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Investigating the Marketization of the Nonprofit Sector: A Comparative Case Study of Two Nonprofit Organizations

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Abstract

It has been well documented in recent years that nonprofits are becoming increasingly marketized. What is less well understood from this body of research is the variation of marketization in the nonprofit sector and how it is made manifest in nonprofit organizations. This article aims to fill this gap in knowledge by recounting the results of a comparative case study of two nonprofits. We examine their marketization through a multifaceted theoretical framework that allows us to document the marketization comprehensively and to posit some preliminary explanations as to why this variation is occurring. Our findings indicate that one organization is adopting a strong entrepreneurial orientation while the other is integrating its traditional community orientation with more professionalization. The differentiation witnessed in the case organizations suggests that marketization is best understood as a situated process that may in part be explained by varying strategic responses to institutional pressures.

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Funding

This study was funded by Portland State University with a Faculty Enhancement Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207-0751, USA

    Billie Sandberg

  2. Public Affairs and Policy, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    Erin Elliott

  3. Health Systems and Policy, OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Portland, OR, USA

    Shauna Petchel

Authors
  1. Billie Sandberg
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  2. Erin Elliott
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  3. Shauna Petchel
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Correspondence to Billie Sandberg.

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Sandberg, B., Elliott, E. & Petchel, S. Investigating the Marketization of the Nonprofit Sector: A Comparative Case Study of Two Nonprofit Organizations. Voluntas 31, 494–510 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-019-00159-8

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