Papers by Stephanie Dolamore
Public Administration Review 2 2 Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 1 1 Public ... more Public Administration Review 2 2 Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 1 1 Public Management Review 0 0 Governance 0 0 Public Administration 0 0 While the previous discussion of empathy in public administration reviewed several important pieces on the topic of empathy in public administration (Box, 2015; Burnier, 2003; Gormley & Balla, 2012; Guy et al., 2008; King, 2011; King & Stivers, 1998; Zanetti, 2011; Zanetti & King, 2011, 2013), the above table highlights that this scholarship is not mainstream in the field. Thus, despite the imperfect assessment of the field’s literature, it is a meaningful comparison. DETECTING EMPATHY IN PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS -51Detecting an Organizational Culture of Empathy in Public Organizations Building on the above discussion of empathy (which establishes that there is a variety of conceptualizations of empathy across disciplines, but that scholars have stipulated that empathy has an important role to play in public administration...
Examining Public Organization Communication Misalignments During COVID-19 Through the Lens of Higher Education
Administration & Society
COVID-19 is forcing alterations to administrative communication. Higher education institutions tr... more COVID-19 is forcing alterations to administrative communication. Higher education institutions transitioning online during the pandemic offers a fertile ground to analyze what happens to organizational communication within administration when the mode is primarily remote. Using a content analysis of emails and participant interviews, this work finds that while administrators intend to communicate empathy, messages fall short of fostering connection with faculty due to failing to cultivate buyin through quality feedback channels. The takeaways of this study of remote communication is that despite its mode, communication must be two way, and the authenticity of organizational communication becomes more important under pressure-filled circumstances.
Detecting empathy in public organizations: Creating a more relational public administration
Administrative Theory & Praxis
Ready to serve the public? The role of empathy in public service education programs
Journal of Public Affairs Education
Providing Solutions to LGBT Homeless Youth: Lessons From Baltimore’s Youth Empowered Society
Public Integrity
Detecting empathy in public organizations: Creating a more relational public administration
Administrative Theory & Praxis
Detecting empathy in public organizations: Creating a more relational public administration
Administrative Theory & Praxis
Administrative Theory & Praxis, 2020
The defining characteristic of 2020 is life interrupted. Countries around the globe are impacted ... more The defining characteristic of 2020 is life interrupted. Countries around the globe are impacted by wholescale stay-at-home orders, looming economic collapse, heightened public attention to systemic racism, and associated protests. Even as global events create immense disruptions for individuals, these events also necessitate responsive actions from public and private institutions. In this Dialogue essay, we argue that the current crises emphasize the need for public organizations to sustain relationships by infusing communication efforts with empathy. Using an organizational theory approach of crisis management, we argue for the importance of focusing on governance legitimacy in times of crisis and highlight three communication strategies public organizations can use to strengthen relationships and improve crisis management performance.
Journal of Public Affairs Education, 2020
Teaching workplace communication is vitally important as we expect public servants to have the sk... more Teaching workplace communication is vitally important as we expect public servants to have the skills to draft, review, and revise written communication materials. Less explicitly demanded, and more often implicitly expected, we assume public servants know how to respond to individuals with empathy while also meeting technical obligations, such as adhering to conventional formats and meeting regulations imposed by administrative or statutory law. The compounding nature of these requirements provides a challenging context for public servants to write responsive and appropriate messages. Using a second-person narrative to heighten empathic skill development, this case study explores how a public servant at the Housing Authority of Baltimore City navigates writing formal responses to members of the community amid difficult circumstances. This case study presents an opportunity for public servants to learn about combining interpersonal and technical skills while communicating on the job.
Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 2020
Many funders of health and human service organizations require collaborative networks that work t... more Many funders of health and human service organizations require collaborative networks that work together to achieve community-wide outcomes. One such model is Collective Impact, an approach that has gained support as a way to promote collaboration and track progress. However, the limitations of Collective Impact imposed on small or community-led organizations may be crippling, given the technical and human capital needed to sustain demands for data collection and reporting. As a result, it is problematic that Collective Impact, which aims to enhance accountability and effectiveness in the decision-making process, is also creating unintended bias and inequity in funding relationships. The purpose of this research is to identify the challenges of using the Collective Impact model within an urban environment plagued by historical and on-going structural inequalities. This is accomplished through a critical case study of a large funder of health and human service organizations in an urban region of the mid-Atlantic. Analysis of primary and secondary data reveal disparate funding to large nonprofit organizations, despite organizational goals for equitable and inclusive funding across the nonprofit sector as part of the Collective Impact model. Consequently, the funding patterns represent a perpetuation of the status quo with problematic implications given the context of the region’s racial structural inequalities and organizational goals. This article concludes with recommendations for more inclusive approaches for funders working with small and community-based health and human service organizations.
