Dr Anne Peachey

Previous research on Volunteering in aged care settings in Western Australia: Good practice during covid-19 and beyond (Paull & Paulin 2022) and The Jacaranda Project (Paull & Paulin 2020) highlighted several issues which merited further investigation. In addition, the Royal Commission on Aged Care Quality and Safety (CoA, 2021) made many recommendations to improve aged care provision in Australia including recognition of the importance of the contribution of volunteers in addressing social isolation and assistance with client activities in age care settings.

This report outlines a project involving a series of interviews and research workshops (held in person and online) over several months in 2023 and 2024 by the Project Team from Murdoch University. The project was designed to develop an understanding of the role of those who managed or coordinated volunteer activity in residential dementia care settings in Western Australia.

The outcomes of this research are set out in the following report.

Key findings in relation to managing volunteering in dementia care settings in Western Australia in 2023/24 are as follows:

Communications: Language used is important. In the interests of clarity for this report, we refer to volunteers/visitors, residents/clients and volunteer managers.

Complexity: There are several levels of cognitive impairment/dementia which require different levels of approach in managing volunteers in aged care settings.

Compliance: Government policy now requires aged care providers to have a volunteer program and for those volunteers to be well trained.

Organisational Policies: Ongoing recognition and support for volunteer managers and volunteer programs is vital.

Managing at a distance: Volunteer managers often manage at a distance from the site where volunteering takes place, adding a layer of complexity for both volunteers and managers.

First Language: Learning how to communicate with first language speakers is important and resources to assist such as advice on talking to someone with dementia which may be useful for volunteer involving organisations to offer to their volunteers in dementia care settings.

Training: For both volunteer managers and volunteers. The nature and volume of training is a delicate balance, not only to identify how much is enough, but also to meet compliance and motivational needs.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how performance management systems in nonprofit organizations are influenced by their funding sources. It explains how resources motivate organizations to diversify their strategies with attended performance management systems. Design/methodology/approach It adopts a qualitative case study approach involving semi-structured interviews with key informants in a nonprofit organization to understand the evolving nature of performance management systems associated with different funding sources. Findings The findings suggest that the case study organization changed its revenue base along with its performance management systems to satisfy the reporting and accountability requirements of different funding sources. Despite external funding sources detailing different restrictions and requirements, the overall performance management system was able to manage these different expectations. Research limitations/implications This study is based on a single case study, and its findings need to be interpreted with care, as there are differences between nonprofit organizations because they differ in their environments, services and funding. Originality/value This paper contributes to extant knowledge on how organizational performance management is influenced by funding sources, providing insights at the operational and governance levels.

Not-for-profit organisations are set up to enact positive outcomes in the community, they undertake multiple roles and are significant contributors to the economic fabric of a nation. As part of a social change agenda, not-for-profit organisations can engage in activities that contribute to debate and influence the development of public policy. This thesis presents the findings from a qualitative study investigating not-for-profit organisation participation in advocacy activities examining how they are engaging in public debate and the implications of this engagement in terms of risk to their current and future sources of funding. The outcomes of the study are presented in this hybrid thesis approach which combines a traditional thesis structure of introduction, literature review, methodology and discussion, with three published articles to present key findings of the research. A qualitative case study approach was adopted in four not-for-profit organisations in the health sector in Western Australia. In-depth interviews were conducted with key stakeholders across the four organisations to explore the what, how and why of advocacy. The research identified that the extent of policy advocacy by not-for-profit organisations has not diminished in recent times. Not-for-profit organisations, increasingly aware of the changing funding landscape, however, are adopting a strategic approach and using advocacy strategies that minimise any risk to funding and potentially ameliorate political repercussions. A component part of this approach is volunteering and social activism, and how not-for-profit organisations involve their volunteers in policy debates. Key outcomes from this research is the generation of a model of advocacy activities and a theory of advocacy engagement showing how not-for-profit organisations make strategic choices about the approaches and tactics to be adopted. Building on the extant literature and identifying current issues facing not-for-profit organisations and their ability to advocate for policy change, the model offers insights into how organisations identified what they judge to be appropriate advocacy strategies to fit their organisational objectives, policies, funding sources and resources.

