Participatory-based versus Authority-based Human Service Organizations
This chapter introduces ARC’s principle of being participatory based. This principle requires the active, open participation of front-line staff, middle managers, and top administrators in decisions about practices and policies that affect the well-being of clients served by their organization. It counters the conflicting priority of prescribing change in a top-down manner without the benefit of the experience of those closest to service provision. The chapter explains how participatory-based organizations impact staff discretion, motivation, learning, and engagement with clients and reviews the empirical evidence that supports participatory-based approaches. This evidence includes research in social cognition and neuroscience. Case examples illustrate the positive impact of participatory approaches on service provider and client outcomes, outlining their influence through norms and expectations as well as underlying beliefs and assumptions.