Many funders of health and human service organizations require collaborative networks that work t... more Many funders of health and human service organizations require collaborative networks that work together to achieve community-wide outcomes. One such model is Collective Impact, an approach that has gained support as a way to promote collaboration and track progress. However, the limitations of Collective Impact imposed on small or community-led organizations may be crippling, given the technical and human capital needed to sustain demands for data collection and reporting. As a result, it is problematic that Collective Impact, which aims to enhance accountability and effectiveness in the decision-making process, is also creating unintended bias and inequity in funding relationships. The purpose of this research is to identify the challenges of using the Collective Impact model within an urban environment plagued by historical and on-going structural inequalities. This is accomplished through a critical case study of a large funder of health and human service organizations in an urban region of the mid-Atlantic. Analysis of primary and secondary data reveal disparate funding to large nonprofit organizations, despite organizational goals for equitable and inclusive funding across the nonprofit sector as part of the Collective Impact model. Consequently, the funding patterns represent a perpetuation of the status quo with problematic implications given the context of the region's racial structural inequalities and organizational goals. This article concludes with recommendations for more inclusive approaches for funders working with small and community-based health and human service organizations.
Many funders of health and human service organizations require collaborative networks that work t... more Many funders of health and human service organizations require collaborative networks that work together to achieve community-wide outcomes. One such model is Collective Impact, an approach that has gained support as a way to promote collaboration and track progress. However, the limitations of Collective Impact imposed on small or community-led organizations may be crippling, given the technical and human capital needed to sustain demands for data collection and reporting. As a result, it is problematic that Collective Impact, which aims to enhance accountability and effectiveness in the decision-making process, is also creating unintended bias and inequity in funding relationships. The purpose of this research is to identify the challenges of using the Collective Impact model within an urban environment plagued by historical and on-going structural inequalities. This is accomplished through a critical case study of a large funder of health and human service organizations in an urban region of the mid-Atlantic. Analysis of primary and secondary data reveal disparate funding to large nonprofit organizations, despite organizational goals for equitable and inclusive funding across the nonprofit sector as part of the Collective Impact model. Consequently, the funding patterns represent a perpetuation of the status quo with problematic implications given the context of the region's racial structural inequalities and organizational goals. This article concludes with recommendations for more inclusive approaches for funders working with small and community-based health and human service organizations.
Public Administration Review, 2020
Sexual harassment was established as a form of sex discrimination in institutions of higher educa... more Sexual harassment was established as a form of sex discrimination in institutions of higher education (IHEs) under Title IX of the Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Since then, decades of victimization surveys beginning in the 1980s show that sexual misconduct continues to be a significant problem for IHEs. Estimates suggest that as many as 25 percent of college women experience a sexual assault while in college, while as many as 34 percent experience attempted or completed unwanted kissing, sexual touching using physical force, threat of physical force, and/or verbal coercion during their college career. In this Viewpoint essay, the authors propose the Preventing and Addressing Sexual Misconduct Framework as a tool to assess and cultivate an organizational culture that is responsive to these concerning trends. Pulling from an interdisciplinary body of scholarship and the philosophy of the #MeToo movement, this tool is a starting place for the continued dialogue that is needed to more fully address sexual misconduct on college campuses. Evidence for Practice • Sexual misconduct is a significant problem in institutions of higher education. Estimates suggest that as many as 25% of college women experience a sexual assault while in college (Fisher, Cullen, and Turner 2000). • Current responses by institutions of higher education focus on 'checking the box' compliance and reducing potential legal liability, and do not necessarily focus on preventing sexual violence or serving survivors post-assault. • Mature organizational responses to concerning trends in sexual misconduct require a significant refocusing of the organizational culture of each institution. One such tool to accomplish this work is the proposed Preventing and Addressing Sexual Misconduct (PASM) Framework.
