Benji Watson is the type of individual corporations everywhere would be proud to have on their team. New Gen Health Sciences is not his only choice, and I do not believe it would be a wise choice for Benji. The mere fact the Benji is a Liberty University graduate tells New Gen that he values honesty, has strong moral principles and prefers to be ethical in his dealings. These are qualities any corporation would value in their employees, even though the corporate culture of New Gen does not place much value in them.

Integrity

“For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required; and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more.” (Luke 12:48 Amplified Bible) God has entrusted Benju with the ability to excel in education. This talent will take him into many places where he will have the chance to show and witness to others just how good God is. If he decides to become a part of New Gen, a company he already knows have integrity issues, he could lose what God originally intended for good. He must “guard and keep the deposit entrusted to him.” (1Timothy 6:20 Amplified Bible)

New Gen is rolling out the red carpet to Benji, showering him with gifts to paint a beautiful picture to hang in a house built of cards. He must guard himself, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” (Matthew 7:15 New International Version) When the CEO displayed his blatant lack of morals, having no regards for the feelings of the mother of the crying infant, or when he called those same customers he cared so much about, fat and lazy, this should tell Benji exactly how he feels about people in general not just customers. As Christians we are supposed to show love and

Business Ethics Case Study 2

compassion for others, not just in public but behind closed doors as well. If this is the attitude at the top it will not take long before it flows down to the rest of the employees. Top management tends to set the precedence for the whole company.

Honesty

“Factually false statements pervade everyday life. Though allocation between honest error and conscious deception is impossible, social science supports Mark Twain’s assertion that ‘lying is universal.’” (10 First Amend. L. Rev. 465 2012)). While this may very well be a true statement, Christians should not have lying tongues. If Benji becomes a part of this organization, a lying tongue is exactly what he will have to have to be successful. The recruiter was quite proud of the way the P.R. people had constructed the lies on the website about the company and confident the lawyer would keep the ex-distributors quiet. Should Benji join this team he too will tell these same lies, and the Bible tell us “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” (Luke 16:10 English Standard Version) Once you open the door for the little lie it will not take a lot of convincing to get you to tell one even bigger.

If a company finds it so easy to lie to customers will they not also find it easy to lie to employees? Benji will never be able to have real peace about anything they say. It is difficult to make wise decisions when there is a lack of peace in our lives. One bad decision could lead to many more and before you know it your life has become a total wreck.

The type of corporate culture New Gen has displayed will buy buildings, buy businesses and buy people. They will use them as long as they are turning a profit, selling their lies, but as soon

Business Ethics Case Study 3

as their numbers drop, New Gen will drop them. No future can be built on a stack of lies. Benji should be looking forward to establishing a relationship with a company whose values line up with his. Does Benji really want to be a part of a corporate culture that is all about the amount of money they are making, having little regard for the lives they are touching.

John Dobson says, “Conventional business ethics is being exposed as a ‘naked emperor’: a discipline with no sound conceptual foundation” (Dobson, 2014). As a child of God we should deal ethically with our brothers and sisters. We should build a foundation on how the word of God teaches us to love one another. True brotherly love would not allow us to knowingly mislead other people. By “keeping our lives from the love of money,” (Hebrews 3:5 English Standard Version), we will not sell out for the temporary pleasure money will bring. As Christians, having a wrong relationship with money will only bring destruction to us. We must let the word of God be the final authority in our decisions.

Benji should build his hopes on things eternal, keeping in mind the “the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9) There will be other job opportunities where his values and integrity are not compromised. He should seek God’s best for his life and it is obvious New Gen is not it. They know how business should be conducted, as their promotions claim, but instead they choose to deceive others to get ahead. Benji should stand on what he knows is right and let God reward him.

Stern, Nat. Implications of Libel Doctrine for Nondefamotory Falsehoods Under The FirstAmendment. 10 First Amend. L. Rev. 465 (2012).
Dobson, J. (n.d.). Virtue Ethics as a Foundation for Busines Ethics: a "MacIntyre-Based" Criique. . Retrieved June 30, 2014, from https://www.stthomas.edu/cathstudies/cst/conferences/antwerp/papers/Dobson.pdf