Change of Leadership Styles
Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS) experienced a temporary management catastrophe in 1997, when the executive director passed on. It was not clear who would be the immediate successor. Managerial styles were a major blow to AVS. A good example was the tenure of office by Mr Frederick Lee Jr. His style of leadership was centralized and remained unchanged throughout the seven years he was in office (Wong and Chan, 2007, p.2).
A panel of management committee members was required to make most of the major decisions, but the CEO made all resolutions independently. The committee was thus just a formal body, whose roles were honorary as opposed to administrative. The executive director was thus the epicentre for the years he was in office.
His demise was a sudden call for change on the management’s structure as well as managerial style at AVS. Nobody was ready to take over because the previous regime had no procedures of delegating duties. The board of directors had to take over management, assign directorship and find ways of organizing administration.
Change of Donors’ Support
As a non-governmental organization, AVS was dependent on the government’s social welfare department as their main sponsor. The department was a major benefactor with over 80% of AVS funds. The department however shifted goals in year 2000 to become a home affairs bureau.
Considering that, the department was the main donor, AVS’s Commitment thus changed from social services to align with the bureau’s role of nurturing development of the civil society. This translated to change of management strategies to cater for bureau responsibilities.
According to Wong and Chan (2007, p.9), the organization had to change its operation strategies. The government was considering community development, achieved through empowering the society as opposed to the reactive model of delivering social services to the needy. The government was ready to work side-by-side with the organization; therefore, AVS had to change its operation strategies to fit the new needs of the bureau.
“International Year of Volunteers”
The NGO also faced new challenges due the strategic review of 2001, which saw the organization engage new vision of establishing competence and partnership to promote sustainable development through volunteerism campaigns (Wong and Chan, 2007, p.9). Change of organization strategies was eminent during the campaigns in order to improve service quality for volunteers internationally.
The organization required a plan to come up with a public study over perception and reception of the volunteering services. The organization also needed to ensure that new services were in line with the overall objectives, mission and vision of the government (sponsors).
This meant that AVS had to change the overall values at the managerial level to measure up with the new requirements and objectives of the government bureau. Although the operational level would remain practically the same, the management would need clear directives for long-term survival in the civil society.
Role of Management
There was also need to have a clear difference and categorization between role of the management and board of directors. This would assist the organization avoid a situation like what had happened earlier, when the CEO passed on. The two units were the core service bodies of the organization and a clear administrative procedure would translate to improved efficiency and effectiveness.
Financial resources were becoming more limited therefore the organization needed officials who were competent enough to manage through implementation of cost-effective measures. They would also keenly work in line with government policies to avoid uncertainties that would negatively affect funding. The staffs were concern over job insecurity and this meant the management had to strategically redefine and address all apprehensions afresh.
Reasons Why AVS engaged transformation in the aim of implementing a Strategic Vision
There were needs for the management to review its work strategies and plan by implementing a SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis (Wong and Chan, 2007, p.8). In line with Wong and Chan (2007, p.8), a three-year strategic plan, vision and mission of the organization were re-established. Some of the highlighted aspects included procedures of enforcing a people-oriented volunteering initiative by proactively encouraging potential volunteers.
Secondly, the managerial paradigm shift would address citizen’s involvement in volunteering as a key future strategy of empowering the society.
Thirdly, the organization would need to enforce a global participation initiative to facilitate transfer of skills, technology and mutual coordination among potential volunteers.
AVS had to strategize on ways of fighting individualism by enriching volunteering through participation in practical activities such as culture, health and environment.
Lastly, the organization had to enforce productivity through implementation of new information technology for instance the web-based volunteering initiative.
AVS needed to focus mostly on the importance of collaborating with diverse sectors, mobilize and facilitate superiority services. There was also need to proactively educate the society and encourage participation in promotion of sustainable development. Secondly, the limited budget of AVS meant that the organization had to scale down and focus on ensuring perfection, to promote quality-volunteering services.
