How Faith-Based Learning Can Drive Ethical Business Practise
Most MBA students genuinely want to do what’s morally right, but any business leader can be led astray if they haven’t been firmly rooted in ethical principles.
Faith-based MBA programs, such as Excelsia College’s online Master of Business Administration, do more than tack on an ethics course to an otherwise win-at-any-cost approach to business. As students dig deeper into what it means to be a distinctly Christian leader, they’ll develop a set of principles which can act as their ethical ‘True North’.
Here are just a few of the faith-based, biblical principles that Excelsia MBA students will consider throughout their course of study.
Stewardship of resources and talents
Christian business leaders should be deeply concerned about the impact they have on the world around them. A faith-based MBA program will encourage students to consider how they can be effective and future-focused stewards of the limited resources available.
Christian businessmen and women are also called to be good stewards of their particular gifts and talents. Whether your own unique abilities are in leadership, advertisement, or sales, Excelsia’s online MBA program can position you to use your talents with integrity in the public marketplace.
Guarding against bad behaviour
Many leaders are known for their social skills, public speaking abilities, and arts of persuasion. Businessmen and women who are humble enough to take responsibility for their day-to-day mistakes and apologize for them are hard to find; they often earn a lot of respect from their employees.
Corporate leaders who recognise their own unethical challenges should also be more willing to employ safeguards and accountability systems, to ensure that neither they nor their employees can get away with cutting corners. Christian leaders encourage ethical behaviour from those around them but don’t assume that it comes naturally. They will take extra precautions to make sound decisions and set a good example for their employees to make the right decisions.
Recognizing the value of God’s word
The Bible offers benchmarks for ethical behaviour, which have deep implications for the business world. It encourages honesty in our speech and advertising, treating our neighbours with respect and honour, and working diligently. Faith-based programs help students see the profound and highly applicable wisdom behind these simple commands.
Pursuing justice
Justice in the workplace involves treating employees and customers fairly and without favouritism or discrimination. It involves paying particular attention to the lowest paid, least skilled employees, and ensuring that no person or policy is taking advantage of them. Acting justly also means recognising the personal responsibility of each individual in the company. While biblical justice positively protects the weak, it also demands that those who do wrong account for their actions. Excelsia’s MBA program teaches business leaders to create a healthy work environment where justice is acted upon, not merely given lip service.
Treating others well
A major aspect of leading from a faith-based perspective is recognizing the inherent worth of the people around you, regardless of gender, race, disability, social status, or religion. Loving others means treating everyone with respect. It also calls leaders to be mindful of the working conditions of those they employ, whether locally or overseas. A Christian education will help you see others as God sees them. This perspective will help you position your company to positively benefit your suppliers, employees and customers as well as the broader community.
If you’re looking to advance your business career, Excelsia College’s online MBA program will help you get to the next level with integrity.
