Date of Conferral

4-2-2026

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Denise Land

Abstract

The absence of formalized governance, measurement systems, and standardized processes in nonprofit organizations can limit performance, accountability, and long-term sustainability. Nonprofit executive leaders and board members are concerned about fulfilling their responsibilities for organizational effectiveness and community social effectiveness. Grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework and the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit leaders use to improve organizational performance and governance effectiveness. The participants were six organizational leaders and board members from a Canadian nonprofit training organization. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analysis of organizational documents, and were analyzed using Yin’s five-step process and thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) strong mission alignment and stakeholder trust, (b) effective but informal and undocumented processes, (c) committed workforce and governance structures with communication and role clarity challenges, and (d) modest performance results with gaps in measurement and outcome evaluation. A key recommendation is for nonprofit organization leaders to implement formal performance measurement systems aligned with strategy. The implications for positive social change include the potential to strengthen nonprofit accountability, improve service delivery outcomes, and enhance workforce readiness and community safety for individuals, businesses, and public sector stakeholders.

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