Policies influencing housing works organization mission

Policies influencing housing works organization mission

Introduction

In Profiles of Excellence, Independent Sector lists a clear, agreed upon mission statement first among the primary characteristics of successful nonprofit organizations. The primary importance of the mission statement means that failure to clearly state and communicate your organization’s mission can have harmful consequences, including: organization members can waste time “barking up the wrong tree”;(Bryson, 2004).  The organization may not think broadly enough about different possibilities if its mission statement is unclear or overly narrow; or the organization may not realize when it is time to go out of business.

In the formation of any agency, formal requirements that are confined in law and regulation or in the article of association must be met .However an organizations typically must meet a variety of  informal mandates that are embodied in either norms or in the expectations of the stakeholders. Stakeholders have  assumed a prominent place in public and nonprofit organizations in the last 20 years, and especially in the last decade. However their norms and expectations might have diversified effect on an agencies mission. The attention of stakeholders is the most  important factor to consider in the analysis of whether an agency can attain its mission or not. However the following factors might affect the attainment of the agency’s mission.

1. Stakeholders interest

Stockholders are the main decision makers of a given agency. However in some cases the interests of the stockholders may override the interests of the agency. This may happen in the event that the stockholders are driven by their personal motives and gains and they end up dismissing the main mission of the agency. In such cases, the policies that are put forward by the shareholders may may fail to reflect the to the goals and mission of the agency hence leading to its failure. For example in the housing works organization the core mission” To fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention information and other life-sustaining services, as well as legal protections from stigma and discrimination. Housing Works is a grassroots organization committed to the use of non-violent civil disobedience in order to further our mission to end AIDS and homelessness” if the body of stockholders are driven by other interests other than those stated in the mission this would lead to failure to accomplish the organization’s mission(Bryson, 2004).This analysis gives some information on how to convince stockholders to change their views and also the knowledge gained is used in advancing the interests of the relatively powerless.

1. stakeholders power

Stakeholders power in this contest refers to the legitimacy or the attention -getting capacity. It also refers to the stockholders authority in commanding the carrying out of some activities within the agency or organisation.in some cases some stockholders may act in a way that signifies misuse of power. In this case such actions may influence the organizations mission. This happens in some organizations where the leading team of stockholders may engage in giving orders to the subordinates or junior stuff only for porpoise of making their presence to be established. In this case such orders ore given out of any purposed reason and may sway the organization away from its main goal and mission. Power may also signify the stockholders capacity to implement some decisions in respect to the others. In the event where stockholders are pushed by their personal gains motives, they may end up implementing rules that are not related to the organization’s mission plan hence leading to failure to achieve the organization’s mission according to (Bryson ,2004)..in such a situation a detailed stockholders analysis should be done .

Stakeholders influence

Influence refers to the ability of the stakeholders to either positively or negatively contribute to the opinions of other stakeholders about the organization’s mission. For example, on its mission the ,” Housing Works pioneered the concept of social enterprise–businesses whose profits fund the mission of a parent, not-for-profit organization(Bryson, 2004).. This self-sustaining model provides employment opportunities to the community in addition to fundraising.” if the  stakeholder’s influence is geared to profit making ,then the organization’s main mission  of raising funds for life-sustaining as well as housing the HIV  victims in efforts to prevent them  from being  homeless would be overridden. The stakeholders influence comes forth as result of their interactions(Bryson, 2004).

1. stakeholders capability

Stakeholders capability will refer to the extent to which a stakeholder can perform his or her duties in respect with the organization’s mission. In this context if the organization’s mission is to cover a given geographical area and the stakeholders are not capable of doing such, then the organization’s mission would fail to be accomplished(Bryson, 2004).. For example on its mission the  housingworks”While Housing Works fights in particular for the inclusion and dignity of marginalized people, including active drug users, homeless people and sexual minorities, we advocate on behalf of all people living with AIDS and HIV, whatever their circumstances and wherever they live “may find it more difficult in assessing the people living with HIV aid in the remote parts of many countries that are difficult to access. in this case  the mission of the agency to reach HIV victims wherever they are irrespective of the circumstances may fail to be accomplished.

Reference

Bryson, J. M. (2004). What to do when stakeholders matter: stakeholder identification and analysis techniques. Public management review, 6(1), 21-53.