On the same page: The value of paid and volunteer leaders sharing mental models in churches

Abstract

We examine the idea that mental models shared among paid and volunteer leaders are associated with improved financial performance in nonprofit organizations. Our empirical analysis of thirty‐seven churches yields evidence that organizations are more effective if paid and volunteer leaders have a shared task mental model—that is, if they report similar conceptualizations of organizational goals and decision‐making processes. These findings suggest that the extent of leaders' agreement on organizational goals and the processes of how decisions are made matter for organizational performance. We argue that it is as important to ensure that everyone is on the same page with regard to goals and how decisions are made as it is to have the “right” goals or right decision processes in place. Implications for practice and future research on shared mental models are discussed.

Degree and Direction of Paid Employee/Volunteer Interchange in Nonprofit Organizations

“…However, as indicated by the research of Handy and Srinivasan (2005), this process is complex, and other nonmonetary factors come into play such as tradition, the good will that volunteers bring to an organization, and roles that are either prescribed for volunteer board members by law or those that are prescribed for paid employees through union agreements (Handy et al 2008;Ontario Hospital Association 1988). Other factors that can come into play and bear upon an organization' s decision to use volunteers are the adequacy of the volunteer supply (Hager and Brudney 2011); the employees' past experience with volunteers (Rogelberg et al 2010), including the extent to which paid and volunteer leaders share the organization's goals (Solansky, Duchon, Plowman, and Martínez 2008); the extent to which the volunteers trust the organization (Waters and Sevick Bortree 2010); and how volunteers are managed by the organization (Leonard, Onyx, and Hayward-Brown 2004).…”

The Limits and Possibilities of Volunteering: A Framework for Explaining the Scope of Volunteer Involvement in Public and Nonprofit Organizations

“…Internal communication and decision‐making processes affect volunteer involvement (Bennett and Barkensjo ; Solansky et al ). Lack of effective communication between paid staff and volunteers creates additional interpersonal tensions and is one of the most common problems in the volunteer‐paid staff relationship (Wandersman and Alderman ).…”

Organizational Factors Affecting Volunteers: A Literature Review on Volunteer Coordination

“…Other authors pointed out that active negotiation of relationships within an organization can contribute to the sense-making process (Walter 1987;Liao-Troth and Dunn 1999). To summarize, competent consideration and communication of an organization's values and identity will help to coordinate the relationship between volunteers and paid staff, support the sense-making process, and provide a means for matching volunteers to the organizations that they work for (Kreutzer and Jäger 2011; regarding the plea for open communication, see also Gross 1995;Hansson 2006;Solansky et al 2008).…”