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Article 1
Is Mission Attachment an Effective Management Tool for Employee Retention? An Empirical Analysis of a Nonprofit Human Services Agency.
Kim, S., Lee, J.W. (2007)
Review of Public Personnel Administration, 27: 227–248.

Discussion Questions

• How does employee turnover impact a nonprofit organization? What are the costs?
• List at least three nonprofit working conditions and discuss how they might contribute to employee turnover.
• Discuss the significance of the employee’s passion for the mission of the organization and the role it plays in employee retention.
• Can passion for the mission compensate for lower pay to nonprofit employees? Why or why not?
• What other methods might be used to increase employee retention?

 

Article 2
Serving Workers in the Human Services: The Roles of Organizational Ownership, Chain Affiliation, and Professional Leadership in Frontline Job Benefits. 
Haley-Lock, A., Kruzich, J. (2008) 
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37: 443-467.

Discussion Questions

• What role do employee health insurance benefits play in job satisfaction for nonprofit workers?
• What are some of the factors that contribute to employee effectiveness and satisfaction? How do they increase or decrease employee turnover?
• Discuss how credentialed leadership impacts the quality of frontline jobs.
• Discuss the role that job quality plays and its potential value as a management tool.

 

Article 3
A Sectoral Comparison of Wage Levels and Wage Inequality in Human Services Industries. 
Ben-Ner, A., Ren, T., Paulson, D. (2011) 
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 40: 608-633.

Discussion Questions

• Define “intrinsic motivation perspective” and “agency theory perspective” and discuss how they might contribute to wage inequality.
• Are for-profit firms more likely to provide financial incentives to their employees than their nonprofit counterparts? Discuss how this might impact employee satisfaction and turnover.
• Discuss the role that fringe benefits plays in nonprofit organizations.
• How can nonprofits increase employee satisfaction and retention based on this research?

 

Article 4 
Strategic Human Resources Management in Nonprofit Organizations. 
Guo, C., Brown, W., Ashcraft, R., Yoshioka, C., Dong, Y. (2011) 
Review of Public Personnel Administration, 31: 248-269.

Discussion Questions

• Discuss the impact that organizational size and technology capability play in implementing strategic HRM practices.
• What factors contribute to a nonprofit organization having dedicated HR staff?
• Discuss the impact affiliation with an umbrella organization has on HRM practices.
• Nonprofits are using more independent contractors. Discuss the implications of this practice with regard to strategic HRM.
• Discuss the various types of information technology available to nonprofit organizations. What factors increase the likelihood they will use that technology?
• What lessons can nonprofits learn from the current research?

 

Article 5 
Volunteering and Opinion: Organizational Voice and Volunteer Retention in Nonprofit Organizations. 
Garner, J., Garner, L. (2011) 
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 40: 813-828.

Discussion Questions

• Discuss the factors that contribute to volunteer satisfaction. Which do you feel are most important in order to retain volunteers?
• Discuss the impact that negative experiences for a volunteer have on volunteer satisfaction and retention.
• How did volunteer satisfaction and motivation affect the communication between volunteers and paid staff members?
• What strategies might a nonprofit organization use to better enhance volunteer satisfaction and retention?

 

Article 6 
Partnerships Among Lebanese Nonprofit Organizations: Assessing the Impact on Human Resource Capacity 
AbouAssi, K., Suyoen J. (2015) 
The American Review of Public Administration, DOI: 10.1177/0275074015613850, pp. 1–17.

Discussion Question

• What did the authors’ research reveal about the impact of partnerships on organizations’ human capacity—on staff, volunteers, and professional development?
• How did the authors define partnerships and collaborations?

 

Article 7 
Leadership and Volunteer Motivation: A Study Using Self-Determination Theory 
Oostlander, J., Guntert, W., Schie, S., Wehner, T. (2014) 
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 43(5): 869–889.
http://nvs.sagepub.com/content/43/5/869.full.pdf+html

Discussion Questions

• How did the authors’ define partnerships and conclude when partnerships should be used?
• How did the author’s apply self-determination theory to leadership and volunteer motivation?