Trans-organizational management: the new frontier for social work administrators

Area of Science:

• Social Work Administration
• Public Policy
• Organizational Management

Background:

• Societal human services systems often rely on institutional rearrangement for change.
• Past attempts at systemic change, such as in the 1960s, yielded limited long-term improvements.
• Current administrative practices in social work predominantly focus on institutional management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To challenge the reliance on institutional rearrangement as the primary driver of systemic change.
• To advocate for the integration of trans-organizational management alongside institutional management.
• To highlight the necessity of these combined approaches for future human services systems.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of management strategies in human services.
• Review of historical approaches to systemic change in social work.
• Examination of current trends in administrative knowledge and skills.

Main Results:

• Institutional rearrangement alone is insufficient for fundamental, long-term systemic improvements.
• A dual approach combining institutional and trans-organizational management is essential.
• The human services sector is beginning to recognize and adopt trans-organizational strategies.

Conclusions:

• Systemic change in human services requires a paradigm shift beyond institutional reform.
• Developing expertise in trans-organizational management is crucial for social work administrators.
• This integrated management approach is vital for addressing future demographic challenges.