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1 – 10 of over 14000Robert E. McDonald, Jay Weerawardena, Sreedhar Madhavaram and Gillian Sullivan Mort
The purpose of this paper is to offer a sustainability-based typology for non-profit organizations and corresponding strategies to sustain the mission and/or financial objectives…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer a sustainability-based typology for non-profit organizations and corresponding strategies to sustain the mission and/or financial objectives of non-profit organizations. The balance of mission and money, known in the non-profit literature as the double bottom line, is a challenge for professional managers who run non-profits and scholars who study them.
Design/methodology/approach
Typologies are often used to classify phenomena to improve understanding and bring about clarity. In this paper, non-profit organizations are viewed from a social and fiscal viability perspective, developed from the long standing challenge of balancing mission and money.
Findings
The typology developed in this paper identifies several normative strategies that correspond to the social and fiscal viability of non-profit organizations. In fact, the strategies offered in this paper can help non-profit managers achieve organizational sustainability, thus enabling them to continue what they are meant to do – to provide greater social value to their constituents.
Research limitations/implications
The typology presented is a classification system rather than a theoretical typology. Its purpose is to help managers of non-profits to recognize threats to their organizations’ long-term survival and offer strategies that if adopted can move the organizations to less vulnerable positions. However, the recommended strategies are by no means exhaustive. Furthermore, the focus of the paper is on non-profit organizations, not profit-driven or hybrid entities. The sustainability-based typology of non-profit organizations and the corresponding strategies have implications for practitioners and academics. The typology and its contents can help managers assess their non-profits, competitive environment and their current strategies, plan their double bottom line strategies and last but not the least, develop and implement strategies for social and fiscal sustainability. In addition, our paper provides great opportunities for future research to subject our typology and its contents to conceptual and empirical scrutiny.
Practical implications
The strategies described here are developed based on scholarly research and examples from successful non-profits. The typology and the related list of strategies provide a manager with the tools to accurately diagnose organizational challenges and adopt plans to improve the organization’s viability.
Social implications
Non-profit organizations are an integral part of society that bolsters economic prosperity, environmental integrity and social justice. This paper may provide guidance for a number of non-profit managers to keep their organizations operating and serving important social missions.
Originality/value
In the context of organizations for social mission, several typologies exist that looked at firms from the perspectives of ownership versus profit objectives, entrepreneurship conceptualizations of economists and origins and development paths of social enterprises. While these typologies provided foundations for theoretical and empirical work into social enterprises, our typology offers strategies for the sustainability of mission and/or money objectives of non-profits. The value of this research lies in integrating virtuous and pragmatic objectives of non-profit sustainability that, in turn, can ensure the social mission of non-profits.
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Xuan Zhao, Run H. Niu and Ignacio Castillo
The purpose of this paper is to better understand the selection of a distribution channel strategy for a non‐profit organization selling products or services to its end customers.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to better understand the selection of a distribution channel strategy for a non‐profit organization selling products or services to its end customers.
Design/methodology/approach
Two channel strategies are generally considered: an integrated channel where the non‐profit organization sells its products or services using its own selling departments or branches; and a decentralized channel where the non‐profit organization sells through a for‐profit retailer. The fundamental question is: how should a non‐profit organization select its distribution channel strategy under certain market conditions?
Findings
It was found that selecting a decentralized channel strategy results in an optimal retail price that is higher than that under an integrated channel strategy, which results in lower customer welfare under the decentralized channel. It was also found that a decentralized channel behaves as an integrated fully for‐profit channel. Thus, whether a non‐profit organization should choose an integrated or a decentralized channel when facing competition from an integrated or a decentralized fully for‐profit channel depends on its cost structure and the level of substitutability of the products or services offered by the two channels.
Practical implications
When competing with an integrated fully for‐profit channel, the non‐profit organization is better off using an integrated channel under strong competition or a decentralized channel under weak competition. When competing with a decentralized fully for‐profit channel, the selection is more complicated. It was found that a decentralized channel is the best choice if the price competition factor, where threshold value depends on the cost structure, is large.
