Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Management
Advisor
Matthew Knight
Abstract
Social service nonprofit organizations (SSNPOs) with poor management of overhead costs face serious risks of failure. Leaders of SSNPOs are accountable for the effective management of overhead costs. Grounded in Fiedler’s contingency theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies leaders of SSNPOs use to manage overhead costs effectively. Participants were executive leaders from five SSNPOs in Portland, Maine, who successfully used strategies to manage overhead costs. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and reviews of company documents, then analyzed using Yin’s five-step thematic data analysis. Four themes emerged: effective communication, modification of strategies, circular leadership approach, and employee buy-in. A key recommendation for SSNPO leaders is to obtain critical stakeholder support, including employee buy-in, to develop and implement sustainable and cost-effective plans to manage overhead costs. The implications for social change include the potential to sustain and expand social services in the local community by properly managing overhead costs
Recommended Citation
Malekebu, Wheatonia, "Strategies to Manage Overhead Costs in Social Service Nonprofit Organizations" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13544.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13544
