Limitations
There are limitations to this research. Participants within the study only represented a
portion of their organizational leadership team. The study consisted of one organization within the
retail industry which only represented a portion of a large industry with a significant leadership
presence. The approach to the binding and selection of participants in this case study is key to
providing a meaningful theoretical outcome. Creswell and Poth (2018) stated that a case is a
bounded choice of what is to be studied. Creswell (2014) described purposeful selection as
selecting participants that best helped the researcher understand the problem and research
questions. Creswell (2014) described random selection as a systematic or probabilistic approach
in which everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected. Participants were
purposefully selected and qualified for the case study while randomly selected to represent
different geographical regions within the varying roles to provide for the best possible selection
process. This case study and its selection of a single case with varying levels and sources of data,
according to Yin (2014), provides more depth or understanding of the theory.
According to Yin (2014), the participants themselves may have their own limitations that
are not known to the researcher, which include but are not limited to conscious or unconscious
biases regarding the company, its leadership, or the area of study as it relates to leadership, culture,
business functions, inaccuracies, and reflexivity. According to Yin (2014), some of this can be
overcome through properly worded interview questions with a focus on the organization and
multiple sources that avoids the research becoming a survey. Yin (2014) continued that it is
important to remember that the participants themselves are not sampling units as they are too small
to represent the larger population but rather to think of the case itself as a sample being used to
shed empirical light regarding a theoretical concept or principle. This perspective is important as
it reflects and reminds the reader this is not a quantitative work founded in numbers but rather a
qualitative attempt to build theory.
Delimitations
There were delimitations within this research. While the retail organization of whom the
participants are employed may have represented a national retailer, global in scale, selected
participant's geographical location did not sufficiently represent the various locations and the
differences that each may bring to the table. The focus is on brick-and-mortar leadership, but there
are far more aspects to a retail business such as distribution centers, regional offices, and corporate
or global headquarters. Similarly, this portion only representation is also the case for both the
industry and the field of business and leadership.
Reduction of Gaps
Cockerell (2018) reflected that often an organization’s strategies focus solely on functional
and technical areas and lack attention in the forming a leadership strategy. The researcher sought
to reveal the individualized approach to leadership and in such further highlight the absence of and
need for an organizational leadership framework focus. This research reflected a gap in
organizational leadership strategy at its highest level and the lack of a unified approach or common
language and principles for those who lead said strategy. The researcher sought to show that an
organizational leadership framework could bridge the gap between organizational strategy and its
individualized leadership by providing guiding principles or the direction of a constitution that
both house and effectively funnel leadership efforts in a more productive working direction.
Implications for Biblical Integration
Keller and Alsdorf (2012) showed that work is part of God's perfect design for human life,
bringing dignity as it reflects the image of God as the Creator, allowing us to serve Him through
our creativity and service or love of others in our work. Even before the fall of man, God provided
His creation, man, with work. "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden
to tend and keep it" (Genesis 2:15, NKJV). Work in itself is one part of the broader perspective in
which God had for human life. According to Windes et al. (2017), work is just one of the parts of
our vocation or many roles that a Christian takes on in his or her life. Mayes (2018) described
vocation as a calling, or divine calling, which is from God, filled and defined by the various stations
of life.
In our work we often encounter leadership. God exhibited leadership in the Garden of
Eden guiding and instructing Adam and Eve. Another example of leadership in the Bible is when
God called on Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. “I have surely seen the oppression of My
people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their task-master, for I know their
sorrows.” (Exodus 3:7, NKJV) God used Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, saying to him,
“Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children
of Israel out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:9, NKJV) One portion of the idea for an organizational
leadership framework came from the work of the Ten Commandments. God provided Moses the
Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17. As Moses lead the people of Israel, God provided him
this guide, saying, "Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of
stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.” (Exodus
24:12, NKJV)
In the New Testament, God again referred to the Ten Commandments again through His
son, Jesus. This example can be confirmed when Jesus said: "He who has seen Me has seen the
Father" (John 14:9, NKJV). During this conversation, Jesus left instructions for His disciples,
saying, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves
Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John
14:21, NKJV) Jesus even left one extra commandment, a new commandment for His disciples. “A
new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also
love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:34-35, NKJV)
There is an important distinction which should not be overlooked between the law of God
through Moses and the law of God through Jesus in comparison to pre and post organizational
leadership framework. In the Old Testament Moses used God’s commandments and under advice
from Jethro, his father-in-law, in Exodus 18:1-27 taught others to serve as judges teaching people
the way to live and duties they should perform. In the New Testament under The Great
Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 Jesus gave His disciples authority and commanded them make
disciples of all the nations. In the Old Testament leadership is centralized to the few and in the
New Testament leadership is outsourced to the many. There is currently a focus on the
individualized leadership experience or in biblical examples, the Moses experience. This research
desires to shift the focus on leadership to that of a collective unit or in biblical examples, the
Disciples experience.
