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1 – 10 of over 10000Brittany Haupt and Lauren Azevedo
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of crisis communication and management along with its inclusion into the field and practice of emergency management. This…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of crisis communication and management along with its inclusion into the field and practice of emergency management. This paper also discusses the inclusion of nonprofit organizations and the need for these organizations to engage in crisis communication planning and strategy creation to address the diverse and numerous crises that nonprofits are at risk of experiencing.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper utilizes a systematic literature review of crisis communication planning tools and resources focused on nonprofit organizations to derive best practices and policy needs.
Findings
The resources analyzed provide foundational insight for nonprofit organizations to proactively develop plans and strategies during noncrisis periods to support their organization when a crisis occurs.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of this paper include limited academic research and practical resources related to nonprofit organizations and crisis communication planning. As such, several potential avenues for empirical research are discussed.
Practical implications
This paper provides considerations for nonprofit organizations engaging in crisis communication planning and aspects leaders need to partake in to reduce or eliminate the risk of facing an operational or reputational crisis.
Social implications
This paper highlights the critical need to generate a crisis communication plan due to the diverse crises nonprofit organizations face and their connection to the emergency management structure. Understanding the crisis and utilizing a crisis communication plan allows nonprofit organizations a way to strategically mitigate the impact of a crisis while also providing essential services to their respective communities and maintain their overall stability.
Originality/value
This paper is unique in its analysis of crisis communication planning resources and creation of a planning framework to assist nonprofit organizations in their planning efforts.
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Xing Yao, Shao-Chao Ma, Ying Fan, Lei Zhu and Bin Su
The ongoing urbanization and decarbonization require deployment of energy storage in the urban energy system to integrate large-scale variable renewable energy (VRE) into the…
Abstract
Purpose
The ongoing urbanization and decarbonization require deployment of energy storage in the urban energy system to integrate large-scale variable renewable energy (VRE) into the power grids. The cost reductions of batteries enable private entities to invest energy storage for energy management whose operating strategy may differ from traditional storage facilities. This study aims to investigate the impacts of energy storage on the power system with different operation strategies. Two strategies are modeled through a simulation-based regional economic power dispatch model. The profit-oriented strategy denotes the storage system operated by private entities for price arbitrage, and the nonprofit-oriented strategy denotes the storage system dispatched by an independent system operator (ISO) for the whole power system optimization. A case study of Jiangsu, China is conducted. The results show that the profit-oriented strategy only has a very limited impact on the cost reductions of power system and may even increase the cost for consumers. While nonprofit-oriented energy storage performs a positive effect on the system cost reduction. CO2 emission reduction can only be achieved under a high VRE scenario for energy storage. Integrating energy storage into the power system may increase CO2 emissions in the near term. In addition, the peak-valley spread is crucial to trigger operations of profit-oriented energy storage, and the profitability of energy storage operator is observed to be decreasing with the total storage capacity. This study provides new insights for the energy management in the smart city, and the modeling framework can be applied to regions with different resource endowments.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors characterize two battery storage operating strategies of profit- and nonprofit-oriented by adopting a simulation-based economic dispatch model. A simulation from 36 years of hourly weather data of wind and solar output from case study of Jiangsu, China is conducted.
Findings
The results show that the profit-oriented strategy only has a very limited impact on the cost reductions of power system and may even increase the cost for consumers. While nonprofit-oriented energy storage performs a positive effect on the system cost reduction. CO2 emission reduction can only be achieved under high VRE scenario for energy storage. Integrating energy storage into the power system may increase CO2 emissions in the near term. In addition, the peak-valley spread is crucial to trigger operations of profit-oriented energy storage, and the profitability of energy storage operator is observed to be decreasing with the total storage capacity.
Originality/value
This study provides new insights for the energy management in the smart city, and the modeling framework can be applied to regions with different resource endowments.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnerships from the often-overlooked perspective of nonprofit beneficiaries, situated in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnerships from the often-overlooked perspective of nonprofit beneficiaries, situated in the rapidly evolving higher education funding environment.
Design/methodology/approach
In-depth interviews with corporate relations officers from public research universities across the USA were conducted. Qualitative coding procedures from Lindlof and Taylor (2019) were employed to analyze transcript data.