Originality/value
Non‐profit organizations have a clear (perhaps increasing) need for distribution centers or retailers in order to reach people who need their products or services. Moreover, it has been reported that the interactions between for‐profit and non‐profit sectors continue to grow, thus increasing the forms of community involvement available to reach people. It is thus clear that additional research is needed to better understand the selection of a distribution channel strategy for a non‐profit organization selling products or services to its end customers, and also the related managerial implications.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the branding and communications strategy of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC is the world's oldest…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the branding and communications strategy of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC is the world's oldest non‐religious organisation dedicated to humanitarian relief. The ICRC's remit includes civilian and military victims of armed conflicts and internal disturbances, as well as human rights issues that transcend conflict situations, such as disaster response and preparedness, health and care in the community and humanitarian principles and values. The ICRC is the founding body of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and coordinates the efforts of the National Societies and their International Federation.
Design/methodology/approach
Various secondary sources are used to collate the information from which the case study is developed.
Findings
The ICRC's longevity is attributed to its ability to evolve, albeit at times slowly. However, the environment in which the ICRC operates is changing rapidly. Like many international non‐profit organisations, the ICRC faces considerable challenges to ensure it remains relevant by responding to the shifting environment in a flexible and creative manner. Consequently, the ICRC's communication efforts have become increasingly important.
Originality/value
The case study provides the opportunity to examine the branding and communications strategy for a prominent non‐profit organisation.
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This paper aims to examine five key strategic management concepts: industrial organisation (I/O), resource‐based view (RBV), knowledge‐based view (KBV), balanced scorecard (BSC…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine five key strategic management concepts: industrial organisation (I/O), resource‐based view (RBV), knowledge‐based view (KBV), balanced scorecard (BSC) and intellectual capital (IC) within the non‐profit context and to determine which is most applicable in the non‐profit sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews the above concepts in the light of the unique non‐profit environment.
Findings
The IC concept is more effective compared with other strategic management concepts within the non‐profit context. IC is an important resource that non‐profit organisations need to develop in order to gain sustained strategic advantage.
Research limitations/implications
This paper helps to build a nascent body of literature suggesting that the concept of IC is the most effective strategic management concept in NPOs. The increased awareness of the IC concept in the sector, as a result of this paper, is likely to generate further research from both non‐profit practitioners and scholars.
Originality/value
Very little systematic research has reviewed the applicability of strategic management concepts within the non‐profit context. The paper acts as the first attempt to fill this gap.
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Anne Fletcher, James Guthrie, Peter Steane, Göran Roos and Stephen Pike
Few authors have examined the intellectual capital of non‐profit organizations or discussed their strategic management in terms of intangibles. The Australian Red Cross Blood…
Abstract
Few authors have examined the intellectual capital of non‐profit organizations or discussed their strategic management in terms of intangibles. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS), a third sector organization, is the subject of this study. The purpose of the study is to better understand the value dimensions of the ARCBS from an external stakeholder perspective. Outcomes include the creation of a value hierarchy, inclusive of the views of 11 stakeholder groups. The results show overall agreement amongst stakeholders about the four most highly valued key performance areas (KPAs) of ARCBS (safe product, product sufficiency, donor and volunteer management and public confidence). However, there were many differences between different stakeholder groups in their perceptions of the relative importance of the nine KPAs and their constituent attributes. As a result of the study ARCBS has a basis to manage strategy, organizational performance and communication with stakeholders.
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C.P.M. Wilderom and F. Joldersma
Spending cuts, privatization, decentralization and deregulation are undermining the dominant role of the Dutch Government in private non‐profit organizations. Less governmental…
Abstract
Spending cuts, privatization, decentralization and deregulation are undermining the dominant role of the Dutch Government in private non‐profit organizations. Less governmental interference will force non‐profit management to strike a balance between private management and public management. Argues that private non‐profit managers should adjust their managerial attitudes towards other stakeholders. Managers must first serve their own front‐line officers, and these front‐line officers, in turn, must communicate more interactively with their clients about the process of service delivery. However, this process should not be dictated by the client, but by the community of all relevant external and internal stakeholders. In interactions with many different stakeholders of the organization, non‐profit managers should develop and communicate a strategic quality credo.
