn B. (2004) Muslim Ethics: Emerging Vistas. New York: I.B. Tauris Publishers in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies.

Although this book is not directly related with business ethics or Islamic Work Ethic, it would still help to understand Islamic perspective. Here is an excerpt from the books flap:

“ ‘Why should we act ethically?’ is a question readily ignored today in favour of asking what is ethics and how it is applied, which leaves out vast areas of human motivation that concern the nature of moral action and commitment. Responding coherently to these interlocking lines of inquiry requires us to consider conceptions of the ‘good’ in domains public and private, traditional and modern.

Ultimately, this inquiry is tied to individual as well as collective senses of the Self. In Muslim societies where the prevalence of the secular has played itself out so differently than in Europe and North America, the interplay of reason and faith has yielded and continues to yield richly complex ideas of the ‘good’, far beyond the poles of contention that dominate public debate. Neither a rigid orthodoxy about ethics as a timeless body of sacred rules, nor a discourse that reduces the why, how and what of ethics to ‘rationalist’ norms of ‘appropriate’ behaviour can begin to reflect the larger reality. Yet such polar reduction is rife, especially in the aftermath of the events of September II, 2001.

This volume ranges over challenges from civic governance to biomedicine and the environment, through which Muslim ethical frameworks have emerged and are unfolding in our time. Civility, human rights, pluralism and humane action are key themes, mindful of the globalized context in which they increasingly demand the attention of Muslims—including those of the diaspora in the West, and all their fellow citizens. Normative sources such as scriptural texts are joined on the analytical canvas by lived settings and cultural expressions, from novels to fine art, in which diverse moral understandings and intuitions are embedded.”