Business ethics: perspectives from Judaic, Christian, and Islamic scriptures (original) (raw)
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IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 2016
In today's business context, working spirituality has become most remarkable aspects of the organizational culture. The frequent conversation about spirituality at the workplace has uplifted the consciousness of the ethical responsibility among the corporate citizens. The sense of responsibility within the employees has been widely upgraded by the spiritual values, which directly made an impact on the overall development of the productivity as well as the organizational growth. However, the advancement of spirituality at workplace is extensively based on an individual responsibility towards the framework of a monastic work environment to enhance the spiritual consciousness and intellectual growth. In addition, to develop the ethical leaders in the workplace, the practice of spirituality is essential in daily organizational routine. According to 'Walter Earl Fluker' in his expert theory stated that spirituality demands that leaders should propagate and nurture the sense of self that perceive the interrelatedness of self, life or the sense of commonality.
Christian Ethics and Spirituality in Leading Business Organizations: Editorial Introduction
Journal of Business Ethics, 2016
Christian ethics applied to economics and business has a long tradition. This dates back at least to the thirteenth century, with noteworthy developments in the four following centuries and again in the last century. Christian faith and reason intertwine to bring about principles, criteria, and guidelines for action and a set of virtues with relevance for economic activity. Christian spirituality, with 2000 years of history, has been embedded in Christianity from its beginning, but the application to modern business activity is relatively recent. This article introduces a special issue which, we hope, will make its own small contribution to the developments of both Christian ethics and spirituality in the leading business organizations. After a short historical overview and a consideration of the current situation of Christian ethics and spirituality in business, we introduce the papers selected for this issue. Keywords Business ethics • Catholic social teaching • Christian ethics • Christian spirituality • Common good • Leadership I urge you to draw upon these great human and moral resources and to take up this challenge with determination and far-sightedness. Without ignoring, naturally, the specific scientific and professional requirements of every context, I ask you to ensure that humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it. Pope Francis, Letter to the Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, 2014. With these words, Pope Francis encourages us to strive for what is at the core of business ethics. A great challenge was also proclaimed by other moral voices. Saying that "ensuring that humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it" is a permanent Christian request which originates in the Gospel: "you cannot serve God and Wealth," said Jesus (Bible, Matthew 6:24). This sentence is not a pejorative vision of business, only a way to situate business and economic activity in the right place, stressing that wealth is instrumental and should serve to higher human ends. Using economic wealth as a means to higher human ends is not the only Christian principle for business. Actually, Christianity, as well as other religions, entails many ethical criteria for business and encourages virtues. Similarly, Christian spirituality can be inspirational in leading business. As we will see below, Christian ethics in economics and business has a long tradition but still needs future developments. Christian spirituality, with 2000 years of history, has been embedded in Christianity from its beginning, but the application to modern business activity is relatively recent and academic research is still incipient. This double need led to the choice of Christian Ethics and Spirituality in Leading Organizations as the theme of the 4th Interna
Ethical Issues in Business: The Spiritual Inputs
Proceedings - 1st International Conference on Business and Information (Researching Realities of Management Phenomenon), University of Kelaniya, 2010
Zeno of Cyprus, Manu Samhita and even every book of Religion especially ‘Hindu’ have strongly put the Ethics as an essential part of the business activities. All over the world, every person want to achieve peaceful living. And, to perform this act, a common code of conduct is required. This common code of conduct measures all human being equal and gives joy and happiness naturally available to all. It is, thus, called society i.e., group leading an ethics or living a value based life enjoys the fruits of good organized living. Business is a part of the society. It functions in the society. So, it should be guided by the ethical or moral norms which the society wants the business to observe. In other words, every business should be guided by business ethics i.e., moral principles which are considered by the society as right, and so, should govern and guide the activities of the business. This way, the present paper (followed) is based upon the citations, discussions and suggestions given in the various spiritual and holy texts in Artha and Kama, Dharma, Moksha manner. Moreover, ethical dilemma is discussed in detail. In my opinion, the present paper contains such issues which have not been discussed so far.
An analysis of business ethics in the cultural contexts of different religions
Business Ethics: A European Review, 2020
The aim of our research is to analyze how different religions influence business ethics. We develop an index of practices in the field of business ethics, made up of 19 items containing practices related to workers, consumers, products, human rights, management of ethical conflicts, and crime prevention. Also, we consider a wide range of religion affiliations. To undertake this research, we use a panel data sample composed of 11,956 firm-year observations from 18 countries. Drawing on stakeholder theory, we posit some hypotheses based on the religions considered. The results obtained show that a higher percentage of religious adherents in the country where a company does business usually involve the implementation of more ethical practices in the corporate field. These findings are obtained for Christian, Islamic, Jewish, and Hindu religions. In contrast, this does not stand for Buddhist and folk religions. Also, countries where there is no predominant religion do not show a confluence between religion and ethical corporate practices.
