Work

Talking the Talk, or Walking the Walk? How Managerial Practices Relate to Nonprofit Organizations’ Role as Schools of Democracy

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Nonprofit organizations are touted as "schools of democracy" that teach civic skills and values, but their increasing use of managerial practices from the business world may endanger this role. We examine the relationships between nonprofits' managerial practices, practices of organizational democracy, and endorsement of public participation. Using organizational-level survey data from the Viennese metropolitan area, we find that the extent to which nonprofits use managerial practices negatively relates to their degree of organizational democracy. However, greater use of democratic and managerial practices positively relates to endorsing public participation. We conclude that managerialization often turns nonprofits from practitioners into mere preachers of democracy.

Source: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

DOI: 10.1177/08997640241278634

Authors: Lisa Hohensinn, Julia Litofcenko, Florentine Maier, Leila Cornips

Institution: Vienna University of Economics and Business

Language: English

Topic: Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450