Category: Business and Management

Showing 109–117 of 1959 results

• Evaluate a Company’s Behaviors

  $25.00

  While Walmart may employ many individuals (e.g., 2.1 million worldwide), the company has received negative attention in terms of its business model and practices. Not only has Walmart been accused of treating employees poorly, but it has also been the target of discrimination scandals.

  After reviewing this week’s resources, conduct a review of relevant research regarding Walmart and its practices. Then, prepare a written report of your findings that addresses the following:

  Briefly summarize Walmart’s mission, vision, and values.
  Evaluate Walmart’s actions (e.g., any unethical behaviors and cases of ethical actions found in your research).
  Elaborate on whether specific actions taken by Walmart are illegal as well as unethical. Justify your rationale.
  Determine how Walmart can improve its corporate culture and leadership. Then, recommend steps for improvement that could be taken to improve Walmart’s culture.
  Support your report with a minimum of five scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including older articles, may be included.

  Length: 5-7 pages, not including title and reference pages

  Your report should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

  Download File

• Valuation of company assets for return on investment (ROI)

  $20.00

  A.

  This week’s discussion is about valuation of company assets for purposes of computing return on investment (ROI). Use the following scenario for your discussion:

  A company owns two identical apartment buildings.

  * Both buildings were built at the same time.

  * The first building was acquired by the company ten years ago.

  * The second building was acquired by the company two years ago at a higher price.

  * The net book value of the first building will be much lower than the net book value of the second building due to accumulated depreciation and a lower purchase price.

  * Each building has a different manager.

  For your post, prepare 3–4 paragraphs about managing these properties. Discuss how to measure the ROIs so that the manager of the older building does not show a much higher ROI, even if actual job performance is worse in terms of keeping the units rented and containing maintenance costs.

  B.

  For this discussion, consider the following scenario:

  You are the division manager of a company with four departments. Your company evaluates department managers on the basis of return on investment (ROI), with investment measured by net book value (that is, original cost minus depreciation). You have a favorite person you want to put in a place where she can achieve a high ROI. You know if she is the manager of the older division, where the net book value is low, she will achieve a high ROI.

  Post a discussion of 2–4 paragraphs about the ethics of this scenario. Consider for your post:

  * The ethics of what you are about to do.

  * The ethics of not bringing the measure of ROI with the investment defined as net book value to the attention of management.

  * What is your “return on investment” to your current or potential employer?

  * How can you continue to demonstrate your value to enhance your career?

  * Identify a professional achievement you are proud of. Using the CARD model, draft an accomplishment statement that showcases this achievement

  clearly and concisely and add it to your resume.

  * How does your resume present your value to a potential employer? See the resources in the Career Center on building a dynamic resume.

  Refer to the following article for a good overview of ethical considerations that will help inform your post:

  * Robin, D. (2009). Toward an applied meaning for ethics in business. Journal of Business Ethics, 89(1), 139–150.

  * C.

  You are not required to know generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), as you are not studying to be an accountant. However, GAAP is important, as all publicly traded companies must use GAAP in their accounting and reporting practices. So, it is important to you, as a manager, for compliance reasons. Recognizing the existence of GAAP and the reasons for using non-GAAP reporting can be important to your job as a business manager.

  For this discussion, read the articles and textbook page below, and then post a discussion of 3–4 paragraphs about GAAP and non-GAAP reporting. Consider as part of your post:

  * Your beliefs about the pros and cons of reporting company performance using non-GAAP measurements.

  * Your understanding of the reasons for the reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP reporting in the Campbell’s Soup financial statements on page 645 of your textbook.

  You are not expected to be an expert; look at this discussion post as a manager. If you have questions, include them in your post.

  The following resources will be useful in preparing this discussion post:

  * Afterman, A. B. (2015). Non-GAAP performance measures: Virtue or vice? The CPA Journal, 85(10), 48–49.

  * Diffley, E. A, & Greenstein, A. (2016). Presenting non-GAAP financial measures in the face of increased scrutiny. Insights, 30(6), 3–9.

  * Marshall, D., McManus, W., & Viele, D. (2020). Accounting: What the numbers mean (12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.

  * Read page 648.

  Download File

• Acme Pickle Company Case

  $20.00

  A.

  The Acme Pickle Company has distributed pickles under the “Florida’s Best” brand for eight years from its production facility in Jacksonville, Florida. It sells the pickles to stores in the southeastern United States. Acme normally produces between 8,000 and 10,000 cases of pickles a month but has the capacity to produce 12,000 cases without adding equipment or personnel.

