The results of a management redesign: A case study of a private child welfare agency

This paper reports on the restructuring of a large, private nonprofit, child welfare agency, and includes a description of the change objectives, the process of planning and implementing the changes, and the impact of the changes. The findings discussed here focus on changes in staff turnover and performance as well as staff perceptions of the continuation or reduction of identified organizational problems. The overall goal of the management redesign was to devolve decision-making closer to the point of service delivery. A survey with a response rate of 60.3% was the main source of information for the study. Almost 90% of the respondents reported that the redesign generated benefits, and approximately 74% identified negative consequences. The redesign was perceived by staff to reduce organizational problems related to communication, decision-making, leadership, and agency mission. Staff turnover increased during the redesign, but staff performance remained at a relatively high level.