ABSTRACT
This book is essentially about developing certain business skills that can be used to be most effective as a social work manager in a variety of organizational contexts. The operating environment for social work organizations of all types, especially in the United States, has evolved since many of them were founded decades ago and has presented significant challenges to the traditional model in which such organizations are managed. A notable and very recent example of this phenomenon is the closure of Hull House in Chicago, the iconic settlement house founded by social work pioneer Jane Addams in 1889. Paul Light's working definition of a social entrepreneur is a good framework for this discussion. For-profit companies may look similar to nonprofits, especially to large nonprofits, but there is a fundamental difference. Social work managers with a business mindset are certainly needed in these hybrid organizations.
