Endings

Endings including manuscript guideline

The Econlowdown Educational Platform of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

As Christian business faculty seek to adopt new technologies that improve student engagement and learning, a tool offered through the Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) of St. Louis deserves consideration. This review offers a summary of Econlowdown, an online learning resource offered by the Fed of St. Louis. The tool can be utilized in a traditional face-to-face format, an online format, or a hybrid format

Letter from the Editor

Letter from the edito

Fury and Honor in the Palace: Faith Integration in Organizational Behavior Using the Book of Esther

This paper provides an example of discipline-specific biblical faith integration in an Organizational Behavior course through a series of eight faith-integration exercises and a final integrative assignment based on a single book of the Bible, Esther. This approach encourages students to have meaningful dialogue about important biblical concepts as applied to business and management, thus raising their moral and biblical consciences and contributing to their whole-person development. The benefits of this approach are discussed, and the faith-integration assignments and sample responses are included

Endings

Ending

A Holistic Model for Faith Integration: Transformational Learning Theory as a Vehicle for Shaping a Christian Identity

Using transformational learning theory as an andragogical approach, this paper explores a holistic faith integration model that emphasizes a student’s identity in Christ as a key area of focus. The paper seeks to define the end product. What does a student look like after going through years of faith integration at the institution? Issues of identity are explored that include internalizing the being habits of a disciple, developing a biblical worldview, developing self-motivated autonomous learners, and instilling an approach to life that is transformative. How transformational learning theory impacts instructor behavior and methods used is briefly discussed

For Such a Time as This: Helping Students Understand Power and Authority by Examining National Events from Spring 2020

Two national events occurring during Spring 2020 provide case studies in power and authority, as well as behavioral responses to them. The first incident involves the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States. The second incident occurred on Memorial Day in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the shooting of George Floyd.  The materials provided in this article are intended for use in undergraduate classes where power is the main topic of study and students have had limited experience with its use

The Briarwood Ballet: An Artistic Expansion

Synopsis: Briarwood Ballet in Birmingham, Alabama, was a non-profit organization that provided classical ballet and contemporary dance classes under a mission of spreading the Christian gospel through dance. In late 2015 Executive Director Peggy Townes was considering whether Briarwood Ballet should attempt to target a wider, more secular audience through additional performances. A move in this direction would have administrative, artistic, staffing, and financial implications. It could also heighten the tension between the religious mission of the organization and Peggy’s desire to have Briarwood Ballet be viewed as a professional ballet troupe with quality equal to that of secular dance companies. Research Methodology: This field case was written based on first-person interviews conducted over a period of four months (January to April, 2015) with follow-up interviews (October and December, 2015). These interviews were conducted both in person and over the phone, with follow-up information provided through email. In addition, Briarwood Ballet provided source documents, including financial, marketing, and administrative material. The case authors also used the company’s external website (http://briarwood.org/ballet) as a source of information as well as secondary sources to gain insight into the overall industry and the Birmingham community. None of the information provided in the case is disguised. Relevant Courses and Levels: This case would be most appropriate for capstone courses in strategic/general management for undergraduate students. It would also be highly applicable for specialized business courses in nonprofit management and arts management. It can be positioned early on in a strategic management course to help students get familiar with case analysis while focusing on the role of a mission in an organization. It is designed to be used in a 75-90-minute class. Theoretical Basis: This case is focused on the role of mission and vision in nonprofits as linked to strategic analysis and planning. It builds on a number of theoretical models related to mission analysis and strategy creation as outlined in detail in the instructor’s manual

Persuasion and Pragmatism: A Higher Goal for Christian Instructors

This article examines the current trend of a pragmatic approach to teaching persuasion in business education and recommends the use of classical and Christian sources to teach persuasion to business students. This discussion of the combined merits of Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine’s insights on rhetoric and ethics also provides four practical pedagogical suggestions for helping students to persuade in business ethically

Lying Fallow in a Restless World: Using the Bible to Explain the Implications of Rest in Economics

Economic courses pay little attention to the economic implications of insufficient rest. This paper identifies several biblical references to the role of rest with economic implications, examining what the Bible says about the importance of rest for creation and contrasting this with the economic consequences of inad- equate rest. It also provides some specific areas of economics courses where incorporating these connections between biblical guidance on rest and actual examples could be meaningful to students