Event Title
Validating Organizational Effectiveness: Exploring Criteria for Exemplary and Outstanding Local Conferences in the North American Division
Start Date
18-5-2018 2:15 PM
Description
Organizations in various sectors of diverse domestic and global industries (profit and not-for-profit) (public or private) such as business, education, government, healthcare, military, religious, etc. operate in very competitive environments that require the highest levels of excellence in operational standards. Indicators of outstanding organizations (germane to a particular industry) may tend to use measurements such as an entity’s certified audit reports; competitive advantage; financial indicators; market share; growth, expansion and/or retention; profitability; shareholder investment returns; stakeholder engagement and customer satisfaction surveys. Benchmarks to achieve these standards may also be found in gold star instruments such as the Malcolm Baldridge Award, Good-to-Great Organizations and Industry Best Practices. The basis for this qualitative exploration was instigated by sentiments that Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) local conferences may also aspire to emulate standards of excellence that are expected and exemplified in other exemplary organizations. Three critical questions this study will address are: (1) What are possible criteria and standards of organizational excellence and effectiveness? (2) What comprises an organization’s effectiveness system? (3) What are the attributes of an effective and efficient organization? A qualitative design was utilized with data for this study selected, collected and analyzed (coding, patterns, trends and themes) from extensive open-ended questionnaires to targeted populations on NAD and Union conference CEOs (Chief Executive Officers/Presidents), CAOs (Chief Administrative Officers/Executive Secretaries) and CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) N=30 throughout Canada and the United States of America (USA) with a participant response rate of N=13 or 43%. Discussion, Implications, Conclusion and Recommendations are also discussed.
KEYWORDS: Best Practices, CEO (Chief Executive Officer/President), CAOs (Chief Administrative Officer/Executive Secretary) and CFO (Chief Financial Officer), Exemplary, Excellence, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist (GC), Malcolm Baldridge Award, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventist (NAD), Organizational Effectiveness, Organizational Efficiency, Six Sigma
Validating Organizational Effectiveness: Exploring Criteria for Exemplary and Outstanding Local Conferences in the North American Division
Organizations in various sectors of diverse domestic and global industries (profit and not-for-profit) (public or private) such as business, education, government, healthcare, military, religious, etc. operate in very competitive environments that require the highest levels of excellence in operational standards. Indicators of outstanding organizations (germane to a particular industry) may tend to use measurements such as an entity’s certified audit reports; competitive advantage; financial indicators; market share; growth, expansion and/or retention; profitability; shareholder investment returns; stakeholder engagement and customer satisfaction surveys. Benchmarks to achieve these standards may also be found in gold star instruments such as the Malcolm Baldridge Award, Good-to-Great Organizations and Industry Best Practices. The basis for this qualitative exploration was instigated by sentiments that Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) local conferences may also aspire to emulate standards of excellence that are expected and exemplified in other exemplary organizations. Three critical questions this study will address are: (1) What are possible criteria and standards of organizational excellence and effectiveness? (2) What comprises an organization’s effectiveness system? (3) What are the attributes of an effective and efficient organization? A qualitative design was utilized with data for this study selected, collected and analyzed (coding, patterns, trends and themes) from extensive open-ended questionnaires to targeted populations on NAD and Union conference CEOs (Chief Executive Officers/Presidents), CAOs (Chief Administrative Officers/Executive Secretaries) and CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) N=30 throughout Canada and the United States of America (USA) with a participant response rate of N=13 or 43%. Discussion, Implications, Conclusion and Recommendations are also discussed.
KEYWORDS: Best Practices, CEO (Chief Executive Officer/President), CAOs (Chief Administrative Officer/Executive Secretary) and CFO (Chief Financial Officer), Exemplary, Excellence, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist (GC), Malcolm Baldridge Award, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventist (NAD), Organizational Effectiveness, Organizational Efficiency, Six Sigma
Comments
Dr. Theodore Brown Sr. is a Tenured Professor of Management and Leadership in the Department of Business and Information Systems and School of Business at Oakwood University (Huntsville, AL); and an Adjunct Professor of Leadership in the School of Education at Andrews University (Berrien Springs, MI). He presently advises and/or Coordinates the following university academic programs in the School of Business: General Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Management.
Dr. Brown earned the PhD in Leadership with an emphasis in Financial Leadership and Management from Andrews University in 2005, and has taught numerous traditional and online courses in leadership, management and religion. His degree is applied to the research study of the roles, responsibilities and relationships of chief financial officers in the context of leadership and management in non-profit religious organizations. Dr. Brown graduated from Oakwood University in 1983 (BS Business Administration/Theology); Amberton University in 1987 (MBA General Business), and 1988 (MBA Management) and has also received certifications in Stewardship, Taxation, and Estate Planning. His
professional career includes 20+ years in academia, and over 28 years of service in the areas of auditing (4), accounting (5), trust services (12), chief financial officer (CFO)/treasurer (14 ½), and pastoral ministry (13) for the Southwest Region Conference, Lake Region Conference and South Central Conference.
Dr. Brown holds membership in numerous professional organizations, and has lectured, conducted seminars and workshops in the areas of financial literacy, stewardship, leadership and management throughout the United States and internationally (Canada, Jamaica, South Africa and Russia). He has also authored multiple research publications and presented at numerous academic and professional conferences domestically and internationally. He is an Ordained Minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and currently pastors a two church district (Decherd/Fayetteville, TN) in the South Central Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Dr. Brown is the founder of MoneyCare Financial Ministries, Inc., a community service based organization that focuses on financial literacy, financial empowerment, personal money management and small business consulting. He is married to Dr. Vickie D. Hale-Brown, DNP who is a Professor of Nursing. The Browns have three young adult children.