BRILLIANT MINDS (Group 10)

                                                             

 

TOPIC: Ways of encouraging member commitment in non-profit organizations: The case of the Jevnica Youth Association

 

 

DEFINED PROBLEM: Members in associations is a volunteer who can freely choose their work-field, lead individual projects or take part in some working group. The association functions only as a kind of institutional background for its members to fully express their interests, ideas and talents. Some members find it very hard to take over the initiative to work and lack motivation. The similar situation can be observed in the Jevnica Youth Association. Their members do not participate in the meetings, they are not responsible towards other members and do not feel loyal to the association.

 

 

References:

 

 

Shin, Sunney and Brian H. Kleiner (2003) ‘How to manage unpaid volunteers in organisations’, Management Research News, vol.26 no.2/3/4, pp.63-71, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=/published/emeraldabstractonlyarticle/pdf/0210260208.pdf (accessed 23 February 2007).

 

 

Alatrista, Jose and James Arrowsmith (2003) ‘Managing employee commitment in not-for-profit sector’, PersonnelReview, vol.33 no.5, pp.536-548, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=/published/emeraldfulltextarticle/pdf/0140330503.pdf (accessed 23 February 2007).

 

Catano, Victor, Morgan Pond and E. Kevin Kelloway (2001) ‘Exploring commitment and leadership in volunteer organizations’, Leadership Organization Development Journal, vol.22 no.6, pp.256-263, http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=/published/emeraldfulltextarticle/pdf/0220220601.pdf (accessed 23 February 2007).

 

Porter, L.W., Steers, R.M., Mowday, R.T., Boulian, P.V. (1974), "Organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover among psychiatric technicians", Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 59 pp.603-9.

 

Bass, B.M. (1985), Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations, The Free Press, New York, NY, .

 

Bar, Haim (25.-29 June 2006, Tallin, Estonia) ISSWOV 2006 – International Society for the Study of Work and Organizational Values, Work values and behaviour

 

Meyer, J.P. and Allen N.J. (1997) Commitment in the workplace : theory, research, and application, London, Thousand Oaks

 

Hypothesis:

- Commitment of individual member depends on his interest for active participation in projects

- Leadership of non-profit organization can increase activity of members with comprehension of their individual expectations and motives for membership

 

Working questions:

- What is commitment in non-profit organizations?

- What is active participation in projects?

- What are ways of leadership in non-profit organizations?

- What are individual expectations and motives for membership?

 

 

Group members

 

1) Sara Hiti (sara_hiti@email.si)

2) Pal Čergan (pal_cergan@yahoo.com )

3) Jaka Peterca (peterca@siol.net )

4) Saša Železnik (sasa.zeleznik@gmail.com)

5) Tina Koščak (tinakoscak@gmail.com)

6) Gašper Šinkovec(gasper.sinkovec@gmail.com)

 

Distribution of roles

 

1) Chair: Jaka Peterca

2) Secretary: Saša Železnik

3) Progress chaser: Tina Koščak

4) Timekeeper: Pal Čergan

5) Reserve person: Sara Hiti

6) Reserve person: Gašper Šinkovec

 

 

Discussion of issues

 

Issue 1: Topic

Decision 1: Commitment of participants/members in non-profit organizations

 

Issue 2:  Specified topic and defined problem

Decision 2: Ways of encouraging member commitment in non-profit organizations: The case of the Jevnica Youth Association

 

Sara: This is what prof. Nadoh sent me on my email:

 (Translated) 

One comment: the right word for you in searching for literature is "commitement" and not "loyality". You should also specify more in searching criteria. I recommend that you start in Springerlink base, then go on in EmeraldManagementExtra and all the others. You should also read articles in following magazines (some of them are in the library, some of them on-line- digital library):

 

• Human Relations
• The International Journal of Human Resource Management
• Personnel Review
• International Journal of Manpower
• Journal of Human Resource Management
• Human Resource Development International
• Human Resource Development Quarterly
• Human Resource Development Review
• Human Resource Management Journal  

 

See also: 

• Journal of Management Studies
• Journal of Management Inquiry
• Organization
• Organization Studies
• British Journal of Management
• International Journal of Organizational Theory and Behavior
• International Studies of  Management and Organization
• Management and Organization Review

 

I think everyone of us should look over 2 or 3 magazines and than decide which of them would be most suitable.

