Ethics From the Top Down: The Need for Biblical Teaching in Corporate Culture
Reverend Richard Davis1
Introduction
Our ethical principles are weakened by the human instinct to promote the
individual over all others. The nature of accepted morality on which a society builds its
ethical standard will shift when pressured by the desires of the day. The results have
been an unequal application of corporate standards, usually skewed toward a quick
financial gain.
The problem manifests itself in corporate culture rather than by laws or rules of
engagement with customers or competitors. The pressure for excessive financial gain
over shadows Gods’ call on all people, firms, companies, and corporations, which is to
contribute to, and care for, the society in which they operate as well as accumulate
wealth.
The accumulation of wealth is not evil or destructive. The accumulation of
wealth without regard to consequence for others, and/or ignoring the implementation of
social responsibilities which come with it, is destructive and outside the will of God. The
culture of greed which we have developed around Western business puts even the best
intended ethical rule in jeopardy. The Judeo-Christian heritage counters the problem of
human ethical weakness. We can strengthen our corporate culture and ensure our proper
use of financial gains by looking to the commands and demonstrations of Gods’ will for
justice as found in the teachings and actions of Jesus and the prophets.
Corporate culture
From the Hebrew Scriptures to the New Testament, God has consistently called
us to establish a culture of justice. We can hardly expect the modern capitalist society to
answer this call without the support of business. The strength or weakness of a
corporations ethics lie in its own culture. Unfortunately the motivation for our corporate
and individual conduct is often created by weighing social punishment verses the possible
desired gain. We are in a time which there is an increase in our society to challenge
every social and judicial control mechanism by the equation of profit or loss.
"David Batshone, author of ‘Saving the Corporate Soul’ found that 53 percent of
employees in small and large companies said they would be willing to misrepresent
corporate financial information if asked to by their bosses. Even more worrying were the
results of a Junior Achievement/Harris poll of teenagers aged 13-18, conducted in the
U.S. and published in July 2003. Of these future leaders, one third said they would act
1
I would like to express my appreciation to Tyler Brown for his research assistance in the preparation of
this paper. The opinions in expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the United
Methodist Church. All errors or omissions are solely my own.
R. Davis - Ethics From the Top Down: The Need for Biblical Teaching in Corporate Culture
unethically to get ahead or make more money if there was no chance of getting caught
and a further 25 per cent were not sure." Gerald Milward-Oliver, The Soul of the
Corporation, in Corporate Social Responsibility p65 (Ramon Mulllerat, Kluwer 2005).
The values of the teenagers surveyed in the Junior Achievement/Harris poll are
chilling. This is the society we are creating. It is also the mirror for corporate America,
for the children repeat what they have been taught at home and by the society around
them. When God was sending the Israelites into Canaan he warned them to teach their
children about the laws they have received and to remember what the Lord has done for
them, so they may prosper in the land. In Deuteronomy 11:19 The Lord commands,
“Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home
and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.” New
Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
This same wisdom applies to modern society. It would appear that many
American children are learning the ethic of “don’t get caught.” They will soon be
working for you! The honesty and integrity of your business will depend on whether
ethics are a part of your corporate culture.
We must ask ourselves; do we actively promote a culture of justice and honesty
within our own ranks? One which is strong enough to manifest itself in the community?
Or does the pressure for a high rate of return on our investments seem to make anything
outside of profits irrelevant? Our Judeo-Christian heritage counters the innate weakness
of human ethics with the commands and demonstrations of Gods’ will for justice as seen
in the teachings and actions of Jesus and the prophets. Because of this people of faith
should be leading the clarion call for strong ethical behavior in our business conduct.
People outside of the faith community should understand that they can turn to the
ancient scriptures and find the kind of wisdom that will guide them through the difficult
challenge that face business ethics. Too often people of faith have focused their
combined efforts on “religious” issues and almost entirely ignored the market place. I
believe we have missed the mark set forth by Gods’ prophets. Our participation in
corporate injustice or neglect to stand against it is a greater offense to God and a greater
danger to our society than some of the more publicized issues of our day. The religious
community is failing its faith if it does not insist on ethical behavior within the
corporations we own, manage, and labor.
