Proverbs: Ancient Wisdom for Contemporary Organizations

Abstract

This article discusses how the Biblical Book of Proverbs applies to contemporary organizations. An inductive study of the Proverbs related to organizational life elicited a set of thematic categories. All proverbs related to these categories are reported, and a subset of these categories is explored further. Select examples of proverbs are provided to illustrate each topic with connections made to current management scholarship. Finally, these topical themes are integrated in the context of organizational trust, demonstrating the importance of comprehensive adherence by organizations and their members to all the principles that Proverbs advocates. The degree to which all of the themes within Proverbs are present in organizational trust highlights the significance of God's wisdom for organizational relationships and effectiveness.