Performance and Value in Business in Relation to Religion Essay

It’s commonly known that Christians use the Bible as a guide to salvation and to assist in having a stable loving family and home life. However, the Bible is far more useful than many imagine. The Bible is also a resource for the workplace. The first day on the job is often stressful; however, the Bible provides comfort with Psalm 23, â€Å"The Lord is my shepherd†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (NIV) Besides comfort, the Bible is a guide to proper performance in the workplace. Along with performance is value, and both are important in business. Managers should not increase a firm’s value or performance by treating employees harshly (Brealey et. al., p.14). They should act without vain conceit or selfish ambition, but with humility (Phil. 2:3). The value of a company is increased by the performance of the manager(s), and this is accomplished by meeting business standards, complying with all laws, tax codes, and paying debts on time (Rom. 13:1) (Mat. 22:17) (Rom. 13:7). Managers that are successful have built a trust with employees and other business partners which further enhance performance and increase a company’s value by creating long term working relationships (Brealey et. al., p. 15). Teaching others that you can be trusted serves to build profits and trusting in the Lord is essential (Tit. 2:10) (Tit. 3:8). One’s own belief in Christianity and using its valuable lessons as a guide to life is great, but what if people began to integrate it in business as a regular practice? This question was posed by Laura Nash in the article where she was interviewed. She is a senior research fellow at Harvard Business School (Lagace 2001). Understanding religion in today’s business is critical because you may win contracts with Buddhist and Muslims and feel the underlying religious current. Managers need to understand that a religious uprising in India can affect their plants operation there. Managing a business creates stress with others that can lead to poor interactions even hate and greed may develop. A religion based on love such as Christianity to work as a spiritual anchor and ensure best business practices (Lagace 2001).