Beyond Integrity Copyright © 1996, 2004 by Scott B. Rae and Kenman L. Wong Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Beyond integrity : a Judeo-Christian approach to business ethics / [edited by] Scott B. Rae and Kenman L. Wong.-2nd ed. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-310-24002-6 (hardcover) 1. Business ethics. 2. Business-Religious aspects-Christianity. 3. Business-Religious aspects-Judaism. I.
Rae, Scott B. II. Wong, Kenman L., 1964- HF5387.B49 2004 174'.4-dc22 2004010289 This edition printed on acid-free paper. All Scripture quotations used by the authors, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
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Interior design by Nancy Wilson Printed in the United States of America 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 /.DC/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ONE Christian Ethics in Business: Tensions and Challenges A sudden submission to Christian ethics by businessmen would bring about the greatest economic upheaval in history! A chief executive officer, quoted in "Is Business Bluffing Ethical?" by Albert Z. Carr INTRODUCTION Recently, there has been exploding interest in the idea of "spirituality" in the workplace. Major business magazines such as Business Week and Fortune have run cover stories on the topic, and academic conferences, corporate programs, and executive retreats have been organized around this theme. Understandably, the concept of integrating one's faith and values into the workplace is important and rightfully deserves such attention. However, actual attempts to bring faith-based values into the workplace can be challenging and riddled with tension when the "darker" aspects of business and the reality of economic competition are factored into the equation. In fact, some research supports the suspicion that many business people do, in fact, live with two conflicting sets of rules: one for business, and one for their lives outside of work. Some observers of commercial life have gone so far as to claim that virtue and success have an inverse relationship.
Unless individual participants leave "private" morality at the door, financial gain will prove elusive. Business demands shrewdness and the bending, if not outright breaking, of rules, the argument typically goes. Play "softly" and you will soon be surpassed. Not that "good" behavior is nonexistent. When it occurs, however, the motivation behind it is self-interest, not ethics per se. Organizations are trapped by similar deterministic rules.A "nice" company that engages in "restrained" competition or sacrifices profits for the benefit of employees or the local community beyond motivational or public relations value will soon find itself in decline if competitors don't operate with similar rules and intentions. The idea that business demands different standards for behavior is particularly problematic for those who adhere to a belief system that holds that a unified set of values.