 

Minutes of the 1st group meeting

 

Minutes of the meeting »Problem Based Learning Project«

held on 21 February, 2007 at FDV, classroom number 2

 

Present: Jaka Peterca, Saša Železnik, Tina Koščak, Pal Čergan, Sara Hiti, Gašper Šinkovec

Absent: /

 

Agenda:

1. Defining our problem

2. Proposals in decisions about task designations

3. Other business

 

 

Item 1:

 

defining the problem

 

 

 

Item 2:

 

discussion

Jaka suggested that we should divide the tasks among ourselves, therefore, we suggested the following: Gašper and Jaka should deal with the concept, Tina should make sure that the concept will be put forward and find the sources, Sara and Saša were given the task of making the photocopies and taking care of the signature and also handing in of the agreement of collaboration.

Tina later came out with the idea that it would be smart if two of the members take care of the photo-copying and printing of all the needed material, and also to make record of the expenses, so they can be divided among the members in the end. She suggested Sara and Saša for the job, which they agreed to. After that we found out that Jaka can provide many photocopies free of charge and came to the conclusion that Tina, who takes care of the source literature, is going to deliver the articles to be read to Jaka, who is going to print them. Pal volunteered to manage the wiki web pages, which we all agreed to.

 

Decision:

We have to make the concept until delivery date, 23.2.2007, and  provide the minutes until delivery date 2.3.2007.

 

Assignments:

Jaka is going to provide the concept together with Gašper.

Tina is going to send it in electronic form to our mentor and other members of the team. In addition, she is going to take care of the works cited.

Saša is going to write the minutes and hand it in on Friday at the English class.

Sara is going to see to the agreement and its signature.

Pal  is going to deal with sending in the information to our wiki website and take care of its form.

 

 

 

 

Item 3:

Other business

Jaka put forward the proposal that next time the team should meet at the library terrace, where the atmosphere is much better than in the classroom.

Jaka described the association that we are going to research as an example of a non-profit organization, since he has had an active role in it, therefore, he was able to exactly present the entire subject matter to be researched in greater detail.

 

We also had a conversation about what the contents of the concept will be. There were some ideas also about the title of the assignement. We all agreed with the following title of our assignement:Ways of encouraging member commitment in non-profit organizations: The case of the Jevnica Youth Association. After consultation with prof. Nadoh, we provided a short definition of the problem, methodology and the goal, while Gašper and Jaka were later designated to write and deliver detailed definitions.

 

 

 

 

 

Decision:

Our next meeting will take place on Thursday 1.3.2007 at 12:30, for all the members, whereas Jaka and Tina will meet before, as they have some other obligations to do. The meeting location will be at the library terrace.

 

 

Minutes taker: Saša Železnik

Chair: Jaka Peterca

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes of the 2nd group meeting

 

 

Minutes of the meeting »Problem Based Learning Project«

held on 6 March, 2007 at FDV library (at library terrace)

 

 

Present: Jaka Peterca, Saša Železnik, Tina Koščak, Pal Čergan, Sara Hiti, Gašper Šinkovec

Absent: /

 

 

Agenda:

1. Summary of the sources that have been read

2. Discussion about hypotheses and research questions

3. Any other business

Item 1:

 

Summary of the sources that have been read

Each member of our group provided a short description of the articles he/she had read at home, after which we held a discussion and decided which of the articles are suitable for our task. On the basis of the material, we later defined framework hypotheses together with their contents.

Item 2:

Discussion:

Saša said that the article she had read was very interesting, and that it contains much of what we are going to talk about. Jaka also added that his article contains similar information, and that our hypotheses should deal with the idea of how to improve commitment on behalf of volunteer managers and volunteers themselves. In order to exemplify, Pal enumerated a few possible cases. We have therefore defined two areas of our possible hypotheses. In addition, Tina and Gašper proposed the idea that each member would prepare a few instances of hypotheses at our forum, so that we could later choose the best of them all. 

Saša shared her concern that we should slowly start taking care of writing the theoretical part, and that we already need to know the exact sources.

Tina suggested the survey to be carried out on as many members of the organization as possible, whereas Jaka should interview two most active members. Gašper’s idea was to also include two members who are not so active for the interview, so that we could know the reasons for commitment from both sides.

 

 

Decision: 

We are going to take the decision for the hypothesis and research questions at our special forum. It is necessary to collect all the required sources, and to carry out the survey and interview.

Assignments:

Jaka is going to prepare the final hypotheses together with Gašper.