  The owner of a twenty-store supermarket chain in Wisconsin, called Super Deals, visits friends in Florida and is impressed with the quality of “Florida’s Best” pickles. He approaches you, an Acme Pickle account manager, with an offer to buy 2,000 cases of pickles to use in a special promotion at his stores. He is thinking of something such as:

  “Free jar of Florida’s Best pickles with every purchase of forty dollars or more—this month only!”

  He offers Acme a price of $9.50 per case, knowing that it is a very substantial discount from the normal selling price of $20 a case. Acme’s management is inclined to turn the offer down, because their cost is calculated at $10.00 a case. They believe they would lose money if they sold at $9.50 a case. You, on the other hand, believe that some errors have been made in the cost accounting.

  Your Role

  You are the account manager for Acme Pickles.

  Requirements

  Your analysis for the Controller and Sales Manager is needed to suggest a different way of calculating the pricing of the pickles that may be lower. As part of your analysis, address the following items:

  * Explain why some production costs are variable and some are fixed.

  * Analyze the benefit of recalculating the cost of pickle production.

  * How would you recalculate it?

  * What would the result be?

  * What is the benefit to the company of recalculating the cost?

  * Analyze how financial accounting of production cost differs from managerial accounting of production cost.

  * Explain the difference between the two accounting methods.

  * Identify the benefits and drawbacks of each method.

  * Recommend a plan of action to management regarding Super Deals’ offer.

  Below is the cost report for a recent month. In this month, Acme produced 9,000 cases and sold them at $20 per case, which is Acme’s normal selling price. Nine thousand cases are well beyond Acme’s break-even point, enabling Acme to record a substantial profit at the nine-thousand-case level.

  Item

  Cost

  Cucumbers

  $15,000

  Spices and vinegar

  11,000

  Jars and lids

  10,000

  Direct labor, paid by the case

  30,000

  Line supervisors, on salary

  10,000

  Depreciation on factory

  10,000

  Property taxes on factory

  3,000

  Insurance on factory

  1,000

  Total Costs:

  $90,000

  Cost per case (9,000 cases produced) $10.00

  Deliverable Format

  Your team lead wants to share this analysis across remote locations of the organization and is hoping you will set the standard for how analyses and decisions of this type should be presented and supported. Your team has requested either a recorded presentation (including slides and notes) or a presentation and supporting reporting that can be distributed as a model. Prepare a presentation of at least 9 slides using PowerPoint or software of your choice detailing your recommendation and the information you used to make your recommendation. You can either record the presentation or prepare a separate report supporting the presentation.

  Download File

• Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Businesses

  $20.00

  Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Businesses

  Critical Analysis Template Instructions

   

  This template is an alliterated mnemonic device for the critical analysis of information.  The alliterated format is used to assist in ordering and recalling data relevant to a subject.  It can be utilized from memory, if necessary, when presenting a speech, leading a discussion, sitting for an interview, or writing a paper.  It can also be used as the foundation for a formal research paper, a speech, or some other forum, for example, such as a talk show interview

   

  Overview:

  The Critical Analysis Template is a research tool that will enable you to have a workable command over a selected topic.  It is designed to organize essential information in a logical and orderly array of categories, which can be amplified to any realistic degree.  The format, with explanations, is located at the end of this document.

   

  Instructions:

  • Select a topic–Using your textbook’s table of contents as a guide, select a topic to research for the template.  Choose a topic that is interesting to you and that may be useful and benefit you.  It must, however, be directly relevant to this course’s content.  Also, it MUST deal with a specific ethical, legal and business practice issue and not a broad philosophical category of thought.  For instance, choosing the topic of “business ethics” is way, way too vague.

  • Template Length–After you supply the appropriate information under each heading, your work will probably be 3–6 pages; more than that will be cumbersome. The intent is to be concise and to provide the most relevant, highest quality information possible.
  • References–When addressing “Publications,” a few web sites will be good to have, but the main idea is to have some resources that you could mention in an interview. For example, if someone was to ask you where more information could be obtained about your topic, you would be able to rattle off several books or journal articles and their authors.  This would make you seem very knowledgeable about it (and hopefully, you would be).
  • Formatting–Use APA format for your printed references.  For each section in the template, items should be written in bullet point format, not paragraph form.  If need be, use a citation for each bullet point, unless information from a source is being used for more than one bullet point.
  • Submission–Your assignment, when completed, should be sent to as a Microsoft Word document. You will submit your completed template through the course link in Module.  Also, provide a cover sheet for your template with your name, Course class name, class number, and section.

   

   

   

  Critical Analysis Template

   

  When conducting an analysis, every individual bullet item may not always apply, but the general assumption will be that every section will be addressed.  A thorough investigation, however, will determine if this is the case, and if you are uncertain, then make the time to inteact with your professor about it well before the assignment is due.  Responses should be concise – that is, to the point – and brief, but not so brief that utility is compromised.

