Abstract:
No modern organisation is immune to the desire to grow and succeed. Social entrepreneurship has been seen as a means of embraced entrepreneurial activities, including churches, as they are conducted professionally, similar to business enterprises. Among other leading institutions, a church has always occupied positions of influence. Therefore, research suggests that all modern institutions must strategise to respond to the needs of their current environment. As a not-for-profit organisation, church needs to be strategic in its approach. This reality seemed to heighten the significance of strategic management regardless of the type or size of the organisation involved. Thus, this study explored the strategic management processes churches employ in Gauteng. Both the Adherents and Protestant churches were the units of analysis. Church managers constituted units of observation. Qualitative research methods in the form of interviews, document analysis, and first-order observation were employed. Mainly, five regions in Gauteng Province: Ekurhuleni, Greater Johannesburg, Sedibeng, Tshwane, and West Rand were covered, where 26 participants were interviewed, and 12 church policy/strategic documents were obtained and analysed. Data were analysed using the Atlas.ti software, the thematic and narrative analysis. The findings of the study indicate that strategy continues to play an important role within churches. Among others, recommendations are that the church and its managers still require capacity development in management, strategy, governance, and entrepreneurship education. As part of the contribution, the study proposed a strategic management process framework. It further makes a significant theoretical and practical contribution to strategy and not-for-profit organisations, more so in church context. A Strategic Management Process Framework for Churches and NPOs, and SEs are proposed.
