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Essential Questions
Ethics and Stewardship
How do I practice what I have learned in a way that cares for others and the rest of creation?
By Albert M. Erisman
Ethics and Stewardship. These terms remind us of boundaries for conduct and restraint in our use of resources. As such, for much of our society they carry a negative connotation. But the world that God made operates under a different set of principles. Cutting the corners, shaving the truth, cornering all the resources are not the route to happiness and fulfillment. Jesus said, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
No, ethics and stewardship are not negative at all. They are not just boundaries to be avoided in order to stay out of trouble. They are terms that describe the best way in life, the best way in business. This is true most of the time by any yardstick. But sometimes seeing this requires a yardstick that comes from God.
Ethics and stewardship certainly are important in school. They extend to how we take a test, how we treat our friends, how we spend our time, and how we handle our money. But they don't end when the tests do. They are fundamental principles for every aspect of our lives including how we act in business.
I would like to focus on ethics in business, since it is one area that affects all of us, either as a place of employment or as places we deal with in most aspects of commerce. A few years ago, we might have needed a reminder about why ethics and stewardship are so important for business. But in the past two years, ethical scandals in high places have made names like Enron, Adelphia, Andersen, and Global Crossing a part of the household language for ethical business failures. But the opposite of ethical failure is not simply compliance, it is a business rooted in values, vibrant, productive, and prepared to deal well with adversity.
How do we provide our young people with the proper foundation so that as leaders for tomorrow, they can truly make a difference in their world? Clearly this is at the heart of the Bellevue Christian School mission.
Christians should surely know why ethics and stewardship are important in business. Imagine trying to do any form of business without trust or truth. But can we communicate the motivation and fundamental principles in a way that the secular world will understand? And can we remember, in the frantic pace of life, to connect Monday with Sunday?
At the Institute for Business, Technology, and Ethics we have created nine reasons why we should run a business in an ethical manner. Our goal is to argue on practical, good business terms for ethics in business. Here are the nine reasons, with more detail here.
- Litigation/Indictment Avoidance
- Regulatory Freedom
- Increased Public Acceptance
- Increased Investor Confidence
- Supplier/Partner Trust that Simplifies Contracting
- Improved Customer Loyalty
- Increased Employee Performance
- Personal Pride
- It's Right
While the first eight have a near term payoff (from the community, from the direct business relationships, and for peace of mind), the ninth is the one with no certainty of an improved outcome in the present. It is deeply rooted in doing right as an end in itself, not as a means to something else.
While Bellevue Christian School has something to say about the first eight reasons, the teaching and philosophy of the school is foundational for the ninth reason. Interestingly, if the ninth reason is not present, it is much more difficult to reap the benefits of the first eight. In any particular situation, it can be difficult to see that a hard choice will avoid future regulation, improve employee performance, or increase investor confidence, for example. Rather, it is best to take the right step, and allow the results to follow.
In other words, acting ethically in business is just good business. Most of the time. However, if we act ethically in business just to get good results, we will likely fail. This is because the world is broken by sin, and right actions don't always produce right results. But with God's yardstick, even these cases will lead to eternal reward.
Bellevue Christian School offers the opportunity for students to be rooted in what is right.
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