The School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) is a nationally ranked academic institution located on the campus of Indiana University (IU). SPEA brings together management skills, science, policy analysis, and the humanities, with a focus on governing, managing, and leading. Drs. Matthew Baggetta and Brad Fulton received a 2017 National Service and Civic Engagement Research grant from the AmeriCorps to lead a project that will use an innovative data collection technique – systematic social observation – to analyze the internal dynamics of civil society organizations (CSOs).
Despite the widespread presence and prominent role of CSOs in U.S. communities, little is known about their internal workings or how these internal dynamics affect organizations' outcomes. The researchers seek to introduce a systematic means of measuring how people interact within CSOs, and how these interactions can strengthen civic infrastructure in organizations, promote civic engagement by individuals, and improve the quality of life in communities. Through a pilot study in Indianapolis, IN, the study will expand, refine, and test a new tool for observing and analyzing the internal dynamics of CSOs.
At present, the study is testing the relationship between formality of meetings and organizational outcomes. While data collection is in progress, preliminary findings show the frequency of formal meetings. Among the 50 observations where discussions occurred, 23 (46 percent) were free form, 21 (42 percent) were a blend of formal and free form, and 6 (12 percent) used a formal discussion structure.
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