British foundations: the organisation and management of grant-making

This article describes three ideal-typical cultures of grant-making constructed in the light of data from an exploratory study of British foundations. These three cultures, representing the values and assumptions which inform the way in which foundations approach the task of making grants, have very different implications for the resources required by foundations and for organisational processes and procedures. The article goes on to discuss some of the organisational and management dilemmas of British grant-making foundations. Five key source of management difficulty in the grant-giving foundation are identified. First, grant-giving foundations face particular difficulties in identifying and assessing the relevance of their priorities; these difficulties stem from the nature of grant-giving and the foundation's relationship with its ‘customer-suppliers’. Second, grant-giving foundations must manage within the constraints imposed by limited choice of and time available from trustees. Third, grant-giving foundations must manage the potential tension between control by donors and trustees. Fourth, grant-giving foundations must work within financial and time constraints. Fifth, the management of grant-giving foundations may be further hampered by lack of adequate feedback. In this article, particular attention is paid to the first three difficulties.     

Corporate philanthropy in South Africa: lessons for local development initiatives

Beginning in the late 1970s, US multi-nationals and South African business both supported local development initiatives in Soweto. Comparison of two of these projects reveals significant differences in approach and effectiveness. American businesses supported a secondary school, Pace, which experienced critical problems related to organisational difficulties unforeseen by the donors. South African business supported an educational centre, the Funda Centre, which developed more gradually and was more deeply rooted in the community. Examination of these two cases produces some lessons that can be of use to other donors giving support to local development initiatives. This research was supported by a grant from the Aspen Nonprofit Sector Research Fund.     

The Paradox of the Quality of Life of Adults with Learning Difficulties

This paper is based on an empirical survey conducted in 1995 in Hungary. Data came from a stratified random sample of about 1300 adults with learning difficulties from all over the country. The author combines qualitative and quantitative methods in analysing the quality of life of people with learning difficulties and takes into consideration that their quality of life is as much determined by sociological factors as by the biologically and educationally understood level of difficulties. The paper shows that success in education and in the labour market does not equate to successful social integration. The quality of life of adults with learning difficulties is sometimes better in social circumstances which are less favourable for high achievement in education and in the labour market. Though the people from more privileged backgrounds may seem to lead a more active and social everyday life than those with working class origins they are still considerably less integrated in their social environments.     

Coherence,pathology and change in Chinese commercial banks

Abstract

In this article, the traditional organisation development (OD) methodology is adapted into a new form called organisation patterning (OP), which is able to explore coherence, pathology and change in Chinese commercial state-owned banks. This occurs by shifting it into a cybernetic frame of reference that provides a new way of understanding organisational change. OP is better able to deal with resistance, power and control issues than traditional OD is. It is applied to the notions of coherence and pathology in the Chinese commercial banking system through a questionnaire analysis of state-owned banks in different Chinese regions. OP is different from traditional OD, incorporating new knowledge derived from a cybernetic paradigm called knowledge cybernetics. It is better able to understand coherence and pathologies and is applicable to understanding change in Chinese commercial state-owned banks. This study only concerns well-established state-owned commercial banks in China. There might be different conclusions for other types of enterprises. The study also offers guidelines for managing change in Chinese banks, especially with respect to coherence, pathologies and kinematics.     

Miss Lyra Taylor,O.B.E., M.A., LL.B.

Abstract

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has been under-studied from a social work perspective. This article reports on a cross-institutional study into the psychological and social preparation for bone marrow transplantation. The data presented was collected from all consenting BMT recipients treated over a preceding three year period at four teaching hospitals. The key findings included demographic issues which had an influence on post transplant adjustment, lack of rehabilitation services, ongoing physical incapacity, disappointment at the slow rate of recovery, lack of counselling resources, difficulties in the way information was presented, difficulties with the transition from hospital to home and a perceived lack of interest by hospital staff of the needs of carers. These results were presented to the social workers in each BMT unit. They considered the extent to which the findings matched their clinical experience, and the relevance of the research to their social work practice. This discussion suggested the need for social work involvement on a number of levels beyond case-work, particularly in promoting organisational change.     

