Introduction
Christian entrepreneurship is an aspect characterized by special principles of following biblical values in the process of business management. However, not all entrepreneurs realize the true purpose of their work and may interpret their authority incorrectly. As Keller and Alsdorf (2014) note, when using all available resources to achieve their goals, business owners can ignore biblical precepts and forget what the real source of power is. This proposal is aimed at exploring the problem of the failure to address biblical rules in entrepreneurship through applying relevant methodological principles and an appropriate design for building an optimal research course.
Background of the Problem
Due to the fact that many entrepreneurs cannot clearly identify their work goals, they often neglect the Christian rules that define the service to God as the main task. Keller and Alsdorf (2014) draw particular attention to business owners’ overemphasis on power, which they take for granted and may misuse. In this regard, entrepreneurs’ inability to follow the biblical precepts in their practice creates the problem of not understanding the true source of power and, therefore, violating Christian rules.
Problem Statement
The general problem to be addressed is the failure of Christians to understand the aim of their work resulting in the inability to serve God’s true commandments. Cailing (2018) states that God’s plans regarding human work are not restrictive, but any daily activity should not be contrary to the basic values laid down by the Creator. Grimes and Bennett (2017) note that people lack the knowledge of applying spirituality and religious values in the workplace to follow Christian covenants. In his research, Spangenberg (2017) argues that the Bible is interpreted by many Christians as the word of God but is not seen as a real manual giving specific advice and explaining the causes and consequences of certain actions. Rhodes and Pullen (2017) emphasize the incorrect behavior of individual entrepreneurs who, while running their businesses, perceive their own power as that comparable to the divine. The specific problem to be addressed is the possible failure of Christians within the business sphere to realize the true essence of their working purpose resulting in the possible inability of entrepreneurs to serve God responsibly and not to forget about the true source of power.
Conceptual/Theoretical Framework & Design
Based on the aforementioned problem statement, an optimal framework can be identified to explore the failure of Christians to understand the aim of their work resulting in the inability to serve God’s true commandments. Ali and Anwar (2021) propose a model that is based on job satisfaction and includes several variables to consider to identify specific correlations between them and determine the incentives driving employee behavior. Since the non-observance of God’s commandments in the workplace is caused by people’s internal beliefs, their personal motives and rationales should be viewed as the key factors influencing their organizational behavior. Therefore, a theoretical framework presented in Figure 1 is appropriate in this context and may help study the issue under consideration as accurately as possible.
This design may help address the gap in the research area and prove that a theoretical background is an essential component of valid activities. Serving to God, whether in the workplace or in daily activities, reveals itself in the perception of incentives that affect people’s behavior. Therefore, analyzing different influences is an appropriate method to assess the issue under consideration and draw the necessary conclusions.
Research Paradigm
The concept of constructivism most closely matches the research perspective and helps analyze the tasks to be performed. In the context of this paradigm, one sets goals he or she can accomplish due to personal experiences and knowledge. Fletcher (2017) compares constructivism with positivism and argues that the former is based on viewing “reality as entirely constructed through and within human knowledge or discourse” (p. 182). As a result, following the idea of constructivism helps remain an observer but not an influencer, hence being open-minded.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this qualitative study is to evaluate entrepreneurs’ perceptions of their power and connect their opinions with Christian dogmas to find out whether business owners’ attitudes to their working purpose correspond to serving God responsibly. One of the central reasons for performing this research is the close relationship of religious beliefs to business decision-making, which, as Grimes and Bennett (2017) note, is a characteristic of many entrepreneurs. Therefore, revealing the connection between individual perceptions of power and real implications for the practice of serving God is a relevant topic to study.
Significance of the Study
The importance of the proposed study is due to the potential prospect of identifying specific trends in entrepreneurs’ leadership behaviors and determining which models of perception of individual power diverge from Christian dogmas about true service to God through work duties. Mabey et al. (2017) mention various leadership actions that are used to achieve desired results but contrary to existing ethical and religious norms, for instance, “lying, competition for status and power, jealousy of our peers, blaming others,” and some others (p. 761). The planned study may help find out whether participants support any of these workflow approaches to achieve their goals or whether they condemn such practices, as well as reveal members’ attitudes towards the Bible.
