NEIGHBOURHOOD MANAGEMENT FOR INTEGRATIVE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT

In Germany there is broad consensus that efficient implementation of programme objectives requires cooperative political and administrative structures as the basis for realizing measures, activities and mobilization and revitalization processes deemed necessary by the neighbourhood. Therefore neighbourhood management is regarded as a critical tool for handling the tasks and reaching the targets associated with integrative district development. However, this tool is interpreted and utilized in a different manner. This is reflected not only in the labels (district, area or neighbourhood management), but more emphatically in the various organizational forms employed, ranging from individual officials equipped with specific authority to complex structures involving different levels of municipal control and operation. This article presents the neighbourhood management concept developed and implemented in the framework of the ‘Socially Integrative City’.     

Building a culture of learning through organizational development: the experiences of the Marin County Health and Human Services Department

After determining a need for organizational change informed by changes in workforce demographics, community demographics, the socio-political and economic environment, and constraints on resources, one agency sought to transform its organizational culture into that of a learning organization. An external organizational development consultant was hired to work with agency leadership to identify ways that would help move the agency's culture towards one that was conducive to learning. Specifically, the agency director sought to create a culture where communication is encouraged both vertically and horizontally, frontline level workers are engaged and their voices heard, cross-departmental problem solving is practiced, innovative ideas are supported, and evidence-informed practice regularly implemented. This case study describes the experiences of this agency and the process taken toward engaging an external consultant and moving towards the development of a culture of learning.     

Change the Change Management! Die Kunst der kontinuierlichen Selbsterneuerung von Unternehmen

Given the increasing dynamics in the markets, the possibility to adapt quickly to the changing environmental requirements is regarded as the key competence of corporations. Following the latest empirical findings of strategic and organizational research, those corporations will be successful in the long run that have the ability to continually reinvent themselves. We call this type of change “continuous self-renewal”. Continuous self-renewal is a profound change that proceeds with foresight and is not triggered by an external acute pressure to act. This approach is opposed to the established concepts of Change Management which state that processes of profound change can only be successful if exactly this pressure to act exists. Hence, the question arises whether “continuous self-renewal” is merely a theoretical concept? Based on a case study, the author comes to the conclusion that “continuous self-renewal” is an empirically verifiable type of change. The research results show furthermore that this type of change operates on completely different principles than previously known processes of change. Continuous self-renewal challenges therefore our established thinking about organizational change in a fundamental way, so the central conclusion of the author.     

Das Feuer kleiner Gruppen: Analyse der Entwicklungslogik und -dynamik eines Beratungsprozesses

The spark of small groups: An analysis of the developmental logic and dynamics of a consultancy process In the recent past large group interventions have gained increased attention in the systemic consulting literature. In contrast to this tendency, this paper focuses on the significance and effectiveness of small group interventions in business consultancy.Based on a qualitative analysis of a consultancy process, the effectiveness of small group change processes is documented here: Unlike large groups, small groups not only are far more likely to succeed in developing structures which differ from the existing organizational structures, they moreover are much more likely to develop a strong identity which helps them generate the power necessary for change. Especially in conflict situations and in situations where the pressures that are being put on an organization are increasing, small groups are more likely to maintain their identity, another crucial prerequisite for the initiation of a change process.The paper shows that consultancy systems, which differ in structure from the customer organization, are apt to serve as incubators for the development of strong groups within an organization. These small groups are able to push for organizational changes using conflicts process.     

Employee perceptions of reputation: An ethnographic study

The ability of organizational members to identify and analyse stakeholder opinion is critical to the management of corporate reputation. In spite of the significance of these abilities to corporate reputation management, there has been little effort to document and describe internal organizational influences on such capacities. This ethnographic study conducted in Red Cross Queensland explores how cultural knowledge structures derived from shared values and assumptions among organizational members influence their conceptualisations of organizational reputation. Specifically, this study explores how a central attribute of organizational culture – the property of cultural selection – influences perceptions of organizational reputation held by organizational members. We argue that these perceptions are the result of collective processes that synthesise (with varying degrees of consensus) member conceptualisations, interpretations, and representations of environmental realities in which their organization operates. Findings and implications for organizational action suggest that while external indicators of organizational reputation are acknowledged by members as significant, the internal influence of organizational culture is a far stronger influence on organizational action.     

