Focus topics
What issues does the Institute of Management and Social Policy address?
Social policy and management
Social organisations want to deliver benefits for their clients. However, they are subject to a variety of forces.
- Social policy developments are changing their field of action, making it necessary for them to reposition themselves and ask whether their strategy and portfolio of services are suited to the increasingly complex requirements.
- Striking the right balance between financing and quality is a challenge. Are financial or operational requirements gaining the upper hand? From whose perspective is quality defined?
Our research and tools put the self-determination of users at the centre. We show you why it is crucial to understand what clients expect from your services. This differs from the perspective of financial backers.
We work collaboratively and with a focus on mutual understanding. We advise and support you in the development and implementation of client-centred strategies, services and business models. We work with you to develop conceptual and empirical foundations that reflect the needs of your stakeholders. Our ZHAW Social Business Model Canvas (PDF 1.17 MB), developed in-house, is a powerful tool for this.
Leadership and coaching
We see leadership and coaching as creative and interactive processes in social organisations. As such, we navigate the complex interplay between socio-political challenges, organisational frameworks, the needs and expectations of stakeholders, and goal- and resource-oriented leadership and consulting activities.
We research the theoretical, methodological and practice-oriented fundamentals of leadership and coaching in current social contexts and communicate these in our teaching, continuing education and service programmes. In doing so, we examine the interplay between leadership models and coaching formats, as well as their transfer to fields of social work and beyond.
We empower leaders, consultants and professionals from social organisations to reflect on their roles and act responsibly and competently. We support them in refining their actions with new individual- and society-centred approaches. Our goal is to strengthen empowering, reflective collaboration in organisations.
Impact orientation and organisational development
The demands placed on social organisations are increasing. Their environment is changing and competitive situations challenge them to constantly review and develop their activities, while consistently keeping the needs of their target audiences at the forefront. How can this be achieved?
We focus on the potential of social organisations and support them in their development. This includes digitalisation, agility, sociocracy and volunteer coordination. We analyse processes and results and ask not only whether something is having an impact, but also under what conditions and for which stakeholder groups social sustainability is achieved.
In doing so, we build on practical research into the effectiveness and development of organisations. The findings flow directly into our evaluations and services. This enables us to provide sound arguments for positioning and an evidence-based foundation for developing our own range of services and our own social organisation.