The organization also focused on fulfilment of its mission and through the 30-years’ experience, decided to pursue the vision of finding more global strategic partners. In line with Wong and Chan, the internationally designated year of volunteers (2001) instigated networking, promotion, facilitation and recognition as the key elements for better service delivery (Spector, p.68). Notably, AVS needed to recruit qualified professionals for international assignments especially at transnational levels, especially in developing countries.
Competencies Demonstrated by AVS Management in Facilitation of Organization Transformation
AVS engaged partnership with various agencies including the private sectors for instance the Crystal Group, which funded the volunteering program in China (Wong and Chan, p.10). The new management comprising of Board of managers provided a recruitment procedure for the managerial level employees.
Competent managers were required to cater for international duties especially in developing countries. It was professional for them to search beyond the traditional societies, and develop contacts in cultural, health and educational sector. Beside the environmental and initial managerial challenges, the ability to budget for limited resources and effectively deliver services demonstrated the organization’s competence.
The self-sufficiency of the organization particularly after the government funds decreased from 80% in 1970s-1980s to 30% in 2000 indicated improved managerial competence especially on financial management (Wong and Chan p.8). Analysis of government budgetary allocations between 1999 and 2004 indicated that the organization was departing from being full dependent on government provisions (Wong and Chan p.8).
AVS management decided executive committee members could not play an honorary role like the previous board, but be more active, visible in performance and accountable. The board would thus oversee the managerial duties. The competence of the management was visible when they were keen on acquisition of resources through lobbying for funds to establish potential partnerships.
arious special initiatives were also eminent, for instance the “study on volunteering service in 2001” (Wong and Chan, p.9). The management had established a volunteering service plan, which was a 3-year strategic review plan among other future development plans. The program was in place by 2001(Wong and Chan, p.17).
Influences of the NGO Environment on Managerial Procedures of Handling Change
The environmental or structural setup of non-governmental organizations varies considerably. The current advancement of information and communication technology influences formation of community/locally-based NGOs that are active at national and international levels.
The organizations are social forums formed within a civil society. The society on the other hand works in partnership with the government and private sectors. The government therefore has influence over organizations through civil societies. Organizations play an amicable role of strengthening and establishing civil societies especially in remote areas. Although formed as collaborating entities, the credibility of NGOs depends on independence.
There is great influence on NGOs by the government due to funding, especially when the organization is highly dependent on such funds for instance the AVS case analysis in the 1980s and 1990s (Wong and Chan, p.11). The governments tend to influence organisations towards their political favours such as promoting regime policies.
The emergence of ‘government owned NGOs’ abbreviated ‘GONGO’ thus emanates from such environments, where there are high government influences. An authoritarian social environment also has great influence over the way the organization handles changes. The organizations have financial difficulties when they act independently and the society may fails to recognize or acknowledge such an NGO, unless when based on a very strong social environment.
NGOs dealing with humanitarian and development relief also face the challenge of establishing and sourcing more resources to run their operations. Considering the challenges, most of such organizations readily accept official government funding and weaken their influential powers, due to the controls established by the governments through the funds.
The case study of AVS is a clear indication of how the government was influential at the initial stages. During the shift of focus from social service to civil society bureau, AVS had to transform and be in line with the funders. However, the organization improved and becomes more independent over the years of experience. Managerial competence and actions are the main influences of transformation in an NGO.
There is great and constant transformation of organization environments especially the role and activities undertaken to lobby for funds. The role of the management is ever changing and thus technical expertise is increasingly becoming vital. The change of the work environment thus increases workloads and responsibilities.
Change requires managers, board of directors or supervisors to understand the complexity of a workforce. The working environment directly determines the area of coverage, particularly the attitude and behaviour of volunteers and performance of the management.
Conclusion
The working environment also assists in defining human behaviour in relation to volunteering. Transparency of operations and managerial commitment to work in accordance with the set rules, vision, mission and goals helps to establish the work environment. Stakeholders especially the benefactors therefore cannot easily influence a work environment that is free from chances of venality.
References
Spector, B 2009, Implementing Organizational Change: Theory into Practice, 2nd ed, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Wong, G., and Chan, J 2007, Organizational Transformation: Agency for Volunteer Service, Asia Case Research Centre. Hong Kong, China.