Organizational Theory and Readiness for Change
Assignment II: Force Field Analysis
Denisha Hightower
Morgan State University
SOWK 608.185
Professor Sandra Austin

The Human Service agency that will be described in this paper will identify the organizational issue, pin point a solution, strategize how to implement the solution and lastly determine how to assess if there was a change in the issue. This paper will also provide an analysis chart on the organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) and an appendix of both the SWOT analysis and an Organizational chart will be provided.
The agency that was selected to be analyzed is a public governmental agency which was established in 1975 to aide families and persons who experience financial hardships and need assistance in obtaining basic necessities such as food and shelter to become self-sufficient. The organization also administers federally funded programs to aid individuals in obtaining medical assistance, financial stability through Family Investment Services and Nutritional needs through a food funding program. The organization further delegates other state programs for homeless people, child and adult protection and investigation, as well as programs extended for women victims of domestic violence. The organization’s mission is to aid and pursue those who are struggling economically, provide preventative services and protect defenseless children and adults. The organization’s governance comes from the Public Information Act (PIA) and this act allows the public access to public records while ensuring governmental protection of legislatures and privacy of those citizens who are served.
There are 24 local departments incorporated within the organization which each department governs a particular program. It is organized into 7 Budget units which governs and supports services that are managed state wide by the 24 departments.

According to 2012 State Audit reports, the organization’s expenditures totaled approximately 2 billion dollars in which $500 million were in employee salaries and benefits and the remaining cost in assistance for the programs in which the departments support. The organization is made up of a substantial amount of employees with hundreds being assigned to each department. This organization assists the population of families and individuals that are in need of assistance which are mainly those individuals with economic disparities and financial hardships. There are thousands of families served monthly throughout the organization within each of the 24 individual departmental sectors that serves under the organization. There are key stakeholders involved in the management of the organization. The stakeholders are those who are involved in the operation and evaluation of the program to include management and staff, as well as those affected by program decisions to include clients, community members and their elected officials. The Organization’s internal stakeholders include the governor and his staff who can provide guidance and leadership to ensure protocol is being followed and executed. Other key internal stakeholders are State legislatures who can provide insight as well as leadership on policies that need to be altered and addressed and lastly the management and staff who are the key factors in implementing the services for citizens. The external stakeholders include those individuals being served and affected by the organization, other community organizations and programs who contribute to and aid the program such as well-known local hospitals and non-profit organizations that collaborate with the agency to assist the citizens of the community.

In this SWOT analysis, we will focus on the organizational Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats that are imperative to dissect when developing a strategic plan on how to build on agency strengths and rectify the weaknesses to become an efficient operation for the citizens served. See Appendix B below.
To produce qualitative outcomes and become an efficient organization there are certain aspects of the program that must be addressed and identified to ensure the program runs smoothly and the overall goals are being met. An organizational challenge that has been observed within this organization is issues with staff burnouts coupled with high staff turnovers. Staff burnouts can be a detriment to the services provided to the population being serviced because the quality of work may be compromised. According to Improving the Quality of Human Services Through Results-Oriented Human Resource Management (2002), research shows that high staff turnover, management, the organization’s atmosphere and inadequate pay while working in child welfare programs plays an important role in the success of family reunification and child functioning. Low pay, demanding workloads and low work morale are all compromising to the agency as well. High turnover has been a widespread issue in child turnover for decades and there are multiple organizational issues that contribute to this problem (Shim, 2010). According to Glisson (2007) a study in understanding the functions of an organization in which organizational culture and climate may affect employee performance, attitudes and why some organizations are more apt to high employee turnover. According to reports, workers state that they leave their social service jobs due to inadequate pay, low morale, rigid working conditions, and lack of recognition and work overload (The Center for the Study of Social Policy, 2002). These working conditions lead to poor service outcomes for the citizens in the community.

