Managing Monasteries. Strategy and Organizational Design

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Introduction
• The Benedictine Community & Göttweig Abbey
• Benedict of Nursia
• The Rule of Benedict
• The Benedictine Confederation
• The Austrian Benedictine Confederation
• Göttweig Abbey
• Göttweig Abbey's Organization
• Göttweig Abbey's Vision, Mission and Core Values
• Göttweig Abbey's Business Undertakings
• Analysis of the current Business Situation Using Conventional Tools
• Porter five forces
• SWOT Analysis
• Value Chain Analysis
• Process Portfolio Matrix
• Who, What, Where, When and Why Analysis
• Summary of customer demands: “Customer Perceived Value\" Analysis for GA guests
• Summary of customer key purchasing attributes
• Summary of GA's main competitors
• Summary of Management & Control: Management Objectives at GA
• Analysis of Management operations and strategy implementation, using the Integrated Management System
• Financial Analysis of the current Business Situation
• Key figures 2005-2008
• Profitability 2005-2008
• Defining Key Contributors to Overall Cost
• Defining Key Profit centers
• About Income, Cash Flows and Liquidity
• Going Concern Value
• Choice of Accounting Policy
• Liquidity
• Calculation and Interpretation of cash flows
• Du Pont Analysis
• Simplified Activity Based Costing Model
• Interpreting Financial Performance 2009
• Accommodation
• Tourism & Culture
• Business Interests
• Forestry
• Gastronomy
• Investment management
• Break Even Analysis
• Analysis of the current Business Situation through Interviews
• Galbraith's \"Star\" Model
• Customer Segmentation
• Mass Tourism - Bus Groups & Individual Tourists (Tourism & Culture and Gastronomy BU'S)
• Conference & Event Organizers and Wedding Parties (Gastronomy BU)
• Investment Management BU
• Lumber Buyers (Forestry BU)
• Classical Music Enthusiasts (Tourism & Culture BU)
• Travelers & Backpackers and Local Youth (Accommodation BU)
• Individuals or Groups Seeking (Spiritual) Reflection and Solitude (Accommodation BU)
• New Customer Groups
• Strategy and Organizational Design
• Strategy and Organizational Capabilities (Design Criteria)
• Structure
• Processes
• Lateral connections and meeting practices
• Rewards
• People Practices (and Culture)
• Redesigning GA's Business Organization
• Organizational Design Principles
• Strategy and OD Transition Process
• Clerical Strategy and OD
• Business Strategy and OD
• Reaching Equilibrium between clerical and business interests
• Leadership During Transition Phase
• Transitional Strategy and OD
• Recommended Transitional Strategy - Increase Sales & Marketing for Gastronomy and Tourism & Culture
• Recommended Transitional Organizational Design
• Interpretation & Summary
• List of literature
• Appendices

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This Master thesis focuses on the business operations of Göttweig Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Austria, analyzing its current business situation and proposing a strategy for future development. The thesis seeks to understand the interplay between the Abbey's traditional monastic structure and its modern business activities, aiming to create a sustainable and prosperous future for the institution.

• Balancing traditional monastic values and modern business practices
• Optimizing organizational structure and processes for efficient business operations
• Identifying and targeting new customer segments for revenue growth
• Developing a sustainable financial model for the long-term health of the Abbey
• Building a collaborative leadership model to facilitate successful organizational transformation

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The thesis begins with an introduction to the Benedictine community and Göttweig Abbey, highlighting its history, organizational structure, and values. It then analyzes the current business situation using conventional management tools such as Porter's Five Forces and SWOT analysis. The analysis includes a detailed financial review, examining key financial indicators, profitability, cost drivers, and cash flows. This section also delves into customer segmentation and identifies potential new customer groups. The chapter concludes by exploring strategies for redesigning the Abbey's business organization, focusing on organizational design principles and a recommended transition process. This section outlines a strategic shift towards increasing sales and marketing efforts for specific business units.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This work focuses on the management of monasteries, specifically examining Göttweig Abbey's business operations. Key areas include organizational design, strategy development, customer segmentation, financial analysis, and the integration of traditional monastic values with modern business practices. The thesis highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by religious institutions seeking to balance their spiritual mission with sustainable financial growth. The analysis draws on frameworks like Porter's Five Forces and SWOT analysis, as well as the "Star" Model for organizational design, to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current situation and suggest potential pathways for future success.