scholarly journals How Church Leadership May Influence Growth by Applying an Organizational Life Cycle Perspective on Church Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Inge Jenssen
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Church Growth ◽  
Church Leadership ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Organizational Life ◽  
Church Development ◽  
Slowing Down ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Growth Barriers ◽  
The Church

Birth, growth, and decline processes in organizations have been studied in the leadership literature for many years. An important perspective applied in this research has been the life cycle perspective. In the church growth literature, traces of the same research can be seen in some growth barriers studies. Using research within the church conducted in different kinds of organizations is not trivial. In this article, I apply a narrative synthesis approach to review the literature and discuss factors that influence growth processes, the strictness of the life cycles, challenges in the transitions between phases, and how these challenging transitions can be addressed for growth to continue in local churches. I argue that the life cycle perspective is relevant in a church context. I propose that many of the same challenges that other organizations meet also have to be handled in churches to prevent growth from slowing down or stop. I also suggest several organizational means to increase churches’ chance to pass challenging transitions and maintain further growth.

scholarly journals Transformational Leadership Practice in the Context of the Church in Nigeria: Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 976-984
Author(s):  
Joel Bulus Haruna
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Church Growth ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Leadership Position ◽  
Church Development ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Transformational Leadership Style ◽  
The Church

Abstract: Over the last twenty years, researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in the transactionaltransformational leadership paradigm. However, only a few studies tested the validity of this approach to leadership concerning church growth. Thus, Momoh (2015) researched on transformational leadership as a tool for church development. The Results revealed that there is a significant positive correlation between transformational leadership style and church growth. They were found to be influential to the growth of the church and the gospel. Momoh also observed that the foundation of any leadership determines the height such leadership can attain. He further elaborates that many problems that are confronting leadership especially the church leaders today is on wrong foundation. To him, leadership position can be attainable through craftiness, professionalism and administration capacity but once a leader lacks spiritual charisma, character and vision, he will only end up messing things up. Implications of these results for theory and practice are discussed.

Is Church Development ‘Natural’?

Ecclesiology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-336
Author(s):  
Lars Råmunddal
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Church Growth ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Growth Theory ◽  
Church Development ◽  
Natural Church Development ◽  
The Church ◽  
Development Practice

The aim of this article is to give a theologically and scientifically based answer to the question whether church development is ‘natural’ in the sense that Christian A. Schwarz describes in his book Natural Church Development. Giving a reasonable answer to this question requires, first of all, that an analysis and assessment be done on how Schwarz’s biotic church growth paradigm is constructed and what kind of historical and theological factors have formed Schwartz’s thinking. Part of this theoretical analysis is also to find out what kind of epistemology and ecclesiological ontology seem to be the theoretical basis for Schwarz’s theory. Finally, I will contribute to the debate on the function of biotic growth theory in church development practice. Here I argue mostly out of my own previous empirical research. My conclusion will be that I cannot find any theologically and scientifically sound arguments to support the theory that church growth is natural – or biotic – as Schwarz claims. From a practical viewpoint, I conclude that there is no plausible connection between biotic theory and the church development practices recommended by Schwarz.

scholarly journals Human Resource Management (HRM), Economic Crisis (EC) and Business Life Cycle (BLC): A Literature Review and Discussion

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fotios V. Mitsakis
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Organizational Life ◽  
Organizational Life Cycle ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Business Environments ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Additional Reference

  Today’s turbulent business environments require from firms to continuously re-shape their HR practices and strategies in order to sustain competitiveness within the market. Among numerous factors affecting a firm’s viability and effectiveness, the recent EC, along with firm's BLC, will also present distinctive opportunities and obstacles that will impact upon business’s units and operations. Identifying a firm’s life stage will help organizations to acknowledge their competencies and constricts so to successufully manage future challenges. The present paper examines the different BLC stages, their obstacles and the competitve strategies which organizations can implement on each phase. Based on Hoy’s (2006) BLC model, the stages are analyzed in accordance with business’ HR implementations and strategies. Additional reference is concentrated on the organizational life cycle in the banking industry. Therefore, the paper presents an extensive overview of the relevant literature on business life cycles models, followed by and analysis of a specific BLC model suggested by Hoy (2006).

Financial Management in the Context of the Organizational Life Cycle

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-214
Author(s):  
Francis Kwansa ◽  
Michael R. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Organizational Life ◽  
Organizational Life Cycle ◽  
Financial Decision Making ◽  
Financial Decision

Various researchers agree to the existence of corporate organizational life cycles similar in principle to the product life cycle concept used in marketing. Life cycle models applied to business organizations suggest that functional departments grow and undergo unique changes in various developmental stages of the firm. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes, issues, and responsibilities common to people involved in financial decision-making in foodservice firms at different stages of the organizational life-cycle.

Managing Organizations

2013 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Customer Orientation ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Organizational Life ◽  
Process Technology ◽  
Organizational Continuity ◽  
Evolutionary Phase ◽  
Culture Strategies

Managing organizations has always remained a challenge for its stakeholders. Challenges are not restricted only to managing factors of production like human resources, capital, and materials in the supply chain, but they also include important determinants for having a better culture, strategies for market and customer orientation, product innovations, and others. Life cycles in organizations are generally influenced by its products and services they deliver because they are to be accepted by the market, processes they adopt to meet the market-oriented product and services, and structures because of corrective measures adopted during every evolutionary phase organizations go through. Because of these effects in an organizational life cycle, organizations need to look after the systemic behaviors in order to ensure that continuity in the systems is retained. In order to achieve these objectives, there is need for the organization to remain prepared to seamlessly integrate organizational behavior with that of process, technology, and people. This chapter discusses these dimensions related to management of organizations, including motivation for creation of organizations, the desire to exist in the market with a better life cycle, and the role of management to ensure organizational continuity.

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