An Exegetical Application of the Book of Solomon - Business Proverbs - Coursework Example

Business Proverbs Introduction In the business environment, issues related to work, money, bribes and business conduct are crucial for business success. For an organization to succeed, it is crucial to streamline these issues to ensure that there is social cohesion between employees and the management and that money is used appropriately for the optimal performance of the organization. In modern business analysis, the Bible has been used to model business design through an exegetical approach. The book of Proverbs has many proverbs relating to work, money, bribe and business conduct. This essay will provide an exegetical application of the book of Solomon on these issues and the way they apply in business. Money and its Utilization The book of proverbs provides a wide coverage of money, the way it should be acquired and utilized in the society. In proverbs (11: 24) the Bible states that ‘one man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty’. The meaning of this verse is that those who withhold money have little chances of succeeding or making profits. This verse provides an incentive for each person to use money for investment (Marr, 2006). While business is risky, investing gives money opportunity to make profits. Secondly, this verse may refer to organizations that hold profits by minimizing employees’ wages (Morris and Morris, 2004). While such organization may make high profits in the short term, in the long term, they are likely to make losses as employees lose focus on the organizational goals. The question of business expenditure has attracted a lot of attention in the contemporary business environment. Business managers are faced with the dilemma of optimizing profits at the expense of their employees or vice versa. The issue of corporate social responsibility has pushed the organizations to further consider their investment strategies. Research has shown that for an organization to remain profitable in the long term, it is crucial that it takes care of the employee welfare by spending on decent wages and employee comfort. The idea of the bible (Proverbs, 11:25) that a generous many will prosper while one who refreshes others will also be refreshed points out to the benefits that an organization gains for remaining generous to their employees (Marr, 2006). When an organization pays its workers well it enjoys optimal profits due employee loyalty and high labour turnover (Morris and Morris, 2004). How to Conduct Oneself in Business and Trade Business conduct is one of the most crucial factors in a business environment. The way an employee or employer behaves in business determines their contribution to the organization. The bible says that “people curse the man who hoards grain, but blessings crowns him who is willing to sell’ (Proverbs 11:26). The hoarding of goods and services is a strategy that has triggered a wide range of reactions in the business environment. In the traditional business set up, business investors engaged in hoarding as part of their monopolistic strategy to dominate the market (Marr, 2006). In the modern business environment, monopolistic business strategies are criticized while liberal markets are emphasized (Miller & Business Intelligence Braintrust, 2000). On this note, it is clear that the Bible seems to criticize monopoly in the business environment. The conduct of employees is important as it influences the ability of the work teams to remain strong and committed to the management goals. The Bible provides criticism for the employees who refuse to obey the management rules due to the effect that such a person has on team formation (Marr, 2006). Proverbs (10:17) states that ‘he who heeds discipline shows the way to life, while one whoever ignores correction leads others astray. In the business environment, it is expected that corrections on conduct will be issued to rectify wrong employee behaviour. Those who oppose such corrections are likely to lead other members of the work group against the management (Miller & Business Intelligence Braintrust, 2000). Indiscipline in the business environment results to the existence of strikes and industrial actions that often have consequences on the organization. The Offering and Taking of Bribes Offering and Taking bribes brings the issue of integrity within the business environment. Often, bribes are used to give illegal favours and to deny other the right of standing in the rightful place. For instance, in the employment sector, bribe is used to award some people job positions that they do not warrant. This denies people the right to compete fairly in the job market. In Proverbs (11:1) the bible states that “The Lord Abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight”. When human resource managers take bribe during employment, they subject the applicants of the position to unfair scales (Marr, 2006). To ensure that each person is treated fairly, it is crucial to ensure that the same scales are used to measure job competency before awarding job positions (Wrage, 2007). In this case, the bible encourages the use of bribes to influence job awards in the business environment. Also, the bible discourages the use of riches to influence the success of a person or business. The bible states that “whoever trusts in his riches will fail, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf” (Proverbs 11:28). This statement criticizes those job applicants who trust on their money to gain job positions. Whereas their money may help them in earning unwarranted positions, they are likely to fail when they get to jobs that they are not competent in (Wrage, 2007). On this context, the righteous man is one who trusts on the job competence while applying for employment. When they get to job positions that they merit, they perform well and thrive like a green leaf. View of Work Various Biblical verses provide the concept of work and the way people should conduct themselves in work. Proverbs (12:24) states that “diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in slave labour.” In this verse, the concept of hard work in the work environment is exuded. The meaning of the proverb is that the hardworking people in the work environment are rewarded while those that fail to work hard remain poor. In modern business environment, worker promotion depends on the hand work of an employee and hence the most hardworking employees are promoted to better positions (Murugan, 2007). However, the lazy employees remain in one position for long and risk losing their job. Also the Bible states that “the lazy man does not roast his game, but the diligent man prizes his possessions” (Proverbs 12: 27). The implication of this statement is that lazy people are likely to perform poorly in their own work while the diligent people are likely to manage their positions in a better way (Marr, 2006). In short, the Bible criticizes laziness in work place and recommends that employees remain productive, not for the benefit of their organization but for their own benefit. Conclusion In conclusion, the book of proverbs provides rich content that can be applied in the business environment regarding work, bribes, money and conduct in the business environment. The Bible encourages integrity and modest organization behaviour for the success of business. On the other hand, various verses are dedicated to criticism of monopoly, bribes and laziness in the business environment. A close analysis of the bible shows that modest organizational behaviour is the only assurance business profitability. In the contemporary business environment, an exegetical analysis of business allows one managers to learn the best approaches to business development in an era of severe market challenges. The goal of the managers should be to implement modest organizational behaviour and to discourage wrong management strategies that are likely to cause losses in the long term. References Marr, S., (2006). Proverbs for Business. London: Baker Books. Miller, J., & Business Intelligence Braintrust. (2000). Millennium intelligence: Understanding and conducting competitive intelligence in the digital age. Medford, N.J: CyberAge Books. Morris, k., and Morris, V., (2004). The Walls Street Journal Guide to Understanding Money and Investing. New York: Simon and Schuster. Murugan, S., (2007). Management Principles and Practices. New York: New Age International. Wrage, A. A. (2007). Bribery and extortion: Undermining business, governments, and security. Westport, Conn: Praeger Security International. Read More