Force Field Analysis
Child welfare workers are essential workers who directly implement and promote the safety, well being and permanency of children and families as well as oversee the delivery of service to those families. However, the issue of child welfare agency employee turnovers is one that majorly affects and hinders effective quality of service delivery to these vulnerable families. According to research, the issue with delivering effective service to child welfare clients, lie in the high turnover rates with employees. According to Barak, Nissly, & Levin (2001), high turnovers has been acknowledged as a key issue for decades in human services organizations because it ultimately results in the lack of effective service delivery. According to statistics, reports of high turnover rates vary between 30-60 percent per year (Barak et al, 2001) and in some state jurisdictions turnover can be as high as 90 percent per year (Keller, Chavez, & Sciamanna, 2011) and according to a survey in 2001, by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), 43 states reported an average yearly turnover rate of 22%. In a New York State Child Welfare Workload Case Study conducted in 2006 to observe the percentage of time engaged in child welfare duties, it was revealed that less than half of time spent is direct service to children and families. Those alarming rates as it pertains to costs, delivery of service effectiveness and organizational weakening, deem it necessary to identify the key elements of proposed change in child welfare organizations (Shim, 2010). According to Glisson (2007), employee turnover is classified into categories to include, unpreventable, desirable and undesirable, in which undesirable turnovers is the most recognized. Undesirable turnovers is defined as competent and qualified works who leave due to organizational issues such as poor support, lack of supervision, lack of employee rewards, role conflict and emotional exhaustion due to strenuous workloads. These issues directly affect the quality of services being rendered to clients and the effectiveness of the organization. Based on literature review, the Conceptual Model of the effectiveness of organization culture and climate on an employee’s intent to leave is the theoretical model which will be used as the basis to propose change. According to Shim (2010), Organizational culture and Organizational climate can be utilized to explain and identify employee turnover and the effectiveness in an organization. Organizational culture is defined as the way things are done in within an agency, while Organizational climate is employee’s perceptions of their work environment which is also categorized into engaged functional or stressful climate (Glisson et al, 2007). Utilizing these categories, engaged climate is defined as having low levels of psychological exhaustion, stress, and low levels of role conflict and a manageable workload whereas the current child welfare agencies are considered a stressful climate, and a stressful climate is defined as high level of work overload, role conflict and psychological exhaustion.
Organizational culture and climate in child welfare agencies plays a pertinent role in the service delivery to families and the effectiveness of an organization and organizational values are used to identify and accomplish goals to meet desired changes in organizations (Shim et.al, 2010). It is imperative for administrators and managers to understand the correlation between organizational culture and climate, to create an effective culture and climate in the workplace. If accomplished, child welfare agencies may possibly decrease employee turnover (Shim et.al, 2010) and increase a positive work place for both child welfare workers and the children and families in which they serve.
Problem Statement
Child Welfare staff report that the high turnover rate and ample vacancy staff positions, creates a barrier in the quality of service that is being delivered to children and families because insufficient time is allowed to build rapport and ensure the necessary assessments are made to ensure safety and stability of families. Staff further reports that large caseloads and employee turnover delays the investigation process and limits the amount of visits made to the children (GAO, 2003) which also poses threat of being noncompliant of the child welfare statutes and policies. The inability of child welfare workers to effectively provide quality services to children and families poses a threat on their well being. Child welfare staff report the lack of motivation, supervision and support from administrators and managers.
Desired Change Child welfare agencies may possibly decrease employee turnover (Shim et.al, 2010) and increase a positive work place for both child welfare workers and the children and families in which they serve.
Creating a positive organizational culture and climate in the child welfare workforce, with manageable workloads will reveal that workers are more able to accomplish their duties and that the organization supports their workers efforts. If the organization produces an engaged climate, children and families have a strong probability in receiving engaging, quality and efficient services from child welfare workers. It has been reported that families account improvement in their child’s emotional being than those families who receive services from a rigid organizational climate. Child welfare agencies can improve organizational culture and climate by showing concern with emphasis on rewards, reducing psychological fatigue and by managers and administration strengthening employee rewards. Reducing emotional exhaustion provides workers the opportunity to discuss issues within their caseloads or job duties. Offering supervision for workers to discuss any personal issues and other concerns that may affect their work abilities may create an outlet for work exhaustion. Continuously providing workers proper training to encourage a more qualified and knowledgeable staff. Employees will remain at their agencies and turnover will decrease.
Vision statement
The child welfare staff would be more efficient in delivering quality and effective service to children and families with the support and cooperation of the administrative staff and managers. The agency will provide ongoing training to staff to increase knowledge and service delivery approaches. In further, the agency will provide effective and appropriate resources for child welfare staff to include opening vacancies for highly qualified and knowledgeable child welfare professionals in order to decrease workloads, overwhelming tasks and stress which will create effective and qualitative service delivery. The agency will also address staff issues and concerns through appropriate supervision, implementing employee rewards to increase staff morale and notify staff of their increasing progress through reviews. Moreover, the implementation of more positive and engaged organizational climate and culture will diminish employee turnovers and increase the quality of service provided to children and families. The Environmental Driving Forces for proposed change are the data which supports the alarmingly high turnover rates for child welfare workers. Clients will support the proposed change because children and families are ultimately affected negatively by poor service delivery. Also the increase in child welfare referrals leads to worker emotional exhaustion and overwhelming caseloads. The Internal Driving Forces for proposed change are the positive effect it will have on child welfare staff in producing a positive organizational culture and climate through showing staff appreciation through rewards and addressing staff issues and concerns. The Environmental Restraining Forces for proposed change are the lack of financial support from funding sources such as Title IV-E, for increased costs for training and for hiring of child welfare workers. Also the majority of the funding is being tied into other program costs such as a child welfare computer programming system. The Internal Restraining Forces for proposed change are staff may feel threatened and fearful of job security due to the hire of new employees. Lack of funding may hinder the ability to provide child welfare resources such as new employee hiring. Incompetent staff may fail to attend educational trainings that would increase knowledge in effective service delivery and have issues with adapting to newly modified program policies. Strategies to Strengthen Internal Driving Forces entails having the directors of the agency implement new program mandates that will promote and increase quality service delivery. Highly recommending educational training for staff to produce more qualified work professionals, providing opportunities for work advancement and promoting an open door policy to allow staff to address their concerns and issues through supervision are all strategies to strengthen internal driving forces. Strategies to strengthen Environmental Driving Forces is to always inform staff of their obligations and duties to provide clients with continuous quality service and further explain to workers the affects of a rigid and stressful organizational climate not only on themselves but also the effects on children and families. In conclusion, Strategies to Minimize Internal Restraining Forces for proposed change are to enforce staff trainings and inform workers of the benefits in remaining educated and knowledgeable in the field. Also encouraging and discussing ways to organize time and manage workload to service clients more effectively and strengthening rewards for employee excellence. Strategies to Minimize Environmental Restraining Force for proposed change are having the agency directors present statistical data of high employee turnover rates, to governmental representatives and funding sources to show how it correlates with ineffective service delivery as well as describe the need for more training resources for staff and quality staff to reserve vacant child welfare positions. Lastly, the voices of those who are directly affected and are in direct line of service to the clients- caseworkers also advocate for themselves discussing their agency issues and concerns to improve their organizational climate and culture.

