Business Ethics

(Pro 11:24 KJV) There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

If I were writing a book on principles of successful capitalism that are found in the Bible I would look at this verse.  Perhaps if I called it “business” instead of “capitalism” there would be fewer triggers pulled.  Generating wealth does not happen in a vacuum.  There are certain requirements on how you deal with people.  One of the observations that Alexis De Tocqueville made when traveling down the Ohio river was that the property on the slave side was poorly kept up and undeveloped while on the free side everything was vigorous and prosperous.  His observation was that paying a living wage caused the workers to work harder because they stood to gain something from it. 

There might be short term gains by shortchanging workers in a business but the Bible tells us that long term you are more successful when you treat people right.

So?  The problem with employers is in their heart, which influences their policies.  You may not be an employer but you will hire people to do things for you at times.  Treat them well.

De Tocqueville, Alexis.  Democracy in America, Vol. 1, Translated by Henry Reeve, Project Gutenberg Edition, Kindle Location 6944-6947.