Summary: The researchers worked with one large child services agency. They wanted to see if there was a disconnect between senior managers and frontline staff. Interestingly enough, the study found that senior managers tended to rate the organization as having a culture that is much more proficient and much less rigid and a climate that is more engaged and more functional than the ratings of frontline staff.

Comments: Again, this may align with common sense thinking, but research has not validated this thinking until now. This is also a very important study because it tells us that senior managers may not be as connected to the views of staff as they should be. While there are different priorities that senior managers have to deal with (state, federal, funder, etc.) it is critical that they understand where staff is coming from, because they are in the trenches every day.

Patterson, D.A., Dulmus, C., Maguin, E., Keesler, J., & Powell, B. (2014). Organizational leaders’ and staff members’ appraisals of their work environment within a children’s service system. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 38, 215-227