Grasping the nettle: espousing economic values in the value plural operating context of not-for-profit social services

Green, J

Grasping the nettle: espousing economic values in the value plural operating context of not-for-profit social services

Green, J

Permalink

Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Conference Proceeding
Citation:: Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2012, pp. 1149 - 1157
Issue Date:: 2012-01

Closed Access

	Filename	Description	Size
	2013000477OK.pdf	Published version	1.14 MB	Adobe PDF	View/Open

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Closed Access

This item is closed access and not available.

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Green, J	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Özsahin, M	en_US
dc.contributor.editor	Zehir, C	en_US
dc.date	2012-06-21	en_US
dc.date.issued	2012-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2012, pp. 1149 - 1157	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1877-0428	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/32015
dc.description.abstract	Not-for-profit community services have an age-old history of social justice values based service provision. It has been the reason why people choose to work with these organizations. It is the reason donors give. However, in the current neoliberal economic climate in western democracies the emphasis on competition, contracts and compliance has significantly changed the operational context. Defining an economic approach to service delivery is as important as the services delivered. Transparency in that approach particularly in relation to the values of the organization is essential in order to keep faith with workers donors and stakeholders. This study explored the views of 22 leaders of not-for-profit community service organizations particularly in relation to organizational values and economic approaches and challenges. The in-depth interviews are analyzed through the lens of value pluralism. Originally a political philosophy, it recognises that completely different values can operate in the same domain yet be of equal merit and importance. Typically, the different values coexist harmoniously, however in difficult decisions they can be mutually exclusive resulting in irresolvable conflict. The analysis identified that the organizations were operating from a plural values base that included both the espoused social justice values and unespoused, unacknowledged economic values often disguised as imperatives. They were, in effect, the silent partner, highly influential but not clearly identifiable. The implications of this are explored from a strategic management perspective.	en_US
dc.publisher	Elsevier	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	international strategic management conference	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.09.1096	en_US
dc.title	Grasping the nettle: espousing economic values in the value plural operating context of not-for-profit social services	en_US
dc.type	Conference Proceeding
utslib.location	Philadelphia PA	en_US
utslib.location.activity	Barcelona	en_US
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management	en_US
utslib.for	16 Studies in Human Society	en_US
utslib.for	17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences	en_US
dc.location.activity	Barcelona
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CCS - Cosmopolitan Civil Societies
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.consider-herdc	false	en_US
pubs.finish-date	2012-06-23	en_US
pubs.place-of-publication	Philadelphia PA	en_US
pubs.start-date	2012-06-21	en_US

Abstract:

Not-for-profit community services have an age-old history of social justice values based service provision. It has been the reason why people choose to work with these organizations. It is the reason donors give. However, in the current neoliberal economic climate in western democracies the emphasis on competition, contracts and compliance has significantly changed the operational context. Defining an economic approach to service delivery is as important as the services delivered. Transparency in that approach particularly in relation to the values of the organization is essential in order to keep faith with workers donors and stakeholders. This study explored the views of 22 leaders of not-for-profit community service organizations particularly in relation to organizational values and economic approaches and challenges. The in-depth interviews are analyzed through the lens of value pluralism. Originally a political philosophy, it recognises that completely different values can operate in the same domain yet be of equal merit and importance. Typically, the different values coexist harmoniously, however in difficult decisions they can be mutually exclusive resulting in irresolvable conflict. The analysis identified that the organizations were operating from a plural values base that included both the espoused social justice values and unespoused, unacknowledged economic values often disguised as imperatives. They were, in effect, the silent partner, highly influential but not clearly identifiable. The implications of this are explored from a strategic management perspective.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/32015