An Analysis of the H.O.P.E. Advantage Rating Scale on the Sustainability of Social Purpose Organizations

Social Purpose Organizations (SPOs) exist to benefit mankind through the accomplishment of their mission. The SPO mission is created by using stakeholders’ beliefs and values, thought to positively impact societal needs. As society’s needs change, the SPO’s delivery of goods and services is updated, expanding the mission to reflect the new social relevance. Continual exploration of new opportunities to expand the mission results in sustainability. However, daily challenges disrupt the SPO’s ability to achieve its mission and threaten the exploration of new opportunities. SPOs that are consumed with focusing on daily issues can cause the mission to drift and become stagnant. When “DISTRACTED FOCUS” happens, the sustainability of the SPO’s original mission is questionable. SPO managers are challenged to engage staff and keep them focused on the mission amidst daily challenges and pressures to merely exist. This study examined the combination of four domains, Human, Operational, Physical, and Empowerment, in a rating scale to assist SPO managers in focusing on the sustainability of the SPO. This quantitative study introduced the H.O.P.E. (Human, Operational, Physical, Empowerment) Rating Scale, which measures SPO managers’ observable commitments to expand the mission through pre-and post-application testing over a three-week period. The scale draws on key concepts from the Ambidexterity theory, Mission Drift, Employee Engagement, Physical Environment, and Christian Discipleship. The results provided SPO managers and stakeholders with a usable rating tool, exposing areas for improving the managers’ observable commitment to expand the SPO’s mission and increase sustainability.