36231 research outputs found
Sort by
âTo Decide Without Knowing Meâ: The Rise of Elton Mayo and Human Resource Management
Full text linkFrom the late 1920s, the Harvard Business School established a theory of industrial relations which became dominant within human resource management (HRM), just as it was being taken up by government, universities, and large corporations in the United States. A series of industrial experiments at the Hawthorne Western Electric plant in Illinois provided the authoritative, scientific data for this theorisation. The man overseeing both the research and the theory was an Australian intellectual, Elton Mayo, who from 1923 received financial support from the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial and from John D. Rockefeller, Jr., enabling him to stay in the United States. This article draws on archived correspondence showing this support was contingent on scientific credentials claimed by Mayo for himself and his research – credentials that were, to a significant extent, fraudulent. Mayo's story casts new light on the intellectual bases of HRM and the historic role of American social science and social science philanthropy in institutionalising a globally influential approach to industrial relations
Transforming Juvenile Justice Through Strategic Financing
Full text linkThe nation's juvenile justice systems are responsible for managing youth who violate the law. These systems rely on complex financial structures and diverse funding sources shaped by the interplay of policies at the federal, state and local level. While state and local government represent the backbone of financial support to juvenile justice systems, additional funding sources — such as federal dollars, fines and fees and philanthropic contributions — also play a role.The diversity and complexity of this landscape makes it difficult to study how different structures support — or fail to support — a specific community's juvenile justice goals. This lack of clarity also hinders local opportunities to strategize and allocate resources effectively, improve program quality and achieve safe communities. In pursuit of a clearer picture, the Annie E. Casey Foundation funded Child Trends to conduct a mixed-methods study of juvenile justice systems' financing across select states and localities.Child Trends leveraged its 13 years of experience conducting the Child Welfare Financing Survey to develop a juvenile justice financing survey. This survey — administered from January 2022 to April 2023 and covering state fiscal year 2019 — covered seven states and 11 localities. It sought to better understand how individual juvenile justice systems are run and financed, what expenditures they accrue, and where they stand with savings and reinvestment practices
Estudio sobre la filantropÃa de Familias Empresarias en Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala y Panamá
Full text linkEste informe presenta los resultados de una investigación desarrollada por Makaia junto con WINGS y Family Business Network (FBN). Su objetivo fue comprender el estado actual, las tendencias emergentes y el potencial de la filantropÃa de las familias empresarias de Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala y Panamá, asà como identificar oportunidades para fortalecer el ecosistema filantrópico regional.Â
2025 Democracy Briefer for Funders : What's Happening to European Democracy and What Funders Can Do About It
Full text linkThe concept of democratic backsliding has sparked heated debates across the global stage. Is it a serious threat, or is it more of a perceived danger? If it is a real phenomenon, what evidence supports its existence and what does this say about its severity? Are some regions more vulnerable, or is no nation truly immune to it? What can philanthropy do to address this issue?This in-depth explainer explores the subtle nature of democratic backsliding and its causes, to provide a comprehensive understanding of this complex issue, enabling philanthropic organisations to develop appropriate strategies that address the multidimensional challenges democratic backsliding presents. The political developments, both in Europe and globally, highlight not only the challenges but also the opportunities to strengthen and revitalise democratic governance. As Europe faces shifts in its political landscape, there is a growing recognition of the importance of safeguarding democratic values and institutions.This explainer takes a look at the key indicators of democratic backsliding and root causes driving it, drawing on a wide body of evidence from published research to offer insights into the current state of democracy and opportunities to seize
Bridging Today and Tomorrow: Futures Philanthropy Case Studies
Full text linkWe operate in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world. Every day, philanthropy leaders are facing infinite possibilities and, at the same time, the challenge of making strategic choices, often difficult ones. While uncertainty presents challenges, it also creates opportunities to rethink approaches, test new ideas, and build more adaptive and resilient ways of working.This collection of real-life case studies offers practical insight into how funders and philanthropy networks are adapting their strategies, testing new funding models, embedding foresight and fostering cross-sector collaboration. While there are no simple solutions, these case studies highlight the concrete ways organisations are adapting, learning and preparing for the future – offering inspiration for funders, donors, philanthropy practitioners, researchers and advisors looking to integrate futures thinking into their work today.This publication builds on and complements the groundbreaking publication, "Futures Philanthropy: Anticipation for the Common Good", which identifies and formulates the need for futures thinking in the philanthropy field, and outlines key principles and frameworks that can be integrated into philanthropic practice
