Premium
An organizational typology for self‐help groups
Author(s) -
Schubert Marsha A.,
Borkman Thomasina J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/bf00938044
Subject(s) - typology , diversity (politics) , psychology , social psychology , experiential learning , organizational behavior , health psychology , bridge (graph theory) , industrial and organizational psychology , knowledge management , group (periodic table) , sociology , public relations , applied psychology , political science , public health , computer science , pedagogy , medicine , chemistry , nursing , organic chemistry , anthropology
Conclusion Several continuing obstacles have hindered the compilation of a research‐based body of literature on self‐help groups. Among them are the diversity of the groups and the need for appropriate research methodology. The validated typology described above was designed to address some of these problems. It provides a means of recognizing the diversity of the groups and sorting them into broad types without stating that one is better or more productive than another. It supplies a framework for examining the organizational features of a group in order to facilitate comparison with other groups. It recognizes the potential effects of time, change, and leadership on the small local units of self‐help organizations. It has implications for making research more compatible with self‐help groups. The use of this typology might eliminate some of the ambiguity and conflicts currently found in the literature and thereby help people — professionals and self‐helpers — to more clearly understand the nature and functioning of self‐help groups.