From Optimization to Ethical Deliberation: A ConstraintBased Linear Programming Framework for Decision Making in Faith-Based Manufacturing Organizations

Purpose: This study aims to reconceptualize linear programming not merely as a technical optimization tool, but as an analytical framework for ethical deliberation in faith-based manufacturing organizations. Existing operations research literature predominantly emphasizes efficiency and cost minimization, while religious studies often examine ethical values without formal decision models. This study addresses the gap between these domains by exploring how production constraints function simultaneously as operational limits and moral boundaries shaped by religious doctrines and faith-based organizational norms within managerial decision-making. Method: The research employs a quantitative operations research approach through a constraint-based linear programming model of production scheduling. The objective function minimizes production cost, while constraints represent capacity, labor availability, and demand requirements. A representative faith-based manufacturing context is used to illustrate model formulation and solution interpretation. Rather than focusing solely on optimal numerical outcomes, the analysis emphasizes the role of binding constraints as sites of ethical consideration, where managerial decisions must balance efficiency objectives with institutional religious commitments. Findings: The findings reveal that binding constraints exert a decisive influence on production decisions, not only by limiting feasible solutions but also by shaping ethical trade-offs faced by managers. The results indicate that efficiency gains are negotiated within predefined moral boundaries, where certain technically optimal options are constrained by religious commitments. This demonstrates that linear programming models can illuminate how ethical considerations are embedded within operational structures rather than treated as external or abstract norms. Significance: This study contributes to religious-oriented operations research by integrating formal optimization models with ethical analysis grounded in faith-based organizational contexts. By framing constraints as moral as well as technical determinants, the study extends the interpretive scope of linear programming and offers a novel analytical bridge between operations research systems and religious studies. The findings provide meaningful insights for scholars and practitioners seeking to align operational efficiency with religious and ethical accountability.