Ethics in Christian vs. Non-Christian Companies

Ethics in Christian vs. Non-Christian Companies

 Religion is understood as the most crucial factor in an individual’s perspective of business ethics and the process of developing personal values. This feature, however, is examined and challenged in the business and economics perspectives since each player in business practices has to uphold ethical business conduct (Otte, 2009). In the workplace environment, however, the relationship between the two ideologies differs based on the position of an individual in the organizational structure. This paper evaluates the role of religion in business ethics by examining the responsibility of different players in the workplace environment.

A religious-based ethical principle develops as a personal code of conduct in how a person carries out their activities daily. In this approach, a Christian employee in a company applies his/her ethical principle in the operations without a direction from the management. Therefore, a Christian employee doesn’t have different obligations or responsibilities to an employer than a non-Christian employee. The duty to do more in the workplace should develop as an individual decision rather than coercion from the management, which would be an unethical practice of cultural discrimination based on one’s belief. According to Ezbilgin (2009), ethical practices by management must promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, and therefore, all employees must receive responsibilities and obligations in the workplace. Christian employees, however, have a mandate to exercise their ethical conduct based on their guiding principles without a managerial directive. For instance, if another employee is involved in unethical business practices, a Christian employee may address the concern even if it’s not within his/her responsibility or obligation by the management but as a responsibility within the personal code of conduct.

Religion is a critical component of a Christian’s ethical code, and Christian employers have different obligations and responsibilities to ethical conduct than non-Christian employers. As an employer, a Christian has the responsibility of integrating the Christian belief with the business practices of their organizations. There are business ethics and Christian ethics, and from theological teachings, Christian faith and reason (rationality) should intertwine in the decision-making process and as a guide to the action process of an organization (Mele & Fontrodona, 2017). In this regard, Christians in the corporate leadership ought to consider ethics beyond the legal business ethics requirement and use the teachings as a guide to their workplace interactions and corporate social responsibility (Benefiel et al., 2014). For example, consider a situation where a business decision affects the employees and probably may lead to loss of jobs at the organization. A Christian employer has the responsibility to go beyond the economic basis of the decision and examine other means that ensure the wellbeing of the employees while upholding the financial performance of the company. Every employer, however, a Christian or a non-Christian, is responsible for upholding a maximum level of workplace ethics in the business practice.

Chick-fil-A is a company known mainly for its Christian values since its foundation in 1946. Truett Cathy founded the company in 1946, a devout Southern Baptist who established a corporate culture based on Christian beliefs and has ever since established those values in the business practices of the company despite its immense growth. All of the company’s establishments remain closed on Sundays to allow its employees to worship and act within the Christian teachings of resting on the seventh day, which is also holy. The company is also known for its considerable donations to organizations based on Christian beliefs and humanitarian practices (Smith, 2019). This feature illustrates its extraordinary commitment to ethical practices and social responsibility within the Christian beliefs.

AARP is a non-profit company whose name develops from its founding name, American Association of Retired Persons. The organization is a non-profit and a non-partisan whose sole mission is to provide services ought to empower persons over the age of fifty with a membership of the organization. These services include health insurance, consumer advocacy, legal, and judicial assistance, among others. The company has established a high level of ethical practice throughout its operations years while maintaining its status as a non-partisan and non-profit organization. The moral stance of the organization is its commitment to addressing societal issues and has been recognized as one of the most ethical companies in the world.

The choice for the two companies, AARP and Chick-fil-A, is influenced by the popularity of the two in their respective industries and their continued adherence to the founding objectives. This year, for instance, AARP was recognized as one of the 128 most ethical companies across the world, a list consisting of companies drawn from 21 countries and over 50 different industries (Ethisphere.com, 2019). Chick-fil-A is a renowned company that has upheld its founding principle as a Christian company and applying that principle in its corporate social responsibility. Earlier this year, the company cut its donations to three conservative foundations that failed to meet its ethical conduct on equality (Green, 2014). Both companies establish ethical conduct as practice companies should be responsible for upholding irrespective of the religious beliefs but as a neutral action of humanitarianism.

References

Benefiel, M., Fry, L. W., & Geigle, D. (2014). Spirituality and religion in the workplace: History, theory, and research. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 6(3), 175.

Ethisphere Recognizes 128 World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2019. (2019). Retrieved 7 December 2019, from https://ethisphere.com/128-worlds-most-ethical-companies-for-2019/

Èzbilgin, M. (Ed.). (2009). Equality, diversity, and inclusion at work: A research companion. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Green, E. (2014). Chick-fil-A: Selling Chicken With a Side of God. Retrieved 7 December 2019, from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/chick-fil-a-selling-chicken-with-a-side-of-god/379776/

Melé, D., & Fontrodona, J. (2017). Christian ethics and spirituality in leading business organizations: Editorial introduction. Journal of business ethics, 145(4), 671-679.

Otte, J. T. (2009). Virtuous enterprises: the place of Christian ethics. Finance Bien Commun, (1), 87-98.

Smith, S. (2019). ‘Chick-fil-A remains committed to Christian values,’ Franklin Graham says after call to CEO Dan Cathy. Retrieved 7 December 2019, from https://www.christianpost.com/news/chick-fil-a-remains-committed-to-christian-values-franklin-graham-says-after-call-to-ceo-dan-cathy.html