How to design a long-lasting nonprofit voluntary organization? Take the organization “Black Bear Metsässä” as an example

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School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
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Date

2020

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Mcode

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

75+2

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Abstract

“Black Bear Metsässä” (BBM) is a volunteer-based organization offering diverse cultural volunteering activities in elderly care and service centers. However, the annual change in BBM members has made it onerous to develop BBM for the long-term. As a newly built organization, other factors also pose a number of challenges to BBM, such as ways of working, internal and external communication, the access to resources, as well as the composition of members. The aim of this thesis is to improve the development process of the voluntary organization BBM by employing both organization development and service design. In order to have a holistic understanding of BBM as well as to benefit its future development, this thesis examines BBM through both perspectives of organization development and service design research. The perspective of organization development, particularly the one concerning nonprofit voluntary organizations, is employed to construct a thorough and comprehensive analysis of BBM in terms of its organization elements, structure, and other aspects. Moreover, service design research and tools including observation, facilitation, interview, service blueprint are implemented as methodologies to further investigate the current situation of and identify the problems of BBM. Drawing upon organization research and literature of service design and methodologies, the analysis shows that BBM is an organic structure with three roles: activity helper, activity assistant, and main organizer. Furthermore, efficient and effective communication, as well as flexible activity planning are the main design criteria for the further development of BBM. Based on these findings, a proposal to improve the current development process of BBM is created with two following elements: an operating model and a tool kit. The operating model is constructed not only to demonstrate the entire participation process of members, but to include the detailed activity process from the stage of planning to that of reviewing. Furthermore, the key factors that affecting the processes and the related action items are both included to comprehensively address the relations between both processes. The toolkit functions as a support to better utilize the operating model It contains materials for diverse needs, including improve documents management structure, understand personal and organizational goals, realize the possessed resources and establish group consciousness. The adoption of the proposed operating model and toolkit will help BBM to manage its limited resources effectively and efficiently as well as to develop its operation sustainably.

Description

Supervisor

Keinonen, Turkka

Thesis advisor

Solsona Caba, Nuria

Keywords

organization development, nonprofit voluntary organization, organization design, service design, operating model, voluntary organization

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202006143742

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[master] Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / ARTS