Complexity approach to frontline social work management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr.v14i1.487Keywords:
complexity, frontline management, managerialism, ethics, leadershipAbstract
This paper articulates an emergent complexity approach to the frontline manager-practitioner relationship within the context of a managerialist culture and the tensions between new public management (NPM) and social work ethical codes. Drawing from New Zealand perspectives but with transnational applications, a conceptual ‘coalface’ practice model for social work is proposed. Three constituents comprising professional, organisational and political cultures in which social care managers operate are extrapolated to construct the model: [1] the pervasive reality of managerialism; [2] workplace tensions arising from interrelationships between ethics, the organisation and the individual worker; and [3] an emergent, organic perception of agencies as organisations, integrating ‘whole systems’ thinking and complex adaptive approaches.
The paper analyses the argument advanced by NPM theory of the interoperability of public and private management and proposes a team design that meets managerialist output and performance expectations whilst also creating an emergent framework enabling team leadership flexibility. The paper suggests that high performance can be integrated with a management approach predicated on social work values, thus offering potential solutions to job stressors and challenges facing frontline team leaders, managers, supervisors and practitioners who function in a managerialist environment.
References
Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers. (2008) <i>Code of Ethics</i> (revised ed.). Christchurch: ANZASW\nArnd-Caddigan, M., and Pozzuto, R. (2008) Use of self in relational clinical social work. <i>Clinical Social Work Journal</i>, 36, 3, 235-243\nAttwood, M., M. Pedler, M. Pritchard, S., and Wilkinson, D. (2003) <i>Leading Change: A guide to whole systems working</i>. Bristol, UK: Policy Press\nBanks, S. (2009) Integrity in professional life: Issues of conduct, commitment and capacity. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, bcp152\nBanks, S. (2008) Critical commentary: Social work ethics. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, 38, 6, 1238-1249\nBanks, S., and Williams, R. (2005) Accounting for ethical difficulties in social welfare work: Issues, problems and dilemmas. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, 35, 7, 1005-1022\nBanks, S. (2004) <i>Ethics, Accountability and The Social Professions</i>. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan\nBass, B.M., and Avolio, B.J. (1993) Transformational leadership and organisational culture. <i>Public Administration Quarterly</i>, 17, 1, 112-121\nBeech, N., MacPhail, S.A., and Coupland, C. (2009) Anti-dialogic positioning in change stories: Bank robbers, saviours and peons. <i>Organisation</i>, 16, 3, 335-352\nBisman, C. (2004) Social work values: The moral core of the profession. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, 34, 1, 109-123\nBlake, R. and Mouton, J. (1985) <i>The Managerial Grid III: The key to leadership excellence</i>. Houston: Gulf Publishing\nBoston, J., Martin, J., Pallot, J., and Walsh, P. (1996) The ideas and theories underpinning the New Zealand model. in J. Boston, J. Martin, J. Pallot, and P. Walsh (Eds.) <i>Public Management: The New Zealand model</i>. Auckland: Oxford University Press (pp. 16-40)\nBurton, J., and Van den Broek, D. (2009) Accountable and countable: Information management systems and the bureaucratization of social work. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, 39, 7, 1326-1342\nCarey, M. (2009) The order of chaos: Exploring agency care managers’ construction of social order within fragmented worlds of state social work. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, 39, 3, 556-573\nClark, C. (2006) Moral character in social work. