PART THREE: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON
MANAGEMENT AND AUTHORITY
THE PERSON IN MANAGEMENT — A BIBLICAL VIEW
Any view of management must be based upon one's view of man. The Bible gives us a clear view of man: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way... " (Isaiah 53:6). Thus, as sheep must be directed to move the entire flock along a single path, so groups of people need direction so that their efforts and energies will be directed toward a common goal.
This direction which people need must come from the top. God has ordained this and Scripture teaches it in many ways. Moses set up lines of authority following Jethro's advice which we shall examine more closely (Exodus 18:13-27). The Aaronic priesthood was set up with a high priest and orders of priests under him in varying ranks (I Chronicles 24). The husband is head of the home and a
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parallel relationship exists in the church (I Timothy 3:4-5). It is important to recognize that authority flows from the higher levels to the lower in God's plan.
In Christian organizations there appears to be a recurring tendency to forget this. Confusing equality before the Lord with organizational equality, Christian workers may do themselves and their organizations a great disservice by refusing to accept the duly constituted authority. We are admonished, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities" (Romans 13:1). We recall the Roman soldier who asked the Lord to say the words to heal his servant, saying, "For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel" (Luke 7:8-9).
None of this is to imply that all authority, of whatever character, is to be condoned. Authority carries with it great responsibility. Desirable authority is not viewed as being unwillingly imposed, all-powerful, insensitive and unenlightened. Those entrusted with authority are divinely ordained to use it responsibly for God's purposes. His ultimate purposes and those of the organization — hopefully one — must be paramount. Sensitivity to the needs of those who are serving as well as those being served is essential.
The nature of authority may be far more complex than is commonly recognized even by those in management. The probability of this seems clear from the comment of Chester I. Barnard the noted authority on management:
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A person can and will accept a communication as authoritative only when four conditions simultaneously obtain: (a) he can and does understand the communication; (b) at the time of the decision he believes that it is not inconsistent with the purpose of the organization; (c) at the time of his decision, he believes it to be compatible with his personal interest as a whole; and (d) he is able mentally and physically to comply with it.1
Not only does Barnard remind us of the complex nature of authority, but also how much it does, in fact, depend upon the attitude with which it is received by those below the person exercising it. Of the forces at work in leadership situations, writers have identified those within the leader, those within the followers, and those within the situation. The life of Winston Churchill, who may not be seriously challenged for the title of Man of the Century, bears graphic evidence of these three types of forces. Recall that after marshalling the morale and the forces of the British Empire in her darkest hour during World War II, he was rejected by his constituency and replaced as Prime Minister by Clement Attlee. He returned as Prime Minister at the age of seventy-seven but never forgot the bitter lessons learned at the hands of fickle followers and history. For a definitive review of leadership from a scriptural perspective, the reader is referred to A Christian Concept of Leadership by Richard Wolff.
The Bible has been quoted in numerous instances for its demonstration of management principles. One of the most outstanding examples is the instruction of Moses by Jethro some fifteen hundred years before the birth of Christ (Exodus 18:13-27). Noted below, from the Amplified Version, are these verses along with some of the management ideas and principles they suggest.
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13. Next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. (Observation and Personal Inspection)
14. When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, What is this that you do for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening? (Questioning — Discerning Inquiry)
15. Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
16. When they have a dispute they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws. (Conflict Resolution; Correction)
17. Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that you are doing is not good. (Judgment)
18. You will surely wear out both yourself and this people with you, for the thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it all by yourself. (Evaluation — of Effect on Leader and People)
19. Listen now to me, I will counsel you, and God will be with you. You shall represent the people before God, bringing their cases to him. (Coaching — Counseling; Representation; Establishing Procedures)
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20. Teaching them the decrees and laws, showing them the way they must walk, and the work they must do. (Teaching Demonstration, Job Specification Delegation; Selection; Establish Qualifications. Assign Responsibilities.)
21. Moreover you shall choose able people from among them, God-fearing men of truth, who hate unjust gain, and place them over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens to be their rulers. (Chain of Command)
22. And let them judge the people at all times; every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. (Span of Control Judging-Evaluation-Appraisal. Limits of Decision-Making. Management by Exception)
23. If you will do this, and God so commands you, you will be able to endure the strain, and all this people also will go to their tents in peace. (Explanation of Benefits)
24. So Moses listened to and heeded the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. (Listening; Implementation)
25. Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. (Choosing-Selecting; Assign Responsibility; Span of Control)
26. And they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but every small matter they decided themselves. (Judging-Evaluating Management by Exception)
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27. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.
REFERENCE:
1. Barnard, Chester I., The Functions of the Executives, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1964.