The Value Orientations of Buddhist and Christian Entrepreneurs
Business Spirituality This chapter summarizes the development of business spirituality, an emerging field that is increasing in popularity in economics and management studies. First, a review of the history and the problems of business ethics will be presented, and then the ethics management paradox will be introduced and discussed in detail. The ethics management paradox asserts that by introducing ethics as a managerial tool into organizations, ethics may be used in rational and instrumental ways which in turn undermine intrinsic moral commitment. The paradox necessitates a paradigm shift in business ethics according to which a deeper, intrinsic ethical commitment should come to the fore. The topic of business spirituality increased in importance in management studies and management practice, primarily around the turn of the millennium, and contributed to the implementation of spiritual values and faith-related principles such as openness, interconnectedness, altruism, and trust. It is difficult to give a precise, all-encompassing definition of business spirituality, but one is not necessary for following the main argument of this book, which involves a comparison of the value orientations of Buddhist and Christian entrepreneurs. Instead of giving a strict definition of the concept, this chapter introduces the most important features and outcomes of business spirituality. In the Handbook of Faith and Spirituality in the Workplace: Emerging Research and Practice, Judi Neal (2013a) acknowledges a Euro-American
Foundation of business ethics in contemporary religious thought: the Ten Commandment perspective
International Journal of Social Economics, 1998
Perhaps, one of the most influencing set of principles in Christianity, Judaism and Islam is the Ten Commandments (TCs). They are often recited by ordinary and élite people of these three major faiths. In fact, in some quarters among Christians, Jews and Muslims, the TCs are taken for granted and their influence is reflected in the behavior and attitudes of the believers. The widespread use of the TCs and their popularity can be attributed to their practical application to day-today relationships and to their regular use and reference in religious ceremonies. Aside from the tendency for their use to regulate relations between men and their fellow man and God, the TCs have had a profound impact on work and on the organizational workplace. This paper is designed to review the TCs in Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths. In particular, the paper provides implications regarding the use of TCs in work and business organizations. Work ethics and the Ten Commandments One of the most interesting aspects of the work ethic as viewed by Christianity,
Placing Business Ethics in Contextual Theological Education
International Journal of Public Theology 11 (2017) 110–125, 2017
This study focuses on the relevance of business ethics for contextual theological education in Asia particularly with the background of Protestant traditions. There are professional reasons why business ethics could be worth offering to students who are in preparation to become pastors and prospective church leaders as well as those who are already in those positions. With an area of theological study, such as biblical studies , systematic theology, practical theology, or contextual theology and religious studies, selected as entry point, business ethics learning could be fittingly placed in theological education. Ethical issues which have been widely discussed both in the theological forum and that of business studies are worth developing as key topics of theological business ethics.
Cultural and Religious Diversity and the Teaching of Business Ethics
Business Ethics teaching today is in need of an increased multicultural awareness. This is for two complementary reasons: (a) business is growing globally more and more, involving an increasing contact between different cultures and ethical systems; (b) the development of the discipline in the West is conditioned by a cultural bias due to the prevalence of both a skeptic and a utilitarian views on ethics, as well as a widespread belief about the Western experience of modernity as being normative of modernization elsewhere. These reasons pose challenges to both the way in which the discipline is understood and how it is taught. This article assesses the problem at the level of religious studies, philosophy and business ethics specifically, and explores ways of meeting the mentioned challenges at the teaching level from the standpoint of virtue ethics
The power of a parable. The religious “origins” of business ethics
Człowiek i Społeczeństwo, 2016
Business ethics deals with ethical aspects of management and entrepreneurship, activities closely linked to “this world’s” problems. Surprisingly enough religious traditions have their impact on the argumentation in this field. The paper focuses on two biblical parables: on the talents and on the good Samaritan. Both are not only present in business and management literature but also widely discussed in the context of today’s economy and society. The first one seems to be a basis of the doctrine of corporate social responsibility in its original form presented within the “gospel of wealth” movement. The second one however offers even more opportunities to discuss the responsibilities of business in today’s world. So the religious narratives cannot be ignored within business ethics. This conclusion applies, of course, to all religions, esp. the Asian ones in view of the fact of the rapid development of Chinese or Indian economies.