Interkulturalität in der Personal-, Team- und Organisationsentwicklung

Intercultural aspects are becoming more and more important for personnel development, team building and organizational development due to internationalization and globalization. This contribution describes fundamental principles with regard to the relevance of intercultural aspects in these three intervention fields and summarizes scientific research on this topic. Following a clarification of basic concepts, intercultural training and intercultural assessment centers — as specific personnel development activities — are treated, results of evaluation research are presented and recommendations for the application of these instruments are given. Team development is discussed with special regard to processes and effectiveness of multinational work groups. Intercultural influences on participation and intergroup relations are described as two main aspects of organizational development.     

The Ecology of Diversity in Organizational Settings: Lessons from a Case Study

This paper advances a social ecological perspective on the resources necessary to support workplace diversity. It is based on observations from an ongoing organizational case study which used a collaborative inquiry process. We worked with insiders to establish a project steering team, conducted 36 confidential interviews, and met with work units to assess diversity-related concerns. The complex case portrait that emerged illuminates four lessons about the ecology of workplace diversity: (1) the influential role of organizational history and tradition in shaping current diversity dynamics, (2) the importance of understanding how participants' experiences of events may differ, (3) the power of informal organizational processes, and (4) the connections between individual, organizational, and broader cultural values. We discuss these lessons in the context of a three-part definition of support for effective diversity which includes representational, interactional, and cultural components. The goal is to further our understanding of the factors that support or hinder workforce diversity so we may more effectively create settings that are supportive of diversity.     

Ambivalence and Control: State Action Against the Civil Rights-Era Ku Klux Klan

Models that purport to explain the interplay between dissidents and the state generally assert, either explicitly or implicitly, that the path from state interests to action to outcomes is a linear one. Using the case of the United Klans of America (UKA) in North Carolina, I argue that state efforts to exert social control upon a perceived threat are shaped by a range of internal and external contingencies. In particular, I undertake a comparative analysis of two state agencies to demonstrate how a particular mechanism—ambivalence, here conceptualized as the relational consequence of a mismatch between organizational culture and organizational goals—leads to distinct, and sometimes heterogeneous, actions and outcomes not directly traceable to organizational mandates. Findings lend insight into how endogenous organizational processes shape contentious political outcomes in potentially divergent ways.     

Civic involvement in deprived communities: A longitudinal study of England

This study aims to understand how community material deprivation is related to associational membership amongst neighbourhood residents. We posit that aside from personal characteristics and willingness to engage, experiences of neighbourhood deprivation are strongly correlated with how much people devote themselves to associational membership. We identify three mechanisms through which community deprivation can determine individual participation in political, civic, and work voluntary associations: social cohering, norms of obligation, and activated dissatisfaction. We link individual panel data from Understanding Society from 2010 to 2019 with the English Index of Multiple Deprivation at the neighbourhood level. This study finds that neighbourhood deprivation is associated with lower norms of civic obligation which, in turn, lowers a person's propensity for engagement. Individuals with low income and education are less likely to participate in voluntary associations in the first place, therefore the contextual role of neighbourhood deprivation exerts a further external negative pressure on civic participation. We find that membership in political organizations is an exception whereby it is positively associated with neighbourhood deprivation. The results imply that given the many economic and social capital benefits of associational involvement (Putnam, 2000), collective deprivation can produce an additive pattern of economic disadvantage which is reinforced through a lack of social participation.     

Lerne die Regeln um sie zu verändern! Die Rolle der Organisationslogik in Veränderungsprozessen

In this article we introduce the concept of the firm’s organizational logic and how it influences organizational change processes. Characteristics and the essence of the organizational logic are explained and then illustrated by mean of a real-world case. Depending on the level of organizational change – whether it leads to single-loop, double-loop or deutero learning – we provide different implications for change agents to make use of the organizational logic to steer organizational change successfully.     