Journal of Technology in Human Services, 2018
Human service organizations have long been encouraged to
utilize performance measurement to track... more Human service organizations have long been encouraged to
utilize performance measurement to track their efficiency and
effectiveness. But recent trends move beyond the measurement of outcomes to the management of large, often messy,
datasets surrounding programmatic impact . Given the resources required for tracking performance measures, organizational data has the potential to be of value for nonprofit
organizations (i.e., grants, fundraising), but can data be considered an organizational value? Using a multimethod case study
of Family League, a human service organization in Baltimore,
Maryland, this research found that there are varying attitudes
about efforts to be data driven among staff of the organization suggesting that data as an organizational value has not
yet been solidified. Utilizing Family League as an example, this
research explores how organizations can promote an internal
culture that clarifies the meanings of data and the incorporation of data into decision-making processes. This research
adds a fourth pillar to Scott’s Institutional Theory that seeks to
promote knowledge utilization as the basis of order within an
organization.
Administrative Theory & Praxis , 2019
Public organizations fulfill critical needs in communities across the
United States, such as hous... more Public organizations fulfill critical needs in communities across the
United States, such as housing, environmental protection, public
education, and more. In this important role, healthy public organizations
should be accountable to the values that guide their work. But
there is an absence of tools that support the assessment of the
empathy in public organizational culture, that is, the value that supports
equitably interacting, including, and representing all individuals
served. To close the gap, this article presents a framework to detect
an organizational culture of empathy, including the results from a
case study of Housing Authority of Baltimore City and providing
examples for how organizations can engage in empathic practices.
Public Voices, 2018
In their work implementing public policy, public servants are pulled between mastering the techni... more In their work implementing public policy, public servants are pulled between mastering the technical aspects of their jobs while also practicing the emotional skills required to meet individuals where they are and uniformly implement policy to all. This challenge is especially present when there is a unique event requiring significant action on the part of public servants, like recent events witnessed in Ferguson, MO, Flint, MI, or Baltimore, MD. Empathy is a skill that can mediate policy implementation and smooth out the differences that exist between the public and public servant. In this paper, we set out to consider the complexity encountered in the delivery of public services, specifically by exploring the varied perspectives and stories in the days immediately surrounding the unrest in Baltimore, Maryland following the death of Freddie Gray on April 19, 2015. To do this, we explore a dataset of emails and documents from the Baltimore City government to bring to life stories that illuminate the varied perspectives of individuals served by government during this turbulent time.
In the United States, nearly 1.7 million youth under the age of 18 run away from home and often e... more In the United States, nearly 1.7 million youth under the age of 18 run away from home and often end up homeless each year. Reports estimate that between 20% and 40% of the runaway and homeless youth population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) (Durso & Gates, 2012; Kaiser Family Foundation, 2014). This suggests that as many as 80,000 LGBT youth are homeless for over a week each year (National Alliance to End Homelessness,
2012). In addition, LGBT youth are more likely to suffer from poverty, substance abuse, violence, mental illness, and attempted suicide as a result of harassment and discrimination (Cray, Miller, & Durso, 2013; Kaiser Family Foundation, 2014; Swan, 2014). Grounded in social equity theory (Frederickson, 2010) and intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991), this article argues that additional legal protections are necessary in order to ensure the constitutional rights of LGBT youth. A case study of the Youth Empowered Society (YES) in Baltimore City is provided as an example
of a service-delivery model for this vulnerable population. Best practices are identified and anti-discrimination policies are recommended.
Public administrators serve the people and implement public
policy., However, stories abound that... more Public administrators serve the people and implement public
policy., However, stories abound that call into question public
servants' ability to represent constituents different from them.
Empathy, which is the ability to recognize, understand, and
respond to the feelings of another, offers a way to improve
these Interactions and bring them more In line with expected
public service values. In this article, we explore the extent to
which empathy is important and plays a role In public service
education programs. Using results from a survey conducted in
the spring of 2016, we consider faculty perceptions on empathy
in public service education and the extent to which public
service education programs are incorporating empathy training
into their curriculum. Understanding this sheds light on the
extent to which empathy is valued and taught in public service
education programs.