Tina is going to take care of the exact sources.

Saša is going to write the minutes and send it in.

Sara is going to read another article and deliver the summary.

Pal is going to publish the information on our wiki-site and review the proposed hypotheses at our forum.

All the tasks from our previous meeting have been carried out successfully.

 

 

Item 3:

 The atmosphere at the library terrace was much better, therefore, we decided to hold our next meeting there as well.

 

Decision:

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, 13.3. 2007, at 12:00, for all the members. The location of meeting will be library terrace.

Minutes taker: Saša Železnik

        Chair: Jaka Peterca

 

Minutes of the 3rd group meeting

 

 

Minutes of the meeting »Problem Based Learning Project«

held on 14 March, 2007 at FDV library

 

Present: Pal Čergan, Sara Hiti, Tina Koščak, Jaka Peterca, Gašper Šinkovec, Saša Železnik

Absent: /

 

Agenda:

 

1. Delivery deadline

2. Tasks distribution

3. Any other business

 

 

Item 1:

 

We agreed upon the delivery deadline of the designated tasks. The deadline date  is the same for everyone, namely on Tuesday, March 20^th, 2007 when each member has to hand in his/her theoretical part.

 

Item 2:

 

Discussion:

We looked over what our research questions are about and divided the tasks among ourselves accordingly. The topics were divided among the members regarding the hypotheses we have. We all agreed on the decision to set the final date of tasks completion.

 

Decision:

We divided the tasks according to which articles each member had read.

 

Assignments:

Sara is going to search for the information on the internet if any questions that we could include in our survey already exist.

Tina is going to write on the theory of commitment in non-profit organizations.

Jaka is going to write everything in relation to the 2^nd. and 4^th. activity question, because it involves his Society.

Saša is going to write the theoretical part for the activity question No.3.

Gašper is going to describe the new method which has been suggested to us by

Prof. Mesner Andolšek.

Pal is going to check if there are any other sources available and include them into our work.

 

 

Item 3:

 

We came to the conclusion that we need to write down everything we had been researching in short form so that our research project does not become to long. We are going to send the survey to the members of Jevnica Youth Assotiation by e-mail, since all the members of the Society will not meet again this month. The survey is going to be sent by Gašper, who is not the member of Association, so that the answers will be more sincere than if they are aware that Jaka will be reading them.

 

 

 

Decision:

We set Tuesday to be the deadline for all the designated tasks and after that all of us are going to put together the survey questions and the interview.

 

 

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, 20^th  March, 2007 at 10 AM at FDV library.

 

 

Minutes taker: Saša Železnik

 

Chair: Jaka Peterca

 

Minutes of the 4th group meeting

 Minutes of the meeting »Problem Based Learning Project«

held on 4 April, 2007 at FDV library 

 

Present: Pal Čergan, Sara Hiti, Tina Koščak, Jaka Peterca, Gašper Šinkovec, Saša Železnik

Absent: /

Agenda:

1. Delivery deadline

2. Seminar project

3. Any other business

Item 1:

All of us handed in our parts of the seminar project until delivery deadline. We have come to the conclusion that we are going to come much closer to the final version of the seminar project until our next meeting.

Item 2:

Discussion:

We have reviewed all our written material and comprised a preliminary form of the seminar project, which is going to be delivered in the end. We have also decided that the conclusion should be written till next time and the theoretical part organised even elaborately. We have also been discussing about the survey to be carried out and trying to come up with a few questions.

Decision:

Each member should post his/her own propositions in the forum of how to improve the seminar project and also write at least five propositions of the survey questions in the period of one week.

Assignements:

Sara is going to search for the information on the internet if any questions that we could include in our survey already exist.

Tina is going to check all the propositions of how to improve the seminar project.

Jaka is going to write the survey from the questions proposed in the forum.

Saša is going to write the minutes of our 4^th meeting.

Gašper is going to deliver the surveys to all the members of Mladinski Dom Jevnica, so they can fill it in.

Pal is going to design and print the improved version of the project.

Item 3:

Discussion:

We have come to the conclusion that our project is getting closer to its final version and that until next time we only need to make an analysis of the survey still to be carried out.

Decision:

The seminar project will have been completed until next time.

The next meeting will be held on Friday, 20 April, 2007 at 10 AM at FDV library.

 

 

 Minutes taker: Saša Železnik

 Chair: Jaka Peterca