Organizational Change in the Human Services

Book excerpt: Organizations today { whether public or private { exist in environment s where the pace of change is dizzying. Human service organizations fa ce both external and internal challenges: The public demands better se rvices at more reasonable costs. Clientele is more diverse, more strat ified, and more vocal than ever. The organizations themselves must kee p up with rapid changes in technological innovation and labor-manageme nt relationships. Organizational Change: The Human Services Challenge looks at the context of organizational change, describes how individua ls and systems change, and pinpoints keys to successful change. Author Rebecca Proehl then presents a proven model of organizational change, built on lessons learned from both the public and private sectors, bu t tailored for human service organizations. Proehl also discusses in d epth labor union-management issues, the political strategies leaders m ust use to implement change, and how to build collaborative relationsh ips in human services.