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  i 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  ii 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  iii 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  iv 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  v 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  vi 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  vii 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  viii