Organizational ambidexterity in public non-profit organizations: interest and limits

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 248-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongxia Peng
Keyword(s):  
Job Search ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Organizational Transformation ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Organizational Characteristics ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Organizational Ambidexterity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Non Profit Organizations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the potential interest in and the possible limits of the concept of organizational ambidexterity (Duncan, 1976; Tushman and O’Reilly, 1996) in the context of public non-profit organizations (PNPOs), a concept that is frequently studied in the private sector. Design/methodology/approach From an inductive and qualitative approach, this research is based on observations of ambidextrous innovation processes implemented in a French PNPO in charge of job search and unemployment compensation operations. Findings This research shows that the concept of organizational ambidexterity might provide some strategic leads for balancing the possible paradoxes within different kinds of expectations of the stakeholders of PNPOs. It might also facilitate the combination of the stability of public service deliverance and organizational transformation. Beyond its interest, this study identifies the limits of the concept in the context of PNPOs. For overcoming its limits, the study suggests a renewed understanding of organizational ambidexterity by taking account of PNPOs’ specificities, especially in terms of the regulation of the different tensions generated by ambidextrous organizational change. Research limitations/implications This research proposes a conceptual framework built with the integration of sectorial and organizational characteristics of the public non-profit sector for understanding the organizational ambidexterity and its possible strategic, organizational and management implications in this sector. The results are limited to the context the author studied because of several sectorial, national, organizational and cultural specificities. Practical implications The results might inspire management practices in PNPOs and potentially in private non-profit organizations or in voluntary organizations, since these three types of organizations could have certain similar organizational characteristics and might encounter similar questions in terms of strategy and innovation management. Originality/value This research suggests a renewed understanding of the concept of organizational ambidexterity in a sector in which the complexities, tensions and paradoxes generated by different stakeholders’ expectations are probably more present but less explicit than other organizations.

Managing the most important asset: a twenty year review on the performance management literature

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebina Justin M.A. ◽  
Manu Melwin Joy
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Organizational Outcomes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
System Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Quantitative Studies ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Human Resource Management Practices

Purpose The three objectives served by this review are to provide readers a limpid insight about the topic performance management (PM), to analyse the latest trends in PM literature and to illustrate the theoretical perspectives. It would be fascinating for the practitioners and researchers to see the latest trends in the PM system, which is not yet covered in previous reviews. The study covers the historical and theoretical perspectives of human resource management practices. We also try to unveil some of the theoretical debates and conflicts regarding the topic. Design/methodology/approach We reviewed 139 studies on PM published within the last 20 years (2000–2020). The method used here is the integrative review method. The criteria used to determine studies are articles from peer-reviewed journals regarding the PM system published between 2000 and 2020. The initial search for studies was conducted using an extensive journal database, and then an intensive reference-based search was also done. Each selected article was coded, themes were identified, and trends for every 5 years were determined. All the articles were analysed and classified based on the methodology used to identify qualitative and quantitative studies. Findings The review concludes that PM literature's emphasis shifted from traditional historical evaluations conducted once or twice a year to forward-looking, feedback-enriched PM systems. By segregating the studies into 5-year periods, we could extract five significant trends that prevailed in the PM literature from 2000 to 2020: reactions to PM system, factors that influence PM system, quality of rating sources, evaluating the PM system and types of the PM system. The review ends with a discussion of practical implications and avenues for future research. Research limitations/implications It is equally a limitation and strength of this paper that we conducted a review of 139 articles to cover the whole works in PM literature during the last 20 years. The study could not concentrate on any specific PM theme, such as exploring employee outcomes or organizational outcomes. Likewise, the studies on public sector and non-profit organizations are excluded from this review, which constitutes a significant share of PM literature. Another significant limitation is that the selected articles are classified only based on their methodology; further classification based on different themes and contexts can also be done. Originality/value The study is an original review of the PM literature to identify the latest trends in the field.

