Reimagining Faith and Management

6Faith and organisational ethics

Peter McGhee

We become quite what we believe

And I doubt there’s another reprieve

Faith shapes the way

Through night and through day

And the story of life that we weave

Godfrey D’Lima

Introduction

Faith and ethics have a long and entwined history. Indeed, all the major faith traditions view ethical living as inherent to authentic practice (Sharma, 1995). Although each tradition interprets the goals of ethical action in its own way, there are commonalities. Fergusson (2010) helpfully provides the metaphor of “reaching upward, opening inward and expanding outward” (p. 16) as a means of understanding. Each tradition rises to be in unity with their Ultimate Concern. As they rise, they focus inwardly ...