  PRINCIPLE:

  • Provide a general statement of the subject, topic or concept.
  • This may include a definition and/or a concise description, essential element or main idea.  (What is the simplest or clearest way this can be expressed?

  PRACTICE:

  • Determine if this subject or topic would be classified under the generally accepted body of knowledge, conventional wisdom or practice.
  • If not, what aspects may challenge traditional thinking?
  • Is it considered fact, or opinion?
  • If necessary, note whether or not the subject, topic or concept is a standard one, newly accepted or radical.

  PARTICULARS:

  • Include major aspects or subdivisions of this subject, topic or concept that are essential to understanding it.
  • (Keep the number of principal components or sub-points manageable ~ 3 to 6, for example.
  • Prioritize, if this is applicable or helpful.
  • If an acronym, list, or grouping is used, include each component, along with a concise description).

  PERSONS:

  • List notable persons that are associated with this subject, and why.
  •  (This would include major proponents, contributors and critics).

  PERIOD:

  • Include a significant date(s), period or timeframe that will add understanding to this subject or concept.
  • Provide a brief explanation for each one.

  PLACES:

  • Indicate essential locations that are pertinent.
  • Provide the names of any organizations or other entities that may be associated.
  • Include brief descriptions as needed.

  PHRASES:

  • List specific phrases, terms, acronyms, or jargon that can be used to understand this information and/or communicate it to others.

  PICTURES:

  • Incorporate useful but simple visual diagrams, charts, illustrations, metaphors, similes, (word pictures) anecdotes, pithy sayings or quotations that can be used to complement the ability to remember or communicate this subject, topic or concept.
  • Add addenda as needed.

  PROSPECTS:

  • Prioritize benefits that can be derived from this information.
  • Explain who can use it and why.
  • Note any opposing viewpoints or preferable alternatives.

  PROBLEMS:

  • Point out apparent limitations that may apply to this information.
  • Are there significant problems or weaknesses associated with this subject, topic of concept?
  • Is there evidence of faulty logic, bias, inaccurate or insufficient information?
  • Has it been challenged or replaced in conventional usage by something else?
  • Are there unusual costs, hindrances, drawbacks, etc., involved?

  PERFORMANCE:

  • Highlight any cause-and-effect relationships that are evident.
  • Explain how a specific application of this information can be made.
  • Describe how knowledge of this subject will be beneficial.
  • Determine if this information will offer an enhancement of perspective or effectiveness of work.

  • Explain what conclusions can be drawn or recommendations that should be made.

  PUBLICATIONS:

  • List publications, related references or links concerning this subject which can serve as useful resources (they may or may not have been used in preparing the template).
  • List all bibliographic material using APA format.
  • Annotate each entry in the list.
  Download File

• Fifth consumer right to privacy

  $10.00

  Overview

  This week will begin an emphasis on the people side of corporate responsibility – stockholders, consumers, employees (and unions), and as always, community stakeholders.  A business must have solid relationships with all of these groups to ensure success.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Explain why corporations provide high compensation packages to top executives and determine whether or not this practice is justifiable.

   

  • Compare and contrast corporate philanthropy and employee volunteerism and evaluate their relative impacts on the community.

   

  • Explain the relationship of the employee to the corporation, their reciprocal responsibilities, and the effects ethnic diversification have had on this relationship.

   

  Discussion Board Forum 4 Thread

  Topic: Choose 1 of the following questions and answer it completely and thoroughly for your thread:

   

  Can a Christian CEO of a secular corporation set an ethical tone for the company without compromising scriptural principles and at the same time avoid offending the diverse religious beliefs of potentially thousands of employees? (ch. 14)

   

  Do you believe U.S. executives are compensated too highly? Why or why not? (ch. 14)

   

  In recent years, some activists and government regulators have begun to call for laws protecting a fifth consumer right, the right to privacy. Do you support this right or not, and why? (ch. 15)

   

  How do new technologies increasingly enable businesses to collect and use vast amounts of personal data about their customers and potential customers? Explain. (ch. 15)

   

  Provide an example where employee whistle-blowing is justified and an example of where it is not. Provide support for each example. (ch. 16)

   

  What are some of the challenges and benefits of managing a diverse workforce? (ch. 17)

   

  Discuss why a business may wish to get involved in community relations. What benefits accrue to businesses that actively participate in their communities? (ch. 18)

   

  In your opinion, what is the most pressing and significant concern facing communities today? Why do you think so? How would a business’s community relations department address that concern? (ch. 18)

  Download File

• Discussion Board Forum 3 Thread

  $10.00

  Overview

  Previous weeks focused in part on the notion that companies should view themselves as global corporate citizens.  One key way of carrying this out is through green initiatives and environmental stewardship.  Another issue is the use of technology and how to use it in an ethical manner.  Both will be discussed during this week.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Determine to what extent the corporation is responsible for environmental issues, and whether this concern should go beyond the classical profit motive business.

