TUCKMAN’S THEORY OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT IN SMALL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUP EFFICACY

Michael Couchman

INTRODUCTION Despite the disparities amongst small nonprofits and their reported levels

of performance; little research has been examined towards the impact of engaging team development models and addressing those implications toward group efficacy levels.

The fluctuation of performance and inefficiencies amongst small nonprofits is problematic due to their vast contributions to the community and the requirement of operating on typically less than optimal budget.

In 2012 research demonstrated how the United States housed over 1.5 million nonprofits; of those reported nonprofits 61/ 79 percent operated under 100k thousand dollars annually (Francis & Talansky, 2012). Management experts and consultants view nonprofit organizations as inefficient due to the absence of the concentrating power of the profit motive (Schumpeter, 2010).

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STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The  fluctuation of performance inefficiencies amongst small nonprofits is problematic due to their vast contributions to the community and the requirement of operating on typically less than optimum budget.

For the purpose of this research a small nonprofit will be defined by and representative of those organizations required to file a 990-N  through the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS 990-N is indicative of an organization

whose annual receipts total  less than fifty thousand dollars (Service, 2014). After the start of the 2008 recession many nonprofits were forced to operate

much leaner than their normally leaned budget.

THEORIES SUPPORTING THIS RESEARCH Tuckman’s Group Development Theory

~ Forming

~ Storming

~ Norming

~ Performing

~ Adjourning

OTHER THEORIES SUPPORTING THIS RESEARCH The interpretive theory is the theoretical foundation for

this research. Interpretivism refers to approaches emphasizing the meaningful nature of people's participation in social and cultural life (Seale, 2011).

The interpretive theory is accepting of free will and sees human behavior as the outcome of the subjective interpretation of the environment. Interpretive theory also seeks reciprocal inter-subjective understanding of subjects (Schwandt, 1994).

METHODOLOGY

A correlational research approach will be implemented through a casual quasi-experimental design; utilizing

surveys and information dissemination when measuring group interaction and efficacy.

Quantitative

METHODOLOGY

The eligibility criteria for the sampling will consist of nonprofit organizations similar in their fiscal expenditures (under 50k dollars), being at the minimum a State Registered Nonprofit.

The personnel within the organizations will not be scrutinized by sex, age, ethnicity, or any other individualistic means to better represent the realistic makeup of similar organizations.

The sources will include registered small nonprofit organizations under a federally established EIN.

For this study participation recruitment will continue until a minimum of 30 organizations volunteer for the project.

Sample

METHODOLOGY

For this research a minimum sampling of 30 small nonprofit organizations will be utilized; being representative of Placer County California’s nonprofit community.

This representation denotes a sampling error or confidence interval of .5.

The sampling error was calculated using the Survey System Sample Size Calculator (Systems, The Survey System; Sample Size Calculator, 2012); which can also be represented through the calculation: “n' = P'(1-P') / (SE)2” (Borden & Abbot, 2011).

Krejcie & Morgan (1970) estimated as a general rule that a 5% categorical margin of error is acceptable within studies of the educational and social realm.

Sample Cont.

METHODOLOGY

Once written approval has been gained from the participating organizations they will be randomly and equally placed into two groups: Alpha (A) and Bravo (B).

TMLQ will be administered at the beginning of the study timeframe alongside the modified Hoy’s (2003) CE-Scale, which will allow for a two week response time.

The questionnaire will be dispersed prior to the introduction of Tuckman’s development process for those organizations which randomly fall into group Alpha (A). For group Bravo (B) the organizations will take the TMLQ/CE-Scale in the beginning as well, with the only difference being this set of organizations will not be introduced to the independent variable following the completion of the first set of questionnaires.

Data Collection

METHODOLOGY

Both groups will complete the questionnaires at the beginning of the study, at the end of three weeks, and at the conclusion of the 5 week project when determining the effects of the dependent variable as related to group efficacy.

For group A each week of the five week study will represent a theme from Tuckman’s model: Week (1) Introduction to Tuckman’s group development; (2) Forming; (3) Storming, TLMQ and CE-Scale; (4) Norming; (5) Performing. These themes will be delivered via informational packets via PowerPoint presentations or printed mailed copies of the material. At the end of week 5, both grouped organizations will receive the TMLQ and the CE-Scaled surveys with a span of two weeks for completion.  Once the surveys have been received online the data will be loaded into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and analyzed.

Data Collection Cont.

METHODOLOGYwww.CouchmanResearch.com Surveys: TMLQ and the “Modified” CE-Scale Is there a relationship between the number of small nonprofit board members,

the roles of which each member represent, and the  organization’s group efficacy  level ?

Alternate Hypothesis (H1): Organizations which operate on a small scale (less than twenty-five thousand dollars annually) who incorporate with more than the minimum state required board members will have lower group efficacy levels; therefore operating at a less than optimum performance level.

The secondary research question (RQ2): Is there an association between an organization’s level of group efficacy and the organizations perceived development stage derived from Tuckman’s theory: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing?

Alternate Hypothesis (H2):

Board members interpretation of staged development within their

affiliated NPO will directly reflect the group’s

efficacy level.

Instrumentation/Questions

METHODOLOGY A mixed between–within subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA)

design will be executed allowing for a clear disparity of dependent Y variables between the organizations being influenced by the independent X variable and the organization withheld of the information (Borden & Abbot, 2011).

F statistics and P values will be used to test the hypotheses with the interaction of group A and the X variable for within subjects and also between the two groups. The statistic will indicate whether Y variable differs over the span of five weeks. The data will be uploaded utilizing a mixed  model through SPSS. Accurate comparisons of the mean data polled from pre surveys rely on the proper ANOVA procedures to include: the elimination of outliers, normality of data distribution, homogeneity of variances/covariance’s, and sphericity.

Propose Data Analysis

METHODOLOGY

The statistical mean value/or continuous variable from the pre TMLQ and CE-Scale will be the measure of statistical interaction when compared to the post ANOVA data sets.

The study will include analysis of between subjects: (IV) Tuckaman’s theory; within subjects: (IV) organizational position held; and a DV of group efficacy. For this study if there is a statistical significance further calculations will demonstrated evidence of (Ho) through “Tests-of Within-Subjects Effects”; “Pairwise Comaparison’s”; “Tests of Between Subjects Effects”; and “Multiple Comparisons” of SPSS generated data tables.  Alisha Walker Marciano Explain how you will make comparisons using this approach.

Propose Data Analysis Cont.

DATA COLLECTION PLAN15 NPO’s (Group A)

15 NPO’s (Group B)

Instilling the Fundamentals Of:

Forming StormingNorming

Performing

Post TMLQ Survey

TMLQ & M. CE Scale

Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

Modified CEScale

Surveyed

Analysis

Analysis

Surveyed

Adjourning

Post TMLQ Survey

TMLQ & M. CE Scale

TMLQ & CE Scale

TMLQ & CE Scale

QUESTIONS