Nonprofit Service Research Articles

Kosten und finanzielle Nachhaltigkeit in der kommunalen Wasserwirtschaft

Journal for Pu blic and Nonprofit Services is a multidisciplinary scientific journal. It provides information, discussions and documentations, and is furthermore the organ of the Federal Public Services - German Section of CEEP e. V.

Zwischen Gemeinwirtschaft und Marktorientierung – die Schweizerischen Bundesbahnen (SBB) und ihre Innovationskultur seit den 1960er-Jahren

Journal for Pu blic and Nonprofit Services is a multidisciplinary scientific journal. It provides information, discussions and documentations, and is furthermore the organ of the Federal Public Services - German Section of CEEP e. V. The journal offers comprehensive information on the important area of public companies and provides a forum for practitioners and researchers. It is dedicated to federal, state, and local companies, mixed-economy companies, companies of trade unions, chambers, churches, political parties, foundations and associations, publicly committed companies, cooperative companies and, in particular, enterprises of the independent welfare work. The Journal is a forum for economic, political, and social scientists and legal scholars. The publication of papers and short contributions are examined by a scientific anonymous review process that guarantees a consistently high quality of contributions. Website: www.zoegu.nomos.de

At Your Service? Volunteering and National Service in 2020

This article evaluates the potential of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 to raise the level of volunteering and national service in the United States, particularly among young people, and its implications for public administration in 2020. The act would increase service‐learning opportunities and national service placements substantially. Research suggests that participation in these activities is associated with increased volunteering, civic and political engagement, and interest in a career in government or nonprofit service, especially among African Americans and Hispanics. These results hold considerable promise for the practice of public administration in 2020. The authors find that their effectuation depends not only on increasing federal service programs significantly and continuing growth in funding, but also on addressing important challenges, such as the ability of public policy to increase volunteering, volunteer management capacity to support these efforts, the role of volunteering in addressing pressing social issues, and reaching disadvantaged populations.

The Importance of Performance Assessment in Local Government Decisions to Fund Health and Human Services Nonprofit Organizations

In times of fiscal crisis, demand for health and human services increases while revenues shrink, causing funders to focus more intently on identifying the most successful organizations in which to invest scarce resources. This research grew out of interest in enhancing performance assessment of nonprofit organizations expressed by local government managers. A survey of Alliance for Innovation Members explores two primary research questions: 1) what is a successful nonprofit; and 2) what type(s) of performance assessment tools are the most useful. The results strengthen our understanding of what information city and county managers want and why they prefer certain evaluation tools.

Medicaid Fee for Service Reimbursement and the Delivery of Human Services for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Or Severe Mental Illness: Negotiating Cost

Fees paid by Medicaid are a primary resource for nonprofit organizations serving individuals with developmental disabilities and severe mental illness. While Medicaid reimbursement has facilitated the transition from institutional to community care, cost is not well understood. This article examines how government and nonprofit organizations negotiate the cost of service delivery. Analysis based on this case study shows cost is a central concern for both government and nonprofit service providers.

A Study on the Effects of Non-profit Organizations' Service Quality on the Sponsor Loyalty

A Study on the Effects of Non-profit Organizations' Service Quality on the Sponsor Loyalty

A Critical Appraisal of the Concept of Non-profit Services Marketing

The author deconstructs the prevailing conceptualization of non-profit marketing and concludes it rests on three principles: voluntary exchange, an open system organization, and self-interest motivation. A review of the genesis of these principles revealed that alternative principles were ignored in the social science literature. Based on a qualitative analysis a revised conceptualization of non-profit marketing was suggested which incorporated the principles of reciprocity, the features of a contingency-choice organization, and altruistic interest motivation. A revised definition of non-profit marketing is offered based on these principles. [Service Science, ISSN 2164-3962 (print), ISSN 2164-3970 (online), was published by Services Science Global (SSG) from 2009 to 2011 as issues under ISBN 978-1-4276-2090-3.]

Analyzing BSC and IC's usefulness in nonprofit organizations

PurposeThe balanced scorecard (BSC) and intellectual capital (IC) concepts are two strategic management methods that help to identify and elevate organizations' intellectual resources in the knowledge economy. However, very little research has examined the usefulness of the BSC and IC concept in nonprofit organizations. This paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a critical analysis of current literature in relation to BSC and IC concepts within the social service nonprofit context.FindingsThe findings suggest that BSC is less effective in social service nonprofit organizations (SSNPOs) because the model's strategy, cause‐and‐effect relationships and its four linked perspectives are incompatible to the unique social service nonprofit environment. IC, however, can be harnessed to co‐ordinate with the values and core character of SSNPOs.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes a new dimension to the body of literature; raising critical questions as to the usefulness of the BSC in SSNPOs and theoretically arguing that IC is an alternative strategic management framework in the social service nonprofit sub‐sector. The increased awareness of the IC concept in SSNPOs, as a result of this paper, likely generates further research from both nonprofit practitioners and scholars.Originality/valueThe paper is considered as a starting point and serves as a milestone in applying IC as a strategic management conceptual framework in the nonprofit sector. Also, the paper informs nonprofit leaders that IC is a more appropriate strategic management concept in the nonprofit sector.

