Running head: INTEGRITY IN CONDUCTING MARKET RESEARCH
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Integrity in Conducting Market Research
Barbara D. Weldon
Liberty University
BUSI 520
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Integrity in Conducting Market Research
Strength of character and integrity is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. One of
my favorite characters from the Bible is Daniel, and although we are to define how one verse
from the Bible will show us how to walk in character as we go into the business world, I believe
that the life of Daniel as a whole is better served to explain the passage that I have chosen.
Daniel consistently chose to honor God in all circumstances, and because of his discipline he
became second in Babylon, despite his being a foreigner in a godless society. As leaders in the
business world, especially marketing, we are continually called upon for wisdom and guidance.
We should be prepared to lead with the strength of character shown through the example of
Daniel.
Daniel was diligent to follow God with all of his heart and to diligently study and be
educated. He took care of his body and walked upright so that there could be no fault found in
him. The business world can be a gauntlet of poor decisions and inconsistent integrity. The
temptation to fudge numbers or to go forward on a project ill prepared can be great. I owned my
own company for 10 years and throughout those years I had the pleasure of working with a PR
Firm that rose above on every angle. RevBuilders Marketing firm is run by Scot Small. His
marketing experience was exceptional and his research was consistently thorough. Throughout
his leadership over my company, Simply Pure Products, LLC, I never had to worry about
whether or not he was doing his job to help me or if I was going to like his proposals. His
character and integrity rose above others that I had worked with, and his company ethics made
RevBuilders shine. Therefore, I knew that the market research that was completed would help
me to make better, more informed decision.
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Small knows that as Christians we are called to something greater, and in the often very
anti-Christian environment of business, he has been called upon for wisdom in various situations,
and it has been very obvious that God has given clarity in the moment. Because of his known
integrity and wisdom, I called on Small many times for wisdom and advice. His research was
reliable and his character made him a trusted resource.
In the story of Daniel we read the following:
At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought
in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke
with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and
understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than
all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until
the first year of King Cyrus. (Daniel 1:18-21 English Standard Version)
My hope is that we are all found like Daniel in the workplace, in our research, and even
in the small ways that we behave in our individual work environments. Those around us should
recognize that we are set apart and obviously different in a way that outshines those that would
see Christianity buried in the rubble. Our attitudes should be humble but bold. When those who
see the difference should be prompted to ask why we are different, and we should be ready to
give an account of who we are and what makes us shine. Just like Daniel, so many times our
strength of character draws leadership to us and they have no idea why. We should be prepared to
shine, knowing that it is God who shines and not us.
“Successful marketing requires capabilities such as understanding, creating, delivering,
capturing and sustaining customer value.” (Kotler & Keller, 2012) All of these are characteristics
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given to us by our Creator. Leaning on Him to pour them out when needed will help us to avoid
the common pitfalls of marketing to the sinful nature of man, and instead delving into our
creative side that will reach humanity of a deeper level without stooping to the common levels of
depravity. Just like Daniel, we have access to Holy wisdom.
Successful marketing to a world that has been numbed to the harshest elements of our
world takes a great amount of creativity. The beauty of the environment that we are currently in
is that consumers are so used to being bombarded with shock value that when creativity rises
above sin, it is refreshing and people now take notice. It takes discipline, diligence and strength
of character that goes way beyond our human minds, but will shine the light of Christ to those
around us.
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References
ESV study Bible: English Standard Version. (2011). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
Kotler, P., Keller, K., (2012). Marketing management. (14th ed.) Prentice Hall: Boston.