The idea of an organizational leadership framework is in part a reflection of how God used
Moses to lead or teach His people of Israel the values of the Ten Commandments in which they
could identify as being in covenant with God. The organizational leadership framework is to be
guide for all to teach, follow, and learn from its words. The strategy of forming an organizational
leadership framework transcends all other strategies and is an all-encompassing guide for
leadership to follow. This reflects how God reaffirmed the Ten Commandments through Jesus
when he said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to
destroy but to fulfill" (Matthew 5:17, NKJV). The disciples were not left to interpret how Jesus
wanted them to carry out His work.
The organizational leadership framework objective is not to destroy or ignore previous
work in business and leadership but rather fill a gap by providing a compass within an organization
in which all may follow in how to lead and a platform for future research to continue. The creation
of an organizational leadership framework mirrors God's approach of leading His people but in a
business environment. Van Duzer (2010) created a framework for doing business according to
God’s will, which is for businesses to serve their communities and employees in a sustainable way
that is collaborative. The organizational leadership framework aims to do the same for leadership
and all the various functional areas within a business in how to fulfill that will through leadership.
Relationship to Field of Study
The subject of creating a leadership strategy through an organizational leadership
framework for an entire organization is an important area to study. This topic does not currently
have a presence in the research literature, and therefore would add to its body of knowledge by
moving away from the traditional individual approach to leadership and towards the study of
leadership as a collective unit. In the current research, Garg (2018) showed that business leaders
operate in an increasingly complex, interdependent, and dynamic global business environment
where most companies focus on developing around their key strengths while leadership receives
credit for the success or failure of the organization. However, Bonsu and Twum-Danso (2018)
showed that many businesses fail due to their leadership's failure to understand the relationship
between their employees, leadership styles, and nature of the business. An organizational
leadership framework holds the solution to these failures in shifting leadership to a collective group
which is a process or function owned by the organization. Linenberger and Schmidt (2016) showed
that a framework of collective leadership beliefs that focuses on the collective organizational
culture supports an environment that provides clear, decisive, well-defined leadership. A focus on
organizational leadership frameworks in the business world has the potential to drive all strategy
around leadership efforts leading to stronger business results.
The objective of an organizational leadership framework concerning leadership is to create
a set of universal principles, standards, values, and language that brings about more coordinated
efforts from the collective group of individual leaders. The organizational leadership framework
approach attempts to encompass all leadership functions while understanding that each part and
person in a business environment is cross-functional, often cross-cultural, spans endless
boundaries, and therefore could benefit from a common guide, language, or compass in achieving
the organizations over all objectives such as the vision, mission, and values.
As the organizational leadership framework relates to the retail industry, Pradhan et al.
(2017) reflected that the store manager role in a retail environment has evolved in complexity as
retail is no longer about selling a product or service but rather hopes, aspirations, and experiences.
Arnold et al. (2019) showed that there needs to be further comprehension of the boundary-spanning
role of a store manager and how they facilitate all of the interactional components needed to
achieve the objectives of an organization. Johne and Harborne (2003) showed success in the
development of new retail services aligned not with a singularly focused leader but rather multiple
leaders with a common leadership approach. Identifying the need for an organizational leadership
framework in one of countries largest employable industries of retail could provide a significant
impact to the field of leadership.
Literature Review
The objective of this literature review is to not argue the value of leadership but to reveal
some of the current focus on individual leadership within research and how it needs to change to a
more integrated approach. Leadership is inevitable within the world of business. Reis Neto et al.
(2019) showed that organizations are in highly competitive environments and seek the influence
of leadership as it has more of an impact than payment. Without leadership organizations impact
would be reduced. Many different descriptions of leadership can be found in literature. Within this
research the best description found is Pittman (2020), who described leadership as not so much a
position but behaviors that rely on a committed leader, consensus of followers, and a shared vision
for all to aspire to attain. The objective of the organizational leadership framework is to attain these
accomplishments through a shared vision which spans all boundaries of the organization rather
than each respective function and functional unit that a leader may experience. It is the leaders of
organizations who create vision and initiate change. Reis Neto et al. (2019) showed that these
leaders of organizations are agents of change, and often there are many different styles and theories
represented in the organization, which help facilitate change. Organizations creating a leadership
strategy through the organizational leadership framework would be more proactive in setting the
direction of these many different styles rather than reactive to the environment they have created.
