CASE STUDY PAPER 1
Case Study Paper – BMW and Faithfulness
Jeanine Kendricks
Liberty University
BMAL 570: Ethical Leadership (B02)
Edward Thomas
February 11, 2024
CASE STUDY PAPER 2
Case Study Paper – BMW and Faithfulness
Introduction
The Bible is filled with tales of faithfulness, particularly those involving Jesus.
Faithfulness originates from a location or a person who demonstrates loyalty and trust. By
making sure their staff members are respected and well-cared for, businesses can demonstrate
their faithfulness. Hill (2018), quotes the president of Aflac Insurance giant saying, “Faith is
important in Aflac… Almost all those principles come in some way from scripture, adapted for
use in the workplace… which we do to reinforce the body of Christ, makes all the difference in
the world” (p.13). This is to emphasize the importance of applying biblical values and principles
in contemporary businesses. Faithfulness and loyalty among individuals, employees, employers,
the government, and businesses, were shaken and significantly tested recently when the world
was struck by the deadly novel viral disease, the Coronavirus, which threatened to halt the
world’s daily activities as every aspect of the daily life, business and service delivery was
affected (Fairlie & Fossen, 2022). Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning towards the
end of 2019 and its effects significantly felt in 2020, the BMW Group, a manufacturer of
automobiles, demonstrated unwavering faithfulness to its workforce. This case study sheds light
on how consideration, benefits, and respect were used to demonstrate faithfulness to the staff
during the hardest economic disruption the world has witnessed in the 21st century.
Background of BMW
BMW began in 1916 in Munich, Germany. However, the company has spread across the
world to over 30 bases. This well- known brand is particularly well-liked by wealthy consumers
who desire pricey, elegant, and functional vehicles. The business grew adequately in the first ten
years of the new century. Even so, it continues to hold a competitive edge in the current luxury
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automobile market. BMW’s largest manufacturing plant globally is not its headquarters pioneer
plant, but the Greer plant, in Spartanburg district, South Carolina. It is interchangeably referred
to as either the Greer plant or the Spartanburg plant. The Greer, South Carolina, location of the
BMW Group was announced in 1992, and it was finished and opened for business in 1994. The
plant declared in 2012 that it had produced its two millionth automobile (BMW Group, 2023a).
Every BMW automobile, including the two millionth one, goes through three production phases:
body, paint, and assembly. Known for shipping automobiles to 125 foreign countries, the
production facility was named among the biggest BMW manufacturing in the US in 2016.
Roughly eleven thousand personnel have decided to sign on as of right now, and the 8
million-foot BMW Group complex in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is home to 23,000 contracted
workers. This site is one of the top car manufacturing facilities in the world and contributes an
estimated $26.7 billion to the economy of South Carolina annually (BMW Group, 2023a). By
using strategic plans, BMW produces ten different models of sports cars, making it the industry
leader. BMW ships its vehicles to other countries through the Greer Inland Port, which delivers
the vehicles to Charleston, South Carolina. Once loaded into freight ships, the cars are
transported to Europe. The BMW Group’s all-inclusive benefits package is their way of
returning the favor (BMW Group, 2020). The BMW Group provides life insurance, paid time
off, medical, dental, and vision coverage, FSA and HSA accounts, life insurance, BMW
assistance programs, and a comprehensive car program that allows employees to lease BMW
vehicles. BMW provides a variety of pathways for staff members to advance from production to
leadership roles.
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Discussion of Faithfulness
To be faithful or demonstrate faithfulness behavior is to consistently uphold one's
commitment to a person or object under all conditions. Faithfulness is a topic that the Bible
discusses frequently. Peter boldly declared his faith in Mark 14:24–33, “But Peter said unto him,
although all shall be offended, yet will not I” (King James Bible, 1769/2021). When a storm was
approaching, Peter was at sea one day. When Peter climbed over the boat and started to approach
Jesus on the water, Jesus reassured him not to be afraid and beckoned him. Peter started to sink
as he soon became terrified and lost faith. Suddenly aware of the impending situation, he was
overtaken by the waves. When Peter realized that his faith was weak, he cried out to God for
assistance.
