Integrating Christian living and international management

• Main Authors: Tobias Brügger, Louise Kretzschmar
• Format: Article
• Language: Afrikaans
• Published: Scriber Editorial Systems 2015-09-01
• Series: Koers : Bulletin for Christian Scholarship
• Subjects: Christian living; international management practice; separation between faith and work; non-dualistic approach to Christian living; Christelike lewenswyse; internasionale bestuurspraktyk
• Online Access: https://www.koersjournal.org.za/index.php/koers/article/view/2206

Abstract This article investigates how Christian living and international management practice can be integrated. We argue that dualistic and reductionist conceptions of the relationship of faith and work can be observed in international management theory, and in some Christian-theological approaches to business ethics. Similarly, a separation between faith and work is adopted by certain management practitioners. However, such dualistic and reductionist conceptions are inadequate in the light of actual practice of international management. A case study revealed that international management theory and practitioners can be critiqued because of a lack of consideration of the connection between faith and management practice. A re-thinking of international management practice without the artificial separation of faith and practice is needed. This requires the development of a non-dualistic approach to Christian living and a combination of conceptual and empirical research to explore actual practice in international management contexts. Opsomming Hierdie artikel ondersoek die moontlikheid hoe ‘n Christelike lewenswyse en internasionale bestuurspraktyk geïntegreer kan word. Ons redeneer dat dualistiese en onderwerpende opvattinge oor die verhouding tussen geloof en werk in internasionale bestuursteorie en in sommige Christelike Teologiese benaderinge tot sake-etiek waargeneem kan word. Net so word ‘n skeiding tussen geloof en werk deur sekere bestuurspraktisyns ingeneem. Sulke dualistiese en onderwerpende opvattinge is egter onvoldoende in die lig van die werklike beoefening van internasionale bestuur. ‘n Gevallestudie het geopenbaar dat internasionale bestuursteorie en praktisyns gekritiseer kan word vanweë ‘n gebrek aan die inagneming van die verbintenis tussen geloof en die bestuurspraktyk. ‘n Heroorweging van internasionale bestuurspraktyk sonder die kunsmatige skeiding van geloof en beoefening is noodsaaklik. Dit vereis die ontwikkeling van ‘n nie-dualistiese benadering tot die Christelike lewenstyl en ‘n kombinasie van konsepsuele en empiriese navorsing om die feitelike praktyk in internasionale bestuurskontekste te ondersoek. https://doi.org/10.19108/KOERS.80.1.2206