In memoriam fundraising: An empirical exploration of donor motivations

Purpose: This research explores in memoriam fundraising from the perspective of the donor, providing empirical support for what motivates people to make permanent in memoriam donations and how making such donations assists them in the grieving process. These insights then provide guidance to aid nonprofit organisations (herein referred to as nonprofits) in building relationships with bereaved donors.Methodology: Study one collected data using a purposive criterion sampling, with 10 in-depth interviews that were analysed using thematic analysis. Study two used an experimental design that collected data using a convenience-based sampling, with 184 participants (53.6% male, mean age 38 years). T-tests and Process models were utilised for analysis. Findings: This research demonstrates that charitable donations can play a role in bereavement and that the value they provide is to both the nonprofit, with monetary outcomes and increased donor loyalty, and to the donor, with the creation of a continued bond with the deceased. This research provides the first empirical evidence that people use in memoriam donations, which include a permanent memorial, to create a symbolic continuing bond with the deceased and that such symbolic donations increase the giver’s desire to visit the memorial. Using the findings of this research, we provide a set of recommendations that fundraisers can follow in order to best meet the needs of both their donors and their organisation. Recommendations include ways to provide the value that donors are looking for which will aid them in their bereavement along with best practices for the organization to allow for the most effective in memoriam fundraising program.Implications: Providing evidence that the creation of a continued bond is a motivator for charitable giving connects the literature on charitable giving, bereavement and consumer behaviour. This research deepens our understanding of consumer behaviour by examining why people spend money to help themselves through the grieving process, thus building on the mood, decision making, and consumer-choice literatures that can be used in both for profit and nonprofit marketing domains. Providing empirical support for the industry best practice of providing permanent memorial opportunities is of significant importance, as doing so can provide relationship building opportunities. This research shows that there are societal benefits to in memoriam giving, demonstrating that it can provide value to people in their grieving process. Contribution: This is the first empirical study that looks at motivations for in memoriam fundraising, providing evidence of continued bonds as a motivator for in memoriam donations, and the role that charitable giving can play in bereavement.

Truth revealed: Challenging the mythical narrative of the low-profit limited liability company

This article reviews the body of literature concerning low-profit limited liability companies and conducts a critical analysis of the “flaws” frequently cited in the literature as problematic within the form. Analysis of the low-profit limited liability company (L3C) is conducted in the larger, global context of social enterprise, with emphasis on the social purpose company of Belgium and the community interest company of the United Kingdom as points of comparison. Findings demonstrate that the most commonly stated criticisms of L3Cs are in fact inaccurate. A deeper critical analysis of the form reveals that this choice of entity is advantageous on several levels for both social entrepreneurs and private charitable foundations. This piece furthers the literature by dispelling the myths surrounding L3Cs, providing counterarguments to the existing criticisms of the form and providing the business community with accurate information regarding the benefits of L3Cs for social enterprise.

The challenge of building a favourable reputation for social businesses

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to better understand the challenge of building and managing a favourable organisational reputation for social businesses in light of the complex relations between organisational identity, paradoxical tensions and organisational reputation.Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper combines deductive and inductive approaches. Deductively, the categorisation of Smith and Lewis (2011) was used to identify various types of paradoxical tensions in social businesses. An inductive bottom-up research strategy was also applied, collecting data from a 90-minute ‘open fishbowl’ with six managers and advisers of Israeli social businesses (and approximately 40 undergraduate and graduate students serving as ‘observers’), and 8 interviews with managers and communication professionals of social businesses.Findings: Managers of social businesses that are hybrid-identity organisations face a challenge when trying to build a consistent hybrid identity, thus managing reputation and paradoxical tensions using holistic and dynamic ‘both-and’ or ‘more-than’ approaches.Limitations: The small sample used in this study (an open fishbowl method consisting of only six participants, in addition to 8 interviews) doesn’t enable generalisability, and therefore should be seen as a benchmark for future studies that are larger and include additional methods. In addition, this study might well be culturally biased, because it takes place in only one country.Implications and Contribution: Referring to the theoretical model of Huang-Horowitz (2015) that stresses the importance of achieving consistency in identity in order for an organisation to succeed and have a favourable reputation, the findings reveal that social businesses experience a more complex process of identity formation when trying to build a consistent hybrid identity, using various holistic and dynamic approaches. From a practical perspective managers of hybrid-identity organisations might find it useful to explore how various holistic and dynamic approaches might help them to overcome internal and external paradoxical tensions and manage organisational reputation.

“Industrialising” the capacity building of local entrepreneurs. A case study of 1001fontaines’ “4G Project” in Cambodia

In Cambodia, only 16% of the population in rural areas has access to safely managed and clean water supply services, putting the health of 10.12 million people at stake. (Cambodia’s Voluntary National Review 2019 of the Implementation of the 2030 SDG Agenda).1001fontaines, a community-based enterprise located mainly in Cambodia, responds to this issue by enabling the production of safe drinking water directly in the targeted communities, through the establishment of small water enterprises. These units, called water kiosks, are entrusted to local entrepreneurs and supported in the long run thanks to a franchise model. In 2014, 1001fontaines suffered from low-performing water kiosks, which impacted the viability of the whole portfolio. As a result, 1001fontaines decided to launch the so-called “4G” capacity building project to upgrade the initial and continuing training of water entrepreneurs, expand distribution channels, and further leverage the local “O-We” brand to reach more beneficiaries. The “4G project” was implemented from 2014 to 2015, and resulted in the identification of best practices to be followed by every water entrepreneur. Since 2016, 1001fontaines has generalised the use of these best practices to build the capacities of new entrepreneurs.This case study aims to investigate the impact of the “4G project” and its conclusion on the water kiosks’ performance and on 1001fontaines’ ability to better and faster scale up its approach in Cambodia.