Just like leadership is inevitable in the world of business, change is also inevitable. Hughes
(2018) stated that leaders and organizational change are intertwined. Organizations use strategy as
a way of maneuvering through that change. Vishwakarma et al. (2020) showed that strategy is the
goals, objectives, and course of actions that a company takes to make change and gain competitive
advantages, build resources, or test opportunities for the future. It is an organizations leadership
that is in the end responsible for change and the strategy around change. Globocnik et al. (2020)
showed top management in an organization use strategic planning and management to
communicate their goal to middle and lower management. Top leadership sets these goals or
objectives in which middle and lower management use for interpretation in guiding their functional
responsibilities. Globocnik et al. (2020) showed that these leaders use tools such as vision
statements, mission statements, setting strategies, and mechanisms to assess internal and external
environments in analyze and attempt to control business results.
While strategy abounds, research has shown no focus in literature regarding organizational
leadership strategies. This research provides a platform to do so through an organizational
leadership framework that provides a standard of guiding principles, behaviors, or constitution in
which those who lead in an organization are desired to execute the overall objectives or strategies
of an organization. Ready (2014) showed that companies often create working silos with leadership
and the members of the organization left to navigate. In avoiding these working silos, the
organizational leadership framework is partially inspired from distributed leadership which Jones
and Harvey (2017) showed is an inclusive and adaptive approach that could lead to desired
sustainable business results. This adaptive approach must be cross-functional and span boundaries.
Rentes et al. (2019) described business process management as aligning the various functions and
relationships to the strategies, goals, and policies of an organization for a specific process. The
organizational leadership framework objective is to not stop at a process but expand and align the
leadership approach to these various strategies, goals, functions, and relationships to an
organizational level.
This literature review attempted to thread the learnings of organizational strategy,
distributed leadership, and individual leadership styles or theories along with the opportunities in
each to reveal gaps in leadership knowledge. These learnings and gaps in knowledge build the case
for and the content of an organizational need to create an overall leadership strategy using an
organizational leadership framework. The research portion of this study reveals further the reach
and scope of the organizational leadership strategy.
Organizational Leadership Strategy
Current research literature does not reflect organizations having a strategy or framework
around leadership and how they desire the leaders and members of their organizations to lead in
accomplishing overall objectives such as vision, mission, or values. The objective behind the
organizational leadership framework is to lay the groundwork in shifting the focus from leadership
as an individual approach to that of a collective unit. Research currently reflects that strategy or
frameworks revolve around initiatives such as change management, innovation, and development.
For example, with change management Janićijević (2017) stated that organizations, in their desire
for stability, often inertly oppose change and therefore need and use change management strategies.
Another example aside from change management is innovation. Laeeque and Babar (2017) showed
that innovation in organizations is planned or strategic and typically in the four areas of product,
process, marketing, and organization. It should be noted that each of these areas are separate, and
no strategy is mentioned in either leadership or how these areas interact with one another or come
together.
Finally, in the example area of development, the research by Leonard (2017) revealed a
focus around developing leadership's ability to strategize in ways that achieve the desired results
of the organization. This reflects that not only do leaders create and develop strategy but also
strategize around that strategy. For example, Virzi (2018) showed that in large multinational
corporations, there are many strategies for various functions in many different countries in which
successful outcomes depend on the leadership capabilities of an organization. These examples are
just three of the many areas in which literature reveals as where organizations strategize. Rather
than reviewing the areas in which an organization strategizes this literature review focused on
understanding the concept of organizational strategy through the lenses of strategic planning and
management in order to reflect the current environment and a lack of attention to a synthesized
organizational leadership focus.
Strategic Planning. Strategy for an organization is something that needs to be both planned
and managed. Siddique (2015) referred to strategic planning as strategic management and
described it as a deliberate planning process that takes a detailed approach and analysis of resources
and action regarding strategy for an entire organization. Siddique (2015) showed that while some
have viewed strategy as something to emerge, the planning of strategy is making a positive
contribution to organizational success and is still widely practiced. A strategy is both extensive and
far reaching in its impact, transcending many boundaries. In the sense of time, Rentes et al. (2019)
showed that strategic planning should focus on the three different considerations or phases of the
long-term vision, the medium-term steps to achieve the mission, and the short-term actions to make
it happen.