Exploring the Organisational Collage of Memetic Paradigms for (a) Change — A Research Note

Exploring organisations is the prerequisite for any intentional attempt to strategic change. Yet, what is it that we observe when we observe organisations? The argument chooses a narrative approach to exploring organisations. With Niklas Luhmann we look at the operations of organising which makes the organisation an organisation. The paper suggests the organisational collage (I.) of stories as a starting point of the exploration. The specific focus is on meaning-creation and sense-making as the genuine act of organisational self-observation. The disciplinary matrix (II.) reflects on how stories and narratives crystallise and rule the organisation in a paradigmatic way. Along Thomas Kuhn's understanding of paradigms (III.) management is referenced as an activity of a community of practice based on a disciplinary matrix of models, methods and instruments. Giorgio Agamben's conceptualisation of paradigms as reference giving examples allows the opening up of the implicit side of organisational culture. Memetics (V.) approaching reference giving examples as memes and culture as a meme-complex enable the observation of dynamics and cultural evolution over time. Concluding we come to understand the organisational implications (V.) of the conservative nature of organisational development and the systemic sensitivity that allows for management, learning and change. And as always, advances in research come at the price of new questions.     

Technological transfer: the case of Canadian involvement in the New Zealand dairy industry, 1880–1920

Although New Zealand's potential to become a major dairy exporting nation was recognised within the country by the 1890s, it was also acknowledged that a shortage of trained diary personnel was an obstacle to early achievement. In order to overcome this problem the government employed a number of Canadian and Danish dairy experts between 1890 and 1903. Three Dairy Industry Acts, passed in the 1890s, provided the necessary institutional support for development; and the overseas dairy specialists contributed to the necessary organisational, educational and technical improvements. Rising world prices, improved markets and an improvement in the quality of factory butter and cheese promoted rapid growth in New Zealand's exports of these products between 1896 and 1921. Probably the most important attribute that the four Canadians brought with them was their knowledge, training and practical experience in the dairy industry. As Commissioner or Director, a position that each was to hold, they were able to exercise leadership and influence the development. Finally, a more intangible contribution was suggested in a tribute to W.M. Singleton upon his retirement after more than forty years of New Zealand government service. That contribution was a philosophy which placed greater emphasis on instruction than inspection, and on co-operation than coercion. This educational and co-operative approach has been the hallmark of, and a major factor in, the success of the New Zealand dairy industry.     

Foster carer stress and satisfaction: An investigation of organisational,psychological and placement factors

The unique demands of the foster carer role are associated with high levels of self-reported stress among foster carers. The current study examines the amount of carer stress that can be attributed to certain role specific challenges and how stress from these challenges varies between carers and placements. As a secondary aim the study examines carer perceptions on current organisational support and training. Participants were sourced from a national fostering agency with branches in the local area. Carers were eligible to participate in the study if they were caring full time for at least one foster child. Eligible carers completed an identical online or paper survey including measures of general stress and parenting stress as well as study specific measures regarding satisfaction with organisational training and support. Results demonstrated that challenging behaviours are the most stressful unique role demand for foster carers and the largest predictor of carer stress levels. Overwhelmingly carers reported a desire for additional training in order to support them in their role. The results support previous research outlining the difficulties faced by foster carers and the need to improve support and training to ensure good placement outcomes including placement stability and reduced carer attrition.     

