Author : Glenn Sterner
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (927 download)
Book Synopsis An Examination of Community Organizing Processes to Assess the Potential for Increasing Innovation in Practice by : Glenn Sterner
Download or read book An Examination of Community Organizing Processes to Assess the Potential for Increasing Innovation in Practice written by Glenn Sterner and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The emphasis of this research is to examine opportunities for rural residents to maximize the potential for innovation within community organizing processes associated with community development initiatives. This dissertation brings together community, community field, and innovation literatures to frame community development work as a form of innovation. The first objective of this project is to document rural community organizing processes for community development in four communities, and compare them to an innovation process conceptual framework. The second objective is to examine the role of social networks in these community organizing processes, in order to suggest potential modifications to these networks to more effectively catalyze innovative ideas to address community-identified issues. These two objectives were accomplished through research utilizing a multiple case study methodology. Data were collected through archival research and key informant interviews in four rural communities, Blissfield and Portland in Michigan, and Clearfield and Titusville in Pennsylvania. These communities were identified through their participation in the Main Street Program, which requires communities to engage in a community organizing process prior to acceptance into the program. The community organizing processes and the social networks utilized within them were analyzed according to the innovation process conceptual framework and findings presented. Finally, concluding remarks on the research findings, future opportunities for research, and policy implications were presented.