Achieving these long, medium, and short-term strategies can be fraught with difficulty as
alignment issues arise. Rentes et al. (2019) showed that because of difficulties arising from the
integration of the different functions, companies will often try to use business process management
to align the various functions and relationships to the strategies, goals, and policies of an
organization for a specific process which has increased performance for companies of all sizes and
industries. Couckuyt and Van Looy (2020) showed that business process management is a method
that supports all functions of a business process by relying on quality control, business
management, and information systems. Elahi and Bilal (2020) showed that the success of a
business process management lies in its ability to embrace culture, change, motivation, and
communication. Elahi and Bilal (2020) continued that success in business process management
also is found in consistent practice, involvement, and empowerment of employees’ while being
relevant in scope and embodying of the organizational structure. Business process management
offers itself as a guide or example to the integration of and business functions. The limitation of
business process management compared to that of an organizational leadership framework is that
as previously quoted by Rentes et al. (2019), it aligns functions and relationships to strategies,
goals, and policies rather than leadership.
The various strategies in which companies formulate have been referred to as falling into
the two categories of offensive and defensive strategies. Martín-Herrán and Sigué (2019) showed
in marketing that an offensive strategy is going after new consumers while defensive strategy
protects existing consumers. This can be used away from a marketing focus to show that any
approach where the organization tries to change for the better would be considered an offensive
strategy while any approach which tries to protect what the organization already knows or have
would be considered a defensive strategy.
One example of an offensive strategy for an organization is sustainability. Centobelli et al.
(2020) showed that organizations are evolving, adapting new sustainable technologies and
practices that meet the more stringent environmental requirements of climate change agreements.
While there are other motivations for a more sustainable business, whatever their reason may be,
they are attempting new approaches to change for the better. In a defensive example, risk is a factor
that we must acknowledge as part of our decision-making process protect our current business.
Holmquist (2019) stated that strategic planning and risk management intertwine with one another
and that not to include risk management as part of the strategy process would be both reckless and
negligent. Many strategies exist in research literature around risk and how to keep a business safe
in its current state.
Strategic planning and management are not just successful in large organizations and
corporate enterprises. Fahed-Sreih and El-Kassar (2017) revealed that strategic planning positively
affects the performance of family businesses. However, Coffie and Blankson (2018) showed that
large businesses far more widely use strategic planning than in small and familyowned businesses.
Because of the reduced use of strategic planning and management in smaller companies’ larger
organizations have been able to show more success in the use of strategic planning. This success
and use of strategic planning are not limited to a type of organization or industry. Ferreira and
Proença (2015) showed that strategic planning had a positive contribution to the effectiveness of
social service organizations. In another sector, Elbanna et al. (2016) showed that strategic planning
had a positive contribution to implementation, especially in times of uncertainty, which provided
a beneficial impact on public service organizations.
As mentioned at the beginning of this section of the literature review on organizational
leadership strategy, these strategies need to be not only planned but lead and managed. Grant and
Baden-Fuller (2018) showed that strategic management is about executing the proper attributes of
effective decision making regarding what is to be done now and putting it into action. Notice here
that the leading and managing of strategy is not so much about creating new strategy but effectively
implementing and executing current strategy. Bindra et al. (2019) showed that in research, the
strategy revolves around either how an organization approaches strategy or what prevailing
patterns make for grand strategy. Bindra et al. (2019) continued, suggesting that in the future, a
combination of using both the how and what for strategy will become necessary due to increasing
complexity in the new global corporate environments. This literature is revealing that strategy itself
is occurring across many industries to both protect and grow the companies of many shapes and
sizes within those industries and all lacking a leadership strategy of an organizational leadership
framework that embraces a combination that is multifaceted in its construction and approach.
Planning, leading, and managing these various strategies is no easy task. Djordjevic et al.
(2020) stated that to successfully drive improvement for the organization leaders must balance and
eliminate conflict between all the competing dimensions in structural and personal areas of the
business. It is this statement which reveals that in current business practice, it is the individual
leaders who are left to determine how to create balance amongst competing priorities whom as
individuals may have their own competing priorities. The not united are trying to unite.
To this point in the literature review it has attempted to provide an overview of how
organizations plan, lead, and manage strategy in such a way that would reveal both their strengths
and opportunity gaps. These strengths organizations have in strategy may be used in the shift
towards the opportunity gaps of no organizational leadership strategy focus found in research.
