Avoiding Ethical Pitfalls: A Cross-Case Study of the Global Financial Crisis and the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Abstract

Some researchers argue that the financial crisis in Europe and the United States was triggered by ethical pitfalls, and that this crisis is now globally affecting developing countries. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to explore whether the ethical pitfalls that caused the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in the United States and Europe are seen also in the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. Second, to create an opportunity for a renewed sense of responsibility to abide by policies and codes of conduct, and create an opportunity to rethink the corporate governance structure of the SDA Church. From the qualitative approach of a cross-case study, data was collected from leaders of the SDA Church using a focus group interview. Triangulation of data was done through email-interviews and document analysis. This study reached two major conclusions. First, similar ethical pitfalls occur in the GFC in the United States and Europe and the SDA Church. Second, the ethical pitfalls can be avoided by a virtuous personal example and spirituality as starting points. The paper ends with recommendations for future research.