According to the King James Bible (1769/2021), Peter experienced a loss of faith, but
Jesus remained hopeful about Peter. Staying steadfast in circumstances that seem to drag you
down is not easy. Being faithful to God implies believing in God and the promises he makes.
Demonstrating faithfulness can be challenging most times and to many people. Faithfulness is
the evidence that God and his word are true. Our journey through life will be aided by the
unending faithfulness He offers. As per the King James Bible (1769/2021), 1 Corinthians 10:13
asserts “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also
make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” It shows that God is dependable and will
not allow you to succumb to temptation beyond your capacity. Whether it is to God, one’s
leaders or employees, or each other, everyone needs to continue being faithful.
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Discussion of how Faithfulness is Displayed
One of the most important qualities a Christian can possess is faithfulness, or the display
of faithfulness. One qualityLof a leader who isLcommittedLto theirLworkLandLteam members is
faithfulness.LALfaithful employee needs to be prepared to put in their best effort and finish tasks
regardless of how they feel about them (Hill, 2018). A loyal company is prepared to make sure
that its workers feel free to take on new responsibilities and are making the most of their
abilities. When necessary, theyLmust beLpreparedLtoLprovide feedbackLandLtrain staff members.
Companies shouldLfoster an environment that rewards and incentivizesLemployeesLto stay loyal.
Business and a devoted employeeLare alsoLcapable. WithLtheLknowledge, training,LandLtools
neededLtoLdoLthe jobLcorrectly, they can finish it.
According to Nangle (2022),LworkplaceLfaithfulness is demonstrated
byLemployeesLwhoLare willing toLworkLwith a positive attitudeLregardless ofLtheir personal
preferences,Ldislikes, or situations. Ensuring that everyLemployee is notLonlyLphysically but
mentally andLspiritually fulfilled is one way that companies can demonstrate their faithfulness.
Personnel possess their private lives in addition to work, which means it can be difficult for them
to maintain their private and professional lives separate when they encounter a problem at
home.LIfLan employee's circumstances change, employers can help (Hill, 2018). Organizations
have socialLworkersLon staffLtoLsupportLandLrepresent workers experiencing problemsLat work or
home.LGiving straightforward answers to challenging circumstances is one way that employers
can demonstrate their faithfulness to their staff as employersLneed workersLtoLcomplete tasks,
after all.
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Faithfulness at BMW
It is no doubt that the automobile corporation demonstrates faithfulness to its employees
at all times. It is the mission of BMW Group to guarantee that every employee has access to
benefits and healthcare. Everyone at the company has access to healthcare coverage that is
largelyLfinanced by BMW along with access toLcomprehensive medical and dental facilities on-
siteL(BMW Group, 2023a). The business is well aware of the long hours and heavy workload that
its employees face. The corporation shows its appreciation for its devoted clients by providing
insurance, vehicle leases, company-only offers, and weekend getaways where workers are
allowed to bring their loved ones to free festivities like water parks and amusement parks.
Despite many obstacles over the years, BMW has stayed faithful to its staff members.
Particularly during the Coronavirus Pandemic, the company demonstrated its faith.
How BMW Endured the Pandemic in 2020
A global panic and halt occurred in 2020 as a result of a dangerous viral disease that
threatened to shut everything down. In China, the virus began spreading quickly in 2019 and was
declared a public health emergency of international concern (Fairlie & Fossen, 2022). Naming it
COVID-19, was later, in 2020 declared a global pandemic, leading to enormous disruptions in
global activities. As such, most services shut down with mostly emergency services operating.
The BMW Group in Spartanburg, South Carolina, was not one of the crucial companies. In
March 2020, the BMW Group was dealt a harsh reality: they were no longer regarded as a vital
business BMW's official spokesperson, Sky Foster, stated, "Our top priority is the health and
protection of our employees" (Mitchell & Walters, 2020). Since more than half of South
Carolina's upstate is employed by BMW, the company's closure was expected to create an
economic imbalance in the state. Three additional jobs are held elsewhere for every job a person
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has at BMW. BMW also collaborates with other businesses and as a result, if BMW ceased
production, so would the other plants that depend on their output.