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, 36, 1, 75-89\nCoffey, M., Dugdill, L. and Tattersall, A. (2009) Working in the public sector: A case study of social services. <i>Journal of Social Work</i>, 9, 4, 420-442\nCooperrider, D.L., Whitney, and J.M. Stavros, J.M. (2008) <i>Appreciative Inquiry Handbook: For leaders of change</i>. (2nd ed.) Brunswick, OH; San Francisco: Crown Custom Publishing; Berrett-Koehler Coulshed, V. and Mullender, A., with Jones, D.N. and Thompson, N. (2006) <i>Management in Social Work</i>. (3rd ed.) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan\nCoulshed, V. and Mullender, A., with Jones, D.N. and Thompson, N. (2006) <i>Management in Social Work</i>. (3rd ed.) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan\nDavies, M. 1994. <i>The Essential Social Worker</i>. (3rd ed.) Aldershot: Arena\nDenhardt, R.B., Denhardt, J.V., and Aristigueta, M.P. (2009) <i>Managing Human Behavior in Public and Nonprofit Organisations</i>. (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage\nDrucker, P. (1954) <i>The practice of management</i>. New York: Harper & Row\nElpers, K., and Westhuis, D.J. (2008) Organisational leadership and its impact on social workers’ job satisfaction: A national study. <i>Administration in Social Work</i>, 32, 3, 26-43\nErez, A., Lepine, J.A., and Elms, H. (2002) Effects of rotated leadership and peer evaluation of the functioning and effectiveness of self managed teams: A quasi experiment. <i>Personnel Psychology</i>, 55, 4, 929-948\nFawcett, S., Brau, J., Rhoads, G., Whitlark, D. and Fawcett, A. (2008) Spirituality and organisational culture: Cultivating the ABCs of an inspiring workplace. <i>International Journal of Public Administration</i>, 31, 4, 420–438\nFitzgibbon, D.W. (2008) Deconstructing probation: Risk and developments in practice. <i>Journal of Social Work Practice</i>, 22, 1: 85-101\nFrench, J.R.P. and Raven, B.H. (1959) The bases of social power. In <i>Studies in social power</i>, ed. D. Cartwright. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, Institute of Social Science Research\nGardner, F. (2006) <i>Working with Human Service Organisations: Creating connections for practice</i>. South Melbourne: Oxford\nGraham, P. (Ed.) (1995) <i>Mary Parker Follett – Prophet of Management: A celebration of writings from the 1920s</i>. Boston: Harvard Business School Press\nGray, M. (2009) Moral sources and emergent ethical theories in social work. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, bcp104\nGreenleaf, R.K. (1977) <i>Servant Leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness</i>. New York: Paulist Press\nHood, C. (1991) A public management for all seasons? <i>Public Administration</i>, 69, 1, 3-19\nHugman, R. (2003) Professional ethics and social work, Living with the legacy. <i>Australian Social Work</i>, 56, 1, 5-15\nJohnson, B. (1992) <i>Polarity Management: Identifying and managing unsolvable problems</i>. Amherst, MA: HRD Press\nKean, J. (2007) Professional ethics versus institutional expectations. <i>Social Work Review</i>, 19, 2, 37-41\nLewin, R.A., and Regine, B. (2001) <i>Weaving Complexity and Business: Engaging the soul at work</i>. New York: Texere\nLiden, R.C., Wayne, S.J., Zhao, H., and Henderson, H. (2008) Servant leadership: Development of a multidimensional measure and multi-level assessment. <i>The Leadership Quarterly</i>, 19, 2, 161-177\nMcNabb, D. and Webster, M. (2010) Qualities and practices of professional social work leadership in an interdisciplinary mental health service: An action learning approach<i>. Action Learning: Research and Practice</i>, 7, 1, 41-57\nMiddleman, R. and Rhodes, G. (1980) Teaching the practice of supervision. <i>Journal of Education for Social Work</i>, 16, 51-59\nMorgan, G. (1997) <i>Images of Organisation</i>. (2nd ed) Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage\nMorgeson, F. P., DeRue, D.S., and Karam, E.P. (2010) Leadership in teams: A functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes. <i>Journal of Management</i>, 36, 1, 5-39\nMoullin, M. (2002) What is quality in health and social care? in <i>Delivering Excellence in Health and Social Care: Quality, excellence, and performance measurement</i> Maidenhead, New York: Open University Press; McGraw-Hill Education (pp.5-35)\nO’Brien, M. (2005) A just profession or just a profession? Social work and social justice. <i>Social Work Review</i>. 