Culture and change in nonprofit boards |
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| Authors: | Thomas P. Holland Donald Leslie Carol Holzhalb |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Thomas P. Holland is professor and director of the doctoral program at the School of Social Work, University of Georgia.;2. Donald Leslie is the managing partner of Leadership Development Resources and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation research, examining empowerment of board members.;3. Carol Holzhalb is a partner in Leadership Development Resources She is also conducting research on workplace solutions to job stress as a component of her doctoral studies. |
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| Abstract: | The actions of boards, like all organizational behaviors, emerge from board culture, which is composed of members' customary practices, shared beliefs, and assumptions about reality. It is a board's culture that enables its participants to deal with ambiguity and complexity by providing familiar meanings and solutions to problems. Board development efforts that do not take these factors directly into account are likely to produce only superficial and short-term changes. This article presents alternative approaches to board development, using two levels of learning drawn from examinations of board cultures. |
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