Next, a portion of the literature review needed to be dedicated to where strategy currently stems
from within an organization. Spear (2017) showed that vision, mission, and value statements help
build corporate identity while defining and guiding the purpose and direction of an organization.
Elias and Philippi (2015) referred to these as corporate strategic statements and revealed how they
can reflect the principals that forge organizational strategy and change.
Vision Statements. A strategy needs an end goal. Kirkpatrick (2017) described the vision
statement as providing meaning and context for the vision or desired long-term future state of an
organization. Allison (2017) showed that the vision statement is a relevant and essential component
of strategic management. Allison (2017) also showed that for the vision statement to be relevant,
it must communicate strategically and purposefully, which creates clarity and detail for the internal
stakeholder to reduce the risk of declining company morale and long-term effectiveness. It should
be recognized that as previously mentioned in this literature review, that strategy originates from
the purpose, direction, and clarity of a mission statement while the vision statement provides the
long-term guide, or compass, for where all functions of an organization are headed.
A strongly formed vision statement can be very impactful for an organization. Perkins et
al. (2017) showed that the best vision statements are those that are robust, goal-oriented, and
containing enough substance to followers and leaders that they, in effect, have a guiding force for
day-to-day behavior. Supporting this statement, Gulati et al. (2016) showed that leaders who
communicate the vision of an organization effectively outperformed their counterparts who
struggle in this area. This information shows just how valuable it can be for an organization to not
only form a compelling vision but properly implement and communicate that vision. This short
literature review on vision statements reflects that the vision statement focuses on setting a
destination for the future of an organization.
Mission Statements. Mission statements play an important part in the guiding of an
organization. Leggat and Holmes (2015) showed that a mission statement provides direction,
purpose, clarity, and behavioral standards for an organization. Purpose is important to the success
of an organization. Desmidt (2016) showed that both uncertainty and ambiguity can be crippling
to an organization, can harm leadership effectiveness, and create dysfunction amongst employees
resulting in reduced organizational performance. To prevent these issues from occurring Desmidt
(2016) reflected that organizations use the guidance of a mission statement.
Mission statements provide guidance for organizations in many areas. Alegre et al. (2019)
described a mission statement as specifics around products, services, markets, customers, and
philosophies that reveal what an organization wants to be and whom it wants to serve. Lopez and
Martin (2018) pointed out that the mission statement not only provides the direction and purpose
needed to guide internal decision making, but they also provide an organization with an externally
publicized image and identity.
This guidance of purpose found in the mission statement helps to reveal where strategy
originates. Specifically, King et al. (2019) pointed in their work to the fact that a company’s
strategy and objectives should stem directly from the mission statement and that just like in
strategy, the mission statement needed to evolve and change over time to remain relevant and
practical. Mas-Machuca et al. (2017) showed that studies often revealed mixed results in
connecting performance results to the mission statement while some point to organizational
commitment as the reason behind those results which were successful. This short literature review
on mission statements reflected that the mission statement focuses on what the company does to
reach the vision, or future of an organization.
Value Statements. With vision statements focusing on what an organization desires to be
and the mission statement is focusing on how they are going to be it, the value statement is more
about where the organization stands philosophically. Lahey and Nelson (2020) stated that a value
statement serves as a company's core philosophy around what the company stands for ethically.
Vantrappen and de Jong (2018) stated that the values created in these statements center around
shaping the tone of how individuals work with and interact with one another. Vantrappen and de
Jong (2018) continued that influential value statement creations should be measurable, with
authentic action on what it takes to succeed at the organization and formed from a few executive
leaders rather than a collective approach.
Once formed, Anderson and Jamison (2015) showed that these values relate to the culture
of the organization strengthening internally the employee's sense of belonging and externally the
company’s image. It should be noted that a value statement is not something simply for leadership
but all members of the organization. MacLeod (2016) stated that values will emerge no matter if
you do, or do not, create a shared culture around a strong value statement. MacLeod (2016) showed
that creating value statements around deep convictions and guiding principles will create the
desired culture, avoid an undesirable implicit culture, and provide a set of values that could help
resolve conflict when it arises. This short literature review on value statements reflected that the
value statement focuses on the behavior the company desires in carrying out the mission to reach
the vision, or future of an organization.
The vision, mission, and value statements of an organization have shown in research to
have a positive impact on business when done properly. Yet there are opportunities present with
these three approaches. With all this direction provided from organizations through their vision,
mission, and values their objectives within each are often not fulfilled. In their work on the
