Voluntary Nonprofit Organizations Research Articles

Linguistic negotiation in non-profit organization regarding identity. A study on narratives, metaphors and the use of ‘we’

The political role of Sweden’s third sector is currently being renegotiated. Are services performed by the voluntary sector a necessary alternative to an inefficient welfare system, or do these services constitute a threat to the universal welfare state? This negotiation is the focus of the paper. My aim is to use linguistic theory, methods, and analysis of empirical data to capture how this negotiation took place within a voluntary non-profit organization. Based on a case study on Save the Children Sweden (where I was an embedded researcher for two years), I suggest that advocates in favour of third sector services gain advantages from certain linguistic features, such as by using ‘we’ in an inclusive, action-oriented way, by using metaphors grounded in activity, and by highlighting a specific version of the organization’s historical narrative.

The Perspective of Community Members in the Assessment of the Social Value Generated by Non-profit and Voluntary Organizations

This study aimed at developing a scale to measure Social Added Value (SAV) according to the perspective of community members, building on the relational framework and complementing the work of Mannarini et al. (Voluntas: Int J Voluntary Nonprofit Organ 29(6):1315–1329, 2018). The study was conducted on 720 Italian citizens who were not directly involved in Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations (NPVOs) as active members to examine the statistical validity and psychometric properties of the SAV scale. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that good and satisfactory fit indexes were obtained by a third-order factor model saturated by two second-order variables (contribution to community and quality of external relationships) and eight first-order variables (services and tasks, vision, social responsibility, control mutuality, communality relationship, trust, commitment, capacity to build community connections). Additional analyses revealed that both perceived NPVOs target values and sense of belonging to the community were positively associated with SAV. Theoretical, methodological and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Commercialization processes within Swedish child and youth sport – a Deleuzioguttarian perspective

In the Nordic countries sport has a particular connection to civic society, and this is reflected in the Nordic governments ‘sport for all’ policies. The region also includes large voluntary non-profit sport organizations with an implicit monopoly on competitive sport. During the last decade scholars in Sweden have noted that commercial entrepreneurs have emerged in the child and youth sports landscape. However, empirical research on this phenomenon is scarce. Hence, in this article the aim is to map different commercial businesses and the services they offer on their websites. We make use of a Deleuzioguttarian inspired theory and method and a post-qualitative research practice, which is informed by an ontological (re)turn to realism(s) in social theory. We present four different commercial de-territorialization processes and discuss how they affect the Swedish Sport Confederation in different ways.

Determinants of Individual Prosociality and of Collective Social Solidarity-Cohesion: A Literature Review

AbstractThe foundations of volunteering, charitable giving, voluntary associations, voluntary agencies, and other aspects of the Voluntary Nonprofit Sector (VNPS) collectively and individual voluntary action lie in various aspects of human nature and human societies. These may be referred to variously as altruism, morality, ethics, virtue, kindness, generosity, cooperation, social solidarity, and prosociality. Such foundations of the VNPS, and specifically of social solidarity and prosociality, are the subjects of this literature review article/book. The central goal here is to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary theoretical framework for understanding, explaining, and predicting such phenomena, based on two versions of the author’s S-Theory.

Assessment of a Voluntary Non-Profit Health Insurance Scheme for Migrants along the Thai-Myanmar Border: A Case Study of the Migrant Fund in Thailand.

Access to health care and financial protection for migrants can be promoted through diverse health insurance schemes, designed to suit migrants’ needs within a specific context. The Migrant Fund (M-Fund) is a voluntary, non-profit health insurance scheme operating along the Thai–Myanmar border in Thailand since 2017 and aims to protect the health of migrants uncovered by existing government insurance schemes. A qualitative evaluation was conducted between December 2018 and March 2019 to determine M-Fund’s operational impacts, provide recommendations for improvement, and draw suggestions about its role in protecting migrant health. In-depth interviews with 20 individuals and 5 groups were conducted in three categories: (1) International, national, and local partners; (2) M-Fund clients; and (3) M-Fund staff. Interview information was triangulated with findings from other informants, a document review, and researchers’ observations. Despite covering a small number of 9131 migrants, the M-Fund has contributed to improving access to care for migrants, raised awareness about migrant health protection, and reduced the financial burden for public hospitals. The M-Fund acts as a safety-net initiative for those left behind due to unclear government policy to protect the health of undocumented/illegal migrants. Despite clear merits, the issue of adverse selection to the scheme is a critical challenge. Evidence from this evaluation is useful to inform the future design of government insurance schemes for migrants.