Findings
Three main factors have contributed to a rapidly evolving climate for corporate partnerships: CSR partnerships help universities build their reputations rather than endowments; feature new preferences in communication-based stewardship practices; and raise questions about university autonomy and authority.
Research limitations/implications
New interpretations of interdependent relationships and stewardship may be needed to explain new corporate funding models, while threats to nonprofit organizational authority and autonomy may be growing.
Practical implications
Nonprofit practitioners may better understand how to position their organizations as more attractive to corporations while learning how to advocate for mutual benefits. They may also benefit from a new understanding of corporate stewardship.
Originality/value
While previous research has documented detrimental effects to nonprofits in CSR partnerships, higher education fundraisers in this study detail their struggles with new models of measuring success, new expectations for stewarding corporate partners and perceived threats to autonomy. Their voices add to a fuller understanding of rapidly evolving relationship management practices in higher education.
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Elia Powers and Ronald A. Yaros
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of relationship fundraising and cultivating committed donors for nonprofit news outlets seeking financial sustainability…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of relationship fundraising and cultivating committed donors for nonprofit news outlets seeking financial sustainability, particularly during a time of major changes in the journalism industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examines four nonprofit news organizations and their audiences of financial contributors. Results from a survey of 465 donors and subsequent interviews with donors are discussed.
Findings
Nonprofit news organizations rely heavily upon individual supporters who typically give often but in small chunks. Donors tend to favor nonprofit journalism organizations that report quality, local news stories not usually found in other news sources. Donors place a premium on developing a relationship with journalists in their communities and are likely to support their local nonprofit news source once the news outlet has earned their trust.
Research limitations/implications
News organizations were allowed to choose which donors received invitations to take the survey, and donors to one news organization provided the vast majority of responses. Future research should explore how nonprofit journalism donors differ from donors to other types of nonprofit organizations.
Practical implications
This paper reveals new data about audiences of emerging media organizations. The interests and behaviors of donors help to provide new insights into audience engagement.
Originality/value
The paper profiles donors to four relatively new nonprofit organizations and investigates their motivations for providing financial support. Managers of communication organizations could benefit from new strategies for audience cultivation.
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William F. Crittenden, Victoria L. Crittenden, Melissa Middleton Stone and Christopher J. Robertson
The research presented here contributes to our understanding of strategic planning and its relationship to performance in nonprofit organizations. Based on a sample of 303…
Abstract
The research presented here contributes to our understanding of strategic planning and its relationship to performance in nonprofit organizations. Based on a sample of 303 nonprofit organizations, the study emphasizes individual and diverse elements of the planning process. Multiple measures of performance highlight a nonprofits need to garner resource contributions from several constituencies. Using factor analysis and canonical correlation analysis, we find a positive association between scope of planning and executive satisfaction and a negative association between administrative informality and volunteer involvement. Our results suggest that two critical resource contributors, executive directors and donors, may not value formalized decision-making and planning to the extent previously assumed.
Sarah-Louise Mitchell and Moira Clark
This paper aims to explore how volunteers choose one nonprofit organisation (NPO) rather than another. It identifies the drivers of choice, and the relationship between them, to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how volunteers choose one nonprofit organisation (NPO) rather than another. It identifies the drivers of choice, and the relationship between them, to enable NPOs to strengthen their volunteer recruitment.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 51 service-delivery volunteers were interviewed, drawn from 5 leading NPOs. A laddering technique was used to understand the context in which the choice of organisation was made and the underlying personal needs and goals. The data was analysed using means-end chain (MEC) methodology to uncover the relationships between, and hierarchy of, the decision drivers.
Findings
Brand, cause, and role were found to be important in meeting personal needs and goals through volunteering. The paper makes three contributions. Firstly, it presents a clearer understanding of NPO choice through adopting an integrated theoretical perspective. Secondly, it identifies the decision-making process and key relationships between the attributes of the NPO, the consequences for the volunteer, and the connection to their personal needs. Finally, the study makes an important contribution to literature through presenting a new conceptual framework of volunteer decision-making in the nonprofit context to act as a catalyst for future research.
Research limitations/implications
This research is both impactful through, and limited by, its context selection: regular service-delivery volunteers from five NPOs within two causes. The paper presents a rich research stream to extend this understanding to other nonprofit stakeholders, other causes including medical volunteer, and smaller NPOs.
