An Experimental Selection Process for a Collaborative Organization

Abstract

When collaborative organizations or communities survive the earliest stages of development, they encounter two related structural dilemmas. First, a variety of constraints makes pure collaboration on every decision impossible and particular goals may make it undesirable. Second, turnover in membership requires a selection process that enables applicants to exercise self-direction and collaboration, so that those most capable of collaboration can be identified and selected and new members' sense of collaboration with "old" members is enhanced rather than diminished. An attempt to resolve these demands is offered in the following case study of selection procedures for staffing a second-year Upward Bound program.