BUSI 570 Case Study Outline
Case Study: Goodness as a Christian Value in Synchrony Bank
July 5, 2025
Dr.
BUSI 570 Ethical Leadership
School of Business Administration, Liberty University
Goodness as a Christian Value in Synchrony Bank
Synchrony Financial (SYF) holds Synchrony Bank, which specializes primarily in credit
cards (US Bank Locations, 2025, July 4). I chose the biblical value of goodness because it guides
ethical behavior for Synchrony Bank while it engages with its internal and external partners.
Synchrony Bank has a vision of building "a future where every ambition is within reach" and
BUSI 570 Case Study Outline
embodies values such as caring, driven, bold, honest, responsible, and passionate (Synchrony,
July 4, 2025). These values align well with the biblical value of goodness. Goodness, or
“uprightness of heart and life,” is the foundational value that guides the bank to work actively
towards its vision statement (King James Bible, 1769/2025, Galatians 5:22).
BUSI 570 Case Study Outline
I. Introduction
II. Background of the Synchrony Bank
A. On August 1, 1988, Synchrony Bank was initially established under the original
nameof Monogram Bank (US Bank Locations, 2025, July 4).
B. Synchrony Bank is a part of Synchrony Financial (SYF), a consumer financing
company (Synchrony, 2025, July 4).
III. Goodness as a Biblical Value
A. Goodness is a biblical value and a fundamental basis of other Christian values.
Scripture reminds humankind of God’s goodness in the abundance of His provisions
and blessings (King James Bible, 1769/2025, Nehemiah 9:25). Furthermore, Scripture
warns humanity that failure to obey God will result in not fully experiencing God’s
abundance and blessings (Nehemiah, 9:35-36).
B. Research clarifies creaturely intrinsic value related to God’s goodness. Kemp
emphasized that humankind is made in God’s image; therefore, individuals and their
actions reflect God’s goodness. One cannot separate humanity from God’s gifts
(2022).
IV. Synchrony Bank’s Demonstration of the Value of Goodness
A. Since God created all things in His image, He created thoughts, organizations, and
business practices with His goodness (Sivyer, 2023). Therefore, He created
Synchrony Bank and its banking practices and behaviors.
B. Synchrony Bank has an obligation to its stakeholders to meet organizational goals
and objectives. The bank’s commitment to its values, such as caring, driven, bold,
honest, responsible, and passionate, aligns well with goodness as a Christian value.
Research acknowledges a link between individual ethical standards and those of the
banking industry (Song & Thakor, 2022).
V. The Connection between Synchrony Bank and the Value of Goodness
BUSI 570 Case Study Outline
A. Hill contends that organizational leadership must develop work cultures that reflect
God’s goodness and character in order to practice ethical decision making (1997).
B. Cherry acknowledges the importance of God in relation to ethical behaviors and
outcomes (2023).
VI. The Effect of Goodness on Synchrony Bank’s Decision Making
A. Synchrony Bank is a member of Financial Literacy for All. The organization
acknowledges its obligation to improve its community via providing financial literacy
education (Synchrony, 2025, July 4).
B. Xiao and Xin reinforce the importance of financial literacy in achieving overall
happiness (2022).
VII. Lessons Learned
VIII. Conclusion
References
Cherry, M. (2023). Foundations of Christian bioethics: Metaphysical, conceptual, and
biblical. Christian Bioethics, 29(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1093/cb/cbad001
Hill, A. (1997). Just business: Christian ethics for the marketplace. InterVarsity Press.
Kemp, D. (2022). Created goodness and the goodness of God: Divine ideas and the possibility of
creaturely value. Religious Studies, 58(3), 534–546.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412521000032
King James Bible. (2025). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/
(Original work published 1769).
Sivyer, P. (2023). What does it mean to call God good? The Heythrop Journal, 64(4), 503-
516. https://doi.org/10.1111/heyj.14223
Song, F., & Thakor, A. (2022). Ethics, capital and talent competition in banking. Journal of
Financial Intermediation, 52, 100963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfi.2022.100963
Synchrony. (2025, July 4). Get more with Synchrony. https://www.synchrony.com/about
BUSI 570 Case Study Outline
US Bank Locations. (2025, July 4). Synchrony Bank.
https://www.usbanklocations.com/synchrony-bank.shtml
Xiao, H., & Xin, Z. (2022). Financial literacy is better than income to predict happiness. Journal of
Neuroscience, Psychology, and Economics, 15(3), 119–136.
https://doi.org/10.1037/npe0000161
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