The Next "New" Idea: The Challenges of Organizational Change, Decline and Renewal in Australian Meals on Wheels

The iconic Australian voluntary organization, Meals on Wheels, has delivered meals to the elderly and those with disabilities for over 60 years and is currently facing considerable institutional change. These exogenous changes include a more regulatory environment, tighter funding restrictions and a move towards marketization and competition. These issues are affecting a traditional service delivery organization reliant on a predominantly older volunteer workforce. This paper draws on neo-institutional theory to explore the impact of these contemporary institutional changes on an organization heavily reliant on volunteers, leading to a clash between traditional values and market concerns with efficiency and productivity. Utilizing a case study approach, and focusing on interviews with the current Australian leadership, this article explores how Meals on Wheels is managing change, and more specifically how leaders perceive the impact, and responses, of its volunteers.