1,720,998 research outputs found
Keeping Hybrid organizations alive: Integrate or de-integrate commercial and social activities? Insights from the Italian Socio-Healthcare Sector
No full textThe paper focuses on critical managerial issues faced by non-profit organizations that have undergone substantial hybridization process, thus siding the traditional social programs with commercial activities. Such problems lead to three types of hybrid solutions: an integrated, a disintegrated and a semi-integrated model. From in-depth interviews with managers and board members of eight NPOs belonging to the Socio-Healthcare Italian sector, six critical factors best describe such model: internal and external legitimacy, monetary exchanges, loss of identity risk, organizational structure and constraints to growth. Comparisons between hybrid business and solutions have been provided, highlighting for each model advantages and disadvantages in relation to specific factor
The logic of the gift and the bonding value: a new perspective for business management
No full textPurpose – This paper aims to conceptualize business relationships so as to include in these
dimensions of both gift and gratuity, to develop the concept of “bonding value”, and to offer some
ideas for the use of this within firms.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses the concept of “bonding value”,
distinguishing it from the concepts of “exchange value” and “use value” that are normally used in
business, and attempts to investigate its practical implications.
Findings – The paper shows how evaluating both the relationships within the organization and
between firm and stakeholders in terms of “bonding value” can have effects on the economic,
organizational and social aspects of a firm’s activities.
Research limitations/implications – The paper is a starting point of a possible conceptual path
that should be directed toward the theoretical and practical use of “bonding value” in business. It is
necessary to support the theoretical considerations with future empirical investigation showing the
possibility of practical applications of the concept analysed.
Practical implications – The main implication for business management is the possibility to
propose “bonding value” and “gift logic” as new parameters in assessing whether or not a firm has
achieved its institutional purposes.
Originality/value – In the past, “bonding value” has been studied mainly from a philosophical and
sociological point of view. In this article we try to begin to address this issue specifically from a
perspective of business management
The Sustainable Path of Social Enterprises toward Hybridity: Insights from a Multiple Case Study of Italian NPOs
No full textDespite the increasing attention to the hybridization phenomenon in the modern social
entrepreneurship literature, still little is known regarding the sustainable design of hybrid
organizational models of social enterprises. Literature has highlighted the existence of two
opposite stereotypes of hybrid organizational models, namely integrated and
compartmentalized. Nevertheless, the numerous intermediate structures existing between
these ‘pure’ forms have received limited attention yet. In order to fill such a gap, we conducted a
multiple case study analysis aiming at deepening knowledge about sustainable stereotypes for
hybrid organizations, finding what we label as the ‘semi-integrated’ model. Thanks to in-depth
interviews with managers and board members of 9 socially entrepreneurial non-profit
organizations (NPOs) operating in the Italian socio-healthcare sector, critical issues for each
organizational model emerged. In particular, six factors best describe the sustainability of a
hybrid organizational modes: internal and external legitimacy, monetary exchanges, loss of
identity risk, organizational structure, and constraints to growth. Comparisons between models
are provided, highlighting main advantages and disadvantages in relation to organizational
sustainability critical issues
How Non-profit Organization Boards Can Manage Volunteers as a Strategic Organizational Resource? Empirical Evidences from the Emergency Sector in Italy
No full textWhile strategy and strategic management represent traditional ‘classic’ streams of
research for commercial and for-profit business scholars, scarce attention has been dedicated
to delineating strategic implications for charity, voluntary, and non-profit organizations. Few
studies have investigated the antecedents characterizing volunteers’ behavioural attitudes that
allow managers to effectively understand, incentive, and respond to such individuals, as they
represent a crucial strategic resource for non-profit organizations. Specifically, we adopt an
approach drawn from the gift giving theory that perfectly interprets such tendency in
volunteers. This research adopts a quantitative protocol for deepening these important
strategic issues for the non-profit context. Specifically, a survey was sent to volunteers of 20
non-profit organizations in the region of Tuscany (Italy) for a total number of 379 usable
questionnaires. Then, a bivariate correlation between volunteers’ psychological attitudes and
behavioural intent analysed through a path analysis has been performed. The model clearly
shows that volunteers’ motivation and their behavioural intention to donate is mediated by a
reciprocity element. In a strategic sense, volunteers may enhance their organizational
contribution in an environment where they perceive a strong relational clearly signalised by
the managerial body. Thus, a continuous effort should be profuse to highlight such relational
aspect within the non-profit organization and to promote events and procedures that may
enhance it
Hybrid organizations and organizational structure: Insights from the Italian socio-healthcare sector
No full textHybrid organizations blending traditional aspects of the for-profit world with distinctively social activities and aims face consistent organizational problem about how to combine so different scopes, cultures and needs.
