Abstract
In the last few years the management orientation of nonprofit organisation (NPOs) has been gaining importance. Management is said to have made the organisation of NPOs more effective and efficient. However, the influence of the institutional settings is often neglected in nonprofit management literature. By using a quantitative empirical approach this study investigates the influence of the legal type of Swiss nonprofits on the relationship between management dimensions and organisational performance. The research findings reveal significant differences in the management of foundations and associations. In particular, foundations have a competitive advantage in terms of innovation and market orientation. Whereas associations profit from investing in governance issues.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
This applies likewise to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Newer legal forms, especially the limited liability company and the public limited company, are negligible in this context, since most of them are used for the organisation of subordinate or outsourced operations.
Based on systems theory Schwarz (2006) divides the management of an NPO into coordination, decision-making, organisation, leadership and innovation. Because of the historical development of association management, this division appears rather unsuitable for the following study, since the division was developed specifically for associations.
References
Aberg P, von Essen J (2010) Isomorphic processes and discursive strategies Swedish study associations caught between civil society, the state and the market, In: ISTR Conference Working Papers Vol. 7
Aldrich T (2009) Benchmarking the fundraising performance of UK charities, In: International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 14 (4): S353–S364
Anheier HK (2003) Der Dritte Sektor in Zeiten des gesellschaftlichen Umbruchs, In: Verbands-Management, 28(1): S38–S47
Anheier HK, Leat D (2002) From charity to creativity: philanthropic foundations in the 21st century. Comedia, Stroud
Anheier HK, Toepler S (2005) Definition und Phänomenologie der Nonprofit-Organisation. In: Hopt KJ, von Hippel Th, Walz WR (eds) Nonprofit-Organisationen in Recht, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, Tübingen, pp S17–S34
Anheier HK, Schröer A, Then V (eds) (2011) Soziale Investitionen. VS Verlag, Wiesbaden
Badelt Ch, Meyer M, Simsa R (2007) Handbuch der Nonprofit-Organisation, 4th edn. Schäffer-Poeschel, Stuttgart
Balser D, McClusky J (2005) Managing stakeholder relationships and non-profit organization effectiveness, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 15(3): S295–S315
Baruch Y, Ramalho N (2006) Communalities and distinctions in the measurement of organizational performance and effectiveness across for-profit and non-profit sectors, In: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 35(1): S39–S65
Boezeman EJ, Ellemers N (2008) Volunteer recruitment: the role of organizational support and anticipated respect in non-volunteers’ attraction to charitable volunteer organizations. J Appl Psychol 93(5):S1013–S1026
Bowman HW (2006) Should donors care about overhead? Do they care? Nonprofit Volunt Sect Q 35(2):S288–S310
Brown AW (2005) Exploring the association between board and organizational performance in non-profit organizations, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 15(3): S317–S339
Brown AW, Yoshioka C (2002) Employee satisfaction and mission attachment as factors in retention. Paper presented at the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action, Montreal
Bruhn M (2005) Marketing für nonprofit-organisationen. Grundlagen - Konzepte - Instrumente, Kohlhammer
Bryson JM, Gibbons MJ, Shaye G (2001) Entreprise schemes for nonprofit survival, growth, and effectiveness, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 11(3): S271–S288
Callen JL, Klein A, Tinkelman D (2003) Board composition, committees, and organizational efficiency: the case of nonprofits, In: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 32(4): S493–S520
Chew C (2005) Strategic marketing planning and positioning in voluntary non-profit organisations. Aston Academy for research in Management, Aston
Cornforth Ch (2003) The governance of public and non-profit organisations: what do boards do?. Routledge, London
