Perceptions of effectiveness : a comparison of two land trusts

In this paper, two land conservation organizations of differing size and structure are compared for how these differences impact employee perceptions of the organization’s overall effectiveness. The research question is: how do the size, geographic scope, and sense of belonging to a land conservation organization impact employee perspectives on the organization’s effectiveness? I interviewed 13 employees, eight at Ecological Preservation Group and five at Eastern Washington Land Trust. The interview data is organized into the areas of sense of community, connection to the land/service area, perspectives on the mission, and perceptions of effectiveness based on themes that appeared in the Theory and Literature review. The interview data indicates that having a clear delineation between day-to-day work and an overall mission or vision is a key factor in how employees perceive their organization to be.