Social goals versus business necessity: The nature and determinants of innovation in financial inclusion

Purpose: This study aims to explore the extent to which social innovation is prioritised among a sample of organisations promoting financial inclusion through the provision of affordable credit, advice and financial education. Additionally, we seek to understand the nature of the adopted innovation process and how this is perceived as influencing social change (if at all). Methodology: This exploratory study uses a combination of qualitative, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 35 managers in 29 different organisations and three focus groups with 16 practitioners and stakeholders.Findings: Innovation processes are in the main, largely incremental as opposed to radical with organisations focusing on process-led innovations. More notably, most organisations found that they often lacked the required social capital capacity, economic and technological resources and the necessary skills to develop, implement and capitalise on innovations, thus limiting the more radical forms of innovations.Implications: To enhance the capacity of smaller organisations promoting financial inclusion, there is significant potential to engage in more open, co-creational projects/partnerships to deliver greater social impact to vulnerable populations.Contribution: We contribute to the under-researched literature on social innovation by highlighting the extent to which social innovation is given precedence within the sector promoting financial inclusion. Given the contextual and organisational diversity of the sector, highlighting these behavioural practices and circumstances, enable researchers to theoretically advance social innovation theory further and provide more practice-based guidance for organisations to successfully shape social change.

Successful promotion of social business on the global stage: Case of the City of Kitakyushu, Japan

This case study highlights how a local city, Kitakyushu, with a dark history of industrial pollution in Japan, turned into an eco-friendly role model and was named by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as one of four Green Growth Model cities along with Chicago, Paris, and Stockholm. The city has actively promoted green business through collaborative research opportunities, government-issued green certificates, innovative green product promotion, a supportive business environment for social entrepreneurs, and international technical cooperation projects. The city continues to challenge itself using the United Nation’s 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to expand success into social performance such as quality of life for seniors, gender equality, and sustainable communities. While Japan scores high on social and civil health, female leadership has been a significant struggle in social performance in the masculine culture of Japan. Addressing both accomplishments and challenges, this paper provides insights and practical implications for local governments around the world, so they can learn from Kitakyushu, in a more balanced way, with the purpose of achieving their own social objectives through social business.

Green internal branding and green inter-functional coordination roles in the relationship between green brand orientation and brand performance

Purpose: This study aims to examine the roles of green internal branding and green inter-functional coordination in the relationship between green brand orientation and brand performance in selected Egyptian firms.Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model linking the study variables is developed. To test the model, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from a sample of 131 firms. Then, PLS-SEM was used to test proposed hypotheses of the study.Originality/value: This study addresses the research gap in green branding literature regarding the roles of green internal branding and green inter-functional coordination in enhancing financial and brand performance. The results suggest that green brand-orientation can contribute to financial and brand performance through green internal branding.Research limitations/implications: The limitation of this study is the fact that the sample consisted of only Egyptian firms. Hence, it is difficult to generalise the results to other countries. The implication for firms is recognising the importance of using green internal branding as a mean of achieving green brand objectives. Thus, the study may assist firms to make progress towards becoming green brand-oriented.

Cause-related marketing: Exploring the differences between Gen Y and Gen Z in India

Objective<br/> There is an increasing global need to inspire pro-social behaviour, but there is a dearth of research on factors that underlie the charitable intentions of Gen Y and Gen Z. This study explores the influence of religiosity and descriptive social norms (DSN) on the attitudes and intentions of Gen Y and Gen Z to participate in cause-related marketing (CRM). The study is centred in India, which has a propensity for charitable giving and a rich demographic diversity, and therefore is an appropriate country for CRM research.<br/> Design/Methodology/Approach<br/> Survey data were collected using convenience-based sampling, with 252 valid responses (114 Gen Z; 138 Gen Y). Partial least squares structural equation modelling was utilised for analysing the conceptual model.<br/> Findings<br/> The findings indicate that religiosity influences pro-social attitudes and intentions in both generations, however, there is a differential effect of DSN on attitudes and intentions to participate in CRM for Gen Z, as compared to Gen Y.<br/> Research implications<br/> Religiosity is a significant factor in driving pro-social attitudes and intentions in both generations, however, the effect of DSN on attitudes and intentions to participate in CRM is more pronounced for Gen Z, in comparison to Gen Y.<br/> Practical implications<br/> Marketers can drive an increased intention to participate in CRM by associating CRM efforts with age-old religious teachings for both generations. DSN drive greater engagement of Gen Z with CRM, hence, visible parti cipation in CRM on social media platforms can be an effective strategy for driving pro-social behaviour among Gen Z.<br/> Originality/Value<br/> This is the first study that compares the factors that influence pro-social behaviour in Gen Y and Gen Z in India. The result provides evidence of the continued effect of religiosity on CRM for both generations, and the significant role of DSN in transforming the responses of Gen Z towards CRM.