Factors Affecting Member Perceptions of Coalition Impact

Area of Science:

• Community Psychology
• Organizational Behavior
• Public Health

Background:

• Community-based coalitions are vital for addressing complex social issues.
• Understanding factors influencing perceived coalition impact is crucial for program effectiveness.
• Hackman's model provides a framework for assessing work group dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key attributes of community coalitions that correlate with members' perceptions of greater impact.
• To test the hypotheses that member effort, knowledge/skill, and performance strategies influence perceived coalition impact.

Main Methods:

• A lagged regression analysis was employed.
• Data were collected from a sample of forty-five youth-oriented community coalitions.
• Member perceptions of impact were measured as the dependent variable.

Main Results:

• Two aspects of member effort were significantly associated with subsequent perceived coalition impact.
• Performance strategies, encompassing both coalition governance and community interventions, were also linked to perceived impact.
• No significant association was found between member knowledge and skill and perceived impact.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing member participation in discussions and interventions can improve perceived coalition effectiveness.
• Developing robust strategies for coalition governance and community interventions is essential for increasing perceived impact.
• Focusing on effort and strategic planning, rather than solely knowledge and skill, may be key to boosting coalition impact.