17, 1, 3-22\nO’Donoghue, K., Baskerville, A.D., and Trlin, M. (1999) Professional supervision in the new managerial climate of the Department of Corrections. <i>Social Work Review</i>, 11, 1, 8-15\nOlson, E. and Eoyang, G. (2001) <i>Facilitating organisation change: Lessons from complexity science</i>. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer\nOrme, J., and Rennie, G. (2004) <i>The Role of Registration in Assuring Ethical Practice</i>. Presented to the Global Social Work Congress, ‘ Reclaiming Civil Society’, 2-5 October, Adelaide, Australia\nOrwell, G. (1946) <i>Animal farm</i>. New York: Harcourt, Brace\nPitt, L. (2005) Social work registration: Knowledge and power. <i>Social Work Review</i>. 17, 3, 41-42\nPollitt, C., and Bouckaert, G.(2004) <i>Public Management Reform: A comparative analysis</i>. (2nd ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press\nReamer, F.G. (1998) The evolution of social work ethics. <i>Social Work</i>, 43, 6, 488-500\nReupert, A. (2007) Social worker’s use of self. <i>Clinical Social Work Journal</i>, 35, 2, 107-116\nSaleebey, D. (Ed.) (2006) <i>The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice</i>. (4th ed.) Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon\nSchein, E.H. (2004) <i>Organisational Culture and Leadership</i>. (3rd ed.) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass\nSenge, P. 1990. <i>The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organisation</i>. New York: Doubleday/Currency\nSewpaul, V., and Jones, D. (2005) Global standards for the education and training of the social work profession. <i>International Journal of Social Welfare</i>, 14, 3, 218-230\nStewart, J., and M. Webster. (2009) <i>Where the rubber meets the road: Professional ethics, the organisation and the individual</i>. Presented to the 20th Asia Pacific Social Work Conference, Auckland, 11-13 November, 2009\nTaylor, F.W. (1967) <i>The Principles of Scientific Management</i>. New York: Norton\nTe Whaiti Nui-a-Toi (2001) <i>Tipu Ake ki te Ora</i>. (Retrieved March 26, 2007 from <a target="_blank" href='http://www.tipuake.org.nz/tipu_life_cycle.htm'>http://www.tipuake.org.nz/tipu_life_cycle.htm</a>\nTsui, M.-S., and Cheung, F.C.H. (2009) Social work administration revisited: A re-examination of concepts, context and content. <i>Journal of Social Work</i>, 9, 2, 148-157\nVan de Ven, A.H. and Poole, M.S. (2009) Explaining development and change in organisations. In <i>Organisation change: A comprehensive reader</i>, ed. W. W. Burke, D. G. Lake & J. W. Paine, 859-892. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass\nWebb, S.A. (2006) <i>Social Work in a Risk Society: Social and political perspectives</i>. Basingstoke; New York: Palgrave Macmillan\nWebster, M., and Tofi, H.J. (2007) Postgraduate social work management education in Aotearoa New Zealand: A unique framework for the study of management. <i>Social Work Review</i>, 19, 3, 48-57\nWeymes, E. (2001) Relationships not leadership sustain successful organisations. <i>Journal of Change Management</i>, 3, 4, 319-331\nWitkin, S. L. (2000. Ethics-R-Us. <i>Social Work</i>, 45, 3, 197-200\nWood, P., and Alterio, M. (1995) Creating z-zoners: Risk taking in organisations. In <i>Empowering People: Training and Leadership for Quality. Conference Proceedings</i>, New Zealand Organisation for Quality: Palmerston North\nUhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., and McKelvey, B. (2007) Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. <i>Leadership Quarterly</i>, 18, 4, 298-318\n
Downloads
Published
2012-12-20
How to Cite
Webster, M. (2012). Complexity approach to frontline social work management. Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 14(1), 27-46. https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr.v14i1.487
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Copyright lies with the journal. Enquiries regarding reproduction should be sent in the first place to enquiries@whitingbirch.net
