“About two in three adults worldwide believe corruption is widespread in the businesses in their countries,” according to a recent Gallup study.
Results vary from country to country, but perceived rampant corruption is just as likely to occur in developed as developing countries. Corruption is seen as a major impediment to ongoing development and to overcoming poverty. As such, the poor and those in developing countries are hurt most.
Investors are hesitant to put their money where trust in the economic system is lowered. They fear losing money and having it fall into the wrong hands.
According to the World Bank, corruption is “one of the single largest obstacles to economic and social development.”
Gallup says, “Strong leadership, policies, laws, and greater transparency are necessary to fight corruption, which in turn may actually promote job creation and economic development. Business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs rely on a stableenvironment, but widespread corruption makes it difficult to estimate the risks involved in starting new enterprises.”
This report overlooks the most important factor of all. What these countries need is men and women of integrity to participate in business and the governments of their countries and transform their communities to align with the principles of God.
This report should really be seen as a call for the church to engage more strongly in doing Business as Mission and transform their spheres of influence, their communities, and their nations.
“Gospel Entrepreneurship transcends the typical categories of entrepreneurship—social entrepreneur, business entrepreneur, artist—by uniting them around the idea that men and women who work for shalom must think of their enterprises first and foremost as mechanisms through which they can restore and renew the human community.
“Shalom” is that condition in human community described in scripture as including beauty, truth, justice, goodness and human flourishing. We believe it is the gospel-minded entrepreneur who is equipped to bring innovations to life that advance shalom in our communities and in our world.”
What the world needs now… more than strong leadership, policies, and laws… is godly leadership. Christians in the marketplace can be the salt and light that make the difference.
