Questions and Answers of Leadership in organizations

All public charities are nonprofits, but not all nonprofits are public charities.How do you explain that?
Nonprofit organizations are defined as private organizations that must use any profits for future operations. Is “nonprofit organization” a good name for this group of organizations? Can you
If you could interview any historical figure who contributed to the development of the U.S. nonprofit sector, who would you choose, and why? What three questions would you most like to ask this
How do you account for the varying perceptions of the human service subsector from colonial days to the present?
Stephen Wernet has claimed that resources are the crucial link between operation and survival and that organizations change only when they experience a significant shift in resources. Do you agree or
The Filer Commission’s recommendation to establish a permanent agency on charitable nonprofits within the Treasury Department was not implemented. If you could create such an agency now, what would
A social agency based in a midwestern city that provides mental health services has an annual budget of $80 million, funded almost exclusively by government contracts. Is an organization of this
Of the different theoretical approaches to leadership, which one did the YSN board tend to rely on most in selecting an executive director for the agency? What are the likely consequences of
What impact has founder’s syndrome had on YSN? When change is necessary, what is the board’s role in overcoming a founder’s strong influence?
From the information in the first section of the case study, how would you characterize YSN’s organizational culture? Do you have enough information to have a sense of the deepest level of its
Is organizational culture shaped by the external environment or vice versa?On what do you base your views?
Would you consider YSN’s founder a transformative or a transactional leader? What kind of leader is called for in YSN’s situation? Given a choice, with which type of leader would you prefer to
Since executive directors very rarely possess all the skills associated with Quinn’s competing values model, which attributes are most essential for a nonprofit executive director to be successful
Do you believe a nonprofit leader is better served by developing a variety of decision- making styles or by becoming highly skilled in one particular approach?On what do you base your opinion?
Of the three modes of decision- making introduced in chapter 6 (tractablefluid, vortex- sporadic, familiar- constricted), which one would you use if your nonprofit were considering whether to expand
How do you anticipate you might use the Six Thinking Hats method in your professional life? In your personal life?
Think about a nonprofit with which you are familiar. At what stage would you place it in the organizational life cycle? How well do you perceive it is handling the organizational tasks associated
Why do most individuals and organizations find change so problematic?Can someone be an effective change agent for an organization if she or he has difficulty in reaching personal decisions?
Which executive assets would be most effective in leading a successful collaborative effort? Some observers believe a leader’s trustworthiness is the most important quality to other group members.
In light of the ever- changing external environment, what adjustments would you make in the basic approach to strategic planning to keep it relevant? Why?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of YSN’s strategic plan (as presented in the appendix this chapter)? APPENDIX 8A REPORT OF THE YOUTH SERVICES NETWORK (YSN) STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE
Which one of the models introduced in this chapter was most likely used to develop this plan? Given what you now know about the organization, would one of the other models have been more appropriate?
What are the pluses in using a logic model for program development? What are the minuses?
Of the four perspectives on need (normative, relative, perceived, expressed), which might present the greatest challenge in data collection and analysis? Why?
How does benchmarking contribute to improving organizational performance?
Why has outcomes measurement become the preferred approach in evaluation for United Way and many other funders? Conversely, why are many nonprofits less enthusiastic about this approach?
Seiler (2016) notes that effective fundraising depends on effective planning and rigorous execution— actually more planning than execution. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
What are some of the arguments for and against greater commercialization of the nonprofit sector?
Since diversification of funding sources seems so logical, why do some nonprofits resist going in this direction? How would you overcome this resistance?
If you had to choose between starting a direct mail effort and introducing a new special event for the annual fund drive, which would you select?Justify your decision.
Why should a nonprofit CEO know the basics of financial management?
What is the budget’s role in organizational planning?
Which is more critical for a nonprofit: living within its budget or continuously seeking new and better ways to meet client needs? On what do you base your response?
Why is measure of organizational effectiveness more difficult in a nonprofit than a for- profit?
The underutilization of ICTs in nonprofits is common. What are the major barriers to effective use? What are some specific issues impacting technology use in human service organizations?
How does each of the four identified dimensions of communication (content, noise, network, and direction) figure into promoting effective exchanges in nonprofit organizations? What is the role of the
Technology has had a major influence on the nonprofit workplace. In what ways have ICTs improved the quality of work life? How have they changed the dynamics in less positive ways?
