[01] Roger A. Ritvo, Department of Management, Auburn University Montgomery, Montgomery, USA.

Aim: This article reports the results of a research project on the leadership and governance patterns of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Azerbaijan, one of the states in the former Soviet Union. Sometimes referred to as the father of social psychology, Kurt Lewin (1890 – 1947) developed the force field analysis model that is applied to the changes in the nonprofit sector in a country that is still in its teenage years of independence. In order to understand how the nonprofit sector is changing and adapting, this article uses the competency-based framework for effective governance. Method: The research methodology included extensive interviews, both on-the-record and off-the record, with NGO leaders, clients, academics, government officials, politicians and two focus-groups of 24 randomly-selected senior citizens. Results: The findings show that many NGOs struggle to organize, function and meet the needs of the people they are registered to serve. Conclusion: The competency model transcends national boundaries, but that it has serious limitations in less-than-stable societies and with developing nonprofits.

NGOs, Azerbaijan, Kurt Lewin, Force Field Analysis, Civil Society

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