Management means leading or controlling a group of people with an intention to achieve particular goals or objectives. The main management functions are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Planning means an activity to decide the future works and setting the future actions. Organizing is an activity to organize and arrange all resources for achieving the goals. Maximum utilization of the available resources is the main aim of this activity. Leading is the activity of coordinating and maintaining the rapport of all members of the management towards achieving the objectives of an organization. This function also relates to the motivation of all members for goal achievements. Controlling in this function means the evaluation of all works and activities and rendering them suitable for achieving the goals of an organization.
Business organizations whether it is co-operative societies, religious centers, or any other type should analyze their business performance effectively for identifying its present position. The application of biblical principles helps to develop business activities. An employee of an organization should be able to carry out these applied principles in a systematic manner. No business organization will be able to perform its business activities without a suitable leader who can understand the requirements of the business and stand up to the responsibility. The organizational structure of International Churches of Christ is very complex and therefore it becomes difficult to handle its functioning. Proper classification of each area is essential for undertaking the activities of a church. The principle of division of labor is significant in this regard. In the context of the church, the leaders are mainly classified as Bible talk leaders, House Church leaders, Region leaders, etc. Moreover, there are separate ministries for each area of the business. So the leadership helps to encourage the personal relationship or coordination among various levels of the organization or its hierarchy. Biblical fellowship maintains several rules and regulations within the organization, which enhance the entire business activities. The Biblical leadership principles mainly stress encouraging the workers to contribute towards their churches and other services. Likewise, due to the establishment of an appropriate structure, the proper flow of adequate information throughout is possible. In Biblical Study of Fellowship (BSF), training, seminars, conferences, etc are provided for all kinds of leaders at all levels. Leaders motivate the members to achieve unity and togetherness within the group. So, for the successful running of an organization, it is necessary to make a detailed analysis of both the organizational principles recommended by Maxwell and Steward.
As per this concept, the difference between theological concept and leadership forces are the biggest problem being faced by most of the churches. “One of the things from Good to Great that really resonated with church leaders was the Level 5 Leadership finding,… that leaders who took companies from good to great are characterized by personal humility and by a fierce determination to a cause that is larger than themselves.” (Collins, 2006). A vast application of skill and knowledge is essential for a good leader. Proper interaction among the members is possible only through a good leadership system prevailing within the enterprise. The Bible is giving significant attention to pastoral ministry by neglecting the work area of the church. As per the Biblical principles, seven dimensions of life is vital such as- spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, work and play, crisis and loss, and environmental well-being. For the development of an organization, a suitable structure and qualified manpower personnel are essential. For the implementation of this, theoretical and practical research is very necessary. The fundamental quality required for a good leader is that he should be an inspired leader. Better running of concern lies in the hands of a qualified leader. For this, it is necessary to make the group active to cope up with the changing situations, which is possible only through teamwork. Every member of the team should be able to understand his own responsibilities and on the basis of this, he will provide his contribution.
According to Maxwell’s Leadership Bible, leadership is an essential concept for both leaders and followers for their own improvement. Here leadership means providing guidance or inspiration to the followers.
Organizational principles help to create a sense of responsibility throughout the organization. The basic principles of an organization are mainly:
- Value.
- Customers.
- Differentiation.
- Strategy.
- Organization.
- Profit.
- Control.
The decision-making should be affected by Biblical principles in an organization. Spirituality is somewhat related to the business and working environment. “Drawing directly from Christian Scripture, Steward identifies and discusses basic business principles such as accountability, flexibility, integrity, praise, and recognition in their biblical contexts. While these are not novel concepts, the scriptural foundation gives a new perspective and inspires the reader to seek excellence in business endeavors.” (Kristin, Henning. 2004).
Generally, it means the integration of certain inherent qualities of an individual, which may sometimes lead towards the right area, not only for him but also for his co-workers. This concept is a pattern of leadership. The decisions taken by people are not as much as important as a decision made by God. A man has to deal with every aspect of a business for performing his jobs like recruitment, budgeting, etc and the decision being taken by him depends on the decision made by God. At the time of taking a decision, a person who is leading the enterprise should obtain appropriate support from the public. In case of disagreements, he should be able to argue with it and make clear their points of suspicion. This helps to bring up the image of a good leader who can instill confidence in others. “Decision-making is one of leadership’s core competencies. In fact, decision-making ability differentiates between poor and good, and between good and great, leaders. Decisions reveal values and intelligence. They require obedience to and dependence upon God. They demand wisdom. Making decisions affects just about everything else leaders do” (Kenneth Boa, 2007). A good decision reflects accurate information and modern advanced technology is providing adequate information within the appropriate time. It is a responsibility of a leader to take the ultimate decision with reasoning power which requires skill and ability that in turn relates to his spirituality. The wisdom and discipline of a leader highly reflect in the functioning style of an organization. A good decision is highly influenced by a leader’s wisdom and discipline. In this context, an organization’s decision-making directly relies on its leader’s wisdom and discipline. A leader must care for the need and requirements of his subordinates before making a decision. It is also very important to ensure that the subordinates support the decision taken by the leader. Proper interaction between a Leader and his subordinates is very important as it helps to improve the performance of management and the competency of the organization. Proper information of various activities also plays a significant role in the decision-making process and all decision relates to correct information. Technological changes create a positive atmosphere for information and communication.