Of the different current external applications of technology discussed in chapter 12, which ones are likely to have staying power in the future? On what do you base your opinion? TECHNOLOGY AND
Is the role of ethical or moral compass of the organization harder today than in the past for a nonprofit leader? Justify your position.
Based on the information provided in the featured case study, Youth Service Network’s founder, Trevor Clinton, likely cannot be considered a servant- leader. Which of his actions seem most at odds
If you believe faith- based nonprofits merit special consideration in competing for government support, what expectations of these organizations are justified in return? If you feel special
What steps should an ethical leader take to protect the organization from risk? Which kind of threat is most detrimental to a nonprofit’s good standing in the community? Why do you believe this to
Schein and Van Maanen (2016) uses the term career anchors to refer to individual preferences regarding work. Do you believe “dedication to a cause” is still the primary reason people choose to
If you had to choose between(a) a job that provided a great sense of accomplishment but lacked basic social supports versus(b) a job that valued teamwork and collegiality but lacked stimulation in
In reference to Youth Service Network, the nonprofit in the text’s featured case study, how would you assess the board’s hiring practices, both ethically and practically?
Why do even the most prominent nonprofits make critical mistakes in staff recruitment, hiring, and performance evaluation? What can be done to improve these processes?
What are the most important steps a nonprofit should take to manage diversity effectively? How would you apply these strategies to women in the workplace? To ethnic and cultural groups?
What does effectiveness mean to you when applied to a nonprofit board?Do you believe an effective board leads to an effective organization? If so, how?
What are some of the sources of tension between senior staff and the board in a nonprofit? How can these issues be addressed to create a true partnership between the two elements of the leadership
Do you subscribe to the technocratic view or the democratic view of nonprofit boards (see Kramer, 1985)? Support your position.
What are some of the ways of educating board members about their roles and responsibilities? Why are both board members and executives directors sometimes ambivalent about board education and
What are the best arguments in favor of boards conducting a selfassessment on a regular basis? Can you think of reasons to forego such assessments?
One- third to one- fourth of American adults volunteer for a nonprofit every year. Does that seem like a lot, too little, or about right?
Individuals engaging in volunteering at an early age go on to participate as volunteers later in life. How does your personal experience fit with this claim?
How would you compare the effective management of paid staff versus effective management of volunteers? If you were offered the choice between serving as human resource director or volunteer manager
Why does the belief persist that paid staff and volunteers often have a problematic relationship?
What are the most effective ways to provide a satisfying volunteer experience?How do the motivations to volunteer factor into the equation?
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise. Students who take my courses have to write reflections to get to the next exercise and often describe writing their
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:How
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
We’ve approached only personal leadership so far—developing skills to lead yourself and avoid being reactive. Before we work on leading others, reflect on what leadership means to you now. Some
We’ve discussed emotions, motivations, and self-awareness without defining them. Since Plato and before and in many cultures, people have connected emotional awareness and skill with effective
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:How
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:How
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:How
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:How
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:How
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:Did
I recommend reflecting on your experience with this chapter’s exercise before continuing. You can reflect about anything you found relevant, but here are some questions you may want to consider:How
What should Bill do to improve store performance?
Were these decisions appropriate ones for introducing participation into the department?
What are the dominant motives for each candidate?
What are the implications of these traits for the success of each candidate if selected for the general manager position?
Should Susan recommend one of these candidates for the position or look for other candidates?
What is the usual leadership situation in the auto repair shop (consider the nature of the task, subordinates, and environment)?
Describe Alan’s typical leadership style and evaluate whether it is appropriate for the leadership situation?
Describe Alan’s leadership style during the flood and evaluate whether it is appropriate for the leadership situation?
Identify effective behaviors by Alan after the flood subsided?
How should Alan behave toward his employees in the future?
Explain the board’s decision to purchase the software from Standard?
How much power relative to this decision did Mary, Jack, and the president of Standard Software possess, and what type of power was it?
What could Mary have done to gain more influence over the decision?
How much of each type of power does Bill have at this time?
What influence tactics could be used in this situation to influence Sally? Explain what you would say to Sally in the process of using these tactics?
What theories from the chapter are relevant for analyzing the case?
Evaluate Ed’s behavior as a manager, and identify effective and ineffective actions?
What should Dan say or do now?
What did Betty do wrong prior to the meeting and what could have been done to avoid missing the deadline?
What did Betty do wrong in the meeting itself and what could have been done to make the meeting more effective?
What should Don have done to be more effective?
Describe the leadership behaviors Ron used and their influence on the attitudes and behavior of the team members?

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