Cornforth Ch, Simpson C (2003) Change and continuity in the governance of non-profit organizations in the UK, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 12(4): S451–S470
DiMaggio P, Powell WW (1983) The iron cage revisited: institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields, In: American Sociological Review, 48(4): S147–S160
Eikenberry AM, Kluver JD (2004) The marketization of the non-profit sector: civil society at risk? In: Public Administration Review, 64(2): S132–S140
Ergenzinger R, Krulis-Randa JS (2005) Innovation als Erfolgsfaktor des professionellen Management in der postindustriellen Organisation. In: Berndt R (ed) Erfolgsfaktor Innovation. Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, pp 97–111
Forbes DP (1998) Measuring the unmeasurable: empirical studies of non-profit organization effectiveness from 1977 to 1997, In: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 27(2): S183–S202
Frey BS, Benz M (2007) Corporate Governance: what Can We Learn From Public Governance? Acad Manag Rev 32(1):92–104
Gill M, Flynn RJ, Reissing E (2005) The governance self assessment checklist, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership 15(3): S271–S294
Strachwitz R Graf (2010) Stiften, Philanthropie und Venture Philanthropy, In: Hoelscher Ph, Ebermann Th, Schlüter A (Hrsg.) Venture Philanthropy in Theorie und Praxis, Lucius & Lucius, Stuttgart, S49–S56
Green JC, Griesinger DW (2006) Board performance and organizational effectiveness in non-profit social services organizations, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 6(4): S381–S402
Greiling D (2009) Erfolgsmassstäbe für Nonprofit-Organisationen, In: Betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung und Praxis, 61(1): S56–S78
Hair JF, Anderson RE, Tatham RE, Black WC (2006) Multi-variate data analysis, 6th edn. Pearson/Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River
Harris M (1998) Doing it their way: organizational challenges for voluntary associations, In: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 27(2): S144–S158
Helmig B, Jegers M, Laspley I (2004) Challenges in managing non-profit organizations: a research overview. Voluntas 15(2):101–116
Helmig B, Purtschert R, Beccarelli C (2006) Erfolgsfaktoren im nonprofit-management. In: Helmig B, Purtschert R (eds) Nonprofit-management, 2nd edn. Gabler, Wiesbaden, pp 351–360
Helmig B, Lichtsteiner H, Gmür M (2010) Der Dritte Sektor der Schweiz. Haupt, Benr
Herman RD, Renz DO (2008) Advancing non-profit organizational effectiveness research and theory, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 18(4): S399–S415
Herman RD, Renz DO, Heimovics RD (1997) Board practices and board effectiveness in local non-profit organizations, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 7(4): S373–S285
Hirschman AO (1987) Exit, voice, and loyalty. Harvard University Press, Cambridge
Jakob D, Huber R, Rauber K (2009) Non-profit law in Switzerland, working papers of the Johns Hopkins comparative non-profit sector project, No. 47, The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, Baltimore
Jaskyte K (2004) Transformational leadership, organizational culture, and innovativeness in non-profit organizations, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 15(2): S153–S168
Jaskyte K, de Riobo MS (2004) Characteristics of innovative non-profit organizations in Argentina. Voluntas 15(1):71–79
Kaiser HF (1974) An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika 39:31–36
Maier F, Meyer M (2011) Managerialism and beyond: discourses of civil society organization and their governance implications. Voluntas 22(4):731–756
Mazzarol TW, Soutar GN (2007) Strategy matters: strategic positioning and performance in the education services sector, In: International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 13(2): S141–S151
Meyer M (2008) Paradoxien im nonprofit sektor, In: Verbands-Management, 34(1): S6–S15
Meyer JW, Rowan B (1977) Institutional organizations: formal structure as myth and ceremony. Amer J Sociol 83:340–363
Murray V, Bradshaw P, Wolpin J (1992) Power in and around non-profit boards: a neglected dimension of governance, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 3(2): S165–S182
Nowotny Ch, Fida S (2007) Rechtliche Gestaltungsformen für NPOs. In: Badelt Ch, Meyer M, Simsa R (eds) Handbuch der Nonprofit-organisation, 4th edn. Schäffer-Poeschel, Stuttgart, pp 202–230
