Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A)
School
Public Policy and Administration
Advisor
Dr. Karel Kurst-Swanger
Abstract
Nonprofit professional membership organizations have become increasingly present within specific fields, yet little is known about the capacities of these organizations to accurately represent their members and encourage others to be part of a specific community that offers goal-achieving opportunities. In this qualitative study, a framework was proposed to understand the representations needed in a professional nonprofit to aid in understanding how executive leaders use representation strategies to engage current members and potential prospects. The concepts of representation (COR) theory is a framework centered around five dimensions focused on relationships between the organization and its members to clarify and identify capacity measures. To conduct the in-depth study, practice-focus questions included direct interview questions to current members, executives, and the board of directors of the organization that focused on long-term sustainability, marketing, social media platform engagement, and the promotion of new and existing programs and services. The findings suggest that a solid framework may not be effectively used to recruit and retain members, accurately represent its members, or have valuable programs and services that professional members seek when committing to a membership association. Potential implications for positive social change included improved brand awareness, community engagement, and organizational practices that focused on the needs of members to provide advanced opportunities within the nonprofit.
Recommended Citation
Delu, Cindy T., "Determinates for Sustainability: Non-Profit Professional Membership Organization" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13305.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13305
