The Salvation Army’s Mission and Functions Essay

Definition

The Salvation Army is a non-profit organisation that has formed as a global Christian Church to provide a number of welfare tasks to the deprived and affected human being at the time of different natural disasters and political violence. A number of issues are existing which can be targeted as responsible for placing interest and attention to the various stakeholders of the organisation.

Such issues are ranging from social welfare or basic performance terminologies, financial aspects, public support, expenses of the programs, supporting services, risk or threat factors and obviously each of the philosophies upon which it starts ahead to its activities. All of such issues are important to various stakeholders who are the personnel affected by the corporate performance as well claim over it involving- formal leaders, members of advisory boards, the volunteers, employees, supported global community and general members. Along with such factors, in the global environment of increased natural and artificial adversity, such non- profit entities also have to face a number of complexity and pressure for which it must make specific and appropriate steps to resolve those. Therefore, considering all of such concerns, some specific features can be placed as the core concern of the corporate people. Such as:

Social welfare

The various kinds of social welfare programs of Salvation Army place a major concern towards its diversified stakeholders while the most important tasks are as following:

• SAWSO or The Salvation Army World Service Office is responsible for employing the Chikankata Child Survival Project in association with Health Service from external funding which has been assumed to assist 124613 people of Zambian region (Anon. 2009, p. 1).
• Missing persons program is another welfare aspect of Salvation Army, which stands upon the goal of reuniting the members in a family who want to seek each other. Here, several conditions are following involving debt accumulation, supporting child, children searching usual parents or reverse, minority cases, safekeeping argument etc.
• Salvation Army Ministry is responsible for offering veterans services while the projects youth segment assists the wheelchair individuals, arranges campsite, and delivers receiver cards and printed Bibles.
• Prisoner rehabilitation by the means of cooperative agreements with audition, prison and parole personnel over the nation are helpful to prevent crime. Companies like those patterns must pose a greater concern for adopting such program with an additional service of after- release training and development of jobs, Bible connecting course or employment scopes for both the individual and the family (Kotler & Keller 2006, p.96). But in the Salvation Army, such program is suffering from virtual problems which are needed to be resolved.
• This foundation is also engaged in youth camping activities for teaching the poor kinds newer knowledge, self- dependency, and help in solving problems of their own.
• Individual rehabilitation is one of the most important tasks that a non- profit group should perform while this Army delivers support to many affected people with a diversified social and spiritual difficulty through its ARC or Adult Rehabilitation Centers. Additionally, solution for legal conflicts, homelessness, and lack of employment along with a holy alteration are associated terms in this regard.
• Missionary- oriented entities should realize the need of education as a vital issue of their role played for the society as a whole (Thompson & Strickland 2008, p.167). The Salvation Army has demonstrated its active integration in this field with extraordinary provisional size.
• Health care and hospital support is another essential field upon which concentration has needed to be imposed for which Salvation Army is recognized, especially in the developing countries. The progress of mobile hospitals and outpatient services are mentionable among them and the Army operates effective programs to HIV/ AIDS.
• Dependency on addiction is a primary focus for which it is better to assume that such problem can better be found in residential and day care requirements.
• The fortified forces condition is very much convention from the long- term association of the Army along with the “armed partner”.
• Community and counseling are equally important although they engage in certain conflict in some specific criteria.
• Other social functions those involved in its activity are day care centers, seminars on pre- retirement period, hot- dining programs, camping for seniors, specialized day care servicing etc.

General functionality

This sorts of welfare organisations generally have some common functions, like- participation of Army meetings, training of soldiers for holiday- school classes, playing of musical equipments, soldier or member participation in visiting the disabled, poor and sick, assistance in routine community work. However, the Army is somewhat committed with providing modern “peace- keeping” activities.