   

  • Appraise the present and future welfare of society in light of corporate development and application of technology.

   

  Discussion Board Forum 3 Thread

  Topic: Choose 1 of the following questions and answer it completely and thoroughly for your thread:

   

  What are some of the challenges and benefits of companies being environmentally conscious? (ch. 10)

   

  Briefly describe acid rain. Do you think a command-and-control, or market-based regulatory approach would work better to reduce acid rain emissions, and why? (ch. 10)

   

  What fuels technological growth, and is this growth global or is it isolated to a few countries? (ch. 12)

   

  Should all businesses venture into e-commerce, or is it better for only certain types of businesses? (ch. 12)

   

  Is information on the Internet truly free, or should copyrighted music or software be protected? (ch. 11)

   

  Is tissue engineering and cloning an improvement for humans or a threat to humans? (ch. 11)

  Download File

• Take a position either for or against globalization

  $10.00

  Overview

  Globalization is a defining characteristic for today’s economic and ethical context.  More and more businesses are “going global” and therefore, more countries are being impacted by the powerful forces of globalization.  Moreover, governments in every nation wrestle with proper ways to encourage economic activity while at the same time ensuring ethical business behavior.  This challenge is only exacerbated in an increasingly global economy, as multinational corporations operate in numerous countries.  Therefore, it is important as future business leaders, you understand the ethical and economic challenges of globalization and how that could affect our future.

   

  Learning Outcomes

  • Critique the role of government regulation of business and judge where and to what degree it is justified.
  • Evaluate the concepts of enlightened self-interest, corporate citizenship, and corporate responsibility.
  • Critique the globalization of business, appraising its advantages and disadvantages, and formulate a conclusion regarding the outlook for the future.

   

  Discussion Board Forum 2 Thread

  Topic: Choose 1 of the following questions and answer it completely and thoroughly for your thread:

   

  One example of unethical activity is bribery. Explain what it is, how common the practice is, and where it is found. Justify your reasoning with a minimum of 2 scholarly references and 1 journal article. (ch. 6)

   

  Take a position either for or against globalization. Provide examples of how globalization has either helped or harmed individual nations and the world economy. (ch. 4)

   

  Contrast corporate social responsibility and corporate citizenship. (ch. 7)

   

  How does a firm become a better corporate citizen? (ch. 7)

   

  Discuss the advantages and drawbacks of an organization influencing political action in regards to government regulation or the outcome of an election.   (ch. 8)

   

  Download File

• IG007 PowerPoint

  $25.00

  To begin this Assessment, read the New York Times (NYT) Paywall Case Study. As you read, evaluate the market that NYT was facing and, based on the information presented, formulate marketing tactics that you would recommend to NYT’s leadership.

  Create a formal PPT presentation (15–25 slides) that will communicate your marketing tactics. Be sure to include the following sections and details:

  Section 1: Executive Summary (You may choose to complete this section last.)

  • A single slide containing 5–7 bullet points that summarize the remaining slides.

  Section 2: Customer Expectations

  • Identify customer expectations as part of a complete market analysis including demographics.

  Section 3: Market Trends

  • Identify at least five market trends impacting the company. Elaborate and/or speculate on the trends’ implications for the company at the end of 3 years.
  • Include a high-level SWOT analysis of each (two bullet points per quadrant). The trends may include: use of new media by a customer segment (e.g., mobile media), price increases resulting in fewer purchases/purchasers or segment growth/shrinkage, consolidation of suppliers or competitors, resource scarcity, and so on.
  • Recommend tactical responses to the opportunities (or threats) identified in the SWOT analysis for each of the trends.

  Section 4: Social and Ethical Considerations

  • Recommend marketing actions that take into consideration their impact in the areas of ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability.

   

  Download File

• Personal Worldview & Business Ethics Paper

  $25.00

  Read the information attached about a personal worldview. Answer the questions in a thought provoking manner. These questions are designed so that the answers will demonstrate a personal worldview. After reading and completing the information on your Personal worldview, and, within the same document, you will provide examples of Business ethical practices—good and bad—that reflect a particular ethical/moral worldview emphasis.

