Nonprofit Management and Leadership - Editors' Prize 2009

Announcing the 2009 Recipient of The Editors' Prize for Best Scholarly Paper in Nonprofit Management and Leadership

Volume 18

The editorial and advisory boards of Nonprofit Management and Leadership, the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations, and Jossey-Bass Publishers, Inc., are pleased to announce that the Editors’ Prize for Volume 18 has been awarded to

Robert D. Herman	David O. Renz

for their article

Advancing Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness Research and Theory: Nine Theses

Drawing on the general literature on organizational effectiveness, the specialized literature on nonprofit organizational effectiveness, and recent research in the field, Herman and Renz's prize-winning article advances nine theses, or conclusions, about the effectiveness of public benefit charitable, nonprofit organizations (NPOs). NPO effectiveness is (1) always comparative, (2) multidimensional, (3) related to board effectiveness (but how is not clear), (4) related to the use of correct management practices but not in any simple "best practices" way, and (5) a social construction. Furthermore, (6) it is unlikely that there are any universally applicable best practices that can be prescribed for all NPO boards and management, (7) organizational responsiveness is a useful organizational-level effectiveness measure, (8) distinguishing among types of NPOs is important and useful, and (9) level of analysis makes a difference in researching and understanding effectiveness. The article concludes by considering implications for organizational practice, boards and governance practices, program evaluation, including program outcomes assessment, and capacity building and capacity builders.

Robert Herman is professor emeritus of organizational behavior in the Department of Public Affairs at the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration and Senior Fellow of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His research includes studies of effective chief executive leadership in nonprofit organizations and studies of nonprofit organizational effectiveness. Dr. Herman holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University in organizational behavior.

David Renz is the Beth K. Smith/Missouri Chair in Nonprofit Leadership and director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. His research focuses on the leadership and management of nonprofit and public service organizations, with emphasis on governance, the leadership of organizational innovation and transformational change, and organizational effectiveness. Dr. Renz received his Ph.D. in organization theory and administration from the University of Minnesota.

Watch an interview with David Renz about the practical implications of his research on nonprofit organizational effectiveness.

The Editors' Prize is awarded annually for the best paper published in NML during the preceding subscription year. Winners receive a $1,000 cash prize courtesy of the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations and $1,000 in books from Jossey-Bass.

Winners are selected by the members of the editorial and advisory boards of NML. Criteria are based on the author's contribution to knowledge in the field of nonprofit management, the quality of the writing and analysis, and the usefulness of the information for the practice of nonprofit management and leadership.