Das soziale Netz der Nachbarschaft als System informeller Hilfe

In view of limited public budgets and as a consequence of the decrease of national security systems and services, primary helping networks like the neighbourhood received scientific and political atten-tion. Neighbours as members of the personal social network are ideal sources of support in situations, that require need-suitable and unbureaucratic support within a short time, because of their physical proximity and quick accessibility.The following article shows the impact of neighbourhood as part of the personal social network in the modern society. On the one hand the article focuses on the causes for neighbourly solidarity and the different exchanged assistances. On the other hand the difficulties in help-seeking and help-activating in neighbourhoods are regarded. Partly based on specific problem constellations and, in addition, they also can be led back up on processes of social change and changed individual requirements on neighbourhood relations.     

Developing Partnerships to Meet Clients' Needs in Changing Government Organizations: A Consultative Process

The article outlines the development of partnerships across 3 employment‐related government ministries, in a context of organizational restructuring and downsizing. The article describes a consultation process conducted with workers from 2 provincial ministries and 1 federal government ministry regarding effective collaboration to assess unemployed clients' employability needs. In individual and focus group meetings, the workers developed a process that involved the cooperation and involvement of those from all 3 ministries in offering and monitoring the effectiveness of a needs assessment program.     

Advancing social inclusion in the neighbourhood for people with an intellectual disability: an exploration of the literature

The shift from segregated facilities to community settings did not automatically lead to social inclusion for people with an intellectual disability (ID). Policies are increasingly decentralized but little is known about the factors that are important to realize social inclusion in the neighbourhood. This literature study identifies five domains barriers and facilitators for social inclusion in the neighbourhood: individual characteristics, informal network, professional care, neighbourhood characteristics, and government policies. The findings suggest that social inclusion in the neighbourhood is a dynamic process that shows a series of complex interactions between environmental factors and personal characteristics to provide opportunities for people with an ID. It is recommended to include the perspectives of people with an ID and other neighbourhood residents in future research on social inclusion. Specific attention is needed for the role of neighbourhood social capital in achieving social inclusion in the neighbourhood.     

Linking an agency strategic review to increase knowledge management: San Francisco County Human Service Agency

Led by the agency director, the agency engaged in a Strategic Review, based on a comprehensive assessment of agency performance that identified strategies to improve organizational effectiveness through increased data-informed practice and knowledge management. The Strategic Review gathered information on staff perceptions, perceptions of external stakeholders, changing citywide and neighborhood demographics, policy mandates, and budget and workload issues. The need for the review was based upon multiple, substantial changes not addressed in the 2000 Strategic Plan, including the 2004 merger of the Department of Human Services and the Department of Aging and Adult Services, changes among the executive management team, transitions among key political entities, new policy mandates and changing budget allocations. This case study describes the Strategic Review process and content, summarizing key challenges and lessons related to addressing workload demands, fostering positive staff attitudes, balancing internal and external information needs, and integrating data use and planning processes across the agency.     

Growth and resilience of pioneering nonprofit human service organizations: a cross-case analysis of organizational histories

Knowledge of organizational history is important for recognizing patterns in effective management and understanding how organizations respond to internal and external challenges. This cross-case analysis of 12 histories of pioneering nonprofit human service organizations contributes an important longitudinal perspective on organizational history, complementing the cross-sectional case studies that dominate the existing research on nonprofit organizations. The literature on organizational growth, including lifecycle models and growth management, is reviewed, along with the literature on organizational resilience. Based on analysis of the 12 organizational histories, a conceptual model is presented that synthesizes key factors in the areas of leadership, internal operations, and external relations that influence organizational growth and resilience to enable nonprofit organizations to survive and thrive over time. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal examples from the organizational histories illustrate the conceptual map. The paper concludes with a discussion of directions for future research on nonprofit organizational history.     

