The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has had significant influence on both for-profit and nonprofit employers since it was enacted in 1993. Because nonprofit organizations often have more limited resources than for-profit organizations, implementing family and medical leave policy mandates can be problematic. Arts-related nonprofit organizations often have even fewer resources available yet must still ensure legal compliance and market competitiveness while continuing to focus on meeting their missions. Even if a smaller nonprofit organization is not subject to the FMLA, it is subject to other federal, state, and local employment laws, and the organization must decide whether to offer unpaid or paid family and medical leave, perhaps styled after the FMLA. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how those who conduct human resource functions in nonprofit arts organizations would perceive governmental prompting toward providing FMLA and paid leave in relation to their ability to meet their missions. This question was explored through the lens of nudge theory and involved interviews with nine HR professionals from nonprofit arts organizations. Data were analyzed using Bazeley and Jackson's bucket coding and Yin's explanation building processes. The results of the study indicated that HR professionals perceived little to no effects of the FMLA on their nonprofit arts organizations' ability to meet their missions. The social change implications of this study involve providing insights to policymakers that could inform decisions about family and medical leave mandates or nudges toward a desired outcome regarding these leaves of absence in the nonprofit sector.

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The present study posed two research questions. Because of limited research regarding leadership in arts and culture organizations, the background question to contextualize the study was: How do nonprofit arts and culture leaders in the Jacksonville, Florida, metropolitan area perceive their roles within their organizations? The foreground question was: How do leaders of nonprofit arts and culture organizations in the Jacksonville, Florida, metropolitan area understand their roles in providing underserved K-12 students access to and opportunity for arts education? The research questions warranted a qualitative research design using semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The review of the literature documented the importance of arts education for all and how school policy mandates have led to a reduction in access to and opportunity for arts education, especially in schools with high poverty rates and students of color. Interview data were collected from 11 leaders of nonprofit arts and culture organizations. Data analysis involved identifying five typologies that organized the description and interpretation dimensions of Eisner’s process of educational criticism (1998): arts education, programs, and services; advocacy and engagement for the arts; challenges to providing access to and opportunities for arts education; the role of partnerships; and nonprofit arts and culture organizational development. Data analysis corroborated that the problems of inequitable arts education is still pervasive in K-12 education. The participants perceived their missions as focused on arts education for all and as contributing to filling the gap in providing equitable access to and opportunities for arts education for underserved K-12 students. The present study concluded that nonprofit arts and culture organizations can provide a unique set of contributions, such as programs for K-12 students, arts leadership development, and partnerships with schools and with each other in delivering equitable access to and opportunities for arts education for underserved K-12 students.

No description available.