Internship impact on career consideration among business students

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 1003-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Rothman ◽  
Ruth Sisman
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Career Path ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Job Functions ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the impact of the internship experience on business students’ career intentions in regard to pursuing a career path in the same job function or industry as their internship. Design/methodology/approach After completing and reflecting on an internship, 198 undergraduate students responded to the prompt: “discuss the impact of the internship on your career consideration.” Responses were analyzed using a content analysis methodology in order to determine whether or not interns would pursue the same job functions (e.g. sales) or industry (e.g. non-profit) as their internship in their post-graduation job search. Findings Across the job functions and industries identified within the internships, 54 and 45 percent of interns confirmed their expectations of career fit, respectively. The implications of confirming and disconfirming these expectations for students are discussed. Originality/value Given the value of internships to business students, surprisingly few studies have examined their influence on undergraduates’ career considerations. Students select internships with the intention of learning about job functions or industries for possible career fit, yet the authors know little about whether the experience confirms or disconfirms their expectations. This study seeks to address this gap. The authors suggest that internships, as experiential activities, merit greater attention as they provide students opportunities to learn what they do or do not want to do, where they do or do not want to work and whether their self-concept fits a possible career path – saving themselves and potential employers the cost of job dissatisfaction and turnover.

An innovation management assessment framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1633-1656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislaus Lobo ◽  
Premaratne Samaranayake
Keyword(s):  
Six Sigma ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Products ◽  
New Business

PurposeThis paper proposes an integrated approach for assessing innovation management practices using an innovation management assessment framework, with the application of the innovation management assessment framework at the incubation and firm level.Design/methodology/approachInnovation management assessment framework is developed, based on the literature review. An innovation management assessment framework toolkit for training innovation practitioners is proposed as the basis for the framework implementation in the industry. The main approach is to make close alignment of the design for lean six sigma phases within broader innovation and stage-gate model in the innovation management assessment framework.FindingsThe operationalization of the innovation management assessment framework is enabled and supported by an assessment framework and a toolkit for managing innovation.Practical implicationsA roadmap for innovation management and assessment of performance at incubatee/firm level.Social implicationsIt provides a tool for developing innovative products and services for incubatees in start-ups, thus fueling the economy. It also has applications for ongoing established businesses.Originality/valueInnovation of new business development can be made through a well-designed and implemented innovation programme that is aligned with stage-gate and design for lean six sigma phases through the innovation management assessment framework.

Addressing tent cities: an example of police/non-profit collaboration

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 931-943
Author(s):  
Brittany Solensten ◽  
Dale Willits
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Non Profit Organizations ◽  
The City

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine a collaborative relationship between non-profit organizations and a Midwest police department to address issues of poverty and homelessness. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative interviews were conducted with five non-profit organization workers along with three police officers about social problems in the city between September and December of 2017. Findings The collaboration between non-profit organizations and law enforcement was largely helpful and successful in integrating residents of tent city into existing housing programs within the city, limiting future law enforcement calls addressing latent homelessness issues. Research limitations/implications This qualitative study was exploratory in nature and data were drawn from a single city. Although key stakeholders were interviewed, results are based on a small sample of police and non-profit social service workers. Also, individuals who lived in the tent city were not interviewed. Practical implications This study demonstrates how an approach in addressing tent cities through non-profit organizations and law enforcement collaboration are arguably effective in humanely moving residents of tent cities into housing for a long-term solution to homelessness. Originality/value There is limited research about tent cities especially the long-term effectiveness of dismantling them with various methods. This paper demonstrates one city’s approach to combat homelessness by dismantling a tent city, with a follow-up a few years later showing the effectiveness of a more humane approach, which can set an example for future cities also combating homelessness.