The prophet Amos reminds us of how important fair and equal treatment is to
God. In a time of prosperity, Amos had the unenviable call from God to tell Israel that
even their religious worship and sacrifices were not acceptable. The problem was their
social abuse of the weak. Prosperity hates to be challenged, and is often sited as a sign
that the society is blessed by God. In many ways prosperity has become the god of
western society. In the Book of Amos this concept is challenged and so is the modern
corporation. The prophet is called to shed light on the unjust manner in which the law is
applied and the perversion of the truth within the society. In the ancient times the elders
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R. Davis - Ethics From the Top Down: The Need for Biblical Teaching in Corporate Culture
of the town would gather and “hold court” at the city gate. It was a place where the rich,
poor, laborer, and land owner could seek the fair application of the laws. Yet this was not
always the case. Justice was denied to those who needed it the most, the poor and
disadvantaged. The result was the Lords’ rejection of their worship in light of the social
repression within the community.
“Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will
not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I
will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not
listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5: 22-24 NSRV
Those empowered by wealth and position must consider ethical business behavior
as a significant part of daily living and worship. The culture we develop within our own
businesses will determine how we interact with our customers, suppliers, and employees.
It will determine how we are perceived by the world, our investors and customers.
The world is not designed for takers, but servants. In John 13, even Jesus washed
the feet of the disciples. This action did not lessen his stature in the eyes of his followers,
but had the opposite effect of creating humble servants out of men who sought to increase
their social standing by the position they held with Jesus. The arguments between the
disciples about who would be first in the new kingdom with Jesus were quelled when he
demonstrated the need for all to be servants. We should not fear humble service, but
recognize the power it has to strengthen our reputation. The culture of an organization
will follow the strongest held and demonstrated beliefs of its leaders. Honesty and
integrity must be demonstrated by leadership as well as written into the bylaws and daily
memos. Jesus followed this demonstration of foot washing with a command that they
love one another. “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” John
13:34b NRSV This was the word written into the by-laws of the organization. Jesus
demonstrated the need for servant-hood and love, and then made it a command.
We need to be committed in actions and not just words. Do we make a few
obligatory moves to show what a good and pious company we are, while our normal
daily business is based only on personal gain at what ever the cost? Enron, the 21st
century’s poster child for how to implode a corporation, painted a fine picture of its
integrity:
“Lush photographs of flowers and children illustrated a small booklet that
laid out Enron’s values: Respect, Integrity, Communication, and
Excellence.” Mimi Swartz and Sherron Watkins, Power Failure: The
Inside Story of the Collapse of Enron, p103 (2003).
Were these values displayed when top management sold off their stock for
millions of dollars while encouraging employees to hold on to their stocks? Were there
respect, integrity, and communication employed when thousands of people were allowed
to lose their life savings as stock values tumbled? If we truly desire ethical corporations,
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R. Davis - Ethics From the Top Down: The Need for Biblical Teaching in Corporate Culture
then the leadership must lead, and insist on being followed. Corporate statements alone
will not affect the internal culture. The gospel tells a story about Jesus’ impression of
those showy “look at me” moments and how much they are worth compared to those of
true devotion.
“He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money
into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow
came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then
he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow
has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all
of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her
poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’” Mark
12:41-44 NRSV
The widow probably suffered for her gift, yet she would not be denied her belief.
She would not participate half way. Ethics require a complete dedication on the part of
management. We cannot expect positive results unless we make it part of who we are.
There will always be times when ethics will interfere with short term goals or profits.
Temptations are a part of life, and we are defined by our responses.
The integrity of the widow represents the best of humanity. In today’s world she
could be the lowest wage earner in your corporation. Yet her commitment and integrity
should be rewarded with respect and recognition. We need to celebrate each employee’s
worth and dignity. The results will be an increased loyalty in return. All workers need to
know they are important to the company and that what they do matters to the
corporation’s success.
In Mathew 20:1-16, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who recruits men to
work in his vineyards. Some are hired in the early part of the day, others around noon
and some even at the last hour of the day. The landowner pays every body the same.
Though it offends our concept of right and fair pay the story says that the Lords pay is
equal. That all who comes to the Lord, even those who arrive late in life will receive the
same pay, which is salvation. The question for us is if there is the expectation of equal
reward in heaven, how then should we treat our fellow creatures, which are on the same
journey to death and life as we are? The treatment of those who work for us is not left up
to our own whim. There are expectations, and there are choices, and an ethical company
cannot engage in any type of prejudice, intimidation or sexism within the work place.
