UMI/ProQuest URL	http://wwwlib.umi.com.cardinal.fielding.edu/cr/fielding/fullcit?p9626957
PUBLICATION NUMBER	AAT 9626957
TITLE	In search of a road map of change in nonprofit organizations: Two case studies in action research in Israeli NPOs
AUTHOR	Hagi-Niv, Eva
DEGREE	PhD
SCHOOL	FIELDING GRADUATE INSTITUTE
DATE	1995
PAGES	334
ADVISER	Peter Park
SOURCE	DAI-A 57/04, p. 1871, Oct 1996
SUBJECT	SOCIOLOGY, PUBLIC AND SOCIAL WELFARE (0630); BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT (0454); HEALTH SCIENCES, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (0758)
ABSTRACT

Current studies agree that many nonprofit organizations experience complex environments and conflicting pressures for change. To proactively manage these pressures, research suggests practical improvements and recommends specific steps for their implementation. Yet, for nonprofit organizations to produce and execute such obvious resolutions seems difficult, sometimes impossible. The purpose of the present study is to go beyond existing prescriptions, chart the effort to change, and produce a road map which includes both content and process of change. The data were derived from 2 case studies of action research projects in Israeli social service nonprofit organizations and applies 'new science' concepts, in order to analyze, diagnose, and explain the content and process of change. The analysis identifies 3 specific environments relevant for nonprofit organizations. The political environment expects the nonprofit organization to have clear mission and values in accordance with national needs; visible, undeviating strategy; and an interorganizational collaborative thrust to advocate its cause. The economic environment expects efficient division of labor, clear hierarchy, professionalization, specialization, and power delegation. The community environment looks for satisfaction of personal needs of contributors and clients. To align with these environments, an effective strategy is required that meets the needs of people inside and outside, and an efficient division of work is needed to implement the strategy. The effort is problematic, especially the reconciliation of internal inconsistencies professionalization, specialization, and power delegation. The community environment looks for satisfaction of personal needs of contributors and clients. To align with these environments, an effective strategy is required that meets the needs of people inside and outside, and an efficient division of work is needed to implement the strategy. The effort is problematic, especially the reconciliation of internal inconsistencies built into the nonprofit organization. As external pressures meet these complex internal conditions, dilemmas are created around mission and strategy, around human needs, and around the organizational structure. To resolve the dilemmas and make necessary changes, nonprofit organizations must face basic organizational paradigms which lay the foundation for these dilemmas. This effort and the various types of initiated resolutions are mapped and presented. The applicability of these models to organizational change in general should be explored by further research.