Change Management in Human Service Organizations

Abstract: Since the 1990s, change management approaches received considerable attention as the new paradigm for the management of behavioural and institutional changes in both profit sector and non-profit organizations. As in other contexts, strategies for managing change in human service organizations have to be developed on basis of research findings from social sciences and business studies. Vice-versa, research also needs to draw its conclusions from experiences gained in professional practice. In this talk, the relationship between management research and professional change management will be explored within the framework of three inseparably linked dimensions: (1) change management as an object of social management research; (2) social management research as resource for the justification of change management strategies in human service organizations and (3) professional competence as component for the development of change strategies in human service organizations. These three kinds of relationships will aim for the illustration of the fruitful interplay between these two fields of action. Eventually, it will be demonstrated that reflective, translational competence acquired in higher education institutions will be effective if only the individuals’ capacity to act is scientifically sound and saturated in professional practice experiences.

Publication/ Talks: Arnold, M. (2015). Change Management in Human Service Organizations: Three Dimensions of the Relationship between Science and Professional Practice, International Week 2015 (23-27 March 2015), Mikkeli University of Applied Science, Department of Youth, Culture and Social Services, Mikkeli (Finland).