Human service community NGOs occupy a significant position in western civil society, holding roles such as employer, service provider, volunteer, carer, victim, advocate, partner and leader. They claim a shared philosophical and moral basis to support these roles and this unquestioned assumption causes significant consequences for their future as they embrace commercial practices and governance models. Does the NGO have the capacity to provide ethical leadership now with its shifting value systems, an increasing loss of meaningful relationships as defined by spiritual formation and entrenched gender discrimination in a postmodern, global environment? All this indicates a collapse in NGO activities through leadership fragmentation and a rise in managerial and bureaucratic technocracy. The book uses postmodernism, feminism and narrative practices to explore relationships within NGOs between employers and employees on leadership, ethics, values and spirituality. It examines emerging tensions on faith, gender, business operations and asks 'what next?'. The book is intended for community, government and business professionals and leaders who work with human service NGOs.
