Nonprofit Organizations In Australia Research Articles

Marginalizing the Marginalized: Human Resource Development and Refugees’ Employability

Meaningful employment in the receiving country dramatically improves refugees’ integration outcomes. Yet, many refugees are significantly under- and unemployed, often needing re- or upskilling upon resettlement. Human resource development (HRD) forms a critical part of the human resource management (HRM) function, and as a result, there are multiple calls for employers and their human resource (HR) professionals to take an active role in refugee HRD. Despite the calls, HRM remains largely detached from this role, leaving the HRD mission to non-profit organizations (NPOs). Drawing on a qualitative study of NPOs in Australia, we find that, in carrying out a complex set of HRD practices within a resource-constrained environment, NPOs are forced to opt for those support practices that satisfy the resource-abundant stakeholders’ interests. We find that this course of action can lead to the prioritization of organizational survival over social sustainability, resulting in suboptimal outcomes for the most vulnerable refugees. With this research, we offer a novel view of how well-intended stakeholder engagement can negatively influence HRD support and further disadvantage the most vulnerable individuals. With increasing calls for cross-sector solutions to the world’s grand challenges, our study reveals the potential unintended dark side of collaboration. Simultaneously, we plead for active contribution from HR professionals in creating HRD opportunities for a wide range of refugee jobseekers.

The HRM–CSR nexus and stakeholder co-dependency: Investigating refugee employment support programs

Recent research suggests that human resource management (HRM) can play a crucial role in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and in addressing grand challenges, such as refugee workforce integration. This paper investigates how employers carry out their CSR goals through HRM practices, while working closely with non-profit organizations (NPOs) that facilitate refugee employment support programs. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews with employers and NPOs in Australia, we highlight their co-dependent relationship in addressing the challenge of refugee workforce integration. We demonstrate how, in this co-dependent relationship, the achievement of both CSR goals and social impact is enhanced through each stakeholder’s unique expertise and access to resources. Our research findings advance the current understanding of the HRM–CSR literature on external stakeholder engagement by suggesting that a co-dependent, rather than just a collaborative, relationship can underpin the effective execution of HRM practices with CSR goals.

Refugee employment support: The HRM–CSR nexus and stakeholder co‐dependency

AbstractRecent research suggests that human resource management (HRM) can play a crucial role in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and in addressing grand challenges, such as refugee workforce integration. This paper investigates how employers carry out their CSR goals through HRM practices, while working closely with non‐profit organisations (NPOs) that facilitate refugee employment support programmes. Using qualitative semi‐structured interviews with employers and NPOs in Australia, we highlight their co‐dependent relationship in addressing the challenge of refugee workforce integration. We demonstrate how the achievement of both CSR goals and social impact is enhanced in this co‐dependent relationship, where each stakeholder's unique expertise and access to resources are shared and leveraged. Our research findings advance the current understanding of the HRM–CSR literature on external stakeholder engagement by suggesting that a co‐dependent, rather than just a collaborative, relationship can underpin the effective execution of HRM practices with CSR goals.

Managing employees in aged care: live the principles

Aged care services are a large recipient of public money in many developed countries and are primarily provided by nonprofit organizations in Australia. This paper reports on an investigation into the impacts of the psychological contract for nurses in nonprofit aged care. The results highlight the importance of nonprofit organizations fulfilling their obligations and living their principles. Aged care nurses who perceive breaches to their psychological contract are likely to de-identify from the organization.

The Relationship Between Disclosure and Household Donations to Nonprofit Organizations in Australia

Based on the signaling theory and its application in nonprofit organizations, this study examines the relationship between disclosure in nonprofits and ability to attract household donations. Based on 50 random Australian nonprofits, scores were assigned for fiduciary, financial, performance, and total disclosure. A significant correlation was observed between the extent of total household donations received and a change in marketing and fundraising spend. However, there was no significant relationship identified between total household donations and disclosure. As disclosure does not seem to be rewarded by household donors, this article discusses the potential for a national educational campaign to inform donors of the increasing accessibility of this type of information, the benefits of utilizing this type of information, and how best to use it.

