Management in small social companies : an organisational management framework

Abstract

The aim of the thesis was to provide a practical framework for management in a small social company. The project was commissioned by StarKid Universe, a Slovenian company offering mindfulness and meditation content curated for children. While the company promotes a positive company culture and employee satisfaction within its internal operations, it can benefit from a stronger managerial foundation. This is challenging for the company to achieve since their main manager is also their founder, thus involved in multiple different responsibilities and roles, culminating in managerial time constraints.

The goal of the research was to identify the most beneficial management practices, the possible failure factors and the effects of managers’ personal features and traits on the management. The study was conducted by a secondary research of 11 studies and a primary research of one interview. The results were subsequently divided into three main categories most prominent in the researched sources. These categories were found to be mission and motivation, communication, and development and adaptation.

In the first analysed section, mission and motivation, a clearly articulated vision, alignment of operations and practices with company values, and the mutual effort and collaboration between employees and managers were found to be significant. In communication, the negative impact of scarcity or withholding of information was recognised while the importance of recognition, availability and constructiveness was highlighted. The development and adaptation section identified all parties’ constant development, continuous adaptation and strong leadership as valuable factors affecting management. In view of the analysed findings, a practical management framework was developed, consisting of nine sections divided into three main segments called alignment, effectiveness and adaptation.

The findings offered an opportunity to identify key practices and possible improvement areas from the case company’s perspective, increased understanding and insight as well as an opportunity for further reflection. While the conclusions offered clarity and further communication about the company’s strategies, processes and general values, the application and implementation of practices alongside continuous assessment of the framework sections was recommended.