Part III – Management Application

Management Application

Biblical Narratives Through a Management Lens

Having established the theoretical foundation for the Bible’s managerial relevance, we now turn to specific biblical narratives that exemplify key management functions. Each story has been selected to highlight particular managerial principles – Creation demonstrating planning, Joseph’s administration illustrating organizing, Moses’ leadership exemplifying directing, and various accountability narratives showcasing controlling.

While initially considered in biblical chronological order, the narratives have been reorganized by management function to better serve conceptual understanding. Each chapter focuses primarily on one function, though stories naturally incorporate multiple managerial elements which will be noted where relevant.

The Comprehensive Management Case Study

After examining numerous biblical narratives, one example emerged as particularly comprehensive—Joseph’s management of Egypt through prosperity and famine. While other candidates like Abraham’s mission through Eliezer or King David’s leadership offered valuable insights, Joseph’s narrative provides the most complete illustration of all four management functions.

Joseph’s remarkable journey from prisoner to prime minister demonstrates sophisticated strategic planning, organizational development, directive implementation, and evaluative control. His interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams led to a comprehensive management plan that saved countless lives while enriching his employer. This narrative serves as this section’s culmination, illustrating how biblical management principles integrate into a cohesive whole.

Joseph’s BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

Joseph’s management journey begins with Genesis 40:5-8, where his interpretive abilities emerge through interactions with Pharaoh’s imprisoned cupbearer and baker. This skill later brings him before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-16) after a two-year delay, where he interprets dreams predicting seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.

Instead of merely providing interpretation, Joseph offers unsolicited but comprehensive management advice (Genesis 41:33-36), suggesting Pharaoh appoint a wise administrator to implement a national resource management plan. Pharaoh recognizes divine wisdom in Joseph’s approach and appoints him to implement this strategy (Genesis 41:37-45), granting him extensive authority symbolized by the royal signet ring.

Planning: From Dreams to Implementation

Joseph’s planning abilities began developing long before his Egyptian appointment. Starting as a “blunderer” in fields searching for his brothers (Genesis 37:15), Joseph demonstrated early management potential under Potiphar, who recognized his talent and appointed him household manager (Genesis 39:3). Even in prison, Joseph’s organizational abilities emerged as the warden placed him in charge of all operations (Genesis 39:22).

His planning approach evolved through experience. When interpreting the cupbearer’s dream, Joseph added a self-serving request to be remembered (Genesis 40:14-15) that ultimately delayed his release by two years (Genesis 41:1). Learning from this misstep, when confronting Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph focused on solving the kingdom’s problems rather than personal advancement – suggesting Pharaoh appoint a wise manager without nominating himself.

Joseph’s comprehensive plan included establishing governance structures, implementing taxation systems, creating storage facilities, and developing distribution mechanisms for the coming crisis. This wasn’t merely reactive planning but strategic foresight—looking seven years ahead to prepare for potential catastrophe.

Organizing: Building Capacity and Support

Joseph’s implementation required sophisticated organizational development. After gaining Pharaoh’s confidence through his well-prepared appearance (Genesis 41:14) and diplomatic approach that allowed court advisors to see themselves in potential leadership roles, Joseph established nationwide infrastructure.

His organizational strategy included careful diplomatic maneuvering. Unlike Moses who later faced fierce resistance from Pharaoh’s advisors (Exodus 7:10-13), Joseph created a system that involved courtiers in implementation. By suggesting that the appointed leader would select subordinates rather than specifying personnel himself, Joseph built crucial buy-in from potential opponents.

Directing: Implementation with Integrity

Armed with Pharaoh’s authority through the signet ring (Genesis 41:42), Joseph implemented his vision with remarkable integrity. Despite unlimited power, he maintained ethical standards – faithfully delivering all collected funds to Pharaoh and respecting priestly land rights and stipends (Genesis 47:22).

His management style emphasized empowerment. Rather than centralizing authority, Joseph delegated responsibility to appointed overseers to “gather all the food…amass the grain…and safeguard it” (Genesis 41:35). This distributed implementation enabled nationwide coordination that made Egypt the only food-secure nation during the famine (Genesis 41:57).

Joseph practiced transparency through “management by walking around,” traveling throughout Egypt (Genesis 41:46) to communicate directly with citizens and ensure implementation. His open-book management style appeared consistently, with the Bible noting only one instance of privacy – when revealing himself to his brothers (Genesis 45:1).

Controlling: Measuring Success and Adapting

Joseph’s management success depended on sophisticated control systems to track grain reserves and evaluate implementation progress. His ability to sell grain to foreigners while maintaining Egyptian supplies demonstrates effective inventory management and resource allocation.

His control systems extended beyond grain storage to economic transformation, systematically acquiring Egyptian money (Genesis 47:14), livestock (Genesis 47:17), and eventually land (Genesis 47:19-20). This sequential approach – combined with population resettlement to prevent territorial claims (Genesis 47:21) – fundamentally restructured Egypt’s economy.

Joseph’s taxation system (requiring 20% of agricultural output) created sustainable revenue while preserving farmers’ self-sufficiency through seed retention (Genesis 47:23-24). This balanced approach prevented creating permanent dependents while establishing consistent government income.

Long-Term Impact and Unintended Consequences

Joseph’s strategy created complex long-term consequences. While establishing his family in Goshen and providing preferential treatment initially benefited the Israelites, their isolation eventually facilitated their enslavement after Joseph’s death. This isolation simultaneously preserved Israelite identity – maintaining language, names, and customs that enabled them to survive enslavement and eventually emerge as a nation (first referenced as “am binei Israel” in Exodus 1:9).

Though Joseph’s childhood dreams of family prominence (Genesis 37:5-11) partially materialized when his brothers bowed before him (Genesis 42:6, 43:26, 44:14), his father never bowed to him – instead, Joseph “fell on his father’s neck” when they reunited (Genesis 46:29). This suggests Joseph’s goals evolved beyond self-aggrandizement to family reunion and preservation. His accomplishments transcended his original ambitions, saving Egypt, enriching Pharaoh, preserving his family, and establishing foundations for Israel’s future nationhood.

This comprehensive case study demonstrates how biblical management integrates planning, organizing, directing, and controlling into cohesive implementation. Joseph’s narrative provides perhaps history’s earliest documented example of comprehensive strategic management – with principles that remain remarkably relevant to contemporary organizational challenges.

Upcoming Chapters

The following chapters will examine individual management functions through multiple biblical narratives, culminating in this comprehensive example that brings all elements together into a coherent management framework.