Together and Apart: Exploring Structure of the Corporate–NPO Relationship

Financially significant relationships between corporations and non-profit organizations (NPOs) have increased in recent years. NPOs offer access to interests and ideologies that are lacking within most for-profit organizations. These partnerships form a unique bridge between for-profit and non-profit goals and offer significant potential to produce innovative ways of “doing business by doing good.” Exploration of the structural implications of these relationships, however, has been limited. The potential for ideological imbalance in these relationships, particularly for the NPO, has been poorly described. We explore the structure of Corporate–NPO relationships from the NPO's perspective under high pressure conditions such as large relational investments or negative pressure from stakeholders. Using data collected from 20 NPOs in Australia, we identified the use by NPOs of both formal and informal governance mechanisms within their partnerships. These mechanisms acted to align and defend important goals of the NPO. They allowed the NPO and their corporate partners to be simultaneously “together and apart.” Our study offers important insight toward the study of cross-sector relationships and the role of governance mechanisms.

Tax Exempt - It’s Not About Tax But Charity

There are over 700,000 non-profit organisations in Australia; and over 48,000 income tax exempt charities. This article analyses recent cases and considers how the courts are interpreting the status of charitable and not-for-profit bodies for income tax purposes.

Toward a Better Understanding of Volunteering for Nonprofit Organizations: Explaining Volunteers’ Pro-Social Attitudes

In addition to currently fueling the nonprofit sector of the economy, volunteering is a key ingredient in community-based or cooperative models of economic exchange, including customer coproduction. The purpose of this study is to develop knowledge about pro-social attitudes of volunteers. Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) provides a framework for understanding how volunteers’ values and reasons for volunteering influence volunteers’ pro-social attitudes. Gender, experience, and age are controlled for in the analysis. Using large-scale survey data from four distinct nonprofit organizations in Australia, structural equation modeling results suggest that the BRT framework is a valuable one for understanding important influencers of volunteers’ pro-social attitudes. In sum, values and reasons that are other-oriented appear to be much more influential than values and reasons for volunteering that are self-focused. Additionally, our results suggest that being a younger volunteer is positively correlated with higher levels of values and reasons for volunteering that are self-focused.

Lack of early engagement: a pre‐eminent barrier to Australian university bequest giving?

Abstract Decreased government funding has placed increasing financial pressure on Australian universities. Currently Australian universities receive 6.6% of all donations to nonprofit organisations in Australia while universities in the United States attract 14%. These figures suggest there is considerable room for improvement for Australian universities. Efforts directed towards adding to knowledge of philanthropy to universities in Australia are, therefore, very topical at present. Despite acknowledged differences between the types of literature on gift‐giving it predominately centres on the motivation to donate to nonprofit organisations during an individual's lifetime (in vivo giving) with less focus on bequests. This exploratory study sought to gain insight into barriers to Australian University bequests. Lack of alumni engagement in Australian Universities was identified as a primary bequest barrier. Barriers identified previously in the literature (e.g. communications quality, performance, insensitive marketing) were considered secondary barriers to bequests. The results suggest a long term strategy is needed for Australian Universities seeking to improve donations. Universities need to engage students from the start of their academic tenure in order to be considered for a bequest. This paper proposes a model which highlights the consequences of this lack of early engagement and identifies key points in the academic and post‐academic process where successive challenges increasingly diverge the student from the university's bequest prospects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nonprofit Isomorphism: An Australia–United States Comparison

This paper examines the organizational structures of nonprofit organizations in Australia and the United States. Using random samples of nonprofits drawn from the two organizational populations, the analysis compares the extent of structural resemblance or isomorphism in each. It detects similar levels of isomorphism for several structural characteristics. The paper interprets this finding as reflecting expectations for nonprofit organizations that stretch worldwide.

Capital Access of Nonprofit Organisations

The difficulties faced by nonprofit organisations in Australia to raise capital are discussed, and a report prepared for the National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations is used to determine the extent and the implications of the situation. Several recommendations are provided in order to present organisational options and government policy adjustments to enable capital access to nonprofit organisations in Australia.

Factors associated with fundraising dependency among nonprofit organisations in Australia

Despite the importance of fundraising to the nonprofit sector there has been surprisingly little research on fundraising as a revenue source in Australia. Research that has been conducted both here and internationally has focused on the cost of fundraising – the proportion of fundraising expenses to total fundraising revenue, and fundraising performance – the absolute or relative amount of money raised by organisations via fundraising. This paper examines why some nonprofit organisations are more dependent on fundraising as a source of revenue than others.The paper applies multivariate techniques to examine the influence that three broad sets of factors: organisational; revenue generation model; and fundraising approach, have on what we term ‘fundraising dependency’ – the percentage of a nonprofit organisation's total revenue that is derived from fundraising activities. It finds that fundraising dependency is associated with a range of organisational characteristics (e.g. size, geographical scope of the organisation and tax status); alternative forms of revenue generation (e.g. reliance on government funding and commercial venturing) and fundraising approach (e.g. whether professional fundraising staff are employed, the use of volunteer fundraisers and the number of fundraising practices used). The results support taking a multidimensional approach to understanding fundraising dependency.