Business plans are mainly of two types short term and long-term. Short-term plans relate to operational activity whereas long-term goals deal with the strategic decisions depending on strategic plans. All business plans consist of a set of goals and objectives. It is applicable to the entire area of business like marketing, Finance, and HRM. The business plans either directly or indirectly affect the stakeholders, which may be either beneficial or sometimes create certain difficulties. Strategic plans of a business highly focus on formulating the future goals and objectives of the business. Long-term plans involve the key strategic activities of an organization and include the strategy of future changes like capital formation and implementation of new technologies and other strategic decisions like merging take over and other activities. These strategic decisions need to satisfy the stakeholders. In ethical business management, all organizations want to ensure their stakeholders’ needs and requirements. It is not only for the business’s success but it is also the responsibility of the management. Other business plans are concerning operational function are the short-term activities of the organization. The main difference between Strategic planning and operational planning is strategic planning relates to the organization’s internal and external activities. But the operational plans mainly depend on the internal activities of an organization. According to the Christian culture, there should be a reasonable opportunity for improving human lifestyle by the means of entering into the field of business which enhances economical, social, and cultural attitudes towards life. The mission of a business is mainly integrated with biblical principles; as a result of this, there should be an overall development throughout the Christian community and in the field of commerce as a whole. So, it is mainly focusing on the overall implementation of Christian rules and values directly into the business and also in the global marketplace. Ethical and moral values should be incorporated in all plans and strategies an organization wants to follow. The responsibility of a good leader is to inspire and motivate his followers while performing his task in an effective manner. “Leadership definition is defined as “enabling a group to engage together in the process of developing, sharing and moving into vision, and then living it out.” (Our Definition of Leadership). A leader provides a clear sense of direction through which he may earn respect and honor. Proper communication throughout the organization is reflected in good leadership. It helps to develop a sense of responsibility among the workers and moreover, it is possible to take appropriate decisions at the time. Responsible leaders are concentrating on implementing, developing, and motivating the workers by giving proper direction. Honesty and integrity are the key qualities of a good leader; the success of a leader depends on the trust he obtains from his followers and it is necessary to keep it constant. The leaders in the bible were entirely different from ordinary leaders. So even if they are focusing on unrealistic attitudes, then also the followers of the community were ready to accept whatever may be the kind of changes adopted by their leader because it is mainly based on integrity and honesty. All business decisions should reflect integrity and honesty. The Biblical Principles believe that business has a responsibility to society as a whole. Many companies have a statement of ethics but very few implement these principles in their business. Business people understood that ethical business is more suitable to achieve success and growth. The management’s responsibility is to maintain and transform the ethical and moral values to all areas of business. The Biblical principle gives more importance to ethical behavior in all areas of life and in the areas of business, which guides the followers in implementing ethical and moral values in their business activities. There is no mention of the pope and other related prophets. It is evident from a detailed study that during the early stages, none of the churches had a suitable and appropriate place to carry out their business functions and most of the churches were independent. It is clear that each local church had several members who have different roles in the administration. Leaders were responsible for teaching, motivating, protecting, encouraging, guiding, and enhancing their interests towards work. Whenever a follower refused to follow the instructions, leaders were responsible for intimate this matter to the organization as a whole. In the case of a church, whenever a crucial problem arises, all the church leaders came together to resolve the problem. They considered Jesus Church as their head, a common faith, and a common baptism. Yet these churches were independent in nature, and most of the decisions were taken on the basis of a mutual agreement among the members. There was no central authority to control the business and for any decision-making process.
It is necessary to implement the Biblical Principles in a religiously, socially, and culturally diverse workplace. The major responsibility of the members of the Church is to provide a high priority to the economic and social living style, which develops an ecological world. So it is necessary to create workplace spirituality and effective leadership communications. “An examination of the successful and unsuccessful strategic planning practices in organizations with emphasis on strategic planning’s role in strengthening the ministry organization. Practical applications will direct leaders in creating a planning process for their organizations.” (Online Courses. MGT-319 – Strategy and Planning for Ministry Organizations).
It is very essential to implement Steward’s approaches universally, and the adaptability of applying biblical principles is also a must. For this, it is necessary to identify the organization’s mission and vision. Furthermore, it is also necessary to analyze the operational process and other organizational issues. As per this principle, all manpower in the organizations are equal and interdependent, and it is essential for an organization to apply leadership style, decision-making process, and setting up of goals and objectives in such a way that it will be somewhat related to biblical principles, the leadership style implemented by Steward and also the Maxwell Leadership principles. “Frequently, our ideas and thoughts as to the habits and ways of doing things within the church have been handed down from one group to another and carried on without question until they are so meshed in our lives that they become absolutes by which we govern our behavior and operate our church. The better alternative is to use the Biblical example of what a church is to be and how it is to function.” (Hardman, Marlin. 1975).
Works Cited
- Collins, Jim. (2006). Is Ministry Leadership Different than Business Leadership? The Presbyterian Polis. Web.
- Steward, David L. (2004). Doing Business by the Good Book: 52 Lessons on Success Straight From the Bible. Look Smart. Web.
- Boa, Kenneth. (2007).Decision Making. Bible.org. Web.
- Our Definition of Leadership. The Teal Trust. Web.
- Online Courses. MGT-319 – Strategy and Planning for Ministry Organizations. Cornerstone University.
- Hardman, Marlin. (1975). Biblical Principles for New Life Church.