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Article 1
Board/Staff Relationships in a Growth Crisis: Implications for Nonprofit Governance.
Reid, W., Turbide, J. (2012)
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 32(4): 521-547.

Discussion Questions

• How does the board/staff relationship change during a crisis?
• Discuss how board members and staff interact in a growth crisis over time.
• How do governance behaviors change during a crisis?
• How is trust impacted between the board and CEO during a crisis?
• What can nonprofits take from this research in order to better prepare to handle a crisis in the future?

 

Article 2
Social Dynamics and the Strategy Process: Bridging or Creating a Divide Between Trustees and Staff?
Chadwick-Coule, T. (2011)
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 40: 33-56.

Discussion Questions

• How do the perceptions of board and staff affect decisions made with regard to strategy planning?
• Does board size or demographics play a part in the planning process? Why or why not?
• How do the governance and management actions influence attitudes toward organizational values?

 

Article 3
Street Credentials and Management Backgrounds: Careers of Nonprofit Executives in an Evolving Sector.
Suarez, D. (2010)
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 39(4): 696-716.

Discussion Questions

• Has management experience or credentials been necessary in the past for attaining leadership positions in the nonprofit sector? Why or why not?
• How common was nonprofit work experience in the selection of nonprofit leaders?
• In general, how were nonprofit workers preparing for leadership roles?
• How can this research help aspiring nonprofit leaders in managing their preparation for leadership roles?

 

Article 4
A Comparison of CEO and Director Perceptions of Board Involvement in Strategy. 
Siciliano, J. (2008)
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37: 152-162.

Discussion Questions

• In what areas of management were the CEO and directors most efficient? Least efficient?
• How did boards rate their involvement in strategic planning initiative?
• What areas of strategic planning did the CEOs and directors reach consensus and how might that impact their ability to work together on future initiatives?

 

Article 5
Mission Mirroring: Understanding Conflict in Nonprofit Organizations.
Allyn, D. (2011)
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 40(4): 762-769.

Discussion Questions

• Define the term “mission mirroring” and discuss how it impacts nonprofit organizations.
• How can a nonprofit best respond when it becomes enmeshed internally in the same conflicts it deals with externally?
• What causes mission mirroring and how can a nonprofit avoid it?

 

Article 6 
Founding New Nonprofit Organizations: Syndrome or Symptom?
Carmen, J., Nesbit, R. (2012)
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 42(3): 603–621.

Discussion Questions

• What theoretical perspectives may influence individuals to found new nonprofit organizations?
• According to Carmen and Nesbit, what leadership strengths are founder’s most likely to have?
• Why do founders tend to find new nonprofit organizations that duplicate the services already provided by other nonprofit organizations?

 

Article 7 
Advocating for Policy Change in Nonprofit Coalitions 
Fyall, R., McGuire, M. (2015) 
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 44(6): 1–18.

Discussion Question

• Explain how individuals from nonprofit organizations attempt to influence public policy.

 

Article 8
Alternative Organizing and (In)Visibility: Managing Tensions of Transparency and Autonomy in a Nonprofit Organization 
Jensen, P., Meisenbach, R. (2015) 
Management Communication Quarterly, 29(4): 564–589.

Discussion Questions

• Why do some nonprofit organizations choose to resist pressures to manage transparently?
• According to Jensen and Meisenbach, can managers of nonprofit organizations successfully operate without adopting market and bureaucratic values?