All BMW workers were told to stay at home until further notice when the company
closed its plant in April 2020. There was an immense level of fear surrounding the plant and its
employees. For a lot of them, this was their sole source of income, and it allowed them to keep
their leased cars. BMW made sure that every worker could apply for unemployment benefits
during this period. Their HR department was available by phone via Zoom to help employees
with problems, queries, or concerns, and it worked around the clock to approve workers who had
successfully submitted their requests. During the plant's closure, every worker who had leased a
BMW car was allowed to keep the vehicle and, at the same time, not required to remit any
payments (BMW Group, 2023a). This was just one instance of BMW's unwavering faithfulness
in a historically hard economic period. During the plant's closure, daily deep cleanings were
carried out by cleaning crews, who also set up safety protocols for the workers upon their return.
Everything in the plant, including the technology, employee lockers, production equipment, and
entry gates, was cleaned and sanitized. The plant's engineers created plans and layouts showing
how workers would withdraw socially upon their return. During COVID-19, social distancing
was used as a safety precaution. Remaining six feet apart from an individual, utilizing separate
phones, instruments, and tools, and tapping elbows rather than shaking hands were all part of the
protocol (Fairlie & Fossen, 2022). A plant like BMW was about to find out how hard it would be
to enforce social distancing when workers collaborate in groups and come into contact with the
same car parts as they proceeded down the line.
When the United States started allowing non-essential businesses to reopen within certain
bounds, the BMW Group welcomed its employees back when it opened for business in June
CASE STUDY PAPER 8
2020. Regretfully, 14 employees who had been confirmed positive for the disease were revealed
to them the day the plant reopened (Cooper, 2020). Since there was no connection between the
cases, the workers were placed under strict quarantine, or until they had cleared up all symptoms.
It was unsettling to consider testing positive for COVID-19 because the disease was tragically
killing off people. Following the positive test results, BMW started providing free testing to any
staff members who expressed concern or thought they might be experiencing symptoms. When
an employee's test result was positive, they were granted a work exemption, which was normally
not applicable at the company, and had the option to apply for FMLA to get paid for the work
they missed. Additionally, BMW decided to let workers apply for FMLA if a member of their
immediate family tested positive, allowing them to take care of their loved ones at home without
running the risk of contaminating the plant. This was just one more way BMW showed its
commitment to its staff (BMW Group, 2023b). Once operation resumed, the situation worsened
as cases began rising again, increasing the number of absentees due to isolation and quarantine.
Production lines started to get shorter, and cars were not being produced as fast as they ought to
have. In addition to staffing shortages, the plant was facing concerns about Covid-19 infections.
How Decision-making in BMW Group is Affected by Faithfulness
Given that Germany serves as the plant’s place of origin, decision-making within the
BMW Group is somewhat influenced by loyalty. Additionally, since the U.S. BMW Group plant
produces the most products, every decision made there must be accessible as well as flexible for
those who work there (Dean, 2019). Due to the lockdown, BMW lost nearly millions of dollars
in sales by August 2020 when sales fell by a quarter for the first time since its inception, and the
business faced the possibility of suffering a significant loss of profit. BMW experienced a
significant loss for the company itself and the state government and the people of South Carolina
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when its shares fell 3% for the first time in 11 years (The Business Standard, 2020). BMW
needed to decide to turn a profit, keep producing cars on schedule while ensuring the safety and
well-being of its staff and workers. It was time to pick up where they left off before COVID-19.
Employee needs are the basis for all choices made by BMW Group. Employee loyalty is
faithfulness to the organization. According to the BMW Group, they always respect the
commitment and capabilities of their employees, and therefore they want employees to get more
personal satisfaction from their job (BMW Group, 2023a). Now that workers were interacting
with one another once more, BMW had to decide how to ensure worker safety. The company
provided face masks and hand sanitization supplies to each worker before and after work after it
was made a mandatory practice. When an employee showed signs of COVID-19, nurses on staff
at their medical facility tested them. As each employee arrived, their temperature was taken, and
were also inspected to make sure they were wearing their masks correctly. The company
provided the pandemic handbook containing guidelines for all members to follow in line with the
department of health, although maintaining strict adherence was difficult. BMW assigned
workers specific tasks to finish at checkpoints located throughout the plant to ensure that health
and safety protocols were being adhered to (Walters, 2020). The pandemic forced BMW to make
several difficult decisions, but it also increased awareness and motivated employees to take
action.
