Why do private non-profit organizations provide information on the Internet?

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this study is to show the provision of research measures information on the Internet by private non-profit organizations (NPOs) and provide insight on underlying drivers. Design/methodology/approach – This research involves scoring websites of Belgian NPOs on the basis of their information dissemination and applies univariate and multivariate statistical methods to analyze the driving forces. It also provides two illustrating case studies. Findings – The drivers of Internet information provision in our sample organizations show many similarities to those found for for-profit corporations. However, contrary to the latter, NPOs include little financial information and focus on their goals. Furthermore, in line with the notion that insiders-workers may capture the organization, we find that the degree of professionalization has a significantly negative impact on disclosure. Overall, outside pressures as predicted by neo-institutional theory and agency issues are important in shaping communication of information. In fact, the two cases indicate that the pressures, as predicted by neo-institutional theory, may easily lead NPOs to cater to key stakeholders in much the same way as for-profit corporations cater to customers. Research limitations/implications – The results are indicative of general forces driving NPO behaviour. Of interest would be a more in-depth analysis to link the prevalence of certain forces to specific governance models and to contextual factors. Practical implications – These findings may give users/visitors of websites better insight into the forces shaping information communication policies of an NPO. Originality/value – This paper adds to the scant evidence on Internet information provision by private non-profit organizations and its drivers. As such, it offers an opportunity to study the forces that are likely shaping decision-making within NPOs.