An Experimental Study of Voluntary Nonprofit Accountability and Effects on Public Trust, Reputation, Perceived Quality, and Donation Behavior

Voluntary accountability carried out by nonprofit organizations seeks to ensure organizational adherence to financial and ethical standards beyond legal regulations, thereby sending signals of quality and trustworthiness. Yet, insights into whether and how different forms of voluntary nonprofit accountability influence the public’s attitude are limited, and recent calls emphasize the need for further empirical investigation. Building on the combination of three different research streams, this article presents a conceptual framework that distinguishes between four forms of (voluntary) nonprofit accountability within the theoretical context of the principal-agent theory. In an online experiment with 407 participants, the author demonstrates that externally certified voluntary accountability demonstrates higher reputation and perceived quality among nonprofit organizations, but not relating to donation behavior (relative to the other accountability conditions). Internal voluntary accountability has no effect, whereas no accountability is associated with less public trust, reputation, perceived quality, and donation behavior (compared with legal minimum accountability).

Implementing Effective Information Control Systems for Primary Education Support in Developing Countries: An Investigative Field Study of a Voluntary Non-Profit Organisation in Tunisia

Abstract In developing countries, voluntary non-profit organisations work closely with local communities, and especially with primary-level educational institutions, in order to assist local development and stability. Strong coordination and cooperation between educational institutions and non-profit organisations is crucial to enable this symbiotic relationship to best serve the pupils and communities involved. The complexity of the relationship between the two types of institutions would greatly benefit from an integrated information control system, as seen in other application areas where coordination and communication is central. The objective of this research was to explore how information control systems can be implemented to effectively support and control the coordination between voluntary non-profit organisations and primary level schools in developing countries. A single case study of a Tunisian voluntary non-profit organisation was conducted using an ethnographic field study approach. Data collection used on-site surveys and interviews of teachers and members of the non-profit organisation, as well as other ad hoc observations during the field visits. The general findings suggested that an agile methodology was more appropriate than the classical waterfall-style approach for developing information control systems for supporting primary level education in nonprofit organisations. In addition, the findings suggested that having an effective information control system for supporting primary level education in non-profit organisations offered many benefits, such as improved financial reporting, feedback, and assessment results.

Nonprofit Organizations and Community Disaster Recovery: Assessing the Value and Impact of Intersector Collaboration

AbstractA 2009 flooding disaster in Alaska produced a unique intersector operational collaborative model between voluntary nonprofit organizations and state and federal agencies. This article inves...

Voluntary Nonprofit Organizations and Disaster Management: Identifying the Nature of Inter-Sector Coordination and Collaboration in Disaster Service Assistance Provision

The scope and scale of a community's service assistance demands during a disaster will exceed, typically, the capacity of any single set of governmental, private, or nonprofit sector organizations. As a result inter-sector coordination and collaboration represents a key element in effective disaster management. Nonprofit organizations play a critical role in providing a wide range of early response assistance and mass care services when disasters occur. Here, we investigate the particular ways in which nonprofit organizations engaged in inter-sector coordination and collaboration during a major disaster, Superstorm Sandy. We do so in order to build on the somewhat limited prior empirical literature accounting for the specific nature of nonprofits' disaster service provision efforts. Our analysis offers several contributions to existing literature: it demonstrates the scope of disaster-related services provided, it outlines the key qualities of inter-sector coordination and collaboration actions, and it identifies the way in which the nonprofit sector's early phase relief actions might be connected later to longer term disaster recovery efforts.