References
Barak, M.E.M., Nissly, J.A., & Levin, A. (2001). Antecedents to retention and turnover among child welfare, ,social work, and other human service employees: What we can learn from past research? A review and metanalysis. Social service review, 75(4) 625-661.

DHR Communications (2014). Governor O’Malley announces record number of Marylanders moved from welfare to work. www.dhr.state.md.us/blog. Retrieved September 13,2014.
Department of Human Resources, Local Department of Operations. Office of Legislative Audits. Audit report. May 2012. http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/18dhr/html/18agen.html#social.
Retrieved September 14, 2014
Glisson, C. Dukes, D., & Green, P. (2006). The effects of the ARC organizational intervention on caseworker turnover, climate & culture in children’s services systems. Child abuse and Neglect, 30. 855-880.
Glisson, C. (2007). Assessing and changing organizational culture and climate for effective services. Research on Social Work Practice, 17(6), 736-747.
Keller, D. Chavez, P., & Sciammanna. (2011). Child welfare policy debriefing: Child welfare workforce, (2). 1-8. American Human Association. Englewood, Colorado.
MDE guide for PIA Information Requestors. www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Marylander/Publicinfoact/MDErequestersguide/pages/citizensinfocenter/publicinfoact/mderequestersguide/piafaq.aspx. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services. (2006). New York State Child Welfare Workload Study.
Shim, M. (2010). Factors influencing child welfare employee’s turnover: Focusing on organizational culture and climate. Children and Youth Services Review, 32(6), 847-856.
Spector, P.,(1985). Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the job satisfaction survey. American Journal of Community Psychology.Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publisher
The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO). (2003). Child welfare: HHS could pay a greater role in helping child welfare agencies recruit and retain staff. Retrieved on October 15, 2010, from http://www.cwla.org/programs/workforce/gaohhs.pdf

Appendix A Logic Model for Organizational Change

Identify the problem, Challenge or Opportunity | New Solutions & Planning | Implement New Solution | Evaluation (Assessment, Stabilization and Continuous Quality Improvement | High staff turnover due to staff burnout(emotional exhaustion and stressful climate), excessive workload, lack of promotional opportunities, and inadequate salaries | Decrease high staff turnover and increase a positive organizational culture and climate. Also create manageable workloads that will allow workers to be more accomplished in completing tasks by filling job vacancies and hiring qualified workers. Create an open work environment for workers to express work and personal issues and concerns through supervision that may affect work abilities. | | |

