Organizational Culture and Leadership in Missions: The Effects of Organizational Culture on Area Leaders in Pioneers International

2021·2.5 MB·English

by  LANCE LAWRENCE

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP IN MISSIONS:
THE EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ON AREA LEADERS IN PIONEERS
INTERNATIONAL

A THESIS-PROJECT
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF
GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE
DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

BY
LANCE LAWRENCE
JANUARY 2021
Copyright © 2020 by Lance Lawrence. All rights reserved
CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ......................................................................................................... iv 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... ix 
ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................ x 
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. xii 
CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING ................................................................ 1 
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 
Thesis .................................................................................................................................. 4 
Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 6 
Assumptions ........................................................................................................................ 8 
Organizational Context ....................................................................................................... 9 
Historical & Cultural Context ........................................................................................... 16 
Area Leader Role Development ........................................................................................ 23 
CHAPTER 2 THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK ..................................................................... 26 
Church Leadership within the Pauline Corpus ................................................................. 26 
Servant Leadership............................................................................................................ 38 
CHAPTER 3 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................... 49 
Organizational Culture ...................................................................................................... 49 
Servant Leadership............................................................................................................ 60 
Adaptive Leadership ......................................................................................................... 67 
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Contribution of Middle Level Managers .......................................................................... 72 
Leadership Styles .............................................................................................................. 76 
CHAPTER 4 PROJECT DESIGN ............................................................................................ 80 
Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 80 
Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 81 
Assumptions ...................................................................................................................... 84 
Data Collection Time Period ............................................................................................ 86 
Research Tools .................................................................................................................. 86 
Sampling ........................................................................................................................... 91 
Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 96 
CHAPTER 5 OUTCOMES AND CONCLUSION .................................................................. 99 
Summary Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 99 
Findings and Conclusions ............................................................................................... 101 
Demographic Characteristics .............................................................................................. 101 
AL Role and Responsibilities ............................................................................................. 112 
Leadership ........................................................................................................................... 164 
Organizational Culture ........................................................................................................ 187 
Capacity .............................................................................................................................. 212 
Cross-cutting Topic ......................................................................................................... 220 
Female Leadership .............................................................................................................. 220 
RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................ 226 
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APPENDIX A – SUMMARY TABLE OF FINDINGS............................................................. 232 
APPENDIX B – SUMMARY TABLE OF CONCLUSIONS ................................................... 235 
APPENDIX C – DATA COLLECTION TOOL LINKAGE CHARTS ..................................... 236 
APPENDIX D – INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENTS ....................................................... 241 
APPENDIX E – RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS ....................................................................... 245 
APPENDIX F – DATA COLLECTION TOOLS ...................................................................... 246 
BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 273 
VITA ........................................................................................................................................... 285 

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figures

Figure 1. Net Growth in PI Membership (2000-2015) ................................................................. 13 
Figure 2. PI Mobilization Gateway & Merger Development Timeline ........................................ 20 
Figure 3 - Typology of middle manager influence (Floyd and Wooldridge 1992) ...................... 74 
Figure 4. Nationality (Participants of the AL Survey and Interviews) ....................................... 103 
Figure 5. Mobilization Base Representation (AL Survey & Interviews) ................................... 104 
Figure 6. Years as AL (AL Survey & Interviews) ...................................................................... 104 
Figure 7. Number of TL/TCs Managed Distribution (Individuals) ............................................ 105 
Figure 8. Percentage of ALs Who Area TLs Simultaneously .................................................... 105 
Figure 9. ALs Who Were TLs Previously .................................................................................. 106 
Figure 10. Previous Positions of RLs ......................................................................................... 106 
Figure 11. AL Role Critical Activities – Overall Frequency ..................................................... 113 
Figure 12. Leadership Dimensions Mentioned in Interviews ..................................................... 166 
Figure 13. Leadership Dimension Combinations Mentioned in Interviews ............................... 167 
Figure 14. RL Messages to ALs – Categorized (KII) .............................................................. 177 
Figure 15. PI Cultural Support AL Role Overall (AL Interviews) ............................................. 192 
Figure 16. Largest Influence on PI Organizational Culture (AL Interviews) ............................. 202 