We collected in-depth interviews with managers and board members of eight hybrid organizations working in the Italian Socio-Healthcare sector, to give full evidences of such problems and solutions adopted. Using a content analysis and a process of Open and axial code six emergent and prominent organizational concerns have arisen: internal and external legitimacy, monetary exchanges, loss of identity risk, organizational structure and constraints to growth. The paper also explores comparisons between different hybrid organizational responses to highlight advantages and disadvantages in relation to each specific factor
"Eyes for eyes, teeth for teeth": positive and negative reciprocity in NPOs
No full textPurpose Management scholars investigated the motivational aspects of volunteers, mainly focusing on their positive reciprocity - individuals feel obligated to reciprocate whenever they receive benefits from others - but neglected the possible role of negative reciprocity, the tendency to retaliate in case of mistreatments. Based on motivational functions theory and the norm of reciprocity, this paper proposes a framework assessing other-oriented and self-oriented motives as the main antecedents of volunteers' intention to stay in non-profit organizations (NPOs). Design/methodology/approach Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) and the PROCESS macro were used to empirically validate and test the hypothesized conceptual model on a sample of 379 volunteers actively involved in Italian NPOs. Findings Positive reciprocity partially mediated the relationships between volunteers' other-oriented motives and self-oriented motives and their intention to stay. Instead, negative reciprocity fully mediated the relationship between self-oriented motives and intention to stay but not the relationship between other-oriented motives and intention to stay. Practical implications Managers and marketers of NPOs should pay more attention to volunteers' attitudinal and behavioral signals to encourage within-organization positive reciprocal attitudes and discourage negative reciprocal attitudes. This represents a strategic lever to prevent volunteers from quitting the organization - which is one of the most critical challenges for NPOs' management - and improve their intention to stay. Originality/value This is one of the first studies that simultaneously investigate the mediating role of both positive and negative reciprocity of volunteers actively involved in NPOs. Moreover, the constructs of other-oriented and self-oriented motivations are statistically validated as two separate psychological dimensions impacting on volunteers' turnover. Finally, the study has been conducted in the Region of Tuscany (Italy) which, despite its centuries-old tradition of volunteerism, has received scant attention by non-profit scholars
Talune riflessioni sulla possibile integrazione tra strumenti informativi eterogenei per una comunicazione responsabile e trasparente tra azienda e stakeholders
No full textThe Sustainable Path of Social Enterprises Toward Hybridity: Insights from Italy
No full textDespite the increasing attention to the hybridization phenomenon in the modern social entrepreneurship literature, still little is known regarding the sustainable design of hybrid organizational models. Actually, one of the most cumbersome challenges for hybrids is to effectively fulfil both beneficiaries’ and customers’ needs, requirements, and expectations, being embedded in the conflicting – and often incompatible – logics of social mission and commercial activities. Hence, appropriate organizational models are needed to pursue social and economic performance, while maintaining the organization’s original social imprinting. Literature has highlighted the existence of two opposite stereotypes of hybrid organizational models, namely integrated and compartmentalized. However, the numerous intermediate organizational forms existing between these two alternative hybrids models have received limited attention yet. Relying on an inductive comparative case study, this paper aims at deepening knowledge about sustainable stereotypes of hybrids, conceptualizing a new organizational stereotype named the ‘semi-integrated’ model. Thanks to in-depth interviews with managers and board members of 9 hybrid organizations operating in the Italian socio-healthcare sector, critical issues for each organizational model emerged. In particular, six factors significantly affect the sustainability of hybrids organizations in achieving their social mission: internal and external legitimacy, monetary exchanges, loss of identity risk, organizational structure, and constraints to growth. Comparisons between the hybrids models are provided, highlighting main advantages and disadvantages in relation to organizational sustainability critical issues
The sustainable path of social enterprises toward hybridity: insights from a multiple case study of italian NPOs
No full textDespite the increasing attention to the hybridization phenomenon in the modern social
entrepreneurship literature, still little is known regarding the sustainable design of hybrid
organizational models of social enterprises. Literature has highlighted the existence of two
opposite stereotypes of hybrid organizational models, namely integrated and
compartmentalized. Nevertheless, the numerous intermediate structures existing between
these ‘pure’ forms have received limited attention yet. In order to fill such a gap, we conducted a
multiple case study analysis aiming at deepening knowledge about sustainable stereotypes for
hybrid organizations, finding what we label as the ‘semi-integrated’ model. Thanks to in-depth
interviews with managers and board members of 9 socially entrepreneurial non-profit
organizations (NPOs) operating in the Italian socio-healthcare sector, critical issues for each
organizational model emerged. In particular, six factors best describe the sustainability of a
hybrid organizational modes: internal and external legitimacy, monetary exchanges, loss of
identity risk, organizational structure, and constraints to growth. Comparisons between models
are provided, highlighting main advantages and disadvantages in relation to organizational
sustainability critical issues
Exploring the factors influencing the adoption of different hybrid organizational models in non-profit socio-health organizations: evidences from Tuscany
No full textThe concept of hybridizing the modern social entrepreneurship is increasingly
becoming a hot topic day by day, although very few information is known about
the viability of the design concerning hybrid organizational models of social enterprises.
“Compartmentalised” and “integrated” are the two different categories of hybrid organizational models on whose existence several literatures have emphasized upon. However, among these primary types there were also many
intermediate structures that existed but could not seek much attention till now.
In the process of filling up this gap, we have analysed multiple case studies in
order to strengthen the knowledge concerning viable typecasts of hybrid organizations
and learn more about what is known as ‘semi-integrated’ model. The
emergence of the critical issues that are linked with the acceptance of various
organisational models was possible after the comprehensive interviews with the
managers and the board members of 3 socially entrepreneurial NPOs (non-profit
organizations) serving in the Italian socio-healthcare sector. The selection of an
unusual organizational model particularly depends on 3 factors, and these are:
delights of organizational existence, quest for both financial stability and growth
and factors related to the organizational edifice. In this research, pros and cons
regarding organizational viability critical issues are highlighted by comparing
various models
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