Nunnally JC (1978) Psychometric theory, 2nd edn. MacGraw-Hill, New York
Osborne SP (1998) Voluntary organizations and innovation in public services. Routledge, London
Parsons E, Broadbridge A (2004) Managing change in non-profit organizations: insights from the UK charity retail sector. Voluntas 15(3):227–242
Peter JP (1979) Reliability: a review of psychometric basics and recent marketing practices. J Mark Res 16:S6–S24
Porter M (1985) Competitive advantage. Free Press, New York
Purtschert R (2004) Good corporate governance: Ansatz für Verbände und weitere NPO? In: Verbands-Management, 30(3): S6–S17
Purtschert R (2005) Marketing für Verbände und weitere Nonprofit-Organisationen, 2nd edn. Haupt, Bern
Robinson JP, Shaver PR, Wrightsman LS (1991) Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes. Academic Press, San Diego
Sargeant A (2001) Relationship Fundraising: how to keep your donors loyal, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 12(2): S177–S192
Schönenberg D (2009) Transformation vom Verein in eine Stiftung im Schweizer Recht, In: Zeitschrift für das Recht der Non Profit Organisationen, Heft 3/2009, S64–S67
Schwarz P (1984) Erfolgsorientiertes Verbands-Management. Asgard, St. Augustin
Schwarz P (1996) Management in nonprofit organisationen. Haupt, Bern
Schwarz P (2003) Erfolgsorientierung in Nonprofit-Organisationen: Zur Konstruktion eines Modells. In: Blümle E-B, Pernsteiner H, Purtschert R, Andessner R (eds) Öffentliche Verwaltung und Nonprofit-Organisationen. Linde, Wien, pp 641–662
Schwarz P (2005) Organisation von Nonprofit-Organisationen. Haupt, Bern
Schwarz P (2006) Management-Prozesse und -Systeme in Noprofit-Organisationen. Haupt, Bern
Schwarz P, Lichtsteiner H (2008) Management professionalisierung in NPO: Ein Irrweg? In: Verbands-Management, 34(1): S16–S25
Schwarz P, von Schnurbein G (2005) Gemeinsamkeiten und strukturelle Unterschiede der Corporate und Nonprofit Governance, In: Zeitschrift für öffentliche und gemeinwirtschaftliche Unternehmen, 28(4): S358–S375
Schwarz P, Purtschert R, Giroud Ch, Schauer R (2009) das Freiburger Management-Modell für Nonprofit-Organisationen, 6th edn. Haupt, Bern
Seufert G (1999) Verbandscontrolling: Ansätze einer operativen Führungskoordination. Gabler, Wiesbaden
Siciliano JI (1997) The relationship between formal planning and performance in non-profit organizations, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 7(4): S387–S403
Steyerer J, Meyer M (2010) Welcher Führungsstil führt zum Erfolg? In: Zeitschrift Führung und Organisation, 79(3): S148–S155
Toepler S, Feldman M P (2003) Philanthropic foundations and the innovative function: evidence from a survey of university researchers, mimeo, George Mason University
Tschirhart M (2006) Non-profit membership associations. In: Powell WW, Steinberg R (eds) The non-profit sector––a research handbook, 2nd edn. Yale University, New Haven, pp 523–541
Van de Ven AH (1986) Central problems in the management of innovation. Manag Sci 32:509–607
Verbruggen S, Christiaens J, Milis K (2011) Can resource dependence and coercive isomorphism explain non-profit organizations’ compliance with reporting standards? In: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 40(1): S5–S32
von Schnurbein G (2007) Risiko- und innovationsorientierte Förderleistungen von Stiftungen, In: Helmig B, Purtschert R, Schauer R, Witt D (2007) Nonprofit-Organisationen und Märkte, DUV, Wiesbaden, pp S323–S338
von Schnurbein G (2008) Stiftungen als Motor des Wandels im Nonprofit-Sektor, In: Zeitschrift zum Stiftungswesen
von Schnurbein G (2009) Patterns of governance in swiss trade Associations and unions, In: Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 20(1): S97–S115
von Schnurbein G (2010) Dienstleistungsorientiertes Stiftungsmanagement, In: Rote Seiten, Nr.5/2010, S2–S13
von Schnurbein G, Timmer K (2010) Die Förderstiftung. Helbing Lichtenhahn, Basel
Wollebaek D (2009) Survival in local voluntary associations, In: Non-profit Management and Leadership, 19(3): S267–S284
Young DR (2004) The music of management––applying organization theory. Ashgate, Burlington
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
von Schnurbein, G. Same same but different: managerial influences on organisational performance in foundations and associations. J Bus Econ 84, 251–276 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-013-0697-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11573-013-0697-x