People Like Me: Shared Belief, False Consensus, and the Experience of Community

Contemporary theory on community suggests that disagreement or conflict over foundational beliefs and values greatly decreases the chance that a successful, sustainable community experience will develop. My findings suggest, however, that feelings of community can develop despite incongruous ideologies through the perception of shared beliefs and values. Using an ethnographic case of a voluntary non-profit organization, I demonstrate how three types of mechanisms operate jointly to maintain a community without shared beliefs: environmental mechanisms related to the division of labor, relational mechanisms associated with selective recruitment and homophily, and a cognitive mechanism that produces the feeling of consensus in the absence of objectively shared beliefs. These mechanisms combine to allow a powerful experience of community to flourish in a context where we might expect, based on previous research, no community experience at all. Implications for the study of community, sociology of organizations, and social psychology are discussed.

Marketing and Communication Problems and Proposed Solutions for the Turkish Women’s N.G.O. Sector

In almost all contemporary societies the position and importance of non-governmental organizations in terms of the way they handle and solve social issues, is undeniable. Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are voluntary non-profit organizations that engage in many activities ranging from cultural events to health, environment, education, law, human rights issues as well as many others. Women Focused Non-Governmental Organizations (WFNGO) in Turkey are also non-profit, engaging in combating and seeking solutions for a multitude of women- related issues. As is the case with other NGOs, their main objective is to achieve social benefits. For that reason alone, “marketing” should be perceived as a commercial activity by NGOs, but all too often this important business function is considered either as a secondary purpose or one that is completely neglected.The main objective of this study is to ascertain the marketing and communication strategies WFNGO’s utilise whilst engaging in their activities and to determine the marketing problems that inform and enlighten these organizations. An additional goal is to acknowledge the achievement of their social benefits in terms of the proposals made to the WFNGO’s, finding solutions on how to increase their reach to target groups and how to use their resources more efficiently and effectively. In line with these main objectives and sub goals, a questionnaire has been developed, entitled Marketing and Communications Problems of WFNGO in Turkey. Altogether 105 organizations active in various Turkish cities have been interviewed either face-to-face or by telephone to seek answers to the questions. The resulting data has been analyzed and interpreted using the SPSS 18.00 computer software programmed.The findings of the study reveal the general structure of WFNGO’s, within the framework of the organizations reached and establish that the common problems of almost all WFNGO’s in Turkey are of a financial and organizational nature, together with bureaucratic restrictions and a shortage of suitably qualified personnel. Another important finding of this study is that Turkish WFNGO’s consider marketing to be nothing more than a ‘vending, presentation and publicity’ activity, with 66% of the organisations interviewed considering marketing to be unnecessary. The results of this study conclude that WFNGO’s, just like profit-orientated organizations, need a strategic marketing plan and they should be advised accordingly.In a literature review it is possible to find many essays, books, journals and publications on marketing activities in non-profit organizations. However, this paper is a first in relation to marketing activities for Women Focused Non Governmental Organizations. Furthermore, in line with the information and findings obtained as a result of this study, the proposals made towards marketing activities of WFNGO’s can be used as an effective guide for such organizations.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijssm.v1i3.10542 Int. J. Soc. Sci. Manage. Vol.1(3) 2014: 93-102

The Current State of Civil Society and Volunteering in the World, the USA, and China

AbstractThis paper presents an overview of the statistics on Civil Society and the Voluntary Nonprofit Sector (vnps) in the world, with special attention to theusaand China. The central foci are numbers of Nonprofit Groups, especially associations, and numbers of volunteers in associations. The paper draws on various research documents, as well as estimates by the author, based on extensive prior research.

