Decision-Making in the Jewish Community: A Comparative Study of Allied Jewish Community Services Decision-Makers and Other Constituent Groups, August 1977

The author’s study focused on the priorities of decision-makers and other constituent groups in Montreal’s Jewish community, circa 1977. The questions central to the author’s study were: (1) do priorities set by Allied Jewish Community Services (today known as Federation CJA) decision-makers represent the priorities of the Jewish community, (2) do priorities of decision-makers differ from other constituent groups and (3) do priorities of decision-makers reflect the priorities of low-income consumers or the users of service. The author surveyed seventy-two respondents, subdivided into four equal groups of board members, management, workers, and consumers - all affiliated with Allied Jewish Community Services. The author discovered that decision-makers’ priorities were not necessarily representative of all constituent groups. Her findings revealed major areas of agreement as well as disagreement. All groups rated services for the aged as highest priority, while administrative services were the least valued. Regarding major areas of disagreement, the author found that board members’ priorities were most like management's and least similar to low-income consumers' priorities. The major areas of disagreement between decision-makers and low-income consumers concerned broader service areas such as Quebec political and foreign relations, and immigrant relief which poor consumers felt were not as important as direct services used primarily by the poor.

Master's Thesis

McGill University

Montreal

1977

ix-220p.

en