Practical implications
In an increasingly competitive nonprofit environment with a growing need to support the vulnerable in society, NPO sustainability is dependent on their ability to recruit new volunteers. NPOs compete not only with other organisations with similar causes but also those offering similar volunteering roles, and other uses of time to meet personal needs such as sport, career, or community. Understanding how volunteers make their choice of NPO rather than other uses of their time is of vital importance to make the most effective use of scarce marketing resources. This paper contributes to that practitioner understanding.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to extend the understanding of generic motivations of volunteers to consider specific choice of NPO. Unlike previous literature, the authors bring together theory on brand, cause, and role with personal needs. The authors are also the first to apply MEC methodology to the nonprofit context to uncover the personal underlying, less salient reasons behind NPO choice and the relationship between them.
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Kelly E. Proulx, Mark A. Hager and Kimberly C. Klein
Third sector organizations regularly innovate through collaboration with other organizations in order to secure resources and to increase the potential to more effectively meet…
Abstract
Purpose
Third sector organizations regularly innovate through collaboration with other organizations in order to secure resources and to increase the potential to more effectively meet each collaborator's mission. Following a review of relevant literature, the purpose of this paper is to explore and document the variety of ways that third sector organizations collaborate with other nonprofit organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews the literature regarding motivations to collaborate, barriers to collaboration, and ways to ensure that collaboration is successful. Drawing on exemplary cases of collaboration that applied for a national (USA) prize, the paper describes the range of collaborations that third sector organizations used to enhance their performance and productivity.
Findings
The analysis culminates in eight models: the fully integrated merger, partially integrated merger, joint program office, joint partnership with affiliated programming, joint partnership for issue advocacy, joint partnership with a new formal organization, joint administrative operations, and confederation.
Research limitations/implications
All cases are drawn from one country in one part of the world, the USA; some models will have less veracity in other countries or contexts, and the nonprofit sectors of other countries will likely generate additional kinds of models not anticipated by the USA cases. Second, the eight models generated by the method are the result of debate, deliberation, and iterative process carried out by two coders. Other coders employing the same analytic process might generate more or fewer models.
Practical implications
Once nonprofit boards, staff, and other advocates understand the potential that can come with collaboration, blurring boundaries and giving up autonomy might not seem so intimidating. The practical value of our work is in reporting the wide array of options available to nonprofits – models that staff and board can use to plot their way forward.
Social implications
The value of our work to research is identification of the assortment of ways that nonprofits collaborate. Future research may consider how any of the issues discussed in the literature – trust, co-opetition, resource dependence, network connectedness – vary or are conditioned by differences across these models of collaboration.
Originality/value
The paper documents collaboration as a viable strategy for the enhancement of performance and productivity among third sector organizations in the USA. For each model described, the paper discusses the circumstances in which they might be used, as well as the challenges and advantages associated with implementation.
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Robert 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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Elissa D. Giffords and Richard P. Dina
This article addresses the nature of strategic planning in nonprofit organizations through a discussion of relevant literature and the use of a case study of an organization…
Abstract
This article addresses the nature of strategic planning in nonprofit organizations through a discussion of relevant literature and the use of a case study of an organization created by a recent merger. Within the framework of a strategic plan, the concepts of continuous quality performance improvement (CQPI) and accountability for achieving nonprofit organizationsʼ goals are discussed. In todayʼs world, nonprofit organizations need to develop a strategic plan to respond to their dynamic and changing internal and external environments. A CQPI system is a useful tool for nonprofit leaders and their staff, to help them adapt the organization to its current environment; clarify needs of its clients; and set priorities to better meet its mission.
Kathryn Jervis and Pamela Sherer
The paper describes an integrated, interdisciplinary nonprofit management three-course concentration developed for an undergraduate public service major at a small, private…
Abstract
The paper describes an integrated, interdisciplinary nonprofit management three-course concentration developed for an undergraduate public service major at a small, private college. We describe the course development process and implementation issues pertinent to nonprofit management education that include where to house programs, faculty issues, interdisciplinary teaching, students’ needs and experiential learning. Our course objectives aimed to develop business competencies from accounting, finance, management and marketing in the context of nonprofit organizations for students with no prior business knowledge. The paper concludes with a description of our three courses.