St Benedict's rule was a basic rule book written by St. Benedict for the running of his monasteries in the Fifth century. The simplicity and beauty of its structure was the administrative core that ran western culture till the 1500s. Formed by men and women that wished to think, and live within a dedicated Christian community. The monasteries of that time were basically the only source of literature and human examination.
Granted, they were proportionately flawed. Together with the ruling families of the time, these monasteries or The Church held order and direction. Almost a twist on the statement, "the meek will inherit the earth," in the 1500s, these ruling families took the assets of these monastic orders, as well as authority and encouraged decentralization of religion as a whole. By the late 1700s the organizational structure throughout western culture had become the newly understood system of Democracy or representative government, with an underlying economic basis of either capitalism or communism. The underlying organizational framework of the monastic orders is a solid one. As St benedict himself said it was only a start, and it surprises me that the existing monastic orders have not evolved. That no major improvements had been made for 1700+ years to the Rule itself, and that it has been overlooked for so long. I possibly overlook the fact they are religious institutions not intent on economic performance or particularly secular education. None the less, I have found that this is an excellent form or architecture for a social structure. In particular for the administrative body. Well educated, selfless people who vow poverty yet captain the ship. As a secular organization the prayers would be out of place. Add some logic to the monastic basis, and make it co-ed and it should work fine. If the word monastery some how scares someone off ...keep in mind its meaning has been confused and is a contradiction.