Factors that influence organisational crisis perception from an internal stakeholder’s point of view

This paper starts from the premise that crisis is a perception and that one of the best ways to conquer a crisis is not to allow it to develop in the first place. By detecting or perceiving a crisis before other stakeholders do, an organisation can prevent or mitigate a crisis. Few studies have considered the question of whether organisations put the right people in the right places to be able to see a crisis coming. Within an organisation, managers are usually well placed to take decisions to initiate crisis communication, but they seem to be reluctant to do so or may not wish to see an impending crisis. Communication professionals should have a better perception of a crisis, but they rarely find themselves in a position to have a substantial impact on the management decision to communicate during a crisis. In this paper, we study crisis perception by individuals in a large governmental organisation during various stages of an unfolding crisis and compared perception scores to individual profiles based on study background, professional situation and crisis experience. This study involves a large-scale scenario-driven survey with ‘crisis perception’ as the main dependent variable. The results of this specific case indicate that an academic communication degree, a high hierarchical position in the organisation and crisis experience are positively related to an augmented perception of an impending organisational crisis.     

A fundamental rethink of practice learning in social work education

A common response to the need to place increasing numbers of social work students in field education or practice learning placements has been to broaden the range of organisations in which placements are sought. While this strategy has provided many beneficial learning opportunities for students, it has not been sufficient in tackling ongoing difficulties in locating work-integrated learning opportunities for social work students. We argue that new approaches to finding placement opportunities will require a fundamental rethink as to how student placements are understood. This paper introduces an innovative project which started with a consideration of learning opportunities and built a structure to facilitate these, rather than rely on organisational availability to host students on placements.     

Building cultural intelligence through supervisor support: Social exchange and subjective career success as mediators and organisational support as a moderator

This study offers a new perspective on how organisational factors influence migrant workers' cultural intelligence (CQ) by examining a moderated mediation model of the mechanism underlying the relationship between perceived supervisor support and CQ. We tested our model using a survey on a sample of 462 migrants. We found that employees' social exchange and subjective career success mediated the relationship between their perceptions of supervisor support and CQ. Furthermore, perceived organisational support moderated the social exchange–CQ relationship, and this relationship was stronger among workers with perceived high organisational support than for those with perceptions of low support. We also found that the indirect effect of employees' perceived supervisor support on CQ via social exchange was stronger for those with perceived high organisational support than for those with perceptions of low support. This study contributes to a better understanding of factors that foster migrant workers' abilities to navigate diverse workplaces.     

Working together, working apart: management culture in a manufacturing firm

This paper presents a case study of management culture in a manufacturing organisation. Its general aim is to assess the usefulness of the concept ‘culture’ as it applies to organisations. After first establishing that the organisational members had a sense that their organisation was an unique ‘family’ the article then proceeds to argue that this ‘togetherness’ was, in many contexts, divided. Managers also had a series of conflictual orientations to other members that were partially defined by the managers organisational role but were also underwritten by assumptions about organisational history, community, biography and profession. The paper concludes by suggesting that, at this level of analysis, managers are not often an unified block with a common identity and that management culture is hence best seen as a map of oppositions and commonalities that reflects the wider culture that the organisation is a part of.     

Age-Friendly Organisations: The Role of Organisational Culture and the Participation of Older Workers

Population ageing is a global phenomenon that has become prominent in international discourse over the past few decades. This discussion is often coupled with the economic implications of population ageing through reduced workforce participation of the older age group, increased government spending on health and pensions and reduced government income from taxes. A means of mitigating the economic costs of ageing is to lift the proportion of older individuals in the workforce and prolong working lives. This brings to the forefront an important point regarding the need for organisations to undertake changes so as to better enable the employment of older individuals and to cater for an ageing workforce. This article critically reflects on age-friendly organisational practices that can have an impact on the recruitment and retention of older individuals. It further contends that there is a need to develop a deeper understanding of factors that constitute an organisational culture geared towards the older demographic, in order for strategies and practices directed at older workers to be effective. Through this argument, the authors consolidate the literature on age-friendly organisational practices and propose a conceptual model of an age-friendly organisational culture, drawing from both functionalist and interpretivist paradigms.     