The Men behind Incontinentia Pigmenti

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP), listed in the Online Inheritance of Man (OMIM), under the number (#308300), is an x-linked dominant condition that affects skin, teeth, eyes and may also have neurological problems. The IP name describes the histological characteristics, the incontinence of melanin into the melanocytes cells in the epidermal basal layer and its presence in superficial dermis [1,2]. Garrod reported the first probable case of incontinentia pigmenti in 1906 and described it as a peculiar pigmentation of the skin in an infant with mental deficiency and tetraplegia. Subsequently, Bloch and Sulzberger further defined the condition in 1926 and 1928, respectively, as a clinical syndrome. Hermann Werner Siemens (1891-1969), is a German dermatologist, who also, contributed to the description of this disease and his name is also linked to the eponyms of this disease. IP is caused by mutations in the NEMO (NF-κB essential modulator) gene, the protein product of which protects against tumor necrosis factor-α-induced apoptosis. Between 900 and 1,200 affected individuals have been reported in the scientific literature. Most of these individuals are female. Cutaneous findings are the most common manifestation of IP and usually represent the presenting signs. They are divided into four overlapping stages: (1) vesiculobullous, which favors the extremities during the first few months of life (but occasionally recurs during childhood in association with a febrile illness); (2) verrucous, which favors the distal extremities in patients one to six months of age (and sometimes adolescents); (3) hyperpigmented, which favors the trunk and intertriginous sites from three months of age through adolescence; and (4) hypopigmented/atrophic, which affects the calves in adolescents and adults [1,2]. The extracutaneous manifestations of IP, which are less frequent than are the skin findings, are more likely to cause morbidity. These include dental abnormalities (such as small teeth or few teeth), eye abnormalities that can lead to vision loss, and central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities also occur in one-third of IP patients and can include seizures, developmental delay, and spastic paresis. However, most people with incontinentia pigmenti have normal intelligence. Infants with IP should be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist for evaluation and close follow-up. In addition, neurodevelopmental status should be monitored, and a pediatric neurologist consulted if problems arise [1,2]. Early dental intervention is also recommended. Incontinentia Pigmenti International foundation (IPIF) is a voluntary nonprofit organization founded in 1995. Its mission is to encourage and support research on IP, and to provide family support and education. Further details about this organization can be seen at its official website, http:// www.ipif.org/ There are several synonyms for IP. These includes Bloch– Siemens syndrome, Bloch–Sulzberger disease, Bloch– Sulzberger syndrome, Bloch-Siemens-Sulzberger Syndrome, melanoblastosis cutis, melanoblastosis cutis linearis, nevus pigmentosus systematicus, and pigmented dermatosis, Siemens-Bloch type. However, Bloch–Sulzberger syndrome, is the most common eponym for this disorder, I am going to highlight on the dermatologists behind this eponym.

Public – private partnership

Public-private partnerships have long been highly valued in Western welfare states, and the valuation of such cooperation has become even stronger in light of last year’s economic turbulence, particularly with voluntary non-profit organizations (VNPOs). At the same time, the voluntary sector is changing. The broad popular movements have generally declined in favour of more individual interests as the basis for forming VNPOs, and those organisations still involved in the provision of social services are becoming more and more similar to public service, due to requirements placed on them by the public sector. This is believed to have consequences for the value of such cooperation. If voluntary organisations in public services – or other private organisations for the matter – are becoming copies of public services, there is not much value to be gained from such cooperation, except for some financial gain.In this article, we argue that this conclusion is based on a rather narrow perception of public-voluntary cooperation. Research and debate on such cooperation are mainly preoccupied by what we call supplementary relations, in which voluntary organizations are assessed according to whether they can deliver cheaper or better services than the public sector. Based on an example of public-voluntary cooperation in preventive social work among young adults in Norway, the article show that public-voluntary collaboration can be truly valuable when it is based on a complimentary relation, in which parties collaborate because they command different resources equally important to the task at hand.

Strategic invasion: response of the voluntary nonprofit to strategic processes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the encounter between the voluntary nonprofit organization (VNPO) and the strategic process in order to study how these organizations may harness strategic processes in a way that somehow does not threaten their cultures and social mission.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts an exploratory case study approach.FindingsThe case study identifies a set of complex, multi‐faceted behaviors that serve a dual role, functioning simultaneously as both inhibitors and enablers of the strategic process. As a framework for future research, the paper proposes a two‐dimensional scheme which models the scope and mode of organizational behavior in a strategic process. The case study indicates that VNPOs may tend to adopt what is classified as a “sectional‐organic” pattern of response. This pattern of response balances the organization's needs for continuity and change, enabling the execution of the process in a manner compatible with the specific organizational characteristics of the VNPO.Originality/valuePrevious studies of strategic processes in the VNPO have reported resistance and partial, stunted processes, stemming from the organization's need to protect its mission‐oriented identity from the threats posed by a strategic process. However, the results of this case study, in which the subject organization managed to successfully develop an effective strategic plan, suggest that the behavior pattern of the VNPO in a strategic process may not be strictly defensive.

