ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE FOR SERVICES INTEGRATION IN PUBLIC HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS: EXPERIENCES IN SEVEN COUNTIES

• Published in: Journal of health and human services administration Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 471 - 525
• Main Authors: PACKARD, THOMAS, PATTI, RINO, DALY, DONNA, TUCKER-TATLOW, JENNIFER
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA Southern Public Administration Education Foundation 01.12.2012; SAGE Publications; Southern Public Administration Education Foundation, Inc
• Subjects: Administrative agencies; Attitude of Health Personnel; California; Case studies; Collaboration; Cooperative Behavior; Counties; Delivery of Health Care, Integrated - organization & administration; Elected officials; Focus Groups; Forecasts and trends; Government services; Health administration; Health care industry; Humans; Interinstitutional Relations; International aspects; Interviews as Topic; Managers; Models, Organizational; Nonprofit organizations; Organizational change; Organizational Innovation; Prime mover; Public administration; Public Health Administration; Public sector; Questionnaires; Research methodology; Social aspects; Social services; Social work; Studies; Success; Surveys and Questionnaires; Union leadership; California; United States; United States > US; services integration; human service organizations; Organizational change; collaboration
• ISSN: 1079-3739; 2168-5509
• DOI: 10.1177/107937391203400404

This is a study of organizational change strategies employed in seven county human service agencies to improve the coordination of services through the structural integration of previously free standing organizations or the development of voluntary interagency collaborative service delivery systems. The central question involves the identification of organizational change tactics which contributed to the success of the organizational change initiatives. The literature on organizational change is reviewed, with particular attention to a framework developed by Fernandez and Rainey based on their extensive review and synthesis of the research on successful change strategies in the public and business sectors. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from over 250 individuals and from agency documents. Findings are compared with the success factors identified by Fernandez and Rainey, and refinements to their propositions are suggested. More precise methods for measuring successful and unsuccessful change initiatives are suggested. Implications for practice and research are presented.