Managing Collaboration in Multisite Social Service Organizations: A Model for Sustainable Change

In a rapidly changing world, collaboration will no longer be an initiative but a driver of the success of a social service enterprise. The internal organizational structure of the multisite social service organization must embrace a flexible and collaborative process of implementing change to remain current in serving community needs. With this process, the use of intraorganization collaboration will drive programmatic change to better serve changing community needs. Given the challenges in today's complex work environment, organizations must leverage their internal resources to strengthen their core operating systems and find plausible ways to adapt and respond to the demanding and changing needs of clients.;The purpose of this study is to explore if by using a collaborative decision-making model, social service nonprofit organizations with multiple sites will be more effective in implementing sustainable change and therefore more effective in providing services that are responsive to their community. Using evidence-based research, this dissertation expands the body of knowledge on the use of collaboration in implementing change in social service organizations. To accomplish this effort, this study uses a theoretical lens grounded in the major themes and constructs on collaboration and change in the field of management. The research found that applying collaboration to decision making adds value to the process of creating sustainable change.;The research concludes that multisite nonprofit social service providers are more effective in creating sustainable change when using a collaborative decision-making model. This dissertation will show culturally diverse social service organizations with multiple sites how to collaborate for sustainable change by using a collaborative decision-making model. Given its practicality, this model is also transferable to other organizations, both nonprofit and for profit.