ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS, LOCAL COMMUNITY AND POLITICAL CHANGE - AN ANALYSIS BASED ON US RAPE CRISIS CENTERS

• NCJ Number: 55549
• Author(s): E O'SULLIVAN
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 28 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Arizona State University
• Corporate Author: Arizona State University
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PREPARED FOR DELIVERY AT THE 1977 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, DC, SEPTEMBER 1-4, 1977

Annotation

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ABILITY OF VOLUNTARY GROUPS TO GAIN THE COOPERATION OF PUBLIC AGENCIES AND TO AFFECT PUBLIC POLICY AND PROCEDURES ARE EXAMINED, WITH REFERENCE TO A STUDY OF 83 RAPE CRISIS CENTERS.

Abstract

THREE ORGANIZATIONAL MODELS ARE DEFINED: COUNTERVAILING ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH REPRESENT RELATIVELY POWERLESS SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY; CONVERGING ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH HAVE DIFFERENTIATED INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY TO INCREASE THEIR APPEAL TO THEIR CONSTITUENCIES; AND CONVENTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, KNOWN FOR THEIR RESPECTABILITY AND STABILITY. THESE MODELS ARE APPLIED IN AN ANALYSIS OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG ORGANIZATIONAL STYLE, COMMUNITY VARIABLES, AND PUBLIC AGENCY COOPERATION FOR 83 RAPE CRISIS CENTERS, OF WHICH 24 ARE COUNTERVAILING, 40 CONVERGING, AND 19 CONVENTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. A CENTER'S ORGANIZATIONAL STYLE IS ASSOCIATED WITH ITS EFFORTS TO COOPERATE WITH PUBLIC AGENCIES (POLICE, HOSPITALS), BUT THESE AGENCIES SEEM TO BE WILLING TO WORK WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS. EFFORTS TO GAIN AGENCY COOPERATION AND TO EFFECT ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (FEMALE POLICE OFFICERS TO INTERVIEW RAPE VICTIMS, MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS BY GYNECOLOGISTS, HOSPITAL WILLINGNESS TO TREAT VICTIMS WHO DO NOT WANT TO REPORT THE ASSAULT, IMPROVEMENTS IN POLICE ATTITUDES TOWARD VICTIMS) ARE MOST COMMON AMONG MORE CONVENTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. IT APPEARS THAT THE VERY PROCESSES OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION LIMIT THE LIKLIHOOD THAT COUNTERVAILING GROUPS WILL SUCCEED POLITICALLY. THESE GROUPS TEND TO HAVE FEWER RESOURCES AND TO USE ORGANIZING STRATEGIES THAT BOTH DEPLETE MEMBERS' ENERGY AND EFFECTIVENESS AND PUT OFF PEOPLE IN A POSITION TO BRING ABOUT INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS. THERE APPEARS TO BE AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN COMMUNITY HOMOGENEITY AND SUCCESSFUL PROMOTION OF CHANGE, PERHAPS AN INDICATION OF ANOTHER FACTOR WORKING AGAINST COUNTERVAILING ORGANIZATIONS. MECHANISMS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED FOR SOLICITING THE VIEWS OF GROUPS WHICH, BECAUSE OF LIMITED ORGANIZATIONAL ABILITY OR POLITICAL CYNICISM, HAVE AVOIDED TRADITIONAL POLITICAL PROCESSES. THESE GROUPS REPRESENT INTERESTS THAT ARE NOT BEING HEARD. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)