Effectiveness in Voluntary Organizations: An Empirical Assessment

Abstract

In the tradition of Knoke and Wood (1981) the effects of resources mobilization, employee commitment, and bureaucratization on the effectiveness of voluntary organizations were explored. The respondents consisted of ninety-five percent of the volunteers and all the administrators of a food distribution center and its satellites in the most economically depressed area of Texas. It was found that organizational effectiveness is a result of commitment (involvement). Effective service to the client is increased by member autonomy and participation in decision making, by identification with and loyalty to the organization, and by resource mobilization. As autonomy, participation in decision-making, involvement, and resource mobilization decline, unmet needs of clients increase.