A Symposium Introduction: Filling the Hollow State

Abstract

T he issue of nonprofit management education has never been more timely for individuals interested in theory and practice of public administration. Privatization of government work, a trend that dates back to Reagan and Bush administrations, has resulted in hollow state, separation of government from its output, and increasing role of nonprofit organizations in delivery of public (Milward, 1994, p. 73). As nonprofit staff assume a more prominent role in production of government-financed programs, issues surrounding educational preparation of these individuals makes this an appropriate topic for those concerned with performance of public programs. In his examination of scope of nonprofit sector, Lester Salamon has found that government support of nonprofit organizations extensive, providing a larger portion of resources to sector than private giving. The most recent data show that 36% of income in nonprofit organizations came from government, whereas 54% was derived from fees and 10% from private giving (Salamon, 1999, p. 36). However, this does not tell whole story, for in certain instances (such as community development and civic organizations) government funds clearly dominate, representing 51 % of income for these organizations. In fact, Salamon (1999) maintains that level of nonprofit expenditures on selected social welfare functions outdistances the levels of either federal government or state and local government expenditures on these same (p. 54). It clear that in hollow state, government has chosen to share its responsibility for service delivery with nonprofit organizations. As a result, public services in community are jointly produced, requiring increased levels of collaboration and cooperation among workers in these sectors. A central task of hollow state is to arrange networks rather than to carry out traditional task of government, which to manage hierarchies (Milward & Provan, 2000, p. 361). The incredible interpenetration of