The study analysed four South African non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to determine which internal areas/parts promoted and inhibited its functioning. In this context, areas/parts refer to purposes, structure, relationships, rewards, leadership, helpful mechanisms and attitude towards change. The main objectives of this research were to investigate the different areas of functioning to determine which ones were hindering and which were helping the NGOs. The research would subsequently provide feedback and recommendations to the relevant stakeholders. The research design was quantitative with the Organisational Diagnosis Questionnaire (ODQ) being used. The questionnaires were analysed on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Overall results revealed that the internal areas of leadership, purposes, rewards and relationships were promoting the organisations’ functioning while structure, helpful mechanisms and attitude towards change were inhibiting the organisations’ functioning. The results also revealed the promoting and inhibiting factors/areas for each organisation. The promoting factors contribute to the organisations’ functioning and the inhibiting factors hinder the organisations’ functioning.

Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.