Creating Eternal Value through Strategic Management

Business as Mission Methodology – BAM Business Organization and Resource Coordination (part 2)

Impact of Company/Business Attributes on Business as Mission Objectives

Research suggests that links exist between respondents’ perceptions of how different attributes of an organization (development stage, size, and geographic focus) impact BAM goals (Exhibit 7). ^[1]
(Note: The colored bars on the scale reflects specific opinions pertaining to General Businesses (not explicitly BAM) [yellow], Missions Organizations [red], and Business as Mission Companies [blue], respectively.)

Key Insights:

Development stage (7.1-3)

• Respondents believe that start-up companies are more influential than established (95 percent agree start-up BAM companies are better; 87 percent agree start-up businesses are better). (7.1 and 7.2)
• The preference for start-up missions organizations is not as significant (only 64 percent agree). (7.3)
• Development stage is strongly linked to all Business as Mission objectives, with the greatest correlation with building the economy and blessing the nation.

Implication: the newness of an organization creates perceived benefits that are valued by the Business as Mission movement. Primary among these is the creation of new value in the form of products/service enhancements, additional wealth, and jobs in the economy. Start-up companies could also be assumed to be more dynamic and flexible which theoretically would make it easier for the company to incorporate BAM goals. Of course there is a trade off between the benefits of newness and the efficiencies and learning that a company gains as it develops. It makes sense that respondents seem to favor the benefits of maturity more for traditional missions organizations given that missions organizations do not create as much market value to offset early stage inefficiencies.

• The development stage of a missions organization is not correlated to profitability or the ability to provide access to locations. (7.3)
• The development stage of a company (both BAM and regular) is negatively linked with the ability to provide access to locations. (7.1 and 7.2)

Implication: the relationship between a company’s development stage and “Provides access to many locations” may result from closed-access countries valuing existing companies more than entrepreneurial efforts. The established size and structure of a mature business may lessen the government’s fear of exploitation.

Size (7.4-6)

• Respondents prefer large Business as Mission efforts to micro-enterprise.^[2] (7.4)
• In general, respondents favor large companies over small; however the preference is not as pronounced as it is for BAM companies. (7.5)
• Respondents prefer small missions organizations over large. (7.6)
• A focus on micro-enterprise is believed to limit the benefits that profit can create for the kingdom. Additionally, respondents associate micro-enterprise with the goal of providing access. (7.4)
• Larger companies are perceived to have a greater impact on building the local economy and blessing the nation. Larger companies are also perceived to have a negative impact on ability to evangelize and focus on developing nations. (7.5)
• Large companies are negatively correlated with providing access to many locations while large missions organizations are positively correlated. (7.5 and 7.6)

Implication: the preferences exhibited toward organization size highlight that size is proportional to perceived impact within a host country. However, the BAM movement strives to maintain a balance regarding size because of the perceived trade-off between size and ability to evangelize. The results suggest that there is a size at which it becomes more difficult for a BAM company to effectively evangelize. This belief (if validated) will greatly influence the goals set by the Business as Mission movement in terms of growth targets. Similarly, respondents may recognize that some developing nations or remote regions do not have the infrastructure needed to support larger companies, which tempers size preferences.

Geographic focus (7.7-9)

• Respondents overwhelmingly embrace the global focus of the Business as Mission movement. (7.7)
• Global presence is believed to impact all Business as Mission objectives. The biggest impact is believed to be on profitability and ability to build the local economy.
• Global presence is negatively correlated with providing access to many locations.

Implication: the results reinforce the central role that globalization plays in creating opportunities for Christians to further the kingdom through Business as Mission. The negative correlation between global focus and “Provides access to many locations” most likely is a consequence of reactions to the simplification of Business as Mission as a means for overcoming prohibitions against missionaries in closed countries.

Barrington is an amazing Kingdom company based out of Dallas with a manufacturing facility in China. I was blessed to get to know them last year and help a little bit as the worked through some organizational development challenges. Here’s how the Dallas News describes Barrington:

The plant is a Chinese anomaly. Barrington pays above-market wages with health insurance and maternity leave. Workers receive financial planning, continuing education and summertime camps for their kids. In a society that shuns the disabled, Barrington hires the physically challenged and invests in orphanages that minister to children with special needs.

“Gil and I run the company based on Christian values where everybody is intrinsically valuable, whether they’re here or in China, able or disabled,” Gowdey says.

It’s such a blessing to see how something so seemingly inconsequential as a piece of luggage can serve not only to carry the Lord’s name before kings (and presidents). But it also serves to multiply the blessings of people on the other side of the world, through employment, increased standard of living, and most importantly through the love of Christ shared with them and demonstrated to them by the efforts of David, Gil, and Ben. To me, this is validation that marketing strategy and business strategy can both be powerful components of our Kingdom strategy.