Negotiating the Middle Management Triangle

This paper critiques and expands on a paper published by Havassy (1990) which suggested that the middle manager in a human service agency must maintain multiple loyalties with both management and staff and be able to communicate this loyalty through cross-system translation. Bowen's family systems theory and organisational design theory are used to argue that neutrality may be a more useful concept in learning to negotiate the middle management triangle.     

How to Survive as a Family Therapist

This paper will look at the particular anxieties that a family therapist needs to manage to survive the work. Attention is paid to the clinical and organisational pressures that therapists need to be able to negotiate in order to work creatively. Some suggestions are made as to the therapeutic position which enables us to enjoy our work as therapists.     

Vulnerability in custody: perceptions and practices of police officers and criminal justice professionals in meeting the communication needs of offenders with learning disabilities and learning difficulties

Information provision and communication within the Criminal Justice System can be highly problematic for young people and adults with learning disabilities and difficulties. Paper-based communication is common, and is mandated for the provision of rights and entitlements in custody, but such communication can be poorly understood, potentially leading to miscarriages of justice. This article uses the piloting of a more accessible version of the rights and entitlements notice in custody to explore the communication practices with vulnerable detained persons from the perspectives of professionals within the Criminal Justice System. As a legally mandated text in a context heavily imbued with organisational power, the rights and entitlements notice in custody has sociological significance as a lens through which organisational practices, and understandings, can be examined. The stressful, fast-paced and transitional context of custody shapes communication and interaction in ways that are challenging for the detained person and also the professionals who support them.     

Whither e-learning? Conceptions of change and innovation in higher education

Abstract

E-learning, as an innovation, has been associated with radical change, but many of the accepted organisational strategies for managing such change have failed to deliver the expected benefits and advantages. There is a pressing requirement to understand better the nature of e-learning, as an educational innovation, and to evolve contextually derived frameworks for change which align with organisational culture and practice. This paper proposes a processual change framework for embedding e-learning, derived from a longitudinal study of four Australian universities, each adopting a different approach to implementing e-learning across their respective institutions.     

Management consultants: systems development, power and the translation of problems

This paper aims to shed light on the exercise of power during the development and implementation of organisational information systems. Considering the use of Information Technology (IT) to help solve organisational problems, we employ the concept of the ‘sociology of translation’ to theorise the process by which the organisational problem is constituted and for which the appropriate IT solution is proposed. Discussing the nature of the power relationship between external management consultants in IT and client or user organisations, the paper considers the role of symbolic resources such as managerial discourse, and the differential access to IT knowledge and skills, as important aspects of power in that relationship.     

The meaning of frailty according to Dutch older frail and non-frail persons

Frailty is a term often used by researchers and clinicians to describe a state in which older persons are at risk for adverse outcomes such as falls, disability, institutionalization and mortality. However, no study so far examined what frailty means to older persons. Therefore the aim of this study was to describe the meaning that older community-dwelling persons attach to frailty. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were analyzed using the grounded theory method. Frailty was described as being in poor health, having walking difficulties, feeling down, being anxious, having few social contacts and not being able to do the things one likes to do. Men described in more detail the physical dimension whereas women elaborated in more depth on the psychological and social component. Existing definitions of frailty should be adjusted to better reflect the meaning of frailty for older persons.     

Women’s perceptions of how their dyslexia impacts on their mothering

Women with children have been depicted as struggling to justify themselves in the shadow of intensive mothering ideology. However, little is said about women who have a disability such as dyslexia, and how disability may intersect with intensive mothering ideology to present additional challenges. In this paper, life-story interviews are drawn upon to start to unpack the ways in which mothering and dyslexia may intersect. The themes discussed include: fear and perceived challenges of having a child with dyslexia; how mothers perceived their impairments manifest in their mothering, including poor organisational skills, short-term memory, reading and spelling; and how mothers may attempt to reframe the apparent contradiction between a ‘good’ mother and a mother with dyslexia by, for example, portraying themselves as a positive role-model for their child and better able to identify and cater for their child’s needs.