Integrating socio-cultural paradigms in nonprofit marketing—the case of blood donation among African communities in Australia

This paper examines how nonprofit marketers need to integrate socio-cultural factors when targeting minorities, using blood donation issues among African communities in Australia as an example. We start with an overview of the significance of African communities to Australia. Then blood donation patterns among migrant populations are discussed as well as the cultural beliefs about blood in the African continent and the intergenerational complexities that can arise between older and younger migrant donors. Marketing intervention models that seek to increase blood donation need to consider two factors: (1) geographical and generational cultural differences, that is, in relation to home and host country beliefs; and (2) intergenerational (young people vs. parents) differences in and attitudes to blood donation, especially when young people adopt the values of the host country faster than older migrants. Accounting for these cultural differences will enable non-profit and social services to develop culturally-competent marketing strategies to better meet the needs of different migrant communities.

Gendered, Invisible Work in Non‐profit Social Service Organizations: Implications for Worker Health and Safety

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) play an important role in the provision of health and social services. In Canada the nonprofit sector includes 7.5 million volunteers and employs over 1.6 million paid workers. The sector is overwhelmingly female‐dominated — women make up over 80 per cent of workers in these nonprofit services. Work performed by women has traditionally been undervalued and invisible. It has often been considered safe by researchers, employers, policymakers and sometimes even workers themselves. Although there is some indication that jobs in the restructuring social services sector can be characterized by constant demand, high stress and violence, research into the working conditions and health hazards of these types of jobs has not been a priority. Using data from a qualitative study examining work in NPOs, we trace the ways that work performed in these workplaces is both gendered and invisible. We identify three types of invisible labour. ‘Background work’ facilitates and supports more visible and recognized organizational activities. Certain organizational language obscures the full spectrum of work that takes place in the organizations and the risks it may involve. ‘Empathy work’ includes the relationship building, counselling and crisis intervention that comprise key components of social service delivery. ‘Emotional labour’ involves the management of client emotions and workers' own emotions in the process of working with clients and delivering care under conditions of scarcity and contraction. The invisibility of these activities means that much of the day‐to‐day work done in the organizations, while particularly important in the context of social service restructuring, is taken‐for‐granted and undervalued by organizational outsiders. As a result, many of the hazards present in the jobs are hidden from view and workers' health may be compromised. We argue that the invisibility and taken‐for‐grantedness of certain types of work in NPOs is reflected in, and constitutive of, particular exclusions and shortcomings of current occupational health and safety systems designed to protect the health of workers.

SNAP: A DSS to analyze network service pricing for state networks

This study describes the implementation of a spreadsheet-oriented Decision Support System (DSS) that helps in making telecommunications pricing decisions. The system, SNAP-DSS or Service Network Application and Pricing (SNAP)-based DSS, is developed using Microsoft Excel 2007 that also incorporates VBA programming language. We present this research within the context of OneNet, a non-profit state telecommunications service agency. The SNAP-DSS offers the ability to select the rate card options that best fit the preferred pricing strategies by providing a real-time, user-friendly, graphical user interface. The DSS not only captures the effect of changes in the pricing factors on each rate card option, but also allows the user to analyze various rate card options in different scenarios using different parameters. The paper includes some lessons learned for the DSS community.

Metabolic Abnormalities in Adult and Geriatric Major Depression With and Without Comorbid Dementia

Metabolic abnormalities and metabolic syndrome (MetS) increasingly have been linked to depression. The authors studied examined inpatients 35 years and older with major depressive disorder (MDD) to determine the prevalence of component metabolic abnormalities and the full MetS with age, treatment, and comorbid dementia. Data analysis involved retrospective cross-sectional review from a nonprofit psychiatry inpatient service of all discharges 35 years and older with a diagnosis of MDD during a 3 year period (April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2006) (N=1718). Metabolic measures included waist circumference, lipid measurements, glucose, and hypertension diagnosis. Abnormal metabolic measures and MetS were highly prevalent in both young and old patients with MDD: one or more component was present in 87.6% of older (65-99 years old) and 79.9% of younger patients. Full MetS was present in 31.5% of older and 28.9% of younger patients (not significant, P=0.85). Metabolic abnormalities were not associated with atypical antipsychotics after controlling other variables. One-quarter (n=79, 24.9%) of older inpatients had a dementia co-diagnosis. Older patients with MDD and dementia had greater risk of elevated glucose while younger patients were more often hypertensive. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the relationships of MDD with or without dementia with these highly prevalent abnormal metabolic measures and MetS.

In a Different Way: Social Unionism in the Nonprofit Social Services-An Australian/Canadian Comparison

Drawing on comparative, qualitative data, this article explores unionization in the Canadian and Australian nonprofit social services. The article shows that the growth of unionization in this sector in Canada had little to do with deliberate strategies for union renewal. Instead, union growth and activism rose organically from the values orientation of the predominantly female workforce and the curtailment of workplace opportunities for social justice struggles. The Australian example reflects the conflux of legal contexts, political parties, managerial approaches, and the servicing model of unionism. The article concludes with a discussion of possibilities for those seeking to revitalize the union movement.

