It is legal for CEOs to make 300 times the amount of the average worker. But is this fair and just? Is it ethical for a customer to purchase a digital camera for the sole purpose of using it on a ski trip and then return the item to the store afterwards? Should companies who purchase advertising space on websites that offer pirated videos for download be held accountable for breaking intellectual property laws? The world of business is fraught with ethical challenges. Some of these are relatively straightforward, but others are complicated and require careful reflection. While there are numerous theories to help people navigate these dilemmas, the goal of this book is to provide a comprehensive biblical perspective on contemporary issues in areas such as consumer behavior, management, accounting and marketing. InBusiness Ethics in Biblical Perspective, Michael E. Cafferky explores the biblical resources for moral guidance and ethical consideration. He identifies twelve key themes in the narrative of Scripture: cosmic conflict, creation, holiness, covenant relationships, shalom, sabbath, justice, righteousness, truth, wisdom, loving kindness and redemption. By looking at ethical approaches and issues through this multifaceted biblical perspective, Cafferky helps readers appreciate the complex nature of ethical decision making, particularly in the context of business and finance. Designed from the start with the classroom in mind, each chapter ofBusiness Ethics in Biblical Perspective provides example scenarios, questions for intrapersonal and interpersonal ethical reflection, review questions, ethical vignettes for discussion and an exploration of the chapter material in light of the biblical themes. Additional IVP Instructor Resources are also available.
Michael E. Cafferky (DBA, Anderson University) is the Ruth McKee Chair for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics at Southern Adventist University, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in management, business strategy, entrepreneurship, organizational theory and business ethics. He also serves as the editor of the peer-reviewed Journal of Biblical Integration in Business for the Christian Business Faculty Association. In 2013 he received the Sharon G. Johnson Award from the Christian Business Faculty Association in national recognition of his efforts toward integrating faith and business in his scholarship. Prior to his work in higher education, Cafferky worked for twenty years in the healthcare industry at various levels of leadership including front-line supervisor, department manager, director of business development, CFO, COO and CEO. He is a member of the Academy of Management and the Christian Business Faculty Association, and was a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives for ten years. He also served as an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Cafferky is the author of eight books includingManagement: A Faith-based Perspective, Breakeven Analysis (coauthored with Jon Wentworth) and Scriptural Foundations for Management. He has published articles in the Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, Faith in Business Quarterly, Christian Business Academy Review, the Journal of Applied Christian Leadership and the Journal of Religion and Business Ethics. An active speaker at conferences, Cafferky has given presentations on faith and business topics in the United States, Australia, Africa, Russia, Europe, Canada and Mexico. He and his wife Marlene have two grown sons.