The impact of accounting regulation on non-profit revenue recognition

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles A. Barragato
Keyword(s):  
Information Content ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Accounting Standards ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Non Profit Organizations ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the requirement that non-profit organizations recognize unconditional promises to give as assets and revenues in the year promises are received as mandated by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 116. Design/methodology/approach Using the adoption of SFAS No. 116 and financial information reported on Internal Revenue Service Form 990, the study examines the requirement that non-profit organizations recognize unconditional promises to give as assets and revenues in the year promises are received. Combining insights derived from a model developed by Dechow, Kothari and Watts (1998) with the rationale applied by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in mandating recognition treatment, it adopts the view that information about promises to give is relevant if it useful in assessing probable future cash inflows. The study also employs relative tests of predictive ability to assess competing specifications. Findings The study finds that recognizing unconditional promises to give as assets and as revenues in the year received improves predictions of next period’s cash inflows. It also finds that accrual-based contribution revenue consistently provides information content that is incremental to cash-based contribution revenue. Research limitations/implications This paper has implications for several other lines of research as well. First, an ancillary concern expressed by many organizations in the non-profit sector was that the recognition of multi-year promises to give would adversely affect trends in long-term giving. In this regard, another promising line of inquiry would be to empirically test the Standard’s impact on the time-series properties of contributions and short- and long-term giving trends. Second, future research might consider conducting tests after partitioning by NTEE/NAICS classification, as well as substituting or supplementing the SOI data with financial statement data. Third, future research might consider applying the approach used in this study to other industries or groups for which market prices are not readily ascertainable. Data constraints, including the calculation of cash flow information indirectly from the balance sheet, impose limitations on this study. Practical implications This study documents that by recognizing unconditional promises to give as assets and revenues in the period received, donors, creditors and other users gain useful information about probable future cash inflows – a fundamental element of the accrual process and one of several important factors used to evaluate an organization’s ability to sustain future operations. This information is valuable to stakeholders and practitioners who rely on this information to make informed decisions. It is also helpful to standard setters in establishing guidelines that improve the usefulness of financial reporting for non-profits. Originality/value The paper contributes to existing literature by operationalizing, in a non-profit setting, a model that describes the relationship among revenues, accruals and cash flows. It fills a gap in the accrual literature regarding the relevance of non-profit revenue accruals. The study is the first to employ a relative information content approach to assess non-profit standards, which provides useful input to policy makers and end users. It affirms that many of the key conventions and elements embodied in the FASB Concepts Statements apply to non-profits as well, which heretofore has not been studied extensively. The results are also consistent with Accounting Standards Update 958, Not-for-Profit Entities, which requires that non-profits provide users with information about liquidity, including how they manage liquid resources needed to meet cash requirements for general expenditures within one year of the date of the statement of financial position.

Non-profit organizations’ use of tools and technologies for knowledge management: a comparative study

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 718-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh Rathi ◽  
Lisa M. Given
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Tool Use ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Non Profit Organizations

Purpose This paper aims to present findings from a study conducted with non-profit organizations (NPOs) in Canada and Australia, focusing on the use of tools and technologies for knowledge management (KM). NPOs of different sizes and operating in different sectors were studied in two large-scale national surveys. The paper is useful to both practitioners in NPOs for understanding tool use for KM activities and to scholars to further develop the KM-NPO domain. Design/methodology/approach Two nation-wide surveys were conducted with Canadian and Australian NPOs of different sizes (i.e. very small to large-sized organizations) and operating in different sectors (e.g. animal welfare, education and research, culture and arts). An analysis of responses explores the use of tools and technologies by NPOs. Respondents identified the tools and technologies they used from nine pre-determined themes (quantitative data) plus an additional category of “other tools” (qualitative data), which allowed for free text responses. The quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques and the qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Findings Quantitative data analysis provides key findings including the popularity of physical, print documents across all NPO sizes and sectors. Statistical tests revealed, for example, there is no significant difference for the same-sized organizations in Canadian and Australian NPOs in the use of tools and technologies for KM activities. However, there were differences in the use of tools and technologies across different sizes of NPOs. The qualitative analysis revealed a number of additional tools and technologies and also provided contextual details about the nature of tool use. The paper provides specific examples of the types of tools and technologies NPOs use. Originality/value The paper has both practical and academic contributions, including areas for future research. The findings on the use of KM tools and technologies by NPOs contribute to the growing body of literature in the KM domain in general and also build the literature base for the understudied KM-NPO domain. NPOs will also find the paper useful in better understanding tools and technological implementation for KM activities. The study is unique not only in the content focus on KM for NPOs but also for the comparative study of activities in two countries.