My research shows that interest in Business as Mission is typically in response to three (3) drivers:

• Response to global trends
• Challenges facing the organization
• Perceived benefits of Business as Mission

In this article, I will discuss the first driver, identifying key factors facing missions organizations and making recommendations on how much weight these issues should be given when considering BAM. In Part 2 I will discuss how organizational challenges can make BAM an attractive solution and how to maintain objectivity in your evaluation. Finally, in Part 3 I will discuss some of the perceived benefits that BAM creates and hopefully point out some limitations in this type of thinking that, if ignored, could harm your BAM efforts.

1. Business as Mission in response to global trends

The following sets of global trends are contributing to the increasing popularity of Business as Mission as a missional strategy. This list is limited in scope focusing on what are the most prevalent trends that are currently affecting missions organizations. Additionally, this list primarily focuses on North American sending organizations. We do not discuss generational challenges here because the implications of the trend in the business context are not understood well enough by organizations that they are looking to BAM as a potential response.

The six main trends we’ve identified are:

Impediments to traditional missions:

• Governmental opposition to Christian work within world’s most populous countries (the 10/40 Window).
• Declining financial and prayer support for North American based missionaries.

Changes to the international landscape:

• Increased integration of international markets and trade (globalization).
• Increased importance of the differences between nations (internationalization).
• Devaluation of the United States dollar against world currencies.
• Widespread poverty and under-employment throughout the world.

I believe that Business as Mission has the potential to satisfy the needs that are being created in the global missions environment by these macro-trends. However, BAM’s contributions to each of these areas are secondary benefits. What I mean by that is the primary benefit of BAM is it creates a context, an audience of employees, customers, and community, for the business leaders to love, serve, minister to and evangelize.

Secondary benefits like job-creation, creative access, profit generation can not be the primary focus of BAM efforts. Using BAM solely as a means for addressing these could undermine the effort required to start and run the business. You face the risk of underestimating the importance of the building blocks of the business model and thus jeopardizing the sustainability of the business. Missions organizations must be cautious not to over-prioritize any of these objectives.

As an organization that is thinking that Business as Mission can address these trends/issues, you are not mistaken. BAM does touch these areas; however, you cannot neglect the following considerations for each trend that, if ignored or misunderstood, could hurt your BAM efforts.

Impediments to traditional missions:

Closed access countries

How BAM helps:
Countries that are closed and/or hostile toward Christian missionary activities are generally welcoming to foreign business investment. Economic contribution is desired by the host government and thus the condition for them giving permission to enter.

Considerations:
Entry into closed access countries is a singular event. Economic contribution requires significant and continuous investment in business activities and thus is an on-going process. A disconnect in thinking about access can lead to misalignment of intentions for missional Christians who view business as an entry strategy.

Declining financial/prayer support

How BAM helps:
Leveraging business as a means for advancing the Kingdom engages western business men and women in a sphere of their life that has historically been a point of contention among the church. As a result, Business as Mission can create an effective means for accessing the resources (prayer, finances, skills, experience, networks) of these individuals.

Considerations:
Donor requests presented as Business as Mission opportunities can reduce the credibility of an missions organization among Christian business men and women. The Business as Mission concept will attract Christian business men and women who desire to use their skills, experience, and networks. Using Business as Mission to solicit donor requests can elicit negative reactions associated with how the church has limited Christian businesspeople in the past.

Changes to the international landscape:

Globalization

How BAM helps:
As global marketplaces are integrating, the opportunity is created to reach individuals within their business/work sphere.

Considerations:
Globalization is a controversial topic and integrating Business as Mission can be interpreted as an endorsement for globalization.

Internationalization

How BAM helps:
Business as Mission is enhanced by internationalization as local workers typically have language skills and cultural knowledge that improves the chances for business success.

Considerations:
There is a predominant assumption (particularly among western Christians) that Business as Mission requires a western resource to go abroad to start/operate a business. Having a western presence in the business is not always appropriate nor does it necessarily create an advantage.

USD devaluation

How BAM helps:
Changes in currency values can be leveraged to maximize the profitability of business activities.

Considerations:
Competitive advantages created by differences in currency valuation can be eroded by shifts in currency markets (e.g. the challenges facing outsourcing companies in India in mid-2008). It is important to take this risk into consideration when evaluating business models.

Poverty/under employment

How BAM helps:
Profitable businesses can contribute to both to job creation and wealth creation within their communities.

Considerations:
Job/wealth considerations are secondary benefits and can not be the primary focus of the business. Job creation without market justification creates a tax on the performance of the company that can threaten sustainability. Additionally, transferring wealth created by the business limits the resources available to reinvest in the business.

Recommendations

Responding to trends is a legitimate rationale for considering Business as Mission, but it can not be the only consideration. To ensure success of any Business as Mission strategy, you must determine whether or not it fits within the main objectives of the organization as defined by your Values, Vision/Mission and Strategic Objectives.

Additionally, global trends are constantly changing. This creates the potential risk that the underlying factors that currently support investment in Business as Mission may not be sustained. As you move forward in integrating Business as Mission, you need to be intentional about reviewing the global environment in order to anticipate shifts in these trends. Additionally, you need to be flexible and responsive so that your efforts are not vulnerable to potential shifts.