Berufliche Werte, Formen der Kooperation und Arbeitszufriedenheit

Presented are the concepts of organizational collaboration, values and work satisfaction. Operationalization of three dimensions of company collaboration, occupational values, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and work satisfaction is examined on the basis of an empirical study with employees. This study showed that there was a positive correlation between the value factors and the organizational citizenship behavior, with the values ?cooperativeness“ and ?environment“ correlating positively with the OCD factors ?initiative“ and ?helpfulness“ and with the work satisfaction. Whereas the values ?leadership“ and ?progress“ correlate only with ?initiative“. For the collaboration only the factor ?empathy“ is value-based.     

Erosion der Arbeitsregulierung?

The article refers to the discussion concerning the dramatic changes in the regulation of labor. There is no doubt that these changes really exist. But there is no agreement with respect to the degree and the direction of these changes. The article argues that the observable developments must not be interpreted as a dissolving of regulations, but as a process of re-regulation which takes place mainly in the fields of working-time and performance and which is fuelled to a great extent by the market-oriented reorganization of company structures. A case study of the Airbus production site in Nordenham (Germany) concentrates on how the impulses of company reorganisation are incorporated into the arena of industrial relations and how they lead to contingent processes of the construction of new regulations. One central empirical finding of the case study is that the new forms of production management as well as the emerging new regimes of regulation are still far from being as coherent as their fordistic predecessors.     

Daily street life in the inner city of Prague under transformation: the visual experience of socio-spatial differentiation and temporal rhythms

The paper is concerned with the everyday manifestation of increasing social, lifestyle and cultural diversity in the transforming inner city of Prague. The Smíchov neighbourhood and particularly its central hub, the Anděl junction, were chosen as the focus of the study. The regeneration dynamics during the post-socialist transformation make this place particularly interesting for an inquiry into the interplay of the social and physical environment, into the interactions of changing urban landscapes and people's everyday practices. Particular attention is paid to the character of ordinary daily street life, to the users of urban space and to the manifestation of close-knit social, spatial and temporal diversity in the close vicinity of the Anděl hub. The paper concludes with the necessity of including the temporal dimension of space in urban planning and design practice. Methodologically the case study derives principally from direct observation of neighbourhood life and users, but also draws on the extensive research previously conducted in the neighbourhood by the authors and from intensive experience of living in the area.     

Defining the characteristics of a lingering crisis: Lessons from the National Zoo

This article begins to define the characteristics of a new type of organizational crisis—a “lingering crisis.” A qualitative case study involving the National Zoo indicated that a lingering crisis may involve (1) multiple events occurring over an extended timeframe; (2) intense media scrutiny; (3) escalating involvement of external organizations, including watchdog/regulatory/oversight agencies; (4) incongruent organizational messages and stakeholder perceptions; (5) external/internal charges of organizational deception; (6) insufficient organizational responses to stakeholder concerns; (7) organizational failure to address leadership responsibility for crisis.     

Managing Care and Joined Up Thinking in the Curriculum

This paper discusses the curriculum development of a level three undergraduate course in managing care. It was produced and is presented by The Open University. The course is aimed at frontline managers in health and social care. The course team made consultation with service users, carers and managers a priority in developing the curriculum. The paper discusses this consultation process and the learning gained from it. A major contribution was to clarify debates about how far the course should have one core curriculum and how far it should offer specialist options for managers in different settings. Service users and carers had strong views on the need for better co‐ordination of services and recognition of individual needs rather than divisions into service‐led categories. Managers stressed the importance of reflecting the reality of frontline management. This helped the course team to develop a framework that stresses the commonality in the work and the importance of ‘practice‐led’ management. Service users and managers were involved as critical readers of course texts to ensure that the consultation process continued through the course development. A second strand is the need for the course to be accessible to those not yet in management positions, and extracts from an interactive CD‐ROM which presents case study material demonstrate the innovative joined up and accessible approach taken to student learning needs.