Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

Unit Description

This unit provides an overview of issues pertaining to organisational development, governance and leadership from a specifically Christian perspective. Participants will investigate the complex issues surrounding ensuring an organisation of integrity – one which keeps its vision, mission, and values at the core of all its actions and decisions, and reflects biblical notions of justice, equality, and human dignity. Theoretical frameworks are supplemented with investigations into practical applications.

Non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs) have, over the course of the past 70 years, become one of the primary providers of intervention into systems and norms which perpetuate poverty, injustice, and conflict. They also are generally considered by society to be among the most effective and ethical providers of these interventions, often more trusted than governments or para-statal organisations (e.g., government-funded aid organisations or the U.N.), or for-profit ventures. Because NGDOs are usually dependent on society’s good will to maintain their funding, this goodwill is a critical component of their ability to continue operating.

However, NGDOs are highly susceptible to a wide variety of forces that erode their good intentions. Merely organising can have a negative impact on maintaining focus on vision/mission/values. While NGDOs are usually formed with the best of intentions, it is the nature of organisations that, once formed, they become inwardly looking and refocus much time and energy to protect the organisation as a system – and, naturally, the jobs that are contained within that organisation. This unacknowledged but very powerful driver often leads to a competing set of vision/mission/values that is referenced when making organisational decisions.

An example is the extent that constituents are allowed to participate in the governance of the organisation; because constituents are concerned with the organisation’s ability to provide for their needs rather than those of the employees. Such participation is a perceived threat to give them decision-making power. Therefore, ironically, it is quite common to see an organisation focused on building civil society but which excludes these same principles in their daily operations. Individuals also come to organisations with their own set of values, and the values of an organisation’s departments can differ significantly (e.g., finance may value accounting for all funds above all else, while fundraising puts ‘good stories’ first). Thus, decisions and actions are often taken which are in conflict with the organisation’s stated purposes.

This unit identifies these and other key stumbling blocks to organisational effectiveness and integrity, and provides a framework in which learners can examine relevant biblical principles and explore current thinking of how to best minimise these blocks and create an effective, focused organisation. Concepts such as what a ‘Christian’ organisation is and what values it should adhere to are discussed, as well as practical discussions on how to integrate values throughout the entire organisation – through effective leadership and governance, through sound decision-making, and through daily operations.

Leadership capabilities are particularly important in ensuring an organisation of integrity. Organisations are dependant on leaders at all levels for ensuring an adherence to vision/mission/values, an integrity of thought and action, and motivated partners. This unit discusses some of the recent research into leadership functions and styles, identifying styles that reflect Kingdom values in an effective manner, and also discusses how to encourage leadership development throughout the organisational system (e.g., inclusive of partners and stakeholders). Learners come away with the ability to analyse an organisation using biblical filters, and strategies for creating or developing an organisation reflective of godly values.

Teaching Strategies

The learning process consists of three phases: Reading, Residential, and Research. Each phase has a blend of individual and group learning, and subsequent phases build upon the learning of those that come before.

The first phase is a Reading phase, and lasts for 12 weeks. The learner, as part of a small cohort study group (3 to 5 members), is guided through a reading program to explore the current scholarship on the practice of “Organisational Development and Leadership”.

Reading assignments are compiled with the help of the librarian, the educational technologist, and administrative support staff. Required weekly readings are posted to the unit website once a week for downloading, utilising Tabor Victoria’s Moodle platform.

Students are also required to read the prescribed textbooks in this phase.

During this first phase learners in cohort groups embark on a guided social inquiry , resulting in a research project . Hands-on research conducted in context by each participant allows him/her to gain an understanding of specific, emerging ministry concerns/questions encountered by Aid and Development agencies.

Second phase is a residential phase: Equipped with the reading and research, learners then undertake a Residential phase of 40 hours’ worth (one week, full-time) of residential study. During the residency, all cohort groups gather in a Aid and Development agency setting chosen because of a leader who is known as a thoughtful practitioner, and because the agency has a proven track record in “Organisational Development and Leadership”.

In the third Phase students complete a personal theology in which issues related to “Organisational Development and Leadership” are explored. Cohorts also plan and implement an intervention at the Aid and Development agency. The intervention is a professional presentation that summarises findings and proposes a number of ways the agency might go about addressing the emerging questions. The intervention invites agency leaders into theological reflection and constructive thinking about the concern and what might be done to begin addressing it. Following the intervention, the small cohort study group reflects upon and assesses their collaborative work.

Unit offerings

Face to face: (Every 3rd Year, Semester 1)
Face to face: (Every 3rd Year, Semester 1)

Please note

The Unit Offerings listed above are a guide only and the timetable for any year is the final authority. The College may vary offerings based on demand, regulatory requirements, continual improvement processes or other conditions.

This unit may be available in different modes of delivery i.e. online and face-to-face as listed above. The unit content will not differ between these modes of delivery. There will possibly be a difference in the schedule and/or the prescribed assessment tasks, however both will cover and assess the same content.