THEORETICAL IDEAL PROFILES AND COALIGNMENT - A STRATEGY-ENVIRONMENT EXAMPLE IN THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTOR

The strategy-environment fit has been the topic of many studies, mostl y with samples of for-profit organizations. Recently, a more holistic pattern-analytic approach or coalignment has been used to test the per formance implications of the relationship between strategy and environ ment. This statistical approach may be deficient, however, if the idea l profiles from which deviations are measured are data-specific. There fore, theoretical ideal profiles were used to examine the strategy-env ironment coalignment for 558 senior pastors in a Southern Baptist stat e convention. The results indicate that organizations in dynamic or st atic environments can be effective if they pursue appropriate strategi es.