Lessons Learned
In particular, it was shown that people or businesses can demonstrate faithfulness even in
the most difficult situations as most businesses, leaders and employees demonstrated such a
value during the hardest economic disruption beginning early 2020 when COVID-19 was
declared a global pandemic of public health concern. BMW learned a great deal from the
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ravaging pandemic and made many modifications. The organization acquired the knowledge to
implement fresh health and safety procedures, like cleaning hands, donning masks, doing
COVID-19 testing, and allowing staff members to assess the loyalty of their employer. BMW
experienced a loss of profits, but it learned to seize the opportunity to rehire staff with
appropriate procedures and even invested finances to finish research and development to raise
the company's profile (Walters, 2020). Employees discovered during this time that their
employer was dependable and made sure they continued to receive pay and could maintain the
lease cars they relied on.
Conclusion
Being faithful is a value that comes from a place or someone trustworthy and loyal.
Businesses show their faithfulness by ensuring that their employees are treated with respect and
care. BMW always prioritizes the welfare of its employees, even when faced with the difficult
COVID-19 pandemic, despite their high standards and demanding work environment. It was
evident after the pandemic that they attended to the needs of every employee. automobiles,
health benefits, retail sales, home banking, and insurance. BMW assures its staff of everything.
Being truthful makes people realize how reliable God is and how trustworthy other people are.
For this reason, honesty is a core biblical value that should be practiced. It is important to note
how BMW values faithfulness in all aspects of its business operations since it is one of the many
values that individuals and organizations should possess. Being honest allows individuals to
understand how trustworthy God is and with each other, which is why practicing honesty, a
fundamental biblical value, is so important. As faithfulness is one of many values that people and
organizations should have, it is worth mentioning how BMW recognizes it throughout its
operations.
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References
BMW Group. (2020). Supplementary information on agenda items 9.1 to 9.6: Consolidated
Financial Statements and Management Report of BMW AG and BMW Group as of 31
December 2020.
https://www.bmwgroup.com/content/dam/grpw/websites/bmwgroup_com/ir/downloads/e
n/2022/hv/E3.7.2.pdf
BMW Group. (2023a). BMW Manufacturing is Largest Automotive Exporter by Value for Ninth
Consecutive Year. https://www.bmwgroup-werke.com/spartanburg/en/news/2023/BMW-
Manufacturing-is-Largest-Automotive-Exporter-by-Value-for-Ninth-Consecutive- Year.
html#:~:text=For%20the%20ninth%20consecutive%20year
BMW Group. (2023b). New Study Shows that BMW Manufacturing Remains a Significant
Economic Driver in South Carolina. Press BMW Group.
https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0411581EN_US/new-study-shows-
that-bmw-manufacturing-remains-a-significant-economic-driver-in-south-carolina?
language=en_US
Dean, D. (2019). Integration of Christian values in the workplace.LJournal of Biblical
Perspectives in Leadership,29(1), 35-55.
https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/jbpl/vol9no1/Vol9Iss1_JBPL_3_Dean.p
df
Fairlie, R., & Fossen, F. M. (2022). The early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on business
sales.LSmall Business Economics,L58(4), 1853–1864. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-021-
00479-4
Hill, A. (2018). Just business: Christian ethics for the marketplace (3rd ed.).LIVP Academic.
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King James Bible. (2021). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/
Mitchell, A. B., & Walters, H. (2020). Coronavirus: BMW to shut down production at
Spartanburg plant April 3. The Greenville News.
https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2020/03/20/coronavirus-bmw-shut-down-
production-spartanburg-plant-april-3/2883470001/
Nangle, J. (2022). Faithfulness in the Workplace. Tifwe.org. https://tifwe.org/faithfulness-in-the-
workplace/
The Business Standard. (2020, August 5). BMW loses almost $800 million as sales slide during
lockdowns. The Business Standard.
https://www.tbsnews.net/world/global-economy/bmw-loses-almost-800-million-sales-
slide-during-lockdowns-115675
Walters, H. (2020). BMW confirms 14 active COVID-19 cases at Spartanburg manufacturing
facility. The Greenville News.
https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2020/06/18/bmw-confirms-14-active-
covid-19-cases-spartanburg-manufacturing-facility/3216865001/