  The paper should be written in APA style, using 3–4 references from Business/professional magazines/periodicals. Submit this paper within the same document as the Personal Worldview Answers. Your completed Personal Worldview Answers/Business Ethics Paper should be 3–6 pages

  Page 1 of 11“Worldview, Philosophy, Faith and Ethics” Reading ARTICLE 1: What Is a Worldview and Why Is It Important to Me? The first set of questions in part 1 asked you to evaluate the extent to which you seek to apply faith, values, and philosophy to your personal and business decisions. To really have a sound foundation for ethical decisions, we have to have an understanding of how our worldview influences the decisions we make and how we perceive reality. Too often, we barely understand what our worldview is all about and how it impacts decisions. As such, our decisions in life may or may not be informed by sound principles. This is true even for Christians, who may even have unbiblical ideas influencing their worldview. The non-Christian faces a different challenge: trying to make sense of life in a meaningful way without a Biblical, theistic starting point. All of this will be discussed in the series of article for this assignment. Defining Worldview A worldview is the intellectual, emotional, and perhaps even spiritual framework by which we apprehend reality and assign meaning to life. Everyone has a worldview; it may not be very developed, but nevertheless, everyone is approaching life based upon one. The Worldview “House” To speak metaphorically, our worldview is the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual “home” in which we live all of our lives. It may change drastically, undergoing serious renovations or damage as we go through life, but it is always with us nevertheless. Furthermore, regardless of how nice the house is on the inside (furniture, upholstery, decorations, etc., etc.), if that worldview home is not built upon a solid foundation, or a strong skeletal framework, it will not be a very safe or suitable home in which to live. Ironically, the two most important things of any house—the foundation and the framework—are the components that most people don’t think about when they look at a house, because these two components are unseen and therefore often ignored. Likewise, though people are quite comfortable articulating their beliefs about politics, religion, business, relationships, the meaning of life, etc., etc., they rarely look at the crucial assumptions underneath those beliefs, because by their nature, these beliefs are assumed and therefore taken for granted.

  Page 2 of 11Defining PresuppositionsPresuppositions are the crucial, yet often unspoken assumptions about the origin of life, truth, individuality, and values that serve as the foundation and framework for one’s worldview. As we’ll see throughout the assignment, everyone has certain assumptions that they make about life. These presuppositions must be evaluated if we are going to have a sound worldview for ethical soundness, because they pertain to the foundation and framework of our worldview house. Presuppositions and the Worldview “House”These key presuppositions can be assigned to two categories: foundational presuppositions and framework presuppositions. Again, think of these two terms in the context of a home. Obviously, a home needs a solid foundation and skeletal framework. The same is true for one’s worldview. First, we will discuss the importance of foundational presuppositions. The case will be made here that to have a sound worldview “home”, only a certain type of foundation can be in place. Just as an actual house couldn’t be built upon a foundation of banana pudding and expect to be sound, so a worldview cannot be based upon faulty presuppositions. In reality, there are only two choices for foundational presuppositions, and as will be discussed below, only one of those two options can actually support the full weight of one’s worldview home through trying times. CHOOSING YOUR FOUNDATION Foundational Presuppositions:An intellectual starting point or “foundation” of the worldview home. There are only two options:The presence of eternal, impersonal, non-living, infinite matter, (this option includes both the secular atheistic adherence to non-living matter as well as more Eastern approaches, in which some cosmic force, though eternal and spiritual, is not personal) A eternal, personal, living, infinite creator being

  Page 3 of 11Why these two? We have to start with the question of how life started because that is the source of all meaning. We may claim to derive our sense of right and wrong from our family upbringing, or society or culture, or the laws of the land, but all of those are not original determinants—they came into being and are determined by whatever it was that brought life and meaning into existence in the first place. We therefore have to back to the very beginning. That is why we are only focusing on the two starting points mentioned above. We have to assume that our metaphysical starting point must be eternal in origin, or else it is not a starting point, since something else would have come before it. Therefore, the fact that both starting points are eternal is valid, and as such, the eternal requirement would negate any type of mythology in which the gods were created. On the possibility of a sentient, personal and infinite creator being or beings, certainly this passes as a possible starting point. We cannot surmise as to whether or not it would only be one entity, or multiple entities, but we know that regardless of number, they must be eternal. The other possibility, which is totally opposite, is that of eternal, non-living matter. Besides the fact that it is eternal, which is a prerequisite for any starting point, there is nothing else in common with the personal, infinite creator being. Following is an explanation of how these two possible starting points are both mutually exclusive and exhaustive of all possibilities. 1.One is living, the other is non-living. These two attributes are totally opposite of one another; as an entity cannot be both, or partial of these two extremes. No other possibilities exist. 2.One is personal, and the other is non-personal. Again, there is no room for an intermediary position here. One cannot have both personality and non-personality. 3.It follows that creation deriving from the former is predetermined, whereas creation from the latter is a chance happenstance. Non-living matter cannot plan to initiate a new development in itself; all processes must be random. On the other hand, it is appropriate to conceive of an intelligent creator being planning creation. Simply stated, there really are no other possibilities other than these two, which is to say that they are mutually exclusive. They embody the full range of possibilities. A major theme of these articles is that only the God of the Bible—and no other religious starting point—will suffice, but that argument will be made later. For now, it is important to note that whoever this God is, he/she/it must be eternal, personal, and