A Scoping Research on Capacity Needs of Civil Society Organisations in West Africa
Full text linkCivil Society Organisations (CSOs) play a vital role in advancing development and social justice, yet many face challenges in financial management, digital security, strategic planning, and resource mobilisation.WACSI's latest study analyses capacity gaps among CSOs in West Africa, Cameroon, Chad, and Mauritania, using data from 391 organisations across 18 countries. Findings reveal that 65% operate nationally, with 69% focusing on women and youth leadership
State High School Graduation Requirements, Their Impact, & Examples of Change
Full text linkIn November 2024, Massachusetts voters chose to stop requiring high school students to pass the 10th grade MCAS in order to graduate. This decision left Massachusetts as one of just two states without any statewide graduation requirement, opening up increased variation from district to district on the meaning of a high school diploma.Barr commissioned Bellwether Education Partners to examine available research on the implementation and impact of high school graduation policies in other U.S. states.Â
Navigating Authoritarianism: The Ford Foundationâs Response to the 1973 Coup in Chile
Full text linkThis report examines how the Ford Foundation responded to the challenges posted by the 1973 coup, focusing on its immediate reaction to the dictatorship, human rights violations, and the growing refugee crisis. The documents examined are particularly relevant for the early years after the coup (1973-1974), providing insights into the decision-making process about research funding in an authoritarian context and the refugee trajectories of those supported by the Foundation. Some of the most poignant memos are those where local foundation staff report on military repression on university campuses, arrests, and early testimonies of human rights violations targeted at academics. These responses shaped the Foundation's subsequent policy towards authoritarian Chile and its approach to the democratic transition in the 1980s. Drawing on documents from the Ford Foundation archive, this report shows that the refugee programme became a key mechanism to preserve intellectual networks and independent research in Chile
Better with Age: A Guide to Funding in a Longevity Society
Full text linkWe all benefit when older people can continue to contribute as consumers, employees, mentors, caregivers, and linchpins of stable families and communities. Yet too few of our systems and policies have kept pace with the new longer lifespans.This report reviews the landscape of funding in aging, offers a demographic portrait of older America, and presents opportunities for funders working on health equity, LGBTQ+ issues, children/youth, housing, economic security, rural life, caregiving, and community development to increase their impact by considering how aging intersects with their investments
Who owns chickens? Corporate control and industrial broiler production in the global south
Full text linkThis report focuses on the production and ownership structures behind broiler chickens, particularly in Brazil, Mexico, India and China. In these four countries 91 firms control 36% of production. Worldwide, 376 companies are responsible for 75% of global chicken production, with ownership increasingly concentrated through mergers and institutional investment.Brazilian chicken production is in the hands of only a few firms. Mexican chicken production is controlled by two major corporations. The Indian market is dominated by privately-owned companies, but global financial and corporate actors are increasingly present. China presents a more complicated picture, with a rapidly growing and diverse set of owners. It nonetheless shows the significant footprint of powerful U.S.-based multinationals operating alongside publicly-traded and state-influenced domestic firms.Key takeaways:1. A critical finding of this research is that major U.S. investment firms, including Blackrock and Vanguard, own significant stakes in the largest publicly-traded chicken companies in Brazil and Mexico.2. The industrial model is the only game in town. The intense market pressure exerted by these financial giants forces nearly all producers, regardless of their ownership structure, to adopt the same industrial model. 3. This extreme concentration of corporate and financial power creates a cascade of negative consequences. In particular, corruption and collusion, animal suffering, labor exploitation, systemic risk to the food supply, displacement of more resilient, localized food systems.Four key levers of action in both the global north and south:1. Financial activism – targeting the public companies and their investors: Launch public campaigns targeting the key shareholders of these companies, specifically major asset managers like Blackrock and Vanguard, as well as the university, government, and private pension funds that invest in them.2. Legal and investigative action – targeting the private companies: Support and conduct investigative journalism and legal activism to expose harmful practices. This includes uncovering poor working conditions, animal welfare abuses, and anti-competitive behavior.3. Corporate campaigning: Push for higher animal welfare standards.4. Government advocacy: Push for government support for research and development of resilient, local alternatives including indigenous chicken breeds and the expansion of backyard and small-scale poultry schemes