Why Nonprofits are Failing

Applying organizational theories to support society’s most vulnerable

6th December 2010

DIT, Aungier Street, Room 3-067/8 Friday 10th December 12-1pm

The ICSRN and Business, Society & Sustainability, with the support of the DIT College of Business, present a public lecture by the distinguished management scholar Professor Stephen Block of the University of Colorado Denver, USA.

As civil society takes on an increasingly vital role in supporting the most vulnerable in Irish society Prof. Block examines the organizational behavior issues that lead nonprofit managers and board members to perpetuate problems when their good intentions are to achieve problem resolution. Prof. Block analyzes the assumptions, belief systems, and routine problem-solving methods that are barriers to successful organizational decision-making. He offers a model that encourages practitioners and board members to use organizational theories as part of their intervention when routine problem-solving methods do not work.

Prof. Block is the director of the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs' Nonprofit Management Program. His teaching and research interests include nonprofit boards of directors, executive leadership, and nonprofit organizational behavior and development. He has authored numerous journal articles and books and his most recent nonprofit management textbook is in the Russian language for use in
universities and NGOs throughout the Russian Federation. His activities to advance NGO management education in Russia began as a Fulbright
Scholar at the Moscow State University of Management.

For further information contact Dr. Brendan O’Rourke brendan.orourke@dit.ie