  Page 5 of 11Free Will: Organisms have some measure of free will, sentience, and individuality, even if they are to some degree determined by their environment and/or Creator.If our starting point is the God of the Bible, we will see that because we are made in his image, there is the opportunity for free will, as well as the ability to think and communicate with others in meaningful ways. The basis for ethics is the ability to think and reason. In a world ordered by random chance and/or an impersonal “mystical” force, there is no personality at all—human beings are solely caught up in the impersonal forces that rule the universe—chaos, randomness, feedback-stimulus-response. This is one of the reasons why, as mentioned in article 1, we are focusing on the God of the Bible as are starting point and not another type of god. There can be no basis for ethics or moral responsibility if there is no individual responsibility. Without individual responsibility, the motivations for doing anything are viewed as being based upon circumstantial (environmental, socio-economic exploitation, etc.) factors, or hormonal, biological urges. In that sense, the attitude that says, “I’ve got to do what is best for me” is more motivated by the “survival of the fittest” notion that comes with a Darwinist worldview or a worldview that embraces ultimate meaningless than the promises of God’s Word, which says that God is faithful to preserve those who obey him and put their hope in the promises and commandments of his Word. EPISTEMOLOGY Epistemology—how do we know what is truth, if there even is truth? If our foundation is a non-theistic starting point based upon random chance or a mysterious, impersonal cosmic force, the logical outcome will be a belief in moral relativism, because there is no God communicating what is true and what is right and wrong. Everything is just the product of random chance or cyclical forces in the universe (the interplay of ying and yang, for instance). If we believe that truth is relative—that people can basically decide what works best for them as they go—then we are doing the following things to our worldview: 1)We are de facto saying that our foundation is that of random chance. Only in a world ruled by random chance would there be no basis for absolute truth. 2)Moreover, we have no basis for ethics or personal understanding of life. Everything we feel or believe is subject to our own emotional whims and experiences and the emotional whims and experiences of others. 3)Nothing we perceive can be trusted. To be sure, Scripture tells us that we are not to rely on our own understanding, but a belief that truth is relative basically undermines our understanding altogether.

  Page 6 of 11In the business world, the question of absolute truth and right and wrong comes up all of the time. But because the current legal paradigm is based upon a non-theistic starting point, “right and wrong” is all about what the law says, and what legal loop holes can be created to get around any laws. Businesses, being motivated solely by profit, will then find whatever excuses they can do to whatever they want to do. Individual people do the same. Instead of the absolute truth of God’s word, people are pushed by expediency, fear, and selfishness in making personal decisions. AXIOLOGY Axiology—how do we arrive at values? Is there such a thing as absolute good and evil? There are really only two options here and they derive entirely from what one believes about God: Absolute values: good, evil, justice, love, etc. which are immutable and which transcend cultural and social boundaries. Socially constructed values: people in various cultural groups determine what is good and bad for their group In a non-Christian worldview, there can be no true values or right and wrong, or love and justice. If one believes that we live in a physical-only universe, then all that happens is the result of random chance and stimulus-response actions. Survival is the sole criterion for doing anything, and that engenders moral relativism because people will always have differing opinions of who needs to survive and how. Likewise, if one views God as more of a mystical, impersonal force, there can be no hope of truly understanding right and wrong, and in fact, in an Eastern mystical perspective, good and evil are often viewed as two sides of the same coin. In conclusion, all of the key assumptions about who we are as human beings and what truth, love, and justice are all about depend upon the nature of our foundational presuppositions. If we believe in the presence of a personal, intelligent Creator being, we have the possibility for things like true meaning in life because we humans will have free will. With that free will comes moral obligation, but the good news is that there are in fact real values like love and justice to pursue, to live for, and if need be, even to die for. Without the presence of this eternal, Creator-being, all we have is random chance or an impersonal cosmic force. With either of those two options (and really, they ultimately fold into one another so that there is no meaningful difference), we as humans have no free will, because we are either the product of our physical, random environment or we are caught in the cosmic trap of fate, and a view of history that is cyclical rather than linear and driven towards the ultimate victory of good over evil.