Financial and other issues

It incorporates the following aspects:

• The Salvation Army is well- known for offering modest salary to the ministers or officers, which represented a statistic consisting of 15% of total salary paid to the CEO in 2002 although such amount is actually insufficient for such kind of top ranked personnel for a kind of charitable organisation (Johnson, Scholes & Whittington 2008, p.667).
• Basic source of income consists of investment, dumping of assets, trading, donation from the members, legal grants, operations of social services and legacies while general costing involves fund development, administration and management, charitable tasks association and supportive purposes (The Salvation Army. 2009, p.1).
• The governmental relationship with the charitable entities is not always favorable in local and international context like the Army (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson 2001, p.210). The case of Moscow in 2001 is a significant example that poses its seriousness extending to the banning of the Army in Russia. The year 1913 was also notable for the same fact regarding a drop of communism.
• The Army likes to work in those nations where it is legally enforced by the national law; also, it occupies personal legislative rights in some countries like- UK although it is merely unusual for a charitable organisation.
• Like the general Army’s involvement with political leaders, this Salvation Army has to make such a function with single government characters that severely impacts its work by presenting wider diversity.
• The organisation has occupied a greater support from UK government. At the same time it has also got mentionable recognition from USA official and thus ranked as a participant of leading 10 charities of the country by Forbes magazine. But in Russia that journey was not so smooth because of being a western charity, also the organisational values encountered major complexity focusing upon the fact of global Christian mission (McKinley 1980, p.12).
• Adequate loyalty towards the regular and irregular staffs are regular in association with various cliental services are required (Kotler & Armstrong 2006, p.113).

After a thorough focus upon all of such issues, now it is possible to suggest some ways by which a non- revenue corporation can solve and improve the weakening factors as below:

• Since the government affiliation varies from nation for both internationalism and government structure, philosophies and policies of the Army must be conditioned in a matching point with the leaders. Press briefings can actively take part in this regard (The Salvation Army. 2009, p.1).
• In case of conflict in international religious beliefs, each of such social non- profit institution should make co- relation with other religious beliefs like- Islam, Buddhism and Hindus to avoid bitter disagreement (Read 2002, p.19).
• The salary level of officers should be modified and acceptable enough to cope with the international standard (Griffin 2006, p.34).
• Collection of huge membership,
• Increased demand for the intended services.
• It has incorporated cultural sophistication of foreign culture by local community and government.
• Removal of problems for relating with youth culture as an international entity,
• Shift in social policy from organisational care that its community activities had generally served to more provisions that are social.
• The Army should maintain a better combination of its own legislation with the local and regional law to remain fair and tolerable from legal perspective (Stoner, Freeman & Gilbert 2006).

Operation

The Salvation Army is a distinctive mode of charity and welfare organisation since it is an exclusive combination of religious and quasi- military structure. At present, the Army is formed upon the original framework of Indian Civil Service that gratifies the theme of “spiritual warfare” which can be realized by the exposition of uniforms, flags and ranks by well-known periodical of The War Cry. The existing feature of the Army would require some sort of modification in relation with governance and strategic focus.

The 1^st stage in the development of such strategic capabilities, it is better to identify the organisational core competence which can be shown as following:

After that, an I/ O model can be conducted to explain the dominant role of external environment on strategic actions by tailoring for a non- profit entity like:

So, the Salvation Army should form the organisational strategies by considering the following issues in mind:

• The members of Advisory board can be termed as top- level management who are formally responsible for making strategic decisions.
• This board will also consult and ensure the channels from which the targeted funds and donations will come into the organisation and at what costs.
• It should also prepare a complete plan by identifying the sectors of fund utilization.
• Analysing the over all external and internal flow of information to ensure operational and financial transparency for both the internals and externals of the entity.
• The associated political, social, legal, financial, and cultural pressure and challenges are apparent factors that must be considered in the strategic restructuring.
• More specifically, the Army requires working upon in the modern vision of social service and missionary focus.
• The basic strategic constitution should also pose equal importance upon the uniformed military and the non- uniformed civilian while the later will be able to occupy so many important posts and duties for it while the rank of substitute will be considered perfect for other employee who wants to become a temporary official. So, this “short service commission” in the regular force will be an effective strategic version for engaging empowered workforce within the organisation (The Salvation Army. 2009, p.1).
• Corporate flexibility will be exercised for the entire formulation of each of its individual unit while providing relief to the poor will be a prominent function. After that, disaster rehabilitation and funding will take second major concern for it.
• In generating funds from various sources, the Army will maintain strong ethical issues of not accepting such incentives from illegal alcoholic body gambler.
• It will not finance from the National Lottery of UK rather than acceptable flexibility from other supplies.
• The highly emphasized public welfare programs will be the most important agenda of the Army while Care Group, hearth Nutritional Treatment Model, Prevention, and Care Groups along set for men are notable.

