Effective Networked Nonprofit Organizations: Defining the Behavior and Creating an Instrument for Measurement

Authors

Andrea Leigh Hernandez, Antioch University - PhD Program in Leadership and Change

Streaming Media

Images

Dr. Andrea "Annie" Hernandez is a 2014 graduate of the PhD Program in Leadership & Change at Antioch University.

Above:L-R : Dr. Hernandez with her Dissertation Chair, Dr. Mitch Kusy

Other Committee Members [Not Pictured] Dr. Jon Wergin, Committee Member, Dr. David Renz, Committee Member, and Dr. Judy Freiwirth, External Reader

Dr. Hernandez's dissertation is accompanied by an MP3 Author Introduction [embedded in this page and available for download below] and a Correlation Table [.xlsx], available for download at the bottom of this page.

Keywords

networked, nonprofit, nonprofits, not-for-profits, networked nonprofit, networked nonprofits, nonprofit effectiveness, networkedness, Maturity of Practice, effectiveness, social media

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2014

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This correlational research design, which included a convenience sample of 157 nonprofit staff and board member responses to a Likert-type survey, was used to conduct a principle components analysis (PCA) to develop subscales related to networked nonprofits. As defined in the study, a networked nonprofit has a set of intentionally built trusting relationships and has systems and strategies that engage various stakeholders in meaningful conversations. They achieve their missions by developing strong partnerships where they invest in the goals of other organizations to mobilize resources for a common shared mission and values. While there were correlations between the level respondents rated their organization as a networked nonprofit, or networkedness, and effectiveness reported by respondents, the two networked nonprofit subscales revealed as a result of PCA (Stakeholder/External and Systems Vision/Internal) included elements found in effective as well as networked nonprofits. Also, the Maturity of Practice items were narrowed and reviewed through bivariate correlation. While they correlate to one another, they did not correlate to the networkedness or effectiveness measures. This seems to indicate a disconnect between the actual practice of networkedness as evidenced through social media and evaluation measures and the networked mindset or organizational culture. In other words, the way respondents perceive their levels of effectiveness and networkedness may indeed not align with actual behaviors. My ETD may be copied and distributed only for non-commercial purposes and may not be modified. All use must give me credit as the original author. A video author introduction in MP4 format accompanies this dissertation. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/. The electronic version of this Dissertation is at Ohiolink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd and Antioch University's AURA, http://aura.antioch.edu/

Comments

Andrea “Annie” Hernandez, PhD, is a seasoned nonprofit organizational leadership and development professional committed to capacity building for the sector. Her prior experience includes service in a variety of roles in public and nonprofit organizations, including a national youth philanthropy program, Youth Philanthropy Connect; a statewide nonprofit network, Good Works Connect; two family foundations, the Lumpkin Family Foundation and Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation; a management support organization; the State of Indiana’s Office of Rural Affairs; the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership at the University of Georgia where she was faculty with the Community Leadership Association; and Fiesta Indianapolis, Inc. where she was its first Executive Director.

Annie focuses on developing nonprofit and foundation leaders with networked mindsets that creatively engage their stakeholders for good. Her approach is asset-based utilizing appreciative inquiry and other tools, on and off-line, that encourage inclusion and innovation. Her favorite days are those spent connecting people passionate about making a difference with one another and to new, helpful resources.

Annie holds a PhD in Leadership & Change from Antioch University, a MS in Agricultural, Environmental Communication and Education from the University of Illinois, and a BS from Texas A&M University in Agricultural Development where she also completed her secondary teacher education certification. She holds multiple certifications including 21/64 Generations in Philanthropy, Strategic Doing, and Facilitation Toolbox. Annie has been the proud recipient of the following national honors: 2012 ARNOVA Diversity Scholar, inaugural recipient of the Emerging Capacity-Builder Award from the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, and Indiana’s delegate to the US Nonprofit Summit.

A Texas native, Annie now happily lives in Santa Barbara, California with her partner, George, and their Australian Shepherd, Ellie, where she volunteers locally and nationally with nonprofit organizations. For more information or to contact Annie about possible consulting or research interests, catch her on Twitter at @anniehernandez or on LinkedIn.

www.linkedin.com/in/anniehernandez1/

Recommended Citation

Hernandez, A. L. (2014). Effective Networked Nonprofit Organizations: Defining the Behavior and Creating an Instrument for Measurement. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/143