| The purpose of this study is to explore and document how U.S.-based international mission agencies are practically responding to the issue of globalization in missions; to analyze selected organization approaches to globalization; and to identify, explain, and suggest strategies to address the problems organizations may face as they work toward globalization in their own agencies.; The research was conducted in three phases. First, a mail survey was done to determine how involved U.S.-based mission agencies are in the process of globalization. Second, eight case studies were conducted in agencies that evidenced significant effort in globalization to determine how their strategies, management cultures, structures, and historical processes might serve as models for other agencies attempting to globalize. Third, an in-depth literature review not only provided the theoretical base for this study but also contained useful information to help mission organizations become more global.; Findings from the survey indicate that while 86% of the responding organizations had some non-North Americans on their full-time missionary staff, the vast majority worked at field or regional levels. Only 13% indicated that one-third or more of their board members were non-North American. Less than one-third said they had any non-North Americans working in headquarters management positions. In other words, the nationalization and regionalization of U.S.-based agencies have taken place, but representation of non-North Americans in international policy making positions is rare. Less than half of the agencies said they were very active in recruiting non-North Americans for management positions. Denominational agencies were less involved in globalization than parachurch agencies. The larger, older agencies were less involved in globalization than the younger, smaller ones.; Data from the case studies and the literature review shows, among other things, that successful globalization must include the following: (a) a strong commitment to globalization by mission leadership, (b) a positive attitude toward diversity, (c) an emphasis on international leadership recruiting and development, (d) restructuring and policy changes to attract more non-North Americans in missions, (e) financial policies that encourage globalization, and (f) a commitment to interdependence rather than independence between headquarters and subsidiaries. |
