Religious Ethics as Guidelines for Business Decisions

Business ethics is defined as the accepted set of moral values and corporate standards of conduct in an organization. It stipulates the morality standards and behaviors expected of individuals and the business as a whole. Business has relied on the disciplines of psychology and economics with remarkable accuracy to tell how things work. But they cannot explain how things ought to work. This is where today's business leaders must find guidance analyzing, discussing and deciding ethical issues. Business ethics is that guidance. Race, gender, age and religion all play a role in an individual’s personal ethics and in turn their view of ethics. For many, religion is the most important factor. Michael Novak, a Catholic writer and journalist, wrote, "morality is first taught to us not as morality but rather as religion" (Novak, 1996). I agree. There are pros and cons of each religious view, my bias is the Judeo-Christian doctrines, however, these values are not “owned” by a particular religion and the core of most established religions is very similar (Carmody, 1988).

How religious beliefs fit into a business environment is now controversial. There is a wide spectrum of views on both sides. Those that believe ethical behavior and business decisions should be secular and firmly based in reason. Others view religion as the absolute bedrock of ethics. There are many examples companies using varying degrees of religious ethics to guide their decisions; some even highlight, market and use their religious beliefs to create brand differentiation. I would like to focus on three; JetBlue, Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby.    

Founder and former CEO of JetBlue, David Neeleman is a devout Mormon. A low-cost carrier focused on providing extra-friendly, efficient service is a clear reflection of the classless nature of his religion. Neeleman has never had his own parking spot, donated his salary $200,000 to the catastrophic fund for the employees, and “homesourced” its phone reservation system with stay-at-home workers based in Salt Lake City. ("7 CEOs with notably devout religious beliefs")

Neeleman is quoted saying in Jeff Benedict's book The Mormon Way of Doing Business, “My missionary experience obliterated class distinction for me. I learned to treat everyone the same." (Benedict, 2007)

Chick-fil-A actively markets founder, Truett Cathy’s religiously motivated decisions as recipe for success. The company mission statement is overtly religious, “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us” and “to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” ("How We Give") In 2012 CEO Dan Cathy, Truett’s son, involved the company in opposition to same sex marriage. To some Chick-fil-A’s sandwich became more than just a sandwich, it was a symbol of the conservative religious position against gay marriage. This position may have cost it some customers but Chick-fil-A argues that it won customers who identify with its values, similar to their closed on Sunday policy ("How We Give") and an example of using their religious conviction to brand.