An expanded theory of pluralistic interactions in voluntary nonprofit organizations

AbstractDemographic trends suggest a more culturally diverse society, yet research focusing specifically on the management of this diversity in nonprofit organizations is at a nascent stage. Furthermore, traditional ways of conceptualizing cultural diversity in U.S. society are becoming outmoded. Thus, nonprofit managers and leaders can benefit from new ways of thinking about and managing diversity.In this article, we extend our proposed representationinteraction model of diversity in voluntaristic nonprofits (Weisinger and Salipante, 2005) by more closely examining the interaction prong of our model in order to provide a more grounded understanding of this new approach to increasing pluralism. The expanded model that we discuss here is founded on interaction processes: in‐group identity and recategorization. This study enables us to transform our grounded theory into a theory of practices that leaders of voluntaristic organizations can directly apply. We present findings from a field study of a national nonprofit organization and discuss implications for practice and research.

Building the Capacity of the Voluntary Nonprofit Sector: Challenges of Theory and Practice

As voluntary and community organizations in the UK (VCOs) expand their role in the provision of public services, they are under increasing pressure from governmental funders to improve their management and organizational systems - to “build their capacity.” This paper considers the theoretical and practical challenges posed by the idea of “capacity building.” It also looks at the challenges for VCOs of meeting the capacity building agenda while simultaneously retaining organizational distinctiveness and independence. Action research is proposed as a means to meet the challenges. A keynote paper prepared for the EGPA Workshop on Voluntary Action in Europe, Lisbon, September 2003. Revised for IJPA special edition following comments at Workshop, October 2003.

Invited by the State: Institutionalizing Volunteer Subjectivity in Contemporary Japan

This paper is an ethnographic study of volunteerism and the emergence of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in Japanese society, which have been proliferating since the passage of the Law to Promote Specified Nonprofit Activities (NPO Law) in 1998. I document a transition that Japanese society, at a grassroots level, has undergone since this law allowed thousands of civic groups to be acknowledged as proactive participants in Japanese social and political life. My research analyzes the dynamic micro-politics of everyday interactions between the state and the individual in the ongoing activities of an NPO. It especially focuses on how different levels in the Japanese government shape these civil- society organizations into a structure that supports the state's goals, and how people at the grassroots level respond to the state's actions. My argument is that the state plays a significant role in generating volunteer subjects who support the NPO activities—a process of the institutionalization of volunteer subjectivity by the state. I present what voluntary NPO participants at the grassroots level experience amidst the macro-political process of institutionalization of volunteer subjectivity: how they interpret this process and weave it into their daily lives to create a social consciousness and identity.

Book Review: Strategic Management for Voluntary Nonprofit Organizations , by Roger Courtney. Routledge, New York, 2002

Book Review: Strategic Management for Voluntary Nonprofit Organizations , by Roger Courtney. Routledge, New York, 2002

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING HOME CARE SERVICES FOR THE ISRAELI FRAIL ELDERLY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The article presents a longitudinal study on the behavior and functioning of voluntary nonprofit organizations (VNPOs) and for-profit organizations (FPOs) providing home care services to frail elderly persons in Israel according to the Long Term Care Insurance Law, which was implemented as of 1988. The study examined differences and similarities in the strategic, structural, administrative, and human behavior of VNPOs and FPOs over a 10-year-period. The main findings point to blurring distinctions between organizations in both sectors, which can be attributed to their high dependence on governmental resources, adoption of similar service technologies, and transmission of professional norms.In light of the above, the article seeks to shift the focus of research from the question who provides to how services are provided and what structural and organizational properties may contribute toward improving service effectiveness.