Tables

Table 1. Research Questions Table ................................................................................................. 6 
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Table 2. PI Yearly Demographics (2012-2018) ............................................................................ 11 
Table 3. Proposed Structural Changes – 2018 Increasing Capacity Work Group ........................ 22 
Table 4. Definitions of Culture ..................................................................................................... 51 
Table 5 Functional & Accompanying Attributes of Servant Leaders ........................................... 64 
Table 6 Seven Servant Leadership Behaviors .............................................................................. 65 
Table 7 Global Leadership Behaviors ........................................................................................... 77 
Table 8 EI and GLOBE Leadership Styles ................................................................................... 79 
Table 9. Research Questions Table ............................................................................................... 80 
Table 10. Data Collection Activities – Planned vs. Achieved ...................................................... 84 
Table 11. Data Collection Activity Timeline ................................................................................ 87 
Table 12. Topic Categories of Data Collection Tool Questions ................................................... 88 
Table 13. Gender Breakdown Comparison – Population to Data Collection ............................... 92 
Table 14. Appointment Type Comparison – Population to Data Collection ................................ 94 
Table 15. Age Range Comparison – Population to Data Collection ............................................ 94 
Table 16. Geographical Distribution............................................................................................. 95 
Table 17. Years as AL ................................................................................................................ 101 
Table 18. Number of TL/TCs Managed ..................................................................................... 101 
Table 19. Living in Area/Region (AL & RL Comparison) ........................................................ 102 
Table 20. Additional Responsibilities in Addition to AL Role .................................................. 102 
Table 21. Joined PI Through a Merger (AL & RL Comparison) ............................................... 102 
Table 22. Years as RL ................................................................................................................. 102 
Table 23. Number of ALs Managed by RLs ............................................................................... 103 
Table 24. Findings (D): Demographic Characteristics of ALs and RLs..................................... 107 
Table 25. Top 5 Critical Activities – AL Prioritization .............................................................. 112 
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Table 26. Top 5 Critical Activities – RL Prioritization .............................................................. 112 
Table 27. Consistency of Understanding .................................................................................... 113 
Table 28. Findings (R1): Standard Understanding of AL Roles & Responsibilities .................. 114 
Table 29. Sources for Understanding .......................................................................................... 121 
Table 30. Sources of Understanding (Surveys) .......................................................................... 121 
Table 31. Provision of Formal AL Orientation ........................................................................... 121 
Table 32. Organizational Documents Clearly Explain Responsibilities ..................................... 122 
Table 33. Most Practically Helpful Organizational Documents ................................................. 122 
Table 34. Findings (R2): Standard Sources of AL Understanding of Roles & Responsibilities 123 
Table 35. AL Leadership as Facilitating, Developing and Administrating Comparison............ 129 
Table 36. AL Degree of Effort for Select Activities ................................................................... 129 
Table 37. AL Degree of Effort for Select Activities – Comparison AL & RL........................... 130 
Table 38. Findings (R3): Common Breakdown of Effort ........................................................... 131 
Table 39. Level of Authority of ALs to Set Policy & Standards (AL & RL Comparison) ........ 137 
Table 40. AL Authority to Create an Area Strategy (AL & RL Comparison) ........................... 137 
Table 41. Consultative Process Affect AL Authority (AL & RL Comparison) ......................... 137 
Table 42. Consultative Process Effects on Authority (Positive, Negative & Neutral Effects) ... 138 
Table 43. Understood Scope of “Authority” of the AL Role by ALs ......................................... 139 
Table 44. Findings (R4): Scope of Decision-Making Authority of the AL Role ....................... 140 
Table 45. Conclusions: AL Role and Responsibilities ............................................................... 151 
Table 46. The GLOBE Study Leadership Dimensions ............................................................... 164 
Table 47. Leadership Dimensions Among ALs .......................................................................... 164 
Table 48. Leadership Dimensions Observed – AL & RL Comparison ...................................... 165 
Table 49. Desired Characteristic Categories in AL Candidates (Order of Importance) ............. 165 
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Table 50. Characteristic Details in AL Candidates Which RLs Desire (Frequency) ................. 165 
Table 51. Degree of Ability in Skills Which ALs Need (RL Survey) ........................................ 166 
Table 52. Findings (R5): Common Leadership Styles Across ALs............................................ 168 
Table 53. PI Culture Enabling and Hindering AL Leadership Styles ......................................... 172 
Table 54. Factors of PI Culture Enabling & Hindering AL Leadership Styles .......................... 172 
Table 55. Findings (R6): PI Culture’s Effect on Natural Leadership Styles of ALs .................. 173 
Table 56. Topics Which RLs Spend Greatest Amount of Time (AL Survey) ............................ 176 
Table 57. Topics Which RLs Spend Greatest Amount of Time (AL & RL Comparison) ......... 176 
Table 58. Topics Under-emphasized when ALs are Gathered (AL & RL Comparison) ........... 176 
Table 59. Frequency of RL Gatherings of ALs .......................................................................... 177 
Table 60. Findings (R7): Leadership Messages Communicated to ALs from RLs .................... 178 
Table 61. Conclusions: Leadership ............................................................................................. 181 
Table 62. PI Culture Support of AL Role Overall – Positive & Negative Factors ..................... 187 
Table 63. INFORMAL Components of PI Culture that Enable & Hinder AL Role (AL Survey)
..................................................................................................................................................... 188 
Table 64. FORMAL Components of PI Culture that Enable & Hinder AL Role (AL Survey) . 189 
Table 65. INFORMAL Components of PI Culture that Enable & Hinder AL Role (RL Survey)
..................................................................................................................................................... 190 
Table 66. FORMAL Components of PI Culture that Enable & Hinder AL Role (RL Survey) . 191 
Table 67. Source of Strongest Pressure on ALs to Adapt to PI Cultural Norm ......................... 191 
Table 68. Findings (R8): Effect of Organizational Culture on Execution of AL Roles &
Responsibilities ........................................................................................................................... 193 
Table 69. Level of Influence on Preserving/Maintaining PI Culture (AL & RL Comparison) .. 201 
Table 70. Level of Influence on Changing PI Culture (AL & RL Comparison) ........................ 201 
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Table 71. Findings (R9): Extent of the AL Role on the Overall PI Culture? ............................. 203 
Table 72. Conclusions: Organizational Culture .......................................................................... 207 
Table 73. Capacity of One Person to Fulfill the AL Role .......................................................... 212 
Table 74. Aspects Which Affect Capacity of One Person to Fulfill the AL Role ...................... 212 
Table 75. ALs with Area Teams ................................................................................................. 212 
Table 76. Findings (R10): Can One Person Sufficiently Undertake the AL Role? .................... 213 
Table 77. Conclusions: Capacity ................................................................................................ 217 
Table 78. Findings (X1): Female Leadership ............................................................................. 220 
Table 79. Conclusions: Cross-cutting Topic ............................................................................... 224 
Table 80. Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 231 
Table 81. Summary of Findings .................................................................................................. 232 
Table 82. Summary of Conclusions ............................................................................................ 235 

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