Organizational Structure and the Ongoing Service Decision: The Influence of Role Specialization and Service Integration. Issue 5 (20th October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Smith, Carrie; Fallon, Barbara; Fluke, John D.; Mishna, Faye; Decker Pierce, Barbara
• Is Part Of: Human service organizations, management, leadership & governance. Volume 43:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 375
• Page End: 391
• Publication Date: 2019-10-20
• Subjects: Child welfare decisions -- organizational structure -- specialization -- service integration -- ongoing services; Social service -- Periodicals; Social work administration -- Periodicals; 361.3068
• DOI: 10.1080/23303131.2019.1661928
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2330-3131

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study examined the impact of the structure of child welfare organizations (i.e., worker specialization and service integration) on the decision to provide ongoing services. A subsample of 4, 949 investigations from 16 agencies that participated in the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect – 2013 was included. Specialization and service integration did not predict ongoing service provision in the final models. Based on an examination of the variance at the organizational level, it is clear that organizational factors impact decision making, but the nature of this impact remains unexplained.