Exploring the Organizational Resilience of A School-embedded Social Work Agency: A Teaching/learning Case Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Organizational resilience is an emerging and important concept that focuses on building the capacity of human service organizations. While numerous studies documented challenges arising from purchase of service contracting, few have investigated how social work agencies can foster organizational resilience while maintaining daily service contracting processes over longer periods of time. This teaching/learning case explores the difficulties facing a school-embedded social work agency in Guangzhou, China, including distrust and misunderstandings, personnel shortages, and resource dependency. It also reveals the survival strategies that have been devised and developed accordingly, such as engaging the organization’s partner, streamlining management, and involving the community. Furthermore, this case highlights factors pointing to the interaction between the social work agency and the community in which it operates. The discussion questions invite scholars and practitioners to identify new directions for developing organizational resilience to address service contracting challenges posed by the existing governance of China’s social welfare system.