Research
Original scholarship
in service of the Kingdom.
CGT Research Institute produces peer-quality research, original frameworks, and protected intellectual property — all in service of Christian entrepreneurs and the communities they serve.
Doctoral Dissertation
Business as Ministry in the US Rural Midwest for the Common Good
Research Summary
This dissertation examined how Christian entrepreneurs in the US rural Midwest integrate faith, business practice, and the common good in their organizational life. Using a constructivist qualitative methodology, Dr. Ma conducted fieldwork across 14 sites, engaging 33 participants through in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis — coded using Dedoose and interpreted through the lens of BaM theology, missiological practice, and organizational management theory.
The research produced the original Common Good Treasure (CGT) framework — defining four interdependent capitals (Spiritual, Social, Intellectual, Financial) — and led directly to the development of the CGTA assessment instrument, the 4×4 Business Ocean Matrix, the Capital Flow System, and the Nautical System. These frameworks form the foundation of the entire Business as Ministry series and the BaM Harbor.
Institution
Biola University
Cook School of Intercultural Studies
Cook School of Intercultural Studies
Methodology
Constructivist qualitative · 14 sites · 33 participants · Dedoose analysis
Year & Degree
2024 · Doctor of Intercultural Studies (DIS)
Intellectual Property Portfolio
Ten original IP specifications developed from the dissertation research — each a distinct literary work filed with the US Copyright Office. Together they form the complete technical and conceptual architecture of the BaM ecosystem.
IP 1
Common Good Treasure (CGT) Framework
The foundational theological-managerial operating model defining four interdependent capitals — Spiritual (Rudder), Social (Adhesive), Intellectual (Engine), Financial (Fuel) — and their ecological interdependency, theological grounding, and organizational applications.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 2
CGTA Framework
The full assessment system, interpretive framework, and diagnostic logic for the Common Good Treasure Assessment — including scoring architecture, interpretive banding, profile shapes, longitudinal comparison rules, and narrative meaning-making logic.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 3
CGTA Item Bank
The complete 16-item assessment instrument — four items per capital domain, evidence prompts, reverse-scored items, and field-tested administration guidelines for individual, team, and longitudinal use.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 4
CGTA Scoring Rules
Technical definition of item scoring, reverse-coding, domain means, composite index, interpretive banding (Emergent / Developing / Mature / Exemplary), vessel archetypes, MDC thresholds, and longitudinal change evaluation standards.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 5
CGTA Radar Definitions
Structural, interpretive, and technical framework for the four-axis radar chart — axis definitions, polygon logic, balanced band system, profile shapes, and multi-timepoint longitudinal layering rules.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 6
CGTA Matrix Placement Algorithm
The analytical method for transforming CGTA scores into sea placement — including the weighted KOI and VCC indices, 11-sector industry weight coefficients, four-band classification, confidence grading, borderline rules, and mixed-methods corroboration requirements.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 7
Capital Flow System
Diagnostic, narrative, and longitudinal interpretation framework for how the four CGT capitals move over time — statepoints, directional vectors, MDC thresholds, seven named movement patterns, and imbalance/constraint logic.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 8
Business Ocean
Narrative, taxonomic, and color-coded expansion of the BaM Ocean Matrix — naming and describing all 16 seas with their characteristic moral, relational, operational, and theological pressures, color vocabulary, and interpretive movement logic.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 9
Ocean Matrix
Full conceptual, taxonomic, and interpretive framework for the 4×4 Business Ocean Matrix — defining the four philosophical weathers (Jungle, Exchange, Moral Concern, Gratitude) and four business-model geologies (SWM, ST, CG, BaM) and their 16 intersecting seas.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
IP 10
Nautical System
The full metaphorical, narrative, and integrative framework unifying every BaM system — the vessel, ocean, weather, geology, treasure, rudder, adhesive, engine, fuel, and nautical chart — with a 12-stage organizational discipleship narrative sequence.
Filed USCO February 2026 · Registration pending
Copyright & Filing Status
Intellectual Property Protection
| Work | Filing Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 — Business as Ministry | December 2025 | Registered · USCO |
| Volume 2 — Shaping a Godly Business | February 2026 | Registration pending |
| Volume 3 — Godly Business Formation | February 2026 | Registration pending |
| IPs 1–10 (all ten specifications) | February 2026 | Registration pending |
| Volume 4 — ServantShip | Forthcoming | Not yet filed |
All works are original literary works by Dr. Eric Z.M. Ma, assigned to CGT Research Institute, LLC. For research collaboration, licensing, or permissions inquiries, contact cgt@cgt-ri.com.