The impact of nonprofit coordination services on social disorganization within bounded systems

Bounded systems (neighborhoods) are unique environments and very few possess the same systems, organizations, assets, and people. Some might consider neighborhoods as experimental laboratories where individuals and families are amassed, children are raised, and the direction of a person's life is defined. This study addresses a problem regarding the lack of available scientific data focused on (a) how nonprofit organizations deliver coordinated services within neighborhoods, and (b) understanding residents' perceptions of social disorganization within the neighborhood due to a lack of coordinated services. The purpose of this case study is to qualitatively examine neighborhood residents' (and stakeholders') perceptions of a socially disorganized neighborhood, particularly in relation to coordination between multiple nonprofit organizations. The research questions guiding this study include: 1) How does the lack of coordination in the service delivery model adopted by nonprofits operating in a neighborhood influence residents' perceptions of social disorganization?, and 2) What are the primary factors that contribute to residents' perceptions of social disorganization within a neighborhood? Findings included: 1) an inadequate communication system, 2) a lack of resident cohesion, 3) low levels of social control activities, and 4) high resident transience, thereby resulting in high levels of social disorganization. Future qualitative research might focus on the potential effectiveness of implementing continuums of care to address social disorganization within a bounded system.