The role of Christian Ethics in Business

Economic institutions are comprised of market actors who are individuals and organizations that buy, sell, and trade in open and free markets. Thus, resulting in the production of goods and services that the market demands. They operate within a framework of law and regulation set by government officials on local, city, and state levels. These laws, regulations, and policies serve as the code of conduct for market actors and their conduct. The sole purpose of these corporations is to produce goods, services, and jobs in order to produce an end of profits. The success of these corporations depend on the company to remain competitive and efficient. The primary goal and motivating force for business organizations is to maximize profits and maintain efficiency. “Business is said to be a game in which the aim is to gain as much profit as possible, while staying within ‘the rules of the game’“(Boatright John, 2012), which is the law. On these grounds business justifies their legitimacy, their conduct, and their decision making process. But, society is standing up and saying, ‘no, business has several responsibilities… not only to shareholders, stakeholders, investors, suppliers, and manufacturers, but also to its employees and to the society as a whole.
The image of business has changed dramatically over the last twenty or so years. Business deals used to be made with just a handshake, the quality of goods and products were made durable, and people took pride in paying back debts. Today the push for profits, misleading marketing practices, and poor decision making has led to shady business deals, public scandals, poor quality products, and economic meltdowns. So, needless to say, the legitimacy of business has fallen, leading to a diminished trust in these corporations, thus resulting in a study called business ethics. There is a cry from the community for these institutions to be held accountable for their actions, for them to act responsibly, for them to conduct