Corporate governance needs to show the relationship among the different stakeholder groups for the purpose of determination and control the intended strategies and performance of the charity. The existing corporate governance of Salvation Army involves no international high- command format for determining national strategies and tasks. Although the global headquarter is situated in London, the individual territorial phase suffers from intensive autonomy where each of them are treated as domestic provision under the home- country. So, the modified corporate governance structure of the Army should incorporate the following phases:

• The governance must clarify an agency relationship like a profit organisation by renovating some non- profit managerial opportunities, like:

• The Army should have a director committee that will be consisting upon the individuals of present High council established upon all the dynamic officials and commissioners that will lead the international operation from the single UK based headquarter. This board will be regarded as the most powerful governing body of the organisation for delivering major single organisational objectives that will be mostly centralized in nature. This group will meet anywhere within the UK but there will be a particular “Conference Chamber” to elect new bodies.
• After, there will be territorial Counseling Committee, which will take the domestically based immediate and decentralized decisions by the authorization of international board. It will assign the officers having high potent to participate in the international committee in future as well as adequate efficiency for taking part in the overall macro strategy, mission or policy. However, they can also meet via electronic network or physically as suitable.
• An International Management Council needs to exist to judge or monitor the performance of the central global headquarter with monthly meetings (The Salvation Army. 2008, p.7).
• Executive compensation plan must be prepared while it will act as a governance mechanism for finding out of lining up the interest of the executive salaries, bonuses, and long- run financial and non- financial incentives. Although the organisation at present is not formed upon with the right structure of such compensation, it is very much essential for the formulation of that option in order to increase executive performance level. Effectively utilization of executive compensation is very much difficult for an international charity firm like- Salvation Army. Therefore, this task requires high degree of monitoring through a rise in agency expenses. Similarly, from region to region the total amount also varies based on value of money as well as performance complexity. Asking the external experts to prepare effective executive compensation plan is also feasible in this case (The Salvation Army. 2008, p.11).
• Finally, formulation of a multidivisional structure or M- form acts as an internal governance strategy through management scopes. The HQ is part of M- form structure associated with the director board jointly monitors the strategic decisions and implementation of management and advisors for the performance of various organisational units or divisions. Active monitoring will be helpful for eager managerial attention in maximizing worth of the stakeholders. This part of corporate governance is also vital for delivering the top executive with adequate and additional information by focusing upon financial outcomes obtained by the micro units. Along with internal participation, this tool sometimes works upon external control issue of the participants and volunteers.

Therefore, by analysing the core strategic and governance conditions upon which the Salvation Army should make some extent of reformulation, it can be concluded that through a sensible selection of major strategic tips and standard corporate governance feature, it would be able to fix up a timely, competent, and flexible organisational structure. Consequently, it would be able to maintain the interest of the stakeholders and assist properly the global Salvationists.

Strategic Planning

In a broader sense, the proposed strategic planning exercise of the Salvation Army involves several practical implications including global and regional operations. Some of such implementation sectors can be discussed as:

