The Human Service Managerial Dilemma

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore 115 human services manager's responses to current challenges, and determine whether or not managers engaged in the kind of administrative practice that has been advocated for in the human service management literature. Interview data revealed that the primary concerns among managers appeared to be related to resource development and organizational climate, and the solutions included staff development, resource development through fundraising and grant writing, staff recruitment, and some strategic planning. Binary logistic regression was used to predict the occurrence of identified challenges and solutions based on agency type, size, and location. Overall, the findings reflect a disparity between current management practices and expectations for more visionary and innovative responses. Often, solutions did not match with the identified challenges. The findings indicate that human service managers have to move beyond solving systematic problems with symptomatic solutions, and recommendations were discussed.

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