Factors associated with fundraising dependency among nonprofit organisations in Australia

Despite the importance of fundraising to the nonprofit sector there has been surprisingly little research on fundraising as a revenue source in Australia. Research that has been conducted both here and internationally has focused on the cost of fundraising – the proportion of fundraising expenses to total fundraising revenue, and fundraising performance – the absolute or relative amount of money raised by organisations via fundraising. This paper examines why some nonprofit organisations are more dependent on fundraising as a source of revenue than others.The paper applies multivariate techniques to examine the influence that three broad sets of factors: organisational; revenue generation model; and fundraising approach, have on what we term ‘fundraising dependency’ – the percentage of a nonprofit organisation's total revenue that is derived from fundraising activities. It finds that fundraising dependency is associated with a range of organisational characteristics (e.g. size, geographical scope of the organisation and tax status); alternative forms of revenue generation (e.g. reliance on government funding and commercial venturing) and fundraising approach (e.g. whether professional fundraising staff are employed, the use of volunteer fundraisers and the number of fundraising practices used). The results support taking a multidimensional approach to understanding fundraising dependency.

Intellectual capital and strategic human resource management in social service non-profit organisations in Australia

Very little systematic research has focused on the Intellectual Capital (IC) and Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) link in the social service non-profit sector. Using data gathered from Australian Social Service Non-profit Organisations (SSNPOs), this paper fills this gap by building a nascent body of literature that put forth that IC plays a central role in SHRM in SSNPOs. SSNPO executives perceived IC as a tool to capture a complete picture of organisational potential, thus providing the necessary picture to formulate strategy for long-term development. Finally, the paper proposes a new model which illustrates that IC drives SHRM in the social service non-profit sector.

Structural Isomorphism in Australian Nonprofit Organizations

This paper assesses the extent of structural similarity or isomorphism among nonprofit organizations in Australia. Based on neo-institutional theory, the paper explains such isomorphism in terms of these organizations’ subordination and dependency, the uncertainties they face, and the networks of experts of which they are a part. The analysis uses the nonprofit component of a 2001–2002 random sample of Australian employment organizations. It finds surprisingly little isomorphism in this subsample and few differences in isomorphism according to the level of the factors thought to produce similarity. The discussion of the findings focuses on the suitability of the nonprofit sector as the appropriate organizational field within which isomorphism involving these organizations is likely to be produced. Industries, which include all organizations that produce the same product or service, be they nonprofit, for-profit, or government, may be more appropriate interactional fields for the development of isomorphism.

The Duties of Officers and Employees in Non-Profit Organisations

extract] The paper attempts to crystallise some of the current ideas about the principles of corporate governance that should be implemented by a non-profit organisation. Those ideas, which have emanated from a number of recent cases, articles and statutory amendments, are juxtaposed to examples of large and small non-profit organisations in Australia. The writer has also attempted to address the statutory and common law duties of officers and, to a lesser extent, employees, of non-profit organisations. Reference will be made to some current public examples of conduct in the sporting sphere that appears to be in contravention of the statutory duties of officers and employees. Finally, the writer will outline some of the common complaints of members of non-profit organisations and identify the primary remedies that are available to them as against the offending officers of the organisation and the organisation itself.

The history of non-profit organisations in Australia as a test of some recent non-profit theory

Over the past two decades, a number of important theories of non-profit activity have been developed, mainly by economists. In part, these theories attempt to explain why non-profit organisations are formed and flourish in some fields of activity and not in others. This paper seeks to test the adequacy of these explanations by seeing if they can explain seven cases of the formation of important sets of non-profit organisations in Australia. To this end, it sketches a history of non-profit organisations in Australia over the past 200 years and explores in more detail seven important cases of non-profit formation and development. It finds that, while in most cases the economic theories provide part of an explanation, there is a good deal which they cannot explain. Adequate explanations of non-profit formation will need to draw on social as well as economic theory.