• Different forms of aiding activities will be expected as it tries to provide better prevention and treatment of malaria, improved care- finding for risky symbols, treatment of pregnant women program, more children immunization, detection, and treatment of malnutrition, better motherly, and infant care trends, improved exposure of postpartum concern etc.
• The original picture of the society embodies the strategies of Salvation Army are highly being important for fragmented social framework.
• The UK sector precisely describes the functionality of this charity from the viewpoint of developed world.
• Formation of volunteers as a part of constituting an effective organisational people can play significant role for delivering extensive extent of aiding and supportive activities.
• The governing board’s identification of multiple external monetary resource of the organisation would be resulted into periodic and systematic flow of cash or some other non- financial forms of assets of donation, which will ensure the financial strength of the charity.
• Establishing the strategy for providing information to various members of the entity will be efficient to implement a capable supply chain network of database consisting information about members, ruling bodies, volunteers and all other accessible stakeholders by ensuring the firm’s capability of synchronizing adequate and prompt support to the affected community along with a modern intelligence system.
• Planning to face social, political, cultural and financial recession will be helpful in such way through the Army would make adaptive responses and actions which take part in preventing social resistance, political banning or financial backwardness as taken place in Russia before several years.
• Emphasize upon hybrid strategy regarding military and religious aspects are supportive to sustain the performance in unsmooth Asian region.
• Planning of utilizing military and non- military workforce will be enforceable to carry out huge relief, health, and rehabilitation during the emergency period as an extra hand of that project.
• Ethical issues in restriction of funding, as illegal supply will create a sense by which the organisation will be able maintain its mainstream of following the values of Jesus as well as introducing a learning point for the society to protest the evil.
• Special concern and reformulation strategy for compensating executives will be implemented at all levels of organisational officers and military incentive programs while the projected benefits would be resulted in both individual satisfaction and positive charity image (The Salvation Army. 2009, p.1).
• Hiring of external staff for conducting necessary financial planning will be applied by the real engagement of such intelligence, corrected analysed financial data, and original placement of each unit of non – monetary activities.

Therefore, it can be said that for a global charity organisation as Salvation Army, many difficulties or negative pressure may affect the composition, especially the implementation of those strategies where a careful integration of existing resources and supporting attitude of each participant will remove all such obstacles in a smoother outcome.

Analysis Results

The entire analysis shows that the Salvation Army is facing up with exclusive demand throughout the world in the dynamic stakeholder context although several problems, issues and modifications are influencing the entire entity. From this perspective, the Salvation Army can take the following options to sustain their growth and success in future as below:

• The Army will be required to make a sustainable cooperation with governments in terms of basic values for continuing to be an international force as well as to be most powerful when the newly employed general will take the responsibility.
• The organisation will also be committed to serve all sorts of communities ranging from men to women, African to American and black to white.
• Employment of efficient candidates like Shaw Clifton would serve the more exclusive memories of Africa. Armed with his strong academic background and huge publications offer a critical analysis and creative role to the project.
• Additionally, the Army will be completely trusted to assist the victims in most vulnerable situations.
• The organisation will have an interest for adopting both practical as well as gospel proclaimed task.
• The organisation is expected to be trustworthy and sincere.
• It will be able to offer a relaxed and flexible atmosphere for its participants to work.
• Similarly, it will also maintain a strong gentle culture.
• Responsiveness to the needs and wants of publics,
• The Army should try to maintain a smooth relationship with government in terms of corporate policies and procedures.
• The mission should make higher protection policy to operate in the holistic religious environment like- Afghanistan and Iraq.
• It should develop an image as a truly international charity regardless any religious prejudice or thoughts that can be seemed in the charity functionality.
• Improvement in disaster relief programs are required for establishing a distinctive position, competency and physical and psychological presence for becoming as one of the most active charitable association in the world.
• The apolitical posture of the Army should be examined considering after- 9/ 11 background because its operation in a conflict free way associated with other values will be helpful for sustaining for a longer period.
• Materialization of predicted income;
• The strategic analysis could be assumed upon the necessity of engaging outsider consultant in Army for managing and reducing administrative and management expenditures.
• Motivating the commanding bodies within the organisation by offering standard salary level for employing their highest effort and trust to the corporate journey.
• It should remove of gaps among the rising confusion of responsibility through a greater influence of cultural empathy.
• Timely adaptation of entire services through appropriate evolvement feature with an additional viewpoint of meeting the global challenges.
• Strong integration with the core values and philosophy can enhance its operation.
• Deliberating those contexts where it will be able to pose standard.
• It should optimize a mutual balance between its religious and social framework.
• Ensuring and accumulating adequate resources for responding perfectly to the diversified demand of the future world.

Reference

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