When care is left to roam: Carers’ experiences of grassroots nonprofit services in Ireland

Increasingly countries are turning to nonprofit organisations to provide health and social care, particularly for people with disabilities. Alongside this change, debates continue about how states should manage the relationship with such organisations. Should features of the old-style “welfare” model be retained? Should aspects of the “new public management" model be chosen to measure the impact of the work? Yet others argue that grassroots organisations should form the basis of a service provision system. In the context of these debates, Ireland serves as an interesting case study of the system of care that can emerge when the state operates a “relaxed control” approach. This paper takes the perspectives of users themselves: family carers who are accessing services for a disabled adult child, to examine the effects of this approach on the ground. We show how geography played a central role in shaping these experiences, and discuss how we can learn from the Irish context. Rather than arguing for narrowly defined contractual measures, we conclude by proposing a renewed focus on relationship building with the aim of effective system operation, in the future of care services.

Nonprofits and Public Administration

Nonprofit organizations receiving government contracts are now central to the provision of a host of public services, including community care, workforce development, substance abuse treatment, and early childhood education. Government’s increased dependence on nonprofits has in turn prompted more intensive efforts to hold nonprofit service organizations accountable for the expenditure of public funds, especially through greater regulation such as performance-based contracting. Overall, these regulatory strategies do not directly address the governance of nonprofits or their engagement with the community and citizens; instead, the focus of performance management is on government programmatic priorities. The central argument of this article is that the inattention to governance and citizen engagement can undermine good performance and program sustainability. Consequently, this article offers a framework for government and nonprofit managers to integrate performance management and citizen engagement. This approach requires a more inclusive performance management strategy that emphasizes programmatic goals as well as sound governance and ongoing support for citizen participation. Indeed, only by close attention to community and citizenship, broadly defined, can the promise of innovation and performance by nonprofits be effectively realized.

Markt, Hierarchie und die dazwischen liegende Vielfalt: hybride Organisationen und Selbstverwaltungen von Allmenderessourcen regen zu innovativen Kooperationen an

Journal for Pu blic and Nonprofit Services is a multidisciplinary scientific journal. It provides information, discussions and documentations, and is furthermore the organ of the Federal Public Services - German Section of CEEP e. V.

Innovationsmanagement in gemeinwohlorientierten öffentlichen Unternehmen – Herausforderungen und Chancen am Beispiel der Deutschen Sparkassenorganisation

Journal for Pu blic and Nonprofit Services is a multidisciplinary scientific journal. It provides information, discussions and documentations, and is furthermore the organ of the Federal Public Services - German Section of CEEP e. V.

054 TrialResults-center: a web-based clinical trial results database given a direct access to the systematic review and meta-analysis of all clinical trials in cardiology

In the era of the evidence based medicine, the results of the clinical trials occupy an important, always increasing, place within the knowledge necessary for medical practice. In spite of the considerable progress realized in the application of the results of the trials, certain number of difficulties remains, in particular those of the accessibility to their results. TrialResults-center is a knowledge database storing all the results of the clinical trials and providing access to systematic review and meta-analysis of all randomized clinical trials about all major heart and vessels diseases. The TrialResults-center database provides a unique view of the treatment efficacy based on all data provided directly from clinical trial results, offering a valuable alternative to personal bibliographic search, published meta-analysis, etc. Furthermore, it would allow comparing easily the various concurrent therapeutic for the same clinical condition. Rigorous meta-analysis’ method is used to populate TrialResults-center: widespread search of published and non published trials, study selection using pre-specified criteria, data extraction using standard form. TrialResults-center is continually updated on a weekly basis. We continually search all new results (whatever their publication channel) and these news results are immediately added to the database with a maximum of 1 week. This is a public and non-profit service. TrialResults-center contributors use custom authoring tools to upload the trial description and results. This information is stored in a series of databases, and web pages are created dynamically. This system provides great flexibility in the presentation of information. It supports the customization of content for different audiences and the sharing of materials with other projects. The TrialResults-center's scientific content is backed by a rigorous quality control system. TrialResults-center is accessible at the address: http://www.trialresultscenter.org

Ineffizienz und Strukturunterschiede in der deutschen Wasserversorgung

Journal for Pu blic and Nonprofit Services is a multidisciplinary scientific journal. It provides information, discussions and documentations, and is furthermore the organ of the Federal Public Services - German Section of CEEP e. V.

Potenziale und Nutzen einer Pfadkostenrechnung auf Basis von Behandlungspfaden für Einrichtungen im Gesundheitswesen

Journal for Pu blic and Nonprofit Services is a multidisciplinary scientific journal. It provides information, discussions and documentations, and is furthermore the organ of the Federal Public Services - German Section of CEEP e. V.