  Page 8 of 11In other religious perspectives, “god” is either not very personal at all or would never deign to view humans as being made in his image, thus denying true fellowship. Remember that in Eastern mystical perspectives, the highest goal is to escape the pain and sorrow of individuality. In Buddhism and Hinduism, individuality is nothing but an illusion that must be overcome to likewise escape the personal suffering of this meaningless, cyclical life we live. In Islam, the notion of being loved like a child by God is practically blasphemous, and even the most devoted followers of Islam can never quite be sure of where they stand before their god. These differing perspectives create unease at best and meaninglessness at worst. Epistemology God spoke the universe into existence with words and meaning. In fact, Jesus Christ became the living Word of God to die for us and to communicate the truth of both God’s love and justice. The God of the Bible affirms absolute meaning, absolute destiny, and absolute purpose. The logical implications of other worldviews—be they secular or religious, ultimately deny such absolute truth. God pursued us with his truth, specifically by sending his Son to die for us. We live in a world, therefore, ordained by absolute truth and meaning. Axiology As mentioned above, the God of the Bible is perfectly good—perfectly loving and perfectly just. The Gospel affirms these absolute values. According to the Gospel, we all deserve death because we are less than good—we are evil. Those who wish God would intervene more quickly to remove evil forget that if he were truly as swift as he could be in fulfilling justice, we all would die the first instant we were less than good. There can be no compromise, no bending of righteous laws to let unrighteous people off the hook, because the very act of bending the rules would be an act of unrighteousness and injustice. On other hand, because God loves perfectly, he cannot not allow his creation to die and suffer eternal damnation. So how can he fulfill both his love and his justice? By taking on flesh and dying for us all, Christ fulfilled both God’s sense of justice and of love. Jesus was fully man, and so as a man he died and experienced God’s rejection of him; therefore, God’s justice was fulfilled. But since Christ was and is fully God, he never sinned and so his sacrifice was sufficient for us all (remember that even if we wanted to, none of us could die for mankind because we are guilty of our own sins). So, we see in Christ a wonderful fulfillment of love and justice fully embodied. No other religious perspective describes a God who would pursue man—who would come to us and deign to interact with us, much less save us. In every other religious perspective, the god or gods must be appeased through sacrifice and obedience. But since we have been saved by grace—to wit, since we can do nothing to earn God’s

  Page 9 of 11favor, save humbly acknowledge our need for him, we are unable to be selfish in our obedience to God, even if we wanted to! Now, everything we do to worship and please God is done for selfless reasons—we are truly being good for goodness sake! That is not to say that we do not try to manipulate God into blessing us due to good behavior, but rather that such efforts, due to God’s absolute goodness and grace, and our utter failure in ever being good enough, are vain—in more ways than one! One argument against the God of the Bible is that he is petulant and insecure—that he needs our worship of him to stroke his cosmic ego. That may true of other gods, but remember that God of the Bible—the triune God, in fact—had perfect fellowship among himself before man was ever created. He did not need to create us for his own self-satisfaction; rather his selfless love was the basis for our existence, that love further culminated in his deigning to take on flesh and dwell among us in this dreary and dusty world. Moreover, to worship God is not to debase ourselves by kissing the hand of God; rather it is about getting past our myopic ways of thinking, getting out of the squalor of our own agendas in order to experience true and intimate fellowship with absolute goodness, absolute love, and absolute beauty. A God who loves selflessly would want nothing less for his creation, which is why he wants us to worship him for eternity. If he is perfectly good, then he cannot be a prideful God. He is love, power, and humility all in one, and he is all of these things personified. What would we not give to experience this? At this point, some may cringe at the notion of talking about religion at all in a graduate business program. Some may want to merely acknowledge in passing the importance of “Judeo-Christian values” while at the same time maintaining some separation from God. We want this because we like the notion of self-sufficiency—even those of us who have walked with the Lord all of our lives. But the fact is, there are no options for us but these: either we are totally the product of a random environment, such that every thought we have and every action we take are merely the result of past atomic and chemical reactions, rendering individuality as a mere illusion, or we are beholden to the Creator God, who while giving us every strength, gift and opportunity we currently possess, also gives us the choice on whether or not we will follow him. So here we are—we have the opportunity to follow the path of logic and fully surrender ourselves to God through Christ. In so doing, we do not empty and deny ourselves so much as we fill ourselves with the presence of Christ such that as individuals we truly live and move and have our being. And yes, in doing so, everything else in our lives—every room in our worldview home and every bit of furniture and scrap of carpeting, paint, etc. along with it—must be centered on Christ, and Christ alone. Or, because God does allow for free will, we can choose to buy into the illusion that somehow we are sovereign, that the strengths, opportunities and gifts that we possess due to God’s kindness are our own and the result of our own volition (as if that volition were something we created for ourselves and not something that was given us!), and we can seek to live a fractured life—living for ourselves but ultimately being

