A CALLING TO BE MORE THAN STEWARDS From a Christian perspective, sustainability and stewardship are closely interrelated. Our traditional understanding of stewardship relates to conservation. The Bible calls for stewardship of the land and the search for shalom – the Hebrew word meaning peace. Shalom also relates to the practice of responsibility and accountability for the community and the environment. Christians are, therefore, encouraged to pursue sustainable practices. Christian values can encourage family business leaders to act as stewards of God’s creation and demonstrate environmental responsibility. This involves balancing interests involving responsibility to God and one’s fellow man when addressing sustainability concerns. Some Christian business leaders may reject introducing products whose production or marketing work against Christian principles related to sustainability. For others, Christian principles can constrain alternatives, making some decisions off-limits. Longterm thinking may include an unwillingness to invest in industries perceived as producing ‘unethical or harmful products.’ Christian leaders of family firms may choose to improve industry practices to support the environment. They may procure the best ecological solutions while exercising careful responsibility for God’s creation. Examples exist in companies such as Hobby Lobby, Cardone Industries, Tom’s of Maine, Chick-Fil-A, and Herman Miller. SIX DIMENSIONS Based on recent studies and a stewardship perspective, a Christiancentred view of family business sustainability practices is interrelated into six dimensions. Humility: There are significant limitations to man’s knowledge and actions. Man’s power to harness the environment is also limited. The multifaceted issues in the natural environment are poorly understood. Christian leaders of family firms should avoid the temptation to discredit the needs of diverse stakeholders concerned about the environment, or who need help dealing with environmental issues. Respect: Respect is required to show humility towards each other and the earth. The environment has divine value for everyone. Christian leaders of family firms should produce products and services that affirm sustainable practices and remind people that the earth was not created for humans alone but for humans and nature to live in a respectful balance. Selflessness: Christians should limit desires and make sacrifices if they respect the earth and the God who created it – especially where actions can negatively impact the environment. Firm leaders should reduce their impact on the earth. New products and services should be checked for potential threats against nature and/or people. Moderation: Christians should guide others to use what is needed, tempering materialism and consumption and providing checks on economic growth that threatens the environment. Christian family business leaders should stand in contrast to society’s unrestrained materialism and consumerism. Business practices must restrain the selfish tendency for satisfaction from nature. Mindfulness: A Christian perspective calls for thoughtful choices, considering the impact of every action on local communities and society. When the environmental impact of actions is known, and where alternatives are available, Christian family business leaders should revisit business policies concerning packaging and disposable products. Responsibility/Accountability: There is a challenge to correct inadvertent damage to the environment. Christians are responsible for using all available means to recover God’s balance of nature. Firm leaders must offer solutions in industries that harm the environment. Initiatives could prompt engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) to enhance a shared sense of responsibility towards each other and the environment. A MORAL IMPERATIVE If Christian family business leaders recognise the current environmental crisis as moral, ethical, and faith-based, one response may be to engage in specific sectors and avoid others. Another response may be a gradual change in business approaches and processes, targeting wasteful production practices while adhering to and improving respectful and responsible practices. This approach does not dismiss secular, widespread movements, such as CSR. Instead, it allows them to be adopted, as Christian principles and sustainability go hand in hand. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 9 Dr Allan Discua Cruz is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy and Director of the Centre for Family Business at Lancaster University Management School. This article is based on Family firms: The impact of a Christian perspective on environmental protection and sustainability practices, by Dr Allan Discua Cruz, of Lancaster University, and Professor Miriam Isabella Cavalcanti Junqueira, of LeTourneau University (USA), forthcoming in the book Faith Traditions and Sustainability: New Views and Practices for Environmental Protection. And Exploring a faith-led open-systems perspective of stewardship in family businesses, by Dr Angela Carradus, of Manchester Metropolitan University; Dr Ricardo Zozimo, of Nova School of Business and Economics (Portugal); and Dr Allan Discua Cruz, of Lancaster University, published in the Journal of Business Ethics. a.discuacruz@lancaster.ac.uk
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