Improvements in governance and management are vital to the continued success of third sector organisations. This study investigated the governance and executive management in two case study organisations in the disability sector in Australia. The findings highlight the importance of the relationship between the board and the chief executive officer (CEO). The board's role is to make strategic choices about the governance structure for the organisation, including the manner of agency placed on the CEO. The benefits and risks of hourglass-shaped or accessible board-staff communication are examined in this context.

As part of a social change agenda, nonprofit organisations engage in activities that contribute to debate and influence the development of public policy. This article presents the initial findings from a study investigating whether nonprofit organisations do participate in advocacy activities and if they do, how are they advocating and engaging in public debate without risking their current and future sources of funding. The key findings from the research have identified that the extent of advocacy by the nonprofit organisations studied has not diminished. A model, built on the findings from the literature on how nonprofit organisations approach advocacy, is applied to explain the advocacy activities by the case study organisations. These nonprofit organisations are identifying what they see to be the appropriate advocacy strategies to fit their organisational objectives, policies, funding sources and resources.

This chapter gives voice to the views of company Senior Management and senior executives and reveals some of the contradictions evident in their thinking. It also reveals key themes and emergent debates as perceived by the academic staff undertaking the research, where individual values and personal experience can influence the interpretation of data. It concludes by framing the debates relevant to a stakeholder view of CSR , reflecting a management perspective of the topic.

Not-for-profit organisations are set up to do something positive in the community. Studies (Onyx et al. 2010; Mosley 2011) have identified various methods used by not-for-profit organisations to influence policy-makers. Not-for-profit organisations with limited resources, a volunteer workforce and a desire to participate in policy debate have used volunteers to advocate and activate. This paper examines the issue of volunteering and social activism, and how volunteers in not-for-profit organisations are involved in policy debate. The findings from four case studies of not-for-profit organisations are examined to demonstrate how not-for-profit organisations are using their volunteer workforce to advocate and influence the policy process.

This paper reports on the development of first year “core” units in the new Bachelor of Business (BBus) at Murdoch University. These units evolved from a curriculum renewal program and presented opportunities and challenges in their development. The units needed to develop not only the essential numeracy, literacy and research skills for students to transition successfully to university studies, but also the core technical skills in discipline areas common to all BBus majors. Developing these units in a collaborative manner with ongoing interaction between academic and professional staff helped to scaffold skills development on an inter-unit basis.

This qualitative study investigated corporate governance and management practices, with a particular focus on communications between the board and senior management, in two disability service organisations in the nonprofit sector. Fifteen interviewees participated across the two case studies and their insights and contributions were thematically analysed. Among the key findings was a significant contrast in communication processes across the two organisations. In one, communications were tightly controlled by the CEO (hourglass-shaped approach) and, in the second, there was a more accessible communication process between the board and senior management. This paper explores these two communication models.

Homeless Connect, held annually in several Australian cities and fashioned along the lines of similar days in cities such as San Francisco, has now been conducted in Perth for a number of years. As the name suggests, Homeless Connect is designed to reconnect homeless guests, as well as those at risk of homelessness, with government, non-profit and business services, personal care services and social opportunities. The research question being addressed in this paper is: How can the strategies of Homeless Connect impact on the personal agency of those who attend on the day? The findings are based on feedback from guests, service providers and volunteers who contributed to Homeless Connect Perth 2011. The one-stop services approach, as well as affording opportunities for social connection for homeless guests, is critiqued in the context of providing an opportunity to address two of the components of personal agency: knowledge and activation. We propose a model which depicts the contribution of volunteers, organisers and service providers to homeless guests' personal agency via connections and reconnections.