“The business leaders who articulated and practiced philosophies of
benevolence toward their employees were moved by deep caring and a
sense of personal responsibility. They did not take care of their employees
primarily because they thought it was good business to do so: rather, it
became good business because they did it with heart.” Remarks of Roger
Harrison, cited in Peter Koestenbaum, The Heart of Business, pxii (1987).
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R. Davis - Ethics From the Top Down: The Need for Biblical Teaching in Corporate Culture
If we are to regain an ethical hold on our corporations, it will have to flow
through the organization from the top down. To recall the beautiful but strong words of
the prophet Amos we need to “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an
ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:24 NSRV
Accumulation of wealth
There is no command or wisdom against the gathering of wealth. There are clear
biblical warnings against the abuse of wealth, power, and the neglect of others in need.
True corporate ethics will guide us in the proper use of our possessions. Once again we
can find strength and guidance in the Christian and Jewish scriptures. Jesus told a story
about a poor man and a wealthy man who knew him but refused him help. The story is
often called the rich man and Lazarus. It begins with a description of the two men’s life.
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who
feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named
Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what
fell from the rich mans’ table.” Luke 16:19-21 NRSV
From the beginning we see a great disparity between the conditions of the two
men. Even more important is that Lazarus was ignored by the wealthy inhabitants of the
house. It says that he longed for what “fell from the rich man’s table.” The rich man
who could have made such a difference in Lazarus’ life refused him even the scrapes or
garbage from his feast. The story continues with the death of the two men. Lazarus is
taken to live with Abraham in heaven; the other to agony in Hades. With this simple
story we are given an insight into God’s expectations of those blessed with wealth. The
greater the gifts we have been given, the greater the responsibility we have to provide for
the common good. Our corporate ethics must extend beyond the doors of our business.
In an article from Sojourner, Bill Gates Sr. and Chuck Collins wrote “Society has
an enormous claim on the fortunes of the wealthy. This is rooted not only in most
religious traditions, but also in an honest accounting of society’s substantial investment in
creating the fertile ground for wealth-creation…Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all
affirm the right of individual ownership and private property, but there are moral limits
imposed on absolute private ownership of wealth and property. Each tradition affirms
that we are not individuals alone but exist in community — a community that makes
claims upon us.” Jim Wallis, God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left
Doesn’t Get It, p268 (2005).
A simple question we can ask of ourselves is have we improved the marketplace
from which we have reaped our harvest? Prof. Jurgen E. Schrempp, Chairman of the
Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler wrote about his companies investment policies
within the market:
“Our rules of governance are rigorously observed and monitored.
Moreover, our long term commitment to society-at-large demonstrated
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R. Davis - Ethics From the Top Down: The Need for Biblical Teaching in Corporate Culture
through our HIV/AIDS program or through the development of a global
association of training facilities, particularly in crisis region’s has long set
international benchmarks. Indeed, our holistic approach helps to create
humane working and lining conditions in domestic and global markets
without sacrificing corporate growth.
Prof. Jurgen E. Schrempp,
Chairman of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler,
DaimlerChrysler Sustainability Profile 2005, p7.
Conclusion
In the end we will have to decide if we truly want honest corporations within our
community. To do so we will have to become ethical by our very nature. When profit
comes up against basic moral behavior, will we make excuses or have the courage to
stand firm? When blessed with great wealth will we become obsessed with what is ours,
and forget about the society from which we reaped our harvest, or will we give back and
sow seeds for the future? The truth is only as strong as the person from whom it is
sought.
Thomas Merton, a 20th century monk wrote, “A sincere man is not one who so
much sees the truth and manifest it as he sees it, but one who loves the truth with pure
love.” Thomas Merton, The Pocket Thomas Merton, In the pursuit of profit and human
dignity, p.67, Robert Inchausti, ed. (2005).
There is no excuse for the behavior that enriches one while destroying another.
Our excuses are only the lies we tell ourselves. I have covered a small amount of wisdom
available from scripture. I have not even broken into the ancient teachings and traditions
from the Jewish Talmud or the Q’uran. The search for ethics goes beyond our
narcissistic understanding into the realm of God. We should not be afraid to employ such
powerful knowledge.
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