The Sunday Mail
ISSUES of spirituality are rarely found in any management or finance textbook, but they are a key component that perhaps can be located within the context of ethics as they apply to corporate governance.
Although it might sound weird, the reality of the matter is that when people do business there is clearly an element of spirituality that is involved.
It is public knowledge that Strive Masiyiwa, one of Zimbabwe’s leading businessman, is a Christian and a strong believer in God.
There is no doubt Econet is very prosperous.
On many of his Facebook posts, he highlights how much of an impact God has played in his business.
There are often questions asked of why most Chinese and Indian businessman elect to burn incense on their business premises. What is the importance of such practices and why is it done?
In China in particular, popular beliefs, customs and superstitions define life.
The number 8 is believed to be a lucky number in the Oriental nation because the pronunciation of the word and the pronunciation of the word for prosperity in Chinese are similar.
It therefore has much value in the social life in China.
It is no wonder that the recent Beijing Olympics were officially opened on 8 August 2008 at 8pm.
Converserly, the number 4 is considered unlucky; it is considered unacceptable for both vehicles and houses.
In some parts of America and the developed world some companies do not put the 13th floor in their buildings because it is generally considered an unlucky number.
Some elevator companies in the US suggest that 85 percent of the buildings with their elevators do not have a named 13th floor.
In Zimbabwe, there are numerous stories of companies that start by purportedly appeasing spirits before embarking on mining ventures.
It gets one wondering how far spiritual matters are relevant or irrelevant to business.
Why do businesses have to put themselves through such ordeals rather than simply purchasing equipment, complying with regulations and starting their mining.
Is there really a greater force that influences business?
Traditionalists often muse in circumstances where the business environment is challenging whether it is because of bad policies or the work of a greater force that needs appeasement.
Well, educationists define ethics as the rules of behaviour based on ideas of what is morally good and bad.
Others define them as an area of study that deals with ideas about what is good and bad.
Some also define ethics as a belief that something is very important.
Within the context of such a definition how important are our beliefs to the way we do business?
From the definition of ethics, how important are our beliefs when we do business?
A business or country may hire the best experts there can ever be in the world, but even those experts can fail to deliver that particular business from distress.
When all the measures have been taken and business still fails, it tempts most people to link it to the work for some other worldly force.
As a people we need to define our spirituality and determine what is important to us.
Evidently, spirit mediums played a very important role in the liberation of Zimbabwe.
The exploits of Mbuya Nehanda — either alive or dead — are well documented in the history of Zimbabwe.
It is often argued that culture can determine the success of any business entity.
Every society needs a force that brings people together; a force that harmonises aspirations and defines national expectations.
One needs to appreciate, for example, the role the British monarch, as represented today by Queen Elizabeth, plays in the life of the European nation.
It is arguable that the UK has managed to achieve much of its success because it has managed to preserve its culture.
Likewise the Chinese are also very good at preserving and respecting their history.
We need to understand that if we do not know where we are coming from, we will not likely find our way into a promising future.
Business people also need to appreciate the foundation of their businesses.
How can economic development, a symbol of this world, and material improvement of science and progress, be based on faith?
Is economic development not a move away from the logical ambiguities of mysticism toward the scientific promise of technological advancement?
Scholars of economic development seem to rely on these logical assumptions.
For the most part, they have excluded the topic of religion.
The separation of religion and economic development reinforces modernisation theories that declare a progressive differentiation between religious and economic domains of social life, reflected, for instance, in the historical separation of church and state in the West.
We need to realign ourselves to our circumstances.
Have you ever noted how much people pray when they are faced with challenges?
Corruption, retrenchments, company closures and unpaid wages and salaries is the typical news in Zimbabwe these days. But with the high literacy rate in Zimbabwe surely we should not be facing these problems.
Zimbabweans are very educated but why are we in this situation?
Ethics form part of corporate governance, and religion and beliefs are part of ethics.
So if you are failing to succeed in your business, you need to reinvent yourself.
It still remains to be interrogated but there is crucial need to determine the role that tradition and spiritual matters play in the success or failure of the business.
Taurai Changwa is an Articled Accountant and ACCA finalist. He is managing director of SAFIC Consultancy. He writes in his personal capacity and can be contacted at [email protected] or on Facebook page SAFIC Consultancy or whatsapp on 0772374784.
