As the population ages, NGO-organized time banking programs have emerged as community service systems that support older adults but face sustainability challenges. To enhance organizational success and long-term viability of these NGO initiatives, it is crucial to foster strong relationships and commitment behaviors between participants and organizers. Drawing on person-environment fit theory and relational cohesion theory, this mixed methods research examines how individual-task fit and individual-organization fit influence commitment behaviors through the relational cohesion process. Partial least squares structural equation modeling analyzed data from a longitudinal survey of 152 participants. Results highlight the critical role of both fit types and frequent exchanges in building cohesive relationships via positive emotions and uncertainty reduction, which in turn drive commitment behaviors essential for organizational success. A subsequent qualitative study confirmed these results and provided deeper insights into how commitment develops through relational cohesion, supporting the sustainability and effectiveness of time banking programs.
This exploratory study examines the various roles nonprofits play in the adoption and implementation of local government environmental sustainability initiatives. Using grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss 1967) and a mix of deductive and inductive approaches, we analyzed 59 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2023 with local government sustainability managers across the United States. As predicted by traditional conceptualizations of government-nonprofit relations, our results indicate nonprofits frequently deliver public services on behalf of local governments and are involved in advocacy. At the same time, we identify several examples of nonprofits acting in other capacities, too. Nonprofits provided direct financial assistance to support local government initiatives; they served as information resources to local government; and they were intermediaries between nonprofit constituency groups and local government. In addition, some interviewees reported that nonprofits played multiple roles in the same project. This study enriches the government-nonprofit relations literature by addressing Gr & oslash;nbjerg and Smith's (2021) call for more field-specific research and by providing a greater understanding of the range and complexity of the roles that nonprofits perform when interacting with government.
In response to concerns regarding how disaster relief nonprofit organizations distribute financial donations, this paper explores individual donor giving, intent upon giving, and expectations subsequent to giving, in the context of the 2019/20 Kangaroo Island bushfires in South Australia. Adopting fundamental constructs from the theory of planned behavior, we examine why people give to natural disaster fundraising campaigns. We then compare donor intent and their expectations of nonprofits subsequent to giving, with nonprofits' actions and communication to consider how (un/met) expectations might impact on attitudes to future giving. A qualitative approach was adopted involving 14 semi-structured interviews with individual donors (most of whom were geographically close to the disaster location), publicly available communication regarding the disaster, and e-mail correspondence with the relevant nonprofits. Findings reveal the importance of closeness (geographical, emotional and psychological) to a range of factors influencing giving behavior. Contrary to extant literature that cautions a misalignment between donors' intent, expectations, and nonprofits' actions, this occurrence did not impact negatively on donors' satisfaction or attitudes towards future giving behavior. Implications extend to better understanding why donors give, their expectations following a natural disaster, and the multiple dimensions of donor closeness.
I synthesize 78 studies from leading nonprofit and public administration journals to explain why research on board design choices, board effectiveness, and organizational performance yields inconsistent findings. The analysis reveals that empirical contradictions stem primarily from theoretical misalignment and measurement diversity rather than from methodological differences alone. Studies test fundamentally different causal propositions. Some researchers model direct effects of board inputs, assuming they are sufficient conditions, while others adopt the dominant mediated model (board design choices as inputs -> board effectiveness as mediator -> organizational performance as outcomes), treating inputs as necessary but not sufficient conditions requiring governance activation. Yet few studies articulate theoretical criteria for choosing between these specifications. Using Pearl's causal framework, I argue that the causal role of any variable-input, mediator, moderator, or outcome-is not a fixed property but a function of the research question, and I demonstrate when each modeling approach is appropriate and when misspecification introduces bias. Empirically, board capital shows consistent positive effects across measurement approaches. Board size and diversity exhibit contingent effects depending on measurement. Process inputs, particularly strategic planning and oversight, demonstrate robust positive associations on both subjective and objective indicators, though objective tests remain limited for board development practices. I propose a research agenda emphasizing theoretical precision in specifying causal relationships, rigorous identification strategies, and measurement innovation to advance cumulative knowledge in nonprofit governance.
This study examines the structural conditions under which postdisaster digital volunteer collaboration is associated with continuance commitment beyond surge-like mobilization. Using a cross-sectional online survey in a semi-closed volunteer coordination community, the study estimates a PLS-SEM model examining the structural associations among prosocial/value-oriented motivation, role/responsibility internalization, trust, and continuance commitment. Results indicate significant direct associations of prosocial/value-oriented motivation and internalization with continuance commitment, along with a significant specific indirect association from motivation via internalization (partial mediation). Trust shows no significant direct association in the structural model, suggesting it may function more as a proximal condition for entering coordination than as an anchor of continuance commitment. Overall, the findings highlight role/responsibility internalization as a role-based identification and responsible self-positioning construct associated with stronger continuance commitment in informal, high-uncertainty postdisaster digital collaboration, offering a more differentiated account of commitment formation beyond initial mobilization surges.