  Page 10 of 11a slave to our own selfish and myopic desires. This is a choice we can make as well, but it would be the wrong choice, both emotionally and logically. In making a final comment about axiology, it should be pointed out that making qualitative comparisons among various religious and non-religious ideologies is not in and of itself a mean-spirited or self-righteous thing to do. Rather, logic compels such qualitative comparisons. Some may be content and quite desirous of a so-called non-judgmental approach to life in which no comparisons are made among competing worldviews and everyone is encouraged and allowed to live as they best see fit. This is a sad way to live, because it ultimately undermines true meaning and purpose in life. If no qualitative comparisons can be made about life and various theories of what is true, then how can there be any meaning at all? In this type of world, people are, at best, guessing their way through life with little hope that anything they do will have any meaning. But if, on the other hand, there is in fact a grand narrative that involves us all and will unify any and all who allow themselves to be embraced by a loving God through Christ, there is hope of such things as justice, beauty, love, and an eternal destiny that shines brighter than any star in the universe. The real concern regarding such discussions about worldview, religion and ideology should not be that qualitative comparisons are being made, because the ability to make such comparisons is evidence of absolute truth, and therefore absolute meaning. No, the real concern is that such discussions not be done in a self-righteous, divisive manner. It is true that would-be religious zealots would only want to convert others, not to listen, would only want to diminish other perspectives not to explore, and in doing all of that, would end up creating a way of living that is myopic, rigid, and above all, self-righteous and petty. But what if such conversations about the meaning of life could be done in both a way that is logical and humble? In fact, doesn’t logic require humility? Remember that being logical requires an acknowledgement that personal experience and what one sees or observes is insufficient to make sense of life. True learning begins when people are willing to let go of their emotional attachment to what they believe so they can truly reason and discover. If the above ideal is a true and good one, consider yet again the God of the Bible, who from the very beginning of creation, allowed his most prized creations to disobey him and turn away from him. Consider that he himself took on flesh to pursue us and save us, but at the same time, disavowed the use of any military or political coercion in doing so. People must come into fellowship with God via free will or not at all. Consider the implications of a God who would allow us to question everything he claims to be and discover through a process of logic and outward looking, discover who he might be. Consider, in all of this, that the most powerful entity in the universe—indeed the entity that holds the entire universe together—would gently allow us the space to choose him. Consider also the message of Scripture that while we were still enemies, God came looking for us. When we wanted nothing to do with him, the gentle persuasion of the Holy Spirit drew us to repentance, or would do the

  Page 11 of 11same with those of us who do not yet know him. In a worldview where God allows for free will, in a worldview which acknowledges that unless we are saved by grace, we cannot know truth or embrace true life, in a worldview where time and time again, people are asked to put aside their own narrow agendas and preconceived notions to trust a wild God who bows to no man, how can there be one shred of self-righteousness? In reality, self-righteousness only belongs in worldviews where there is no God at all or where religion is defined in being “good enough” to earn God’s favor. The Gospel refutes that any of us were ever good enough to earn God’s favor apart from his saving grace through Christ. But in religious perspectives where God has not come to man, but man must come to God, where “good works” earns God’s blessing, then yes, self-righteousness can exist, and does exist. It is true that many so-called followers of Christ have embraced self-righteousness—indeed, that is a natural human tendency—but in doing so, they refute the very message of the Gospel and the God who ordained that Gospel message.

  Worldview, Faith, Philosophy, and Ethics STEP 1 Please answer the following questions: 1.To what extent should personal religious beliefs impact our decisions about business ethics? 2.To what extent do your personal religious (or non-religious) beliefs about life impact your sense of business ethics and personal decision-making? 3.Does it seem odd to connect every belief we have about life back to what we believe about God? Then, please read Article 1–“What Is a Worldview and Why Is It Important to Me?” Please answer the following questions: 1.Has your answers to either of the first two questions changed after reading Article 1? 2.Do you believe in absolute truth? Is there more than one way/religion to understanding absolute truth about God and the meaning of life? 3.Do you believe that humans have free will in their decisions, or are they entirely a product of their personal environment, circumstances, upbringing, etc.? 4.Are things such as true love, beauty, and justice really possible, or are those values totally determined by cultural beliefs and norms? STEP 2 Then read Article 2–“Adding the Framework”. Please answer the following questions: 1.Have your answers to any of the last questions changed after reading Article 2? 2.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? STEP 3 Then read Article 3–“If a God, then which God?”. Please answer the following questions:1.Have your answers to either of the last two questions changed after reading Article 3? 2.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?
  Download File