Faith At Work

This article was written by Maya Davis

- An undergrad student at Eastern University in St. Davids PA.

When considering ethical concerns in relation to business, it is clear that business has not always acted in or for the best interests of humanity. From the slavery that became a hallmark of colonialism, to miners who were paid in coal scrip that could only be used to buy goods from the company they worked for and thus kept the workers in debt to the company (Who Sold Their Souls To the Company Store, 2014), to the more recent scandals of Enron and other large corporations that failed in the United States due to lying or theft, one thing these unethical actions have in common is that many of the people who participated in the behavior, or those who led the companies in unethical practices, claimed to be Christian. This begs the question: When those who claim to be ethical or moral and profess a belief in God, a God who loved humanity so much that special considerations were written into the “original” moral code (scripture) to combat oppression against humans, allow moral codes to be neglected for the sake of profit, does it make the term “business ethics” an oxymoron?

Using a Christian perspective (since Christianity is the dominant religion in the United States, with 78 percent of adults claiming Christianity as their basis, per Newport, 2021), there are areas where faith and business intersect. As Van Buren (2020) notes, religion “can…be deployed in the service of emancipation” and also that “in late capitalist societies, corporations and other organizations have emerged as the primary vehicle for social value creation as well as value distribution, and their intersection [with religion] remains an important…area.” Multiple scriptures speak to relieving oppression. While some may argue that it is predominantly regarding spiritual oppression, scripture includes both humans and the earth in easing oppression, such as with the year of Jubilee (Bolinger, 2020), indicating that valuing humans and other resources (such as land) matters to God. This crosses over with business in part because “Successful companies…know that employees are essential factors in any organization’s success” (Hobson, 2019). Both faith and business have a vested interest in ensuring that humans are valued, cared for, and respected. When business turns away from this concept, business deterioration often results, as evidenced by a quote from a CEO that was “let go from his failing business” when he stated, “We are not a caring organization” (Efron, 2019). However, as Efron (2019) further notes, when business leaders care about their human resources, not only are they more able to retain employees, but the business has more positive outcomes. In other words, humans matter, both to God and to business, and this point cannot be overstated.

Next, in the intersection between business and faith is a concern for the environment. As seen in the Genesis narrative of creation, God is invested in what He created and retained that interest, passing it along to human caretakers. In this regard, the symbiosis of humanity and business go hand-in-hand: without humans, businesses would have no demand, and thus would have no need to exist; however, without other resources, businesses would have no way to meet the demand for goods or services that humans request. Therefore, other resources also matter and the concern of how those resources are managed with an eye toward sustainability is vital, just as it was important to God when establishing parameters for the land to rest.

The final intersection is flourishing. Businesses wish to thrive as evidenced by a focus on profit, but it is also God’s wish for humans and other resources to thrive. According to Wong and Rae (2011. P. 71), the Hebrew word “shalom” covers a wealth of meaning, including “wholeness, health, peace, welfare, prosperity, rest, harmony, and the absence of agitation or discord.” If good business leaders were asked if they would like their companies to be whole, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous, it could reasonably be assumed that the answer would be positive. Here, then, both morality and business once again intersect and share common interests.

However, there are areas where faith and business clash, even within areas where they have commonalities. According to Investopedia, “Business ethics goes beyond just a moral code of right and wrong; it attempts to reconcile what companies must do legally versus maintaining a competitive advantage over other businesses” (Twin, 2021). This reconciliation can fail, pushing businesses into a combative position against humans (those they employ and those who are consumers) and other resources they need as they forsake flourishing for the singular goal of profit. A look at headlines and case studies shows how pervasive this can be, from Purdue Pharma and OxyContin (Gamble, Thompson, & Peteraf, 2021, pp. 399-407), Nestle and water rights both overseas and the US (Pakistan Audit Report, 2018, and Singh, 2021), to Enron and beyond (Analyst, 2018). This push for profit can lead to further declining profit. Efron (2019) states, “When I have been involved in teams that were unfortunate enough to have leaders who cared only about their numbers, engagement and retention were low, work quality was poor and business results declined.” Instead of correcting course, businesses can be tempted to cut more corners, fabricate profitability numbers, or lean on other unethical strategies in search of elusive profit, which continues to negatively impact human and other resources (and thus flourishing).

While there are many people who may claim that they use their faith to guide them in their business dealings, letting them “follow their conscience” isn’t always the best way to ensure excellent or moral business practices. Thus, when considering business and morality (or religion), the two may seem to be on opposite ends, especially when it is obvious that there are spaces where both intersect and also conflict. However, there is a way to resolve the tension between those two spaces, and it can be done under the banner of Business Ethics. When corporations consider how to keep their resources the most sustainable (which includes humans and other resources) and how to promote, work toward, and foster flourishing for all, not only can companies be profitable, but all of the shareholders (not just stakeholders) can thrive.

References

Analyst, I. G. (2018, November 1). Top 10 biggest corporate scandals and how they affected share prices. IG. https://www.ig.com/en/news-and-trade-ideas/top-10-biggest-corporate-scandals-and-how-they-affected-share-pr-181101

Bolinger, H. (2020, January 7). What was the year of Jubilee? Christianity.Com. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-was-the-year-of-jubilee.html

Efron, L. (2019, March 8). Unleashing the power of humanity in business. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/louisefron/2019/03/08/unleashing-the-power-of-humanity-in-business/?sh=4a83589c57b8

Gamble, Thompson, and Peteraf (2021). Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage. 7th Edition.

Hobson, K. (2019, December 12). Five Reasons Employees Are Your Company’s No. 1 Asset. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2019/12/12/five-reasons-employees-are-your-companys-no-1-asset/?sh=3528bdc12563

Newport, B. F. (2021, April 3). Christianity remains dominant religion in the United States. Gallup.Com. https://news.gallup.com/poll/151760/christianity-remains-dominant-religion-united-

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Pakistan: Audit report finds Nestle Pakistan extracting and wasting water without any costs. (2018, November 8). Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/pakistan-audit-report-finds-nestle-pakistan-extracting-and-wasting-water-without-any-costs/

Singh, M. (2021, April 28). California orders Nestlé to stop siphoning spring water. High Country News. https://www.hcn.org/articles/climate-desk-water-california-orders-nestle-to-stop-siphoning-spring-water#:%7E:text=Nestl%C3%A9%20has%20maintained%20that%20its,year%20it%20could%20validly%20claim.

Twin, A. (2021, August 29). Business Ethics. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/business-ethics.asp

Van Buren, H. J., Syed, J., & Mir, R. (2020). Religion as a macro social force affecting business: Concepts, questions, and future research. Business & Society, 59(5), 799–822. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650319845097

Who Sold Their Souls to the Company Store? (2014, February 26). Bridge Day. https://officialbridgeday.com/bridge-blog/company-store

Wong, Kenman and Rae, Scott B. (2011). Business for the common good: A Christian vision for the marketplace. IVP Academic.