The Meaning of Business

by Dr Leong Tien Fock

Whatever we do, deep in our heart, we want it to be meaningful. Can the profit-making activity we call "business" be meaningful? Often successful businesspeople seek meaning in doing business by giving away some of the profits through philanthropy. But can doing business in itself be meaningful?

Yes. And doing business is most meaningful when it contributes to the meaning of life. The meaning of business is doing business with a purpose that is consistent with the meaning or purpose of life. What then is the purpose of life?

It is to fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the essence of every human being and the purpose of human existence (Eccl 12:13-14). No wonder when someone blatantly violates God's commandments, like mistreating his parents, we say, "You are not a human being!" Accordingly, the Great Commission is about making disciples of all nations by teaching them to fear God and keep His commandments (Matt 28:20). God's commandments are summarized as, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Rom 13:8-10). Jesus interprets it as, "However you want people to treat you, so treat them" (Matt 7:12). How then can this universal principle known as "the golden rule" be applied to business? And will it "make good business sense"?

Before we consider the meaning of business, we need to consider the meaning of the word "business." For our purpose the usual dictionary definitions, such as "trade" or "commerce," are not very helpful. For when we think of business as trade or commerce, it is not easy to see its purpose beyond profit-making. And few reflective people would consider making profit in itself an activity that contributes to the meaning of life. For how can making profit be loving your neighbor (customer) as yourself? What then is business?

As business involves the buying and selling of goods and services, it is nonessential in a subsistence economy. Business is essential in our market economy because most of the goods and services we need or want have to be bought and sold. So business is the production and distribution of goods and services beyond subsistence to meet the needs and wants of people. Understood this way, it is not difficult to see how we can do business to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Whether we like it or not, if we want to make profits, the goods or services we produce must meet the needs and wants of people. In other words, we must serve them. The better we serve them, the more profits we can make. The question is whether we serve them wholeheartedly out of love, or merely for the sake of making profits. If making profits is the focus, sooner or later it will affect the quality of our service. Even if not, we miss the opportunity to experience the deep sense of meaning and purpose that comes with serving people from the heart. When we focus on loving the people who pay for our goods or services we will not only experience the meaning of life, the profits will also be added to us.

Is this just a theory that looks good on paper? In their 1997 book Built To Last James Collins and Jerry Porras discuss, as the subtitle puts it, the Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. A "visionary company" has at least these characteristics: premier institution in its industry; widely admired by knowledgeable businesspeople; made an indelible imprint on the world in which we live; and founded before 1950, that is, it lasts (the average age of the visionary companies studied was 92 years).

One of the "successful habits" discussed concerns profits. To a visionary company, "profitability is a necessary condition for existence and a means to more important ends, but it is not the end in itself. Profit is like oxygen, food, water, and blood for the body; they are not the point of life, but without them, there is no life." Service to humanity instead of profit-making is the most common mission of the visionary companies studied.

Space does not allow us to elaborate on the amazing success story of Kingston Technology. One can read the details on the Internet. According to one recent report, "the 22 year old company is the largest computer memory producer on the planet, and despite its size and multi-billion dollar revenue, it's still a privately held company. This allows it to do what it wants, when it wants to, without pandering to the whims of shareholders only after investment return [read:profits]." The key to its unusual success is that from the beginning, co-founders John Tu and David Sun decided that the company would practice the golden rule, not only when it comes to its customers, but even more so its employees, suppliers and resellers.

We highlight this example because when we fear God we would not only serve our customers but also whoever is involved in our business. Otherwise it is clear that we are serving our customers for the sake of profits. Business gurus would recognize that this practice "makes great business sense." For how the employees, suppliers and resellers are treated will affect how the customers are served. But Christians should recognize this practice as just being a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

Does this then mean that any Christian can be successful in business by being God-fearing? No. Not everyone is called to business. If we love our neighbors as ourselves we would choose an occupation where we can best use our talents to serve people. We may not have the talent for business to begin with. Also, in the cut-throat world of business, a company often needs adequate resources to weather short-term set-backs. But there should be enough Christians who are called to business and endowed with sufficient resources, to make a difference for Christ in the marketplace.

Dr Leong Tien Fock is Research coordinator of Malaysia Campus Crusade for Christ.