The Role of Quality Management in Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement and Operational Effectiveness in Nonprofit Organizations
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Authors
Felicia, Swauncy
Issue Date
2026-04
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Business, Engineering, Science, & Technological Innovation , Quality Management , Stakeholder Trust , Performance Measurement , Nonprofit Governance , Operational Efficiency , Stakeholder Engagement
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study examined how irregularities in organizational processes within large United States–based health and human services nonprofit organizations, particularly those engaged in fundraising, influence stakeholder engagement and operational effectiveness. The problem addressed is that irregularities in governance, accountability, and transparency may undermine stakeholder trust and operational performance, affecting donors, organizational leaders, and the communities served by these organizations. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how these process irregularities shape stakeholder engagement and operational effectiveness in fundraising-driven nonprofit environments. The study was guided by a conceptual framework integrating quality management, stakeholder theory, and contingency theory to examine how governance credibility, operational reliability, and organizational readiness interact in practice. A qualitative descriptive design was used to capture real-world stakeholder experiences and organizational conditions. Data were collected through open-ended survey responses and archival analysis of publicly available organizational records. A purposive sample included internal stakeholders such as executives and fundraising leaders, and external stakeholders such as donors and volunteers. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with triangulation across survey and archival sources to strengthen credibility and interpretive alignment. Findings supported the three research questions. Research question one, irregularities in donor-facing communication and operational transparency were associated with reduced stakeholder trust and engagement, indicating that the reliability of routine processes strongly influences trust. Research question two: structured and incremental quality management practices were perceived as improving coordination, reducing rework, and strengthening operational predictability without requiring a comprehensive organization-wide implementation. For the third, implementation challenges were consistently linked to staffing constraints, workload imbalance, limited training capacity, and technology barriers, indicating that readiness and capacity alignment are central conditions for sustainable improvement. The study's findings suggested that stakeholder trust was associated with consistent operational performance, governance oversight, capacity-aligned quality practices, and readiness-based implementation. Recommendations emphasize strengthening operational transparency in donor-facing processes, embedding trust-related indicators into oversight routines, adopting incremental quality practices aligned with capacity, and conducting readiness assessments before primary process or technology changes. Future research should extend these findings through longitudinal and mixed-methods designs and comparative studies across nonprofit contexts.
Description
Full text embargoed until May 2027