ABSTRACT
This chapter presents human behavior and the social environment (HBSE) theory for social work practice with organizations. It outlines HBSE theory that informs social work practice with workers and their families at the job site (employee assistance programs). The chapter also provides HBSE theory to guide social workers in carrying out organizational change strategies. It then discusses the application of leadership theory for social workers who carry out administrative or managerial roles as part of organizational change. Policy implications are also raised. The chapter describes the role social workers may play in leading initiatives that maintain and/or transform organizational culture. Their major goal in this case is to organize workers to modify organizational culture to better provide work satisfaction and to meet the challenges of a changing US and world economy. Finally, the chapter presents leadership theories that can be used by the social worker to configure his or her administrative or managerial interventions.
