The following is another excerpt from the BAM Survey 2007 Report. The BAM Survey 2007 Report is an in-depth assessment of the state of the Business as Mission movement based on survey responses from 497 people in 38 countries. You can purchase an electronic copy of the BAM Survey 2007 Report for $14.99 here.

Creating Eternal Value through Strategic Management

Business as Mission Methodology – BAM Business Organization and Resource Coordination (part 1)

In order for Business as Mission objectives to drive the strategic management of BAM companies, the structure of a BAM company must align with those objectives. Analysis of the survey results suggests that correlations^[1] exist between respondents’ perceptions of key elements of a BAM company (structural elements and management considerations) and perceptions of key BAM objectives.

Structural elements

Different strategies that integrate business activities with ministry efforts hold to different principles on how a business should operate. How each of these principles is manifest within a business is a subject of much debate. Core principles such as operating with integrity and honesty are universally accepted as important to Christians in business. However, research shows that three key considerations regarding structure (commercial function^[2], licitness^[3], and management oversight) are not universally accepted as vital elements of Business as Mission (Exhibit 5).

• Nearly 10 percent of respondents do not think that commercial function and legal structure are vital for Business as Mission. (5.1 and 5.2)
• One out of four respondents expressed no opinion about whether an advisory board is a vital element of a BAM business. (5.3)

Management Considerations

Exhibit 6 summarizes how perceptions of corporate structure as well as management considerations regarding oversight and sustainability correlate with the perceptions of the strategic objectives of the Business as Mission movement.

Corporate structure (6.1-2)

• Aspects of corporate structure (licitness and commercial function) are recognized by 77 percent of respondents as important elements of BAM companies.
• Both licitness and commercial function are considered to strongly influence a business’s ability to make a profit. Both also influence evangelism efforts and focus on the developing world.
• A BAM company’s commercial function influences that company’s role in building the local economy. (6.1)

• Commercial function has a negative correlation with providing access to countries. (6.2)

Management oversight (6.3-5)

• Survey respondents heavily favor Management participation in discipling and accountability relationships (87 percent). Additionally, 68 percent agree that BAM companies should have an advisory board. (6.3 and 6.4)
• Results indicate that the primary influence of these two types of management support is on the company’s evangelism efforts and focus on the developing world. (6.3 and 6.4)

Sustainability (6.6-8)

• Sustainability is considered a highly important aspect of Business as Mission, with over 85 percent of respondents agreeing that Net profitability of the organization, Growth in capital base for future development of kingdom businesses, and Development of a succession plan are valuable elements.
• Respondents correlate net profitability with the ability to build the local economy and to bless the nation. (6.6)
• Respondents also believe that developing a succession plan facilitates the ability to evangelize and the focus on the developing world. (6.8)

• All three aspects of sustainability are negatively correlated with the goal of gaining access through Business as Mission.

You might also like:

1. Business as Mission Methodology – Business Organization and Resource Coordination (part 2)
2. Who are the Business as Mission leaders? (part 3)
3. Who are the Business as Mission leaders? (part 2)
4. Who are the Business as Mission leaders? (part 1)
5. Clarifying Business as Mission Objectives