Process improvement for professionalizing non-profit organizations: BPM approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 634-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Resende Haddad ◽  
Diego Hernando Florez Ayala ◽  
Mauricio Uriona Maldonado ◽  
Fernando Antônio Forcellini ◽  
Álvaro Guillermo Rojas Lezana
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Process Redesign ◽  
Analysis Process ◽  
Process Implementation ◽  
Original Case ◽  
Non Profit Organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a proposal for process improvement at the Department of Social Responsibility of a Colombian process-based organization, called CAJASAN. The department has four main processes: Foniñez (children fund), Fosfec (unemployment fund), Project Management and International Cooperation and Network Management and Alliances. The objective of this paper is to suggest an improvement in these processes through BPM application. Design/methodology/approach – The authors followed the BPM method proposed by Dumas et al. (2013) for process improvement composed by process identification; process discovery; process analysis; process redesign; process implementation and process monitoring and controlling. The authors modeled the processes by using the software Bizagi®. Findings – The actual processes work in an independent way and with no communication. Moreover, the department experiences short-term problems solutions and process inefficiency. It was possible to suggest changes in three out of four processes. Practical implications – Implementing BPM in non-profit organizations (NPO) addresses many of the current management challenges faced by such organizations. NPO’s researchers and practitioners should take BPM as a potential way to help in professionalizing them. Originality/value – The authors bring an original case study about a Colombian NPO. As a process-oriented organization, the authors use BPM as a management tool to solve many challenges that the company faces nowadays.

How to build the permanently innovative company: five tested sets of management practices

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
Kai Engel ◽  
Voletka Dirlea ◽  
Stephen Dyer ◽  
Jochen Graff
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Major Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Company ◽  
Management Capabilities ◽  
Developed World ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This article reports on the findings of the Best Innovator competition, which was launched in Germany in 2003, to identify and communicate the best practices of innovation management of the country’s businesses. After ten years of research, the contest has not only been expanded to identify the most innovative companies in much of the developed world but also to document the success of their best practices over time. Design/methodology/approach – This article details five tested sets of best practices. Findings – A major research finding is the strong correlation between superior innovation management capabilities and sustainable, profitable growth. Another finding was that, given the mix of industries, the diversity of businesses and the range of sizes in the Best Innovator club, it is striking that there is no correlation between R&D budget and innovation. Practical implications – Best Innovators first develop and then manage their innovation portfolios. All of them pursue clarity on a fundamental question: what do we want our innovation strategy to do for us? Originality/value – The researchers found that to get their innovation strategies right, Best Innovators invest upfront in understanding market, technology and service dynamics. They are investing time more than money. Leaders can learn how Best Innovators address innovation management “from the market to the market” and manipulate five areas to improve their innovation performance and propel sustainable and profitable growth.

Representations of team work among organizations with a social entrepreneurship profile

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 65-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celso Alves Pais ◽  
Cristina Parente
Keyword(s):  
Work Teams ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Theoretical Point ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Systematic Observation ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Autonomous Planning ◽  
Non Profit Organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to show how work-teams are represented and work in non-profit organizations. From a theoretical point of view, the concepts of macro-team and micro-team, as well as their dynamics rooted in the entrepreneurial world have been discussed. Design/methodology/approach – Seven socially enterprising organizations have been studied through semi-structured individual and collective interviews with managers, technicians with and without supervisory functions and workers. Data discussed here underwent an inductive analysis based on the procedures of grounded theory. Findings – Data analysis supported the outlining of the interviewees’ representations of their belonging to the macro-team and of the working of micro-teams. There seem to be no significant differences between the way teams work in these organizations and in profit-making organizations. However, in the organizations we have analyzed, autonomous planning of activities as a mechanism of work organization and assertiveness as a fundamental communication tool between members stand out. Research limitations/implications – This research did not include the systematic observation of work teams in the field. As such, reliability may be somehow compromised due to the use of the individual and group interview as the single data collection technique. Practical implications – The outline of representations that we have designed points to a set of dimensions that shows, with some reliability, how to build a sense of belonging to the macro-team among the workers of this type of organization. It also clarifies the difference between behaviors that foster effective and ineffective micro-teams. This allows action over the latter to potentiate the first and eventually eliminate the second. Originality/value – Considering the scarce research about team-work in non-profit organizations, this study offers a groundbreaking reflection. Further ahead, one may establish a set of differences and similarities between effective macro and micro-teams in different economic sectors. This way, this study may contribute to more encompassing organizational theories focused on the representations about and the functioning of macro and micro-teams.

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