There are increasing efforts among funders to award grants based on robust data collection and re... more There are increasing efforts among funders to award grants based on robust data collection and reporting requirements. The objective is to promote a culture of evidence-based decisionmaking, an idea well grounded in the field and practice of public administration as it advances public service values like neutrality and effectiveness. Yet there are very real downsides to this approach. Limitations imposed by funders on small and community-led organizations may be crippling given the technical and human capital needed to sustain such demands. As a result, these organizations can lose out on substantial funding
opportunities.
Books by Stephanie Dolamore
There is a long history of data collection in higher education dating back to 1867, when the fede... more There is a long history of data collection in higher education dating back to 1867, when the federal government formed the U.S. Department of Education to gather and distribute information on the status of education (U.S. Senate, 2015). The emergence of outcome reporting
grew as federal funding for education climbed during the 1960s,
including national collection requirements of institutional surveys under
the creation of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (U.S. Senate,
2015). It wasn't until the 1980s, when the federal government officially began using postsecondary data for accountability purposes when student loan participation rates became unfavorably high for the first time (U.S. Senate, 2015). Later in 1992, and as part of the first reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, institutional surveys became mandatory. Presently, in the 2014-2015 academic year,
there are 12 annual surveys required of all institutions (National Center
for Education Statistics, 2015). This chapter explores the utilization of data in higher education, specifically given the rise of the institutional research offices since the formalization of data collection.
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Papers by Stephanie Dolamore
utilize performance measurement to track their efficiency and
effectiveness. But recent trends move beyond the measurement of outcomes to the management of large, often messy,
datasets surrounding programmatic impact . Given the resources required for tracking performance measures, organizational data has the potential to be of value for nonprofit
organizations (i.e., grants, fundraising), but can data be considered an organizational value? Using a multimethod case study
of Family League, a human service organization in Baltimore,
Maryland, this research found that there are varying attitudes
about efforts to be data driven among staff of the organization suggesting that data as an organizational value has not
yet been solidified. Utilizing Family League as an example, this
research explores how organizations can promote an internal
culture that clarifies the meanings of data and the incorporation of data into decision-making processes. This research
adds a fourth pillar to Scott’s Institutional Theory that seeks to
promote knowledge utilization as the basis of order within an
organization.
United States, such as housing, environmental protection, public
education, and more. In this important role, healthy public organizations
should be accountable to the values that guide their work. But
there is an absence of tools that support the assessment of the
empathy in public organizational culture, that is, the value that supports
equitably interacting, including, and representing all individuals
served. To close the gap, this article presents a framework to detect
an organizational culture of empathy, including the results from a
case study of Housing Authority of Baltimore City and providing
examples for how organizations can engage in empathic practices.
2012). In addition, LGBT youth are more likely to suffer from poverty, substance abuse, violence, mental illness, and attempted suicide as a result of harassment and discrimination (Cray, Miller, & Durso, 2013; Kaiser Family Foundation, 2014; Swan, 2014). Grounded in social equity theory (Frederickson, 2010) and intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991), this article argues that additional legal protections are necessary in order to ensure the constitutional rights of LGBT youth. A case study of the Youth Empowered Society (YES) in Baltimore City is provided as an example
of a service-delivery model for this vulnerable population. Best practices are identified and anti-discrimination policies are recommended.
policy., However, stories abound that call into question public
servants' ability to represent constituents different from them.
Empathy, which is the ability to recognize, understand, and
respond to the feelings of another, offers a way to improve
these Interactions and bring them more In line with expected
public service values. In this article, we explore the extent to
which empathy is important and plays a role In public service
education programs. Using results from a survey conducted in
the spring of 2016, we consider faculty perceptions on empathy
in public service education and the extent to which public
service education programs are incorporating empathy training
into their curriculum. Understanding this sheds light on the
extent to which empathy is valued and taught in public service
education programs.
opportunities.
Books by Stephanie Dolamore
grew as federal funding for education climbed during the 1960s,
including national collection requirements of institutional surveys under
the creation of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (U.S. Senate,
2015). It wasn't until the 1980s, when the federal government officially began using postsecondary data for accountability purposes when student loan participation rates became unfavorably high for the first time (U.S. Senate, 2015). Later in 1992, and as part of the first reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, institutional surveys became mandatory. Presently, in the 2014-2015 academic year,
there are 12 annual surveys required of all institutions (National Center
for Education Statistics, 2015). This chapter explores the utilization of data in higher education, specifically given the rise of the institutional research offices since the formalization of data collection.