Employment Relations as Drivers of Social Mission

Abstract

Nonprofit organizations are defined by their social mission. Thus, individual employees often perceive their relationship with the organization in terms of the social mission and values that attract them to each nonprofit. The perception, processes, dimensions and outcomes of the nexus between employees and the social mission are played out mainly through employment relations. Research suggests that employment relations in nonprofit organizations are not only uniquely contextual due in part to the social mission of the organization, the relationship is particularly multidimensional combining elements of social exchange, social movement, strategy and high performance. The nexus between employment relations and social mission is also likely to be constantly evolving in order to align with change in the environment. This symposium provides a forum for leading scholars to contribute to our understanding of the relationship between employment relations and social mission by 1) exploring relevant factors to consider in the formulation of employment relations to enhance the social mission of nonprofit organizations; 2) examining how social mission interactions with employment relations impact individual employee outcomes such as engagement and meaningfulness; 3) analyze how the combination of social justice and employment relations factors drive synergies and inter-organizational relationships that benefits the society, the organization, and the employees and 4) the role of nonprofit leadership is developing systems that support the social mission. A Decade Later and How Much Wiser? A Systematic Review of Strategic HRM Research in NPOs Presenter: Alina McCandless Baluch; U. of St Andrews Presenter: Hans-Gerd Ridder; Leibniz U. Hannover Employee Engagement and Perception of HR Practices: What You See is What You Get Presenter: Kunle Akingbola; Lakehead U. Presenter: Sephora Kerekou; Laval U. Presenter: Aurelas Tohon; Laval U. Social Unionism as a Contribution to Human Capital Priorities Presenter: Carol Brunt; U. of Wisconsin, Whitewater Presenter: Kunle Akingbola; Lakehead U. High Performance Work Systems in Nonprofit Organizations: The Role of the Executive Director Presenter: Jessica Elizabeth Sowa; U. of Baltimore