Running Head: PERSONAL WORLDVIEW AND BUSINESS ETHICS
Personal Worldview & Business Ethics Paper
Liberty University BMAL 560
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STEP 1
To what extent should personal religious beliefs impact our decisions about business ethics
When it comes to personal religious beliefs and business ethics, I believe that the
boundaries should be placed as to how far an individual allows their personal religious beliefs to
influence the way that they conduct business. For example, if a business associate is granted the
authority to employ others to work for the corporation they should not allow their personal
religious beliefs to determine their decision about who will be best for a particular job. Our
personal religious beliefs are exactly what they are described to be– personal! And allowing
them to interfere with our judgment for others in the business environment is in my opinion an
act of discrimination.
To what extent do your personal religious (or non-religious) beliefs about life impact your
sense of business ethics and personal decision-making?
My personal religious beliefs impact my sense of business ethics and decision making to
a certain extent. For instance, when it comes to making a decision in the business environment I
base my conclusions on my religious beliefs about fairness and integrity. Proverbs 28:6 (ESV)
states that better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his
ways. In addition, I will not judge or make the decision to not conduct business with others based
upon their personal religious beliefs, but solely on their personal ethical practices as it relates to
business. I understand that we reside in a diverse world and with many cultures and beliefs;
however, we are all God’s children, created in His image and are expected to demonstrate
impartiality; as we are reminded in Romans 2:11 (ESV) for God shows no partiality.
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Does it seem odd to connect every belief we have about life back to what we believe about
God?
Colossians 1:16 (ESV) tells us that for by him all things were created in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or ruler or authorities; all things were
created through him and for him. Therefore, no, it does not seem odd to connect all of our
beliefs about life to God; God is the creator of all things.
Article 1- “What is a worldview and why is it important to me?”
Has your answers to either of the first two questions changed after reading article 1?
No. After reading article 1 my answers to the first two questions have not changed;
however, I do have a better understanding about the foundations of personal worldviews.
Do you believe in absolute truth? Is there more than one way/religion to understanding
absolute truth about God and the meaning of life?
No, I do not believe in absolute truth. And I believe that this personal belief is a major
contributor to my worldview. I personally believe that the world consists mainly of perceptions
and opinions, and as human beings no one truly knows the truth about life, creation or God.
Although, I do believe God is real, I also believe that there is more than one way to
understanding things.
Do you believe that humans have free will in their decisions, or are they entirely a product
of their personal environment, circumstances, upbringing, etc?
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I do believe that humans do have a limited extent of free will in their decisions; however
I feel that upbringing, circumstances and one’s environment is a major influence as to how one
will make a decision.
Are things such as true love, beauty, and justice really possible, or are those values totally
determined by cultural beliefs and norms?
I believe that true love, beauty and justice are all possible. And if we were to include free
will into this topic then I would explain real true love, beauty and justice to be based on the way
one chooses to understand and perceive the three. However, in my opinion, if an individual
chooses to allow cultural beliefs and norms to shape their view of true love, beauty and justice
they may miss out on magnificence of it all. I don’t think true love, beauty and justice should be
restricted by cultural beliefs and norms.
STEP 2
Have your answers to any of the last questions changed after reading article 2?
No.
So far in what you’ve read and in what you’ve experienced in life, does it seem odd or
offensive to see Jesus Christ as the foundation for life and meaning?
Yes and no (seems odd). Although, I was raised in a Christian home and grew up with
Christian beliefs, I have always had questions about the Christian religion. Some Christians
believe in the law and others believe in God’s grace. Therefore, if certain religions do not
believe that Jesus Christ is the foundation for life is God’s grace extended to them for their
beliefs?
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STEP 3
Have your answers to either of the last two questions changed after reading article 3?
No.
Now that you’ve read all of the articles, how has your view of meaning, ethics and your own
worldview changed? What questions or comments do you have about what you’ve read?
The articles have not changed my view; however, they have helped me to develop a
deeper understanding about certain terms and ideals.
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Business Ethical Practices
The ethical practices that occur within businesses should be similar to ethical practices
that occur in one’s life. According to Lawrence and Weber (2014), “business ethics is the
application of general ethical ideas to business behavior” [CITATION Law141 \p 70 \l 1033 ].
An organization’s values, management philosophy and ethics in business respectively impact
how well a business performs long term [ CITATION Inv15 \l 1033 ]. Regardless of a business’s
size, industry or level of productivity, business ethics are indeed one of the most essential
features of long term success [ CITATION Inv15 \l 1033 ].
The Kellogg Company has gained reputable recognition for its corporate ethics and social
integrity [ CITATION Cou14 \l 1033 ]. Kellogg has been acknowledged as a company that
places its conscience in sync with its corporate objectives [ CITATION Cou14 \l 1033 ].
Recently, Kellogg committed to responsible sourcing by building programs to help improve the
livelihood of small scale farmers and women farmers by providing education and resources for
climate change and business skills [ CITATION Dun15 \l 1033 ]. Levi Strauss is another
company that has been recognized for its positive ethical practices. Levi Strauss has partnered
with the International Finance Corporation and made a commitment to “reward suppliers in
developing countries who score highly on environmental, health, safety and labor standards”
[ CITATION Tea14 \l 1033 ]. The reward consists of lowering cost rates on working-capital
financing [ CITATION Tea14 \l 1033 ].
Unfortunately, all businesses do not operate ethically. In 2011, a judge in Ecuador issued
an $18 billion judgment against Chevron on behalf of 30,000 residents[ CITATION Neu14 \l
1033 ]. The judgment claimed that from 1964 to 1992 Texaco (which was acquired by Chevron)
had deliberately dumped billions of gallon of toxic waste into Amazon waterways, abandoned
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more than 900 unlined waste pits, burned millions of cubic meters of noxious gases, and spilled
more than 17 million gallons of oil due to pipeline ruptures[ CITATION Don09 \l 1033 ]. A
court-appointed special master who conducted a damages assessment found that 173 out of 196
former waste pits operated by Texaco and inspected during the trial are contaminated with
petroleum hydrocarbons in violation of Ecuadorian standards (each of Texaco’s 356 well sites in
Ecuador had multiple waste pits) [ CITATION Don09 \l 1033 ].
In conclusion, it is more rewarding for businesses to operate ethically rather than
unethically. Consumers will more likely support businesses that display ethical behavior over
those that do not. Proverbs 22:1 (ESV) states that a good name is rather to be chosen than great
riches, and favor is better than silver and gold.
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References
Courtenay, M. (2014, March 21). The Street, Inc. Retrieved from www.thestreet.com
Donziger, S. (2009, September 16). Forbes. Retrieved from www.forbes.com
Dunstans Publishing. (2015). Ethical Practices. Retrieved from www.ethicalpractices.com
Investopedia. (2015). Investopedia. Retrieved from www.investopedia.com
Lawrence, A., & Weber, J. (2014). Business and Society. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Neumeister, L. (2014, March 4). Huffington Post. Retrieved from www.huffingtonpost.com
Teague, P. (2014, November 10). Procurement Leaders. Retrieved from
www.procurementleaders.com