In addition, the findings of the study will help reveal the unique views of the participants involved on the phenomenon of power and its manifestation in the work process. The findings will contribute to highlighting relevant frameworks from entrepreneurs’ individual perceptions and will allow drawing conclusions regarding the extent to which people with the right to control and manage are able to control their powers. Keller and Alsdorf (2014) mention the approaches that are highly undesirable for personnel management, particularly coercion and guilt. Thus, the planned study will cover additional unethical and non-Christian practices to avoid.
Research Questions
Regarding the topic under consideration, by asking qualitative questions, one can research the lack of entrepreneurs’ awareness about how to apply spirituality in the workplace. Khurana et al. (2021) mention the deep meaning of Christian entrepreneurship and highlight its inclusive nature and specific forms of interpersonal interaction. Therefore, the following qualitative research questions can be utilized to create a framework for solving the analyzed problem:
- What is the role of power in entrepreneurship from the perspective of serving God and following Christian canons?
- Why do entrepreneurs forget about the true sources of power and perceive their strengths as expanded and unlimited?
- What roles do Christian faith and religion play in the entrepreneurial process?
Method with Rationale
The analysis of the topic helps argue that a flexible method is the most appropriate practice to research the issue. As Spangenberg (2017) argues, Christian values are often treated differently by entrepreneurs, which explains a flexible design as a rational approach. Moreover, the problem at hand is individual in nature, and planning outcomes is impossible in advance, which also speaks in favor of this method.
Design with Rationale
With regard to the research design, a qualitative strategy is acceptable for solving the proposed problem. According to Rhodes and Pullen (2017), many entrepreneurs ignore biblical norms and build the entrepreneurial process based on an individual vision that can be different from that of Christianity. Therefore, information from the participants involved is the main tool for analysis, and numerical calculations are irrelevant in such a context.
Discussion of Design Method with Rationale
In relation to the design method, phenomenology is a suitable approach for such a study. Grimes and Bennett (2017) draw attention to entrepreneurs’ distinctive knowledge of what power is and how businesses should be managed to serve God responsibly. A phenomenological approach is based on analyzing the experiences of the members involved, and specific actions and behaviors can be assessed to identify general trends. Participants can report whether they adhere to some restrictions on the use of power, and these data may be utilized as the core of the analysis.
Conclusion
The proposal may allow analyzing the problem of the misinterpretation of biblical precepts by entrepreneurs and assessing their perception of power. Appropriate methodological principles will make it possible to conduct a valid study based on a specific theoretical framework and use constructivism as a research paradigm. A flexible method with a qualitative design, supplemented by a phenomenological approach to data collection and interpretation, will help answer the research questions posed and address the issue raised comprehensively.
References
Ali, B. J., & Anwar, G. (2021). An empirical study of employees’ motivation and its influence job satisfaction.International Journal of Engineering, Business and Management, 5(2), 21-30. Web.
Cailing, R. M. (2018). Fear God and keep his commandments: Foundation for a relationship with God.Review & Expositor, 115(2), 254-263. Web.
Fletcher, A. J. (2017). Applying critical realism in qualitative research: Methodology meets method.International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 20(2), 181-194. Web.
Grimes, M. A., & Bennett, R. H. (2017). Christ-centered leadership: God-honoring leadership for committed Christians. Journal of Biblical Integration in Business, 20(1), 24-35.
Keller, T., & Alsdorf, K. L. (2014). Every good endeavor: Connecting your work to God’s work. Penguin.
Khurana, I., Ghura, A. S., & Dutta, D. K. (2021). The influence of religion on the humane orientation of entrepreneurs.Journal of Small Business Management, 59(3), 417-442. Web.
Mabey, C., Conroy, M., Blakeley, K., & De Marco, S. (2017). Having burned the straw man of Christian spiritual leadership, what can we learn from Jesus about leading ethically?Journal of Business Ethics, 145(4), 757-769. Web.
Rhodes, C., & Pullen, A. (2017). Critical business ethics: From corporate self‐interest to the glorification of the sovereign pater.International Journal of Management Reviews, 20(2), 483-499. Web.
Spangenberg, I. J. (2017). Is God a ventriloquist and is the bible God’s dummy? Critical reflections on the use of the bible as a warrant for doctrines, policies and moral values.Scriptura: Journal for Contextual Hermeneutics in Southern Africa, 116(2), 208-223. Web.