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Mark J. Arnold and Shelley R. Tapp
Direct marketing is seeing growing acceptance among non‐profit services as a means to reach audiences, raise revenues, and foster long‐term relationships with customers. However…
Abstract
Direct marketing is seeing growing acceptance among non‐profit services as a means to reach audiences, raise revenues, and foster long‐term relationships with customers. However, academic research has lagged in investigating the influences on the extent to which these organizations implement direct marketing, and subsequent effects on performance outcomes associated with such marketing activities. This research investigates the case of non‐profit arts organizations. The results show that organizational formalization, external integration, total marketing effort, and managerial self‐confidence influence the direct marketing techniques implemented by the firm. The model also shows that sales and fund‐raising revenues are driven primarily by total marketing effort, while the percentage of total revenue derived from season‐ticket subscriptions is driven by the breadth and uniqueness of the direct marketing techniques implemented by the organization.
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The paper aims to examine how not communicating stakeholders' expectations through marketing results in mis‐targeting. It also aims to suggest that, when non‐profit managers do…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to examine how not communicating stakeholders' expectations through marketing results in mis‐targeting. It also aims to suggest that, when non‐profit managers do not succeed in capturing stakeholders' definitions of performance, marketing is ineffective and may even result in decreased support for organisational goals.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys were administered to managers from a sample of 135 non‐profits in Israel with a 63 per cent return rate.
Findings
The findings suggest that marketing practices have a differential effect on public/private stakeholders; and the effect of marketing on performance increases when targeting public stakeholders, but negatively affects performance when targeting private stakeholders. These results suggest that not properly communicating funders' expectations is the cause for the ineffective use of marketing in non‐profit organisations (NPOs).
Research limitations/implications
Marketing may have both positive and negative effects on performance but attention should be addressed to the differences of marketing targets in order to fit between marketing techniques and marketing targets.
Practical implications
The results highlight the importance of a professional approach to marketing practices in NPOs that consider the diversity of stakeholders in expectations and definitions of performance.
Originality/value
This is the first paper that examines the reasons why marketing has not been a successful means to increase performance in non‐profit settings.
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Maria Francisca Blasco López, Nuria Recuero Virto, Joaquin Aldas Manzano and Jesús Garcia-Madariaga
The purpose of this paper is to determine a model for developing sustainable tourism in archaeological sites. A qualitative and quantitative approach has been assumed in order to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine a model for developing sustainable tourism in archaeological sites. A qualitative and quantitative approach has been assumed in order to test a model of market orientation, where 11 experts were interviewed and 122 employees of archaeological sites answered the e-questionnaire.
Design/methodology/approach
Partial least squares path modelling regression was employed to examine the measurement and structural model.
Findings
The findings have revealed that market orientation and innovativeness positively and significantly influence tourism sustainability, measured in economic and social terms. Besides, tourist functionality has been determined as an antecedent of market orientation.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited by the sample sizes of both researches. The model has second order constructs (market orientation, innovativeness and tourism sustainability) that include related concepts to increase parsimony and understand relations with other variables. As a result, separate effects of these dimensions have not been measured, which could report interesting findings in future-related studies.
Practical implications
The results suggest useful insights for managers to improve social and economic sustainability in archaeological sites. Innovativeness affects tourism sustainability, which reinforces the idea that offering technological and organisational innovations improve economic and social sustainability. Besides, it has been proved that market orientation is a necessary precondition to guarantee social and economic sustainability.
Originality/value
This paper assists scholars and practitioners by shedding light on the comprehension of tourism sustainability.
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The Nature of Business Policy Business policy — or general management — is concerned with the following six major functions: