Reluctant managers: Methodist ministers and management

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a research from a study undertaken with Methodist circuit ministers in the UK and those that work closely with them. It considers in what way and to what extent ministers think of themselves as managers and to what extent and in what way they are expected to perform as managers by those they work with.

Design/methodology/approach

The research that informs this paper was gathered through a qualitative study which involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with 22 participants both Methodist ministers and those who worked closely with them.

Findings

The study shows that, whilst those who work with ministers typically do not problematize management and expect managers to be able to perform management tasks, the ministers themselves are ambiguous about or rejecting of the discourse of management.

Research limitations/implications

The relatively small sample size limits generalizability.

Practical implications

The study challenges trainers in this context and in other contexts where the “language” of management is contested or rejected to find a discourse of management which is acceptable.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the small body of literature on management and the development of managers within religious organizations. It contributes to the literature on managerial identity and the importance of management language in becoming a manager by presenting an example where this language and identity is contested or rejected.

Citation

Guerrier, Y. and Bond, C. (2014), "Reluctant managers: Methodist ministers and management", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 33 No. 7, pp. 680-693. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-01-2013-0015