Founder succession in international Christian networks and organizations: A narrative case-study approach A thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities 2019 Peter Bunton School of Arts, Languages and Cultures Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 15 Part I ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Chapter 1 ................................................................................................................................. 18 Literature review ..................................................................................................................... 18 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 18 2. Succession studies ........................................................................................................... 19 2.1. Origins....................................................................................................................... 20 2.2. Frequency of succession ........................................................................................... 21 2.3. Consequences ........................................................................................................... 22 2.4. Processes .................................................................................................................. 23 2.5. Socialization .............................................................................................................. 25 2.6. Strategic change ....................................................................................................... 25 2.7. Psychoanalytical reflection on succession ............................................................... 26 2.8. Deficits ...................................................................................................................... 28 3. Founder succession ......................................................................................................... 28 3.1. Entrepreneurial leadership style to professional leadership style ........................... 29 3.2. Succession and founder-embedded organizational culture .................................... 29 3.3. Contingency probability of founder succession ....................................................... 30 3.4. Founder’s succession and organizational zeal ......................................................... 31 3.5. Rates and antecedents ............................................................................................. 32 3.6. Cultural/religious context of founder succession .................................................... 32 3.7. Power and power distribution ................................................................................. 33 3.8. Founder transition and organizational identity threat............................................. 34 3.9. Founder’s syndrome ................................................................................................. 35 4. Founder succession in Christian ministries ..................................................................... 36 4.1. General literature on Christian leadership succession ............................................. 36 4.2. Founder succession in Christian ministries .............................................................. 37 5. Succession in international contexts ............................................................................... 42 5.1. International leadership competences .................................................................... 43 5.2. Leadership and culture ............................................................................................. 44 5.3. Christian literature ................................................................................................... 46 2 5.4. Founder succession in international Christian ministries ........................................ 47 6. Theology of succession? .................................................................................................. 48 7. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................................. 54 Methodological considerations in the study of founder succession in Christian organizations: A critical analysis of recent research ....................................................................................... 54 1. University, denomination, megachurch - An introduction to three contributions ......... 54 2. The researcher – Issues of reflexivity .............................................................................. 56 2.1. Reflexivity in studying Liberty University ................................................................. 57 2.2. Reflexivity in studying COGIC ................................................................................... 61 2.3. Reflexivity in studying American megachurches ...................................................... 63 3. Research design in the study of founder succession in Christian ministries ................... 66 3.1. Research design in studying Liberty University ........................................................ 66 3.2. Research design in studying COGIC .......................................................................... 72 3.3. Research design for American megachurches ......................................................... 78 4. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 84 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................................. 86 Toward a Generative/Dialectical approach to narrative interviewing in the study of founder succession in Christian organizations ...................................................................................... 86 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 86 2. Determination of types of data and how they are to be analyzed ................................ 87 2.1. Data type .................................................................................................................. 87 2.2. Data analysis ............................................................................................................. 88 3. Introduction to documentary analysis as secondary method ......................................... 88 4. Introduction to the interview as primary data collection method ................................. 89 5. Which type of interview is optimal for this research project? Determination by sample population characteristics and data analytical method .................................................. 90 5.1. Characteristics of the research sample .................................................................... 90 5.2. Analytical methods ................................................................................................... 94 6. A deeper understanding of ‘narrative’ research ............................................................. 99 6.1. What is narrative? .................................................................................................... 99 6.2. Narrative inquiry or narrative analysis? ................................................................. 100 7. Specificity of narrative interview type .......................................................................... 102 7.1. Biographic Interpretive Method Interview ............................................................ 103 7.2. Generative Interview .............................................................................................. 104 7.3. Episodic interview .................................................................................................. 106 3 7.4. Conclusions on narrative interview type: The ‘Generative/Dialectic’ interview as the way forward .................................................................................................................. 107 8. Chapter summary and conclusions ............................................................................... 109 Chapter 4 ............................................................................................................................... 110 Pilot study .............................................................................................................................. 110 1. Approval of research ethics ........................................................................................... 110 2. Pilot study ...................................................................................................................... 110 2.1. Sample .................................................................................................................... 110 2.2. Interviewee characteristics .................................................................................... 111 2.3. Narratives ..............................................................................................................