Appendix B
SWOT Analysis

Strengths-Has been running for almost 40 years -Well recognized as a support in the community -Dedicated staff and professionals -A plethora of programs to suit the needs of the community. -Served approximately1.3 million children and families -Several partnerships with other programming -Now requires higher education and knowledge in the field of Human services i.e Social Work, Psychology, Sociology etc. -Lots of training opportunities for staff -Over 12,000 people who were receiving Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) has moved from welfare to work -Budget increase in the new 2015 Fiscal year | Positive
Negative
External
Factors
Internal
Factors
Positive
Negative
External
Factors
Internal
Factors
Weaknesses -Failed to meet client’s financial needs due to budget cuts in programs -Staff burnout INTERNAL
FACTORS
-Unfair pay wages, lack of yearly pay increases -Financial budget collapse -Job vacancies - Quality work compromised -High Staff turnover -No room for promotional growth- Frequent Policy changes | Opportunities- Increased client self-sufficiency with the help of referred program services. - more volunteer opportunities -Open more contractual employment - More job openings -Increase external stakeholders- Room for partnerships with nonprofit and profit organizations | Threats-Lack of government funding for program resources -Outsource of funding to other community organizations EXTERNAL
FACTORS
-Supports may not consider the staff turnover as detrimental -Vulnerable children and families fail to receive effective and quality service delivery. |
Positive
Negative
External
Factors
Internal
Factors

Positive
Negative
External
Factors

NEGATIVE
POSITIVE

Appendix C
Individuals, Positions, & Ally or Adversaries
Role Individual(s) Position Ally or Adversary
Sponsor Dennis.T Director of Child Welfare Program Ally
Sponsor Rebecca. M Assistant Director of Progam Ally
Sponsor Renee. H Deputy Director Ally
Target (s) Child welfare staff in all programs Advocacy staff for change Adversary
Change Agent Team Administrators Supervisors, Managers, Program Manager Ally
Other Supports Children and families Serviced clients Adversary State Union for workers Advocating supports Adversary

Appendix D
Force Field Analysis Chart
Forces for Change Recommended Change Forces Against Change
Environmental Driving Forces Create positive organizational culture and climate Environmental Restraining Forces
-Increased client and families needs for quality -Hire qualified workers and increase manageable workloads -Title IV-E may be reluctant to provide service. Managers and administrators strengthen and emphasis rewards. funding due to increased cost for Reduce psychological and emotional fatigue of workers training and child welfare work related issues Continuously provide workers proper training to encourage -Currently providing majority of funding in more qualified staff and quality service delivery. Other program related costs such as computer
Improvement in children’s emotional well being operation programming.
Clients support the change.
Statistics of annual turnovers for child welfare workers
Internal Driving Forces Internal Restraining Forces
Child welfare staff Staff fearful of job security with newly appointed staff
More staff appreciation with rewards Staff fails to attend further educational training due to incompetence
Positive Organizational culture and climate change. Lack of external funding for child welfare resources Staff inability to adapt to newly modified policies
Strategies to Strengthen Internal Driving Forces Strategies to Minimize Internal Restraining Forces
Director will implement new program mandates for workers that will promote Enforce staff training and inform them of the benefits in and increase service quality. remaining educated and knowledgeable in the field.
Training will be highly recommended for staff to increase educational training Encourage and discuss ways to organize time and manage workload to be more effective in servicing clients.
Provide rewards for staff when recognized in producing highly qualified work. Strengthening rewards for employee excellence.
Allow staff to express their concerns to determine issues within their workload with supervisor.
Allow opportunities for staff advancement
Strategies to Strengthen Environmental Driving Force Strategies to Minimize Environmental Restraining Force
Inform staff of their obligation and duties to provide continuous quality service Governmental representatives and funding sources will to clients. be driven by directors, presenting statistics of employee turnover rates, ineffective service delivery.
Warn staff of the affect of rigid and stressful organizational climate and culture.
Describe the need for more training resources and knowledgeable staff to fill vacant positions.

Remind staff of the agency’s mission and goals to serve clients and ensure stability Caseworkers will also speak as advocates on their own and safety to such a vulnerable population and assure the need of dedicated workers behalf with their agency issues and concerns

Appendix E
Target Losses and Benefits
Losses Benefits Workers intent to leave due to rigid organizational climate and culture. | Decreased child welfare workers turnovers. | Lack of employee appreciation, no employee rewards and poor work morale. | Increased positive work climate for both workers and children and families. | Increased caseloads for workers due to high employee turnover. | Job vacancies filled to reduce workload and associated stress for child welfare workers. | Unproductive time spent accomplishing other work related duties such as court, documentation or other non work related duties than effectively servicing children and families. | Children and families receiving engaging and quality service delivery. | Worker emotional and psychological exhaustion due to work related and other | Showing concern for workers with increase of rewards for a job well done. | Barriers in delivery of quality service to children and families due to lack of time being spent with children and families for appropriate tasks duties. | Creates time to build rapport with clients and promote quality and effective service. | Poor support and lack of supervision from administrators and managers. | More knowledgeable staff through proper and continuous training to increase more qualified staff. | | Supervision